This is my first review with A&A. I post regularly on Goodreads (when migraines aren’t striking) and try to keep that site updated with where I am when I read, so you’ll often see that I have multiple books in progress because not every book has the ability to suck me in completely and my attention span will wander, or I will just plain need a break from the storyline.
But there are some that can suck me in and keep me from doing anything else but reading, and this book was one of them. I finished it in one day…1 day! That’s close to a record for me!
I could barely put this book down long enough to eat or pee – that’s how strongly I was immersed into the surroundings. From the beginning, the author managed to make me feel as though I was on Cariba Island, with imagery, scene setting and character interaction as well as dialect.
I sat on the edge of my seat starting with the prologue, and I stayed there until the epilogue. While the book jacket boasts “Phantom of the Opera” themes, there’s so much more than that. Shakespeare is woven deeply into the aspects of this story too. From Romeo and Juliet to Rosalind, you read Shakespeare’s words, but the author does a magnificent job offering the reader insight into the feelings that go beyond the seemingly simple characters in Shakespeare’s plays, making them deep and complex.
Not only did Keyes manage to tell a great story, she managed to ignite an appreciation for Shakespeare’s work – or at least what they could be and do.
If I could have given this book 6/5 or 12/10 stars, I would have! It’s that good! This one gets full marks!
Great for readers of any age, including some of the more mature tweens!
