Book Review: 'Tempus' by Holly Lauren
GMTA Publishing
Blurb:
Chapel Ryan isn't crazy. At least, that's what she's been trying to convince herself of for most of her life. But after being hallucination-free for three years, Chapel finds herself facedown on her English classroom’s gritty linoleum floor. When she looks up, everyone around her is suspended in animation. Mouths hang open mid-yawn, feet hover mid-cross, Ms. Freeman’s arm flexes mid-sentence diagram. It's another hallucination. Or, is it?
Chapel prepares to tear herself back to reality when something happens. Something that has never happened before in any of her hallucinations--someone moves. And not just any someone—it’s the new guy with a scar over his lip and a reputation as black as his perfectly styled hair. And all of the sudden Chapel's white-knuckle grip on her life has slipped, and with it, her assurance that what she's experiencing isn't real.
Review:
I can say that Holly Lauren’s novel has definitely fuelled my enjoyment of fantasy novels and it is now definitely a genre I am excited to explore in greater depth.
Holly Lauren’s writing is captivating and really draws the reader into the story of the characters. The book is both character and plot driven, as it explores the paranormal encounters as well as the relationships between the characters, namely Chapel and her admirers, in particular Zay.
Holly Lauren’s characters are really well developed. As the reader you really get to understand her characters, even those you can’t necessarily relate to. I really enjoyed how Holly developed the relationship between Chapel and Zay – it wasn’t the typical insta-love that you often see which can come across very unrealistic. I really liked Chapel’s personality; although she was a cheerleader, who is the typical “popular” girl, Chapel wasn’t afraid to stand up for her friends who were seen as nerdy. Chapel is a strong character who doesn’t allow social conventions to dictate who she should be friends with. I really admired this quality in Chapel, as more and more people struggle to fight against peer pressure.
I think this story is really great for anyone new to the paranormal genre, as the story, although based around the paranormal, it approaches it in a very subtle way, and therefore is not too complicated or unrealistic for new readers to follow.
Tempus is filled with many twists that keep you turning the page to find out what’s coming next. Holly definitely has the ability to draw her readers in and keep them wanting more. I have a love-hate relationship with the cliff-hanger ending to the novel as I really enjoyed the story and can’t wait for a sequel (there better be one!) but at the same time feeling frustrated the I can’t read it straight away to find out what happens next.
Holly Lauren is a talented writer who knows how to hook her reader into her story and take them on a rollercoaster journey.
About the Author:
Holly was born and raised in a small town in North Georgia. The third of four children, Holly grew up telling stories to get herself out of—and her siblings into—trouble. When she was eight years old, she penned her first publication: a newspaper called Sunny Dayz News. While she didn’t sell any actual copies, her sympathetic grandmother did peruse through the edition at least once.
When Holly isn’t dreaming up new plotlines for her next book, she enjoys breakfasting at Picnic Café in Dahlonega, Georgia with her (handsome) husband and their two (adorable) daughters.
1 comments
I don't have one :/ There hasn't been one that has stuck out to me that I can rank as top.
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