Review: Remembrance (Transcend Time Saga, #1)

Remembrance

Author: Michelle Madow

Summary:

New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.


Published 27 July 2011

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This is a wonderful book for a debut author.

Remembrance has a promising concept of reincarnation which I've seen, but the plot was a bit of a disappointment.

The storyline was rather flat, focusing more on the characters' school lives rather than their previous reincarnations in the Regency Era of Jane Austen. 

The lives of the students were more than real and rather funny to read, but I do believe that that was not what many of us were looking for in a book about reincarnation. The characterization was also not strong enough, as Lizzie, Chelsea, Drew and Jeremy all seemed like generalized characters who did not bring out the maximum empathy in readers.

The love between Lizzie and Drew was a tad too unbelievable. There was little if not no love, more like chemistry and attraction, and that only. The way they transit from no love to love happens too quickly. I trust that if there were more scenes between them, we as readers may come to the understanding that their love was inevitable as well. But, in this case, I find myself hard to believe that the feelings blossoming between the two of them is true and undying love.

Despite it all, the idea was great! I loved the constant references to Pride and Prejudice (it's one of my favourite classics), which was a good direction for Remembrance to go in since many of us are fascinated with this time period and the lives of the ladies and gentlemen living in this century. As such, Remembrance should go more into Lizzie and Drew's previous lives and give a stronger reason as to why the two of them were reincarnated. With a stronger reason, we can finally comprehend how their love is timeless throughout the centuries.

However, overall, the story was a good read. The sad thing was that there was no particular point of climax, more like a stretch of narration, hence, giving me the feeling that the story has yet to unfold into its full glamour. When the novel came to an end, the first thought was that the novel had yet come to an end! There were so much more areas to explore and lives untouched!

Therefore, there is no surprise that I am looking forward to the sequel of Remembrance, which hopefully, will patch up the holes and hand us a brilliant plot which has been built up from the first book itself.

Source: From the author, Michelle Madow, for review purposes.

xoxo,
Sel

Review: The Diamond Secret (A Retelling of 'Anastasia')

The Diamond Secret 

Author: Suzanne Weyn

Summary:

Nadya is a mischievous kitchen girl in a Russian tavern. Having nearly drowned in the Iset River during the turmoil of the Revolution, she has no memory of her past and longs for the life she cannot remember. Then two young men arrive at the tavern and announce that Nadya's long-lost grandmother has sent them to find her. Yearning for family and friendship, she agrees to accompany them to Paris for the joyful reunion. Nadya eagerly embarks on her journey, never dreaming it will be one of laughter, love and betrayal.


Published 2 June 2009

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Hey guys, I know I haven't updated in quite while (a few days actually).

I was choosing soundtracks for this school musical that I wanted to audition for when Liz Callaway started singing Once Upon a December in my earphones. Liz's voice is amazing!

This song is from a movie soundtrack. And that movie coincidentally had quite a few books written along the same storyline.

Then I thought of my blog and its lack of reviews in the past few days. So here's a review, hopefully long-awaited, about a lost princess!~

* 

I first knew of this particular lost princess when I watched one of my most favourite animated movies of all time, Anastasia (with Liz Callway singing ^o^).

There is something so mysterious and alluring about such historical personalities with enigmatic destinies that even historians can't figure out. 

Grand Duchess Anastasia's supposed survival was one of the most celebrated mysteries of the 20th century. Like Jack the Ripper in The Name of the Star, this kind of characters are really the best! They belong to history so we know that they once were real and alive, but simultaneously, their fate is left to our imagination, limited only by the outlandishness of our creativity!

It's really beautiful how we are free to imagine an exciting and romantic life for Anastasia. We can choose what we want to believe in, and I am more than willing to believe that Anastasia survived and found her one true love.

So the story begins with the historically famous assault on the Tsar and his family, which resulted in the panic of all the royalty as they face an uncertain future since many were killed for the revolution of communism in Russia. And as most of the royal family are killed, the Grand Dowager escapes to Paris, and there are rumours of the supposed survival of the youngest daughter, Anastasia.

The story jumps to Nadya, who slowly starts to have an uncanny resemblance to the lost princess, Anastasia. She has had amnesia and cannot remember her past. Her innocence is soon used by two men, a count and a handsome boy, Ivan, who dreams of the riches of the world. 

It turns out that the Grand Dowager, also Anastasia's grandmother, is offering a pricely reward for anyone who can bring to her her beloved granddaughter. Seeing Nadya's resemblence, the two men convince her that she is Anastasia, and the trio embarks on a journey to Paris all the while trying to train Nadya into a real princess. Gradually, they find themselves believing more and more deeply that Nadya is in truth Anastasia. 

But more complications arise with a love blooming between Anastaisa and Ivan. Is he to let go of her or stay truth to the belief that they will have their happy ending? 

As we see a girl find her destiny in these tumultous times, we feel for her with all of our heart. We see her find out her identity, slowly embrace herself and learn to love with all of her heart!

Thank you, Suzanne Weyn! Thank you for handing us such a beautiful story and for satisfying my insatiable thirst for a happy-ending to the historically tragic Anastasia. 

If you are looking for a historical fairytale that will warm your heart, check out The Diamond Secret for sure!

Click here for a movie transcript to the 1997 movie, Anastasia (for those of you who are interested)!

Source: Read while sitting crossed-leg on the scratchy carpet in the Library

Lots of love goes to all of you who regularly drop by this blog! Comments would be lovely (especially from a certain ZJ and WY: You know who you are MUAHAHA).

xoxo,

Sel

Truth or Dare Excerpt

THE FINE ART OF TRUTH OR DARE

copyright, Melissa Jensen

1.

THE BEGINNING