The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos

July 26, 2011 Jason 2 flames 0

THE EMERALD TALISMAN
Author: Brenda Pandos
Source: Personal Purchase

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing (March 24, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 057805339X
ISBN-13: 978-0578053394

SUMMARY:

To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother’s mysterious disappearance ten years earlier – an event she witnessed, but can’t remember. Julia’s situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience–past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves.

MY THOUGHTS:

I had been seeing this book all over the internet, but it took me forever to finally get it and read it. I don’t know why I was so hesitant on reading it, but I think it might have been because of the mixed reviews. So I finally caved and picked up my copy of The Emerald Talisman and dove into the world the author created.

While I liked the basic story plot, I felt the story lacked things to make it great. At times the writing was choppy and stalled. I kept waiting for it to pick up pace only to have it do it but only for a few pages. I also felt that the instant attraction to Nicholas that Julia feels was overdone. She acted as though she is in love with this boy after just an hour or so of meeting him. At times, it felt like she was obsessed and almost on the verge of stalker with her feelings towards him. I wasn’t a big fan of Nicholas in this book either. At one moment he is nice and sincere, then he disappears only to reappear rather rudely. It isn’t until almost the last third of the book that he is even a prominent and engaging character.

I felt the author has a great base for a story and just needs to get some things reworked for the books that will follow. With a little tweaking of the writing and stabilization of the character personalities, this series could be even better.

MY RATING: