Title: Undertow
Author: Toni Holly
Publisher: Pink Gables Publishing
Date of Publication: 2015
Number of Pages: 123
Disclaimer: The author provided me a copy of his book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you so much!
Disclaimer: The author provided me a copy of his book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you so much!
Summary
A hereditary curse.
Tiffany "Tiffy" Schafer is a novice Shaman. Saddled with spook-o-vision on her sixteenth birthday, Tiffy can chat with ghosts and may eventually be able to speak with Nature spirits like her Nana. Instead of vacations and sunbathing, she gets to spend an exciting summer in strict tutelage of how to use her new "gifts."
A summer of strange disappearances.
After a friend of Tiffy's ex-boyfriend goes missing, the boy returns as a grotesque Merrow: an undead thrall of a water witch. She realizes there's something fishy going on in her coastal town than simple disappearances. Caught in the middle of this brewing supernatural battle is the boy Tiffy swore to love forever. The prize: his heart.
Tiffany "Tiffy" Schafer is a novice Shaman. Saddled with spook-o-vision on her sixteenth birthday, Tiffy can chat with ghosts and may eventually be able to speak with Nature spirits like her Nana. Instead of vacations and sunbathing, she gets to spend an exciting summer in strict tutelage of how to use her new "gifts."
A summer of strange disappearances.
After a friend of Tiffy's ex-boyfriend goes missing, the boy returns as a grotesque Merrow: an undead thrall of a water witch. She realizes there's something fishy going on in her coastal town than simple disappearances. Caught in the middle of this brewing supernatural battle is the boy Tiffy swore to love forever. The prize: his heart.
Review
Undertow is a very quick paranormal read, yet one that I enjoyed immensely. I've always liked stories about shamans and spirits and this one has plenty of these two! You also know by now my fascination with folklore, so encountering creatures like merrows is a bonus for me.
Tiffany, our protagonist, is a shaman in training. At least, that's her intention of spending her summer with her Nana, from which she inherited her gift as well. One day, two ghosts ask for her help and the same morning she accidentally learns that her friend is missing. From this point on, everything gets complicated as she finds herself in a dangerous situation. This novel has a very intriguing story, which sucked into its world from the very beginning. It has some twists towards the end that I wasn't expecting, which certainly added to the enjoyment. My only problem is that I'd like it to be more extensive. I felt that when the action reached its peak, the resolution came too quickly.
Tiffy, also known as the Tiffinator, is a very likeable character. We feel for her when she meets her ex-boyfriend with a new girl, or when he tries to approach her and she's confused. We are anxious when she is in danger and we are shocked by her findings. But she is a strong character and she copes with everything that comes in her way with an admirable determination. The only thing I could say is that I'd like the secondary character to have a more active role in the story. I liked Father Vincent instantly, but he appeared very little in the novel. Also, Nana could be a great guide for Tiffy, a thing that I missed.
Therefore, Undertow proved to be a great novel, although it is pretty short. The writing is very good and it makes you want to know more about the story and the characters. The ending left me feeling that there might be a sequel, or at least other adventures with Tiffany and her new-found powers. If you like paranormal novels, I recommend it wholeheartedly!
So, my advice is...
Tiffany, our protagonist, is a shaman in training. At least, that's her intention of spending her summer with her Nana, from which she inherited her gift as well. One day, two ghosts ask for her help and the same morning she accidentally learns that her friend is missing. From this point on, everything gets complicated as she finds herself in a dangerous situation. This novel has a very intriguing story, which sucked into its world from the very beginning. It has some twists towards the end that I wasn't expecting, which certainly added to the enjoyment. My only problem is that I'd like it to be more extensive. I felt that when the action reached its peak, the resolution came too quickly.
Tiffy, also known as the Tiffinator, is a very likeable character. We feel for her when she meets her ex-boyfriend with a new girl, or when he tries to approach her and she's confused. We are anxious when she is in danger and we are shocked by her findings. But she is a strong character and she copes with everything that comes in her way with an admirable determination. The only thing I could say is that I'd like the secondary character to have a more active role in the story. I liked Father Vincent instantly, but he appeared very little in the novel. Also, Nana could be a great guide for Tiffy, a thing that I missed.
Therefore, Undertow proved to be a great novel, although it is pretty short. The writing is very good and it makes you want to know more about the story and the characters. The ending left me feeling that there might be a sequel, or at least other adventures with Tiffany and her new-found powers. If you like paranormal novels, I recommend it wholeheartedly!
So, my advice is...
Dive deep in the ocean!
Hadn't heard of this one. Love the cover, and it sounds good! I'll have to check it out! Thanks for sharing, and great review! Really makes me want to try it.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I can't recommend it enough :)
DeleteI've never even heard of this, but the cover reminds me of Shatter Me (as you know from my blog, I just recently read it so no surprise it's the first thing I thought of haha). It does sound interesting though. Kind of reminds me of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater.
ReplyDeleteWow! You're totally right, the cover indeed reminds the one from Shatter Me! But it's also interesting :) I'll check out The Raven Cycle as well, thank you for the recommendation.
DeleteI have not heard about this book but it does sound very interesting. Ghosts and spirits scare me somewhat so I am very careful when picking up paranormal books. But, may be I will try this one.
ReplyDeleteAnd awesome review :)
Nita@ www.book-choose.com
You should! I liked it that it had a lot of action and it didn't feel like the typical paranormal novel :)
Delete