Two ordinary young women, new to adulthood, seeking to define their futures against a world that has already defined them. Two uncanny encounters with a world of spirits hostile and benign. This intriguing collection contains two novels that deftly blend poignant human drama with unleashed supernatural bonds. Two stories of hope, and finding the courage to break from traditions that haunt us.
Faced with an impossible decision, 20-something Margaret Campbell must choose between returning home to her father’s farm in Alberta to help raise her two orphaned cousins, or fulfilling her fashion designer, city-life dream. What would you do? In the second of the two novels, against the backdrop of old and dusty Cambridge, recent Ivy League graduate Sarah is an engaging voice for new adult women who strive to break from tradition and find a place in the world.
The Soured Earth Review
So, to start I should probably tell you that I do not usually read New Adult books. I am not hugely into love affairs or talking about sex in books. I prefer action and really big events. I like the supernatural. I like sweet love that grows slowly but doesn't embroil its-self within the plot too much. So anyway. I liked the sound of these two books because they had a supernatural label to them, but I was pessimistic about the rest.
So this book took me forever, even though it's rather short. I think the fact that this story is set in a ranch in America really doesn't help me, As I live in the UK and am more used to the Great British countryside, meaning I couldn't connect to the place.
As I was reading, I found that the story was very much about Margaret and her relationships, rather than the ghost story I was expecting. Although there was a slight bit of otherworldliness in the story, I found it was very much based in reality, even down to the final explanation as to why the crops were not growing.
Overall this story was enjoyable, but not really for me, and could benefit from not being in this collection as it doesn't quite work with the description.
Unsettled Spirits Review
This story was much more like it. There is most definitely a ghost here. The beginning of the story is great and I really got into it as the characters are all very engaging. Although I may not agree with some of the things that Sarah does, I can relate to her and her situation well.
Unfortunately the story then starts to lose its way as it goes very much into Sarah's personal relationships with her employer and her boyfriend. While I do care, I actually care more about the ghost, who seems to fall entirely by the wayside.
Luckily, that is all rectified in the end, and I was content with how the story turned out.
Overall
While is did enjoy these books, they took me some timeto get to grips with them and didn't capture me the way others do, perhaps simply because I didn't think they were otherworldy enough, or caught my attention enough with mysteries. Anyone who liked some drama with a little bit of otherworldy thrown in will definitely love these. Maybe NA just isn't for me.
Kyrax
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