Review: Essence

Posted 20th April 2014 by Emma in Reviews / 0 Comments

I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: EssenceEssence by A.L. Waddington
Also by this author: Enlightened
Series: EVE #1
Also in this series: Enlightened
Published by Booktrope Editions on 14th January 2014
Pages: 248
Source: from the Author
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Jocelyn Timmons does not believe she is anything special — just an ordinary high school senior, living an ordinary life full of school-work, volleyball and friends. She’s about to find out how wrong she is.

Jackson Chandler moved in to the house across the street. His dark wavy hair, green eyes and charismatic personality draws everyone to him. Everyone, but Jocelyn.

Whenever Jackson gets near Jocelyn she feels ill and dizzy. When he touches her, she blacks out and has visions of another life, in another time. As the odd hallucinations evolve and become clearer, she feels a strong pull towards the people she sees there. Frightened, she watches her once stable life begin to crumble around her and she begins to question her own sanity.

Could it be possible that these episodes are actually her own memories of a life she is living somehow, somewhere, some-when? Maybe this is time-travel or some other paranormal mysticism? Our minds often wander, but can our souls?

This book has a very unique idea. I was extremely intrigued by it and very excited when I was offered it for review.

I absolutely loved Jocelyn. She is very different yet, very similar across the two eras. It was very interesting seeing her in both situations. It also showed the differences between women in 1878 and 2009 and how much had changed in 130 years.

Jackson was hot, very hot. He was quite funny and very intriguing. in 2009 he’s he new boy in town and that makes him all the more appealing in 1878 he is a perfect suitor for Jocelyn.

I really enjoyed seeing the difference between 1878 and 2009 and how the episodes unveiled.

I’m going to tell you a little story about when I was reading this book. I was on the coach my way to Rome airport to return back to Ol’ Blighty and there I was reading away thinking I had maybe a chapter or two left and bam the book ended. I was like what? but I’m not ready. I had no internet, no wifi and no means of getting the next book. I was in such a book hangover let me tell you. It did however make me extremely hungry for the next book.

As you can tell I was not ready for this book to end and I am so glad that I will very soon be starting on Enlightened.

Endorsements

“A. L. Waddington has taken the basics of the human psyche and creatively morphed them into a narrative that is both familiar and jarring. Like Jocelyn, the reader is thrust back and forth between stable reality and uncertain fantasy. Waddington uniquely captures the tumultuous nature of adolescence: the maddening taste of first love, the conflicting urges of youth and maturity, the tortured struggle for one’s identity. Young readers will instantly relate to the challenges faced by the characters in ‘Essence’.” Kevin Rand, PhD , Department of Psychology, Purdue School of Science, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

“It was Captivating! Essence is so much more than your typical boy meets girl story. Don’t miss…” Cynthia Hensley, YA author and Silver Medalist with Independent Book Publishers Association, the Benjamin Franklin Award, in Category of New Voice for “Echoes of Pemberley”.

“A. L. Waddington’s book is unique and interesting with characters I can relate to!”~Caitlin A. Janus, Avon Middle School South, Eight Grade

“This is an entertaining book that captures the spirit of youth and makes you wonder if there is more to those moments of déjà vu than you thought.”~Patricia Clark, PhD, Biology Department, Purdue School of Science, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

“A very interesting look into our perception of reality and what happens when things suddenly are not what they seem. The world Jocelyn thinks she knows changes dramatically with the realization that she actually is living two different, but interconnected lives, in different times. As the boundaries between her two realities begin to crumble, she begins to question her own sanity. While reading the novel, one begins to ask the same question, ‘What exactly is our reality and how do we fit into the much larger scheme of things?’”~Bethany Neal-Beliveau, PhD, Psychology Department, Purdue School of Science, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.

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About A.L. Waddington

A.L. Waddington completed her undergraduate studies at University of Texas Dallas and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis with a BS in Psychology. Angela and her husband, Ty, have a son, two daughters, a puppy, and an oversized cat. They reside in Indiana.

Emma

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:


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