Format Reviewed: eARC
Publication Date: January 27th, 2014
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Pages: 456
Reviewed by: Eugenia
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Buy it
Dahlia Kennedy's sixteenth birthday marks a decade of mysterious dahlias arriving and strange, lonely dreams of being in a forest. The only difference this birthday, however, is that for the first time, someone is there with her. And he's practically from a whole other era.
The more often Dahlia visits Rowan in his land of Ambrosia, the stronger their connection grows. But... is Ambrosia real? Is he real? What is going on between the two of them, exactly, and why does he insist that she keep it to herself?
As secrets usually go, however, it's only a matter of time before everything comes out. And when Dahlia finds out the truth of who Rowan is, who she is, and how he really feels -- it’s beyond anything she could have ever imagined.
The more often Dahlia visits Rowan in his land of Ambrosia, the stronger their connection grows. But... is Ambrosia real? Is he real? What is going on between the two of them, exactly, and why does he insist that she keep it to herself?
As secrets usually go, however, it's only a matter of time before everything comes out. And when Dahlia finds out the truth of who Rowan is, who she is, and how he really feels -- it’s beyond anything she could have ever imagined.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
"O Heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound
And crown what I profess with kind event
If I speak true...
I, Beyond all limit of what else in the world
Do love, prize, honour you."
Jessica Brooks has done it again. After reading her impressive dystopian debut Pity Isn't An Option, I definitely had the bar set pretty high for If I Speak True. This book really did exceed all my expectations, and after reading it a second time since I first saw the manuscript, I enjoyed it even more. The story has everything a reader could ask for: Unique concept, witty writing style, entertaining narratorial voice and a storyline with twists and turns that are sure to surprise.
The first aspect of this book which makes it so enjoyable is that there is a perfect balance between the contemporary and fantasy elements. Throughout the story the reader learns more about Dahlia's 'normal' life in school with all the teen dramas that come with it, and her adventures into the dream-like land of Ambrosia. These are two different paths of the story which converge to form a plot that is mysterious, suspenseful and overall really entertaining. This book is addictive - I couldn't wait to see what new piece of information would be revealed next, and the plot thickened immeasurably towards the end.
Also, the writing itself and narratorial voice made the novel easy to read and it flowed really well. In addition to the more serious moments, there were also some laugh-out-loud ones in some of the more funny situations. Jessica Brooks has a definite flair for writing, and this in combination with a well developed storyline makes a winning combination that is hard to beat. Each description of Ambrosia made it atmospheric and gave it a mythical feel. Even the characters were taken into account with great care as you can see a difference between the ones from Ambrosia and Dahlia's normal life through their actions and dialogue. It's these little details as part of the big picture which makes a book like this so successful.
Character-wise, it was clear that each one was created and invested in throughout the novel - even the secondary ones such as Dahlia's friends and family. It was nice to get a glimpse into her life at home with her mother and sisters, which added some normalcy to the plot alongside the adventures Dahlia got up to in her otherworldly adventures.The theme of flowers through the character's names and in the world of Ambrosia was a unique touch that gives this book an edge in the myriad of YA novels. Everything fitted into place and the symbolism for each special object or custom was revealed like pieces of a puzzle coming together. Of course though, there is room for the sequel 'Open Thy Heart'. Thankfully though, the ending of the novel was executed perfectly - it wasn't rushed and made the time to explain a few things that may have been unaccounted for. I felt satisfied turning the last page that it had ended well and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books in the series!
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Jessica Brook's new novel If I Speak True went above and beyond to ultimately produce an addictive storyline with all the right ingredients. I'm looking forward to reading more about Dahlia's story, and what happens next in the Flora series.
*Author Interview*
What
inspired you to write ‘If I Speak True’?
I actually
had a dream. The dream itself isn't in the book (though I'm hoping it'll be the
second one). A guy and a girl were standing on a cliff, and there was a huge
explosion. The sky was a bright, fiery red, and I could tell the girl knew
there was a terrible threat on their lives, because I could feel the ominous
fear she felt, and I just *knew* the conclusion she'd come to--that they needed
to get out of there. Soon. Then came a second explosion. They looked at each
other, realizing it was cannons being shot at them. Then they started running.
That's how the dream started, and what got me writing If I Speak True.
How did your
journey as an author start?
Another
dream, actually, about five years ago, which led me to write something that
never went anywhere. Hopefully I will publish that one some day. Then I had the
dream mentioned above, and began writing If I Speak True (which, incidentally,
I simply called "Flora" for years).
Who was your
favorite character to create and what makes them special?
I think my
favorite character was probably David Bridges. He actually had two other names
before I (recently) settled on David, but I like it, and it suits him well. I'd
say what makes him special is he's just himself. He wears his emotions on his
sleeve and always says what he thinks, and has a big heart and cares about
everyone, especially Dahlia. Of course I also know a lot more about him and what's
going to happen (more to be revealed in "Open Thy Heart"), so that
makes me like him even more. ;)
How did you
come up with the idea of incorporating flowers into the story?
I can't
remember! :( I have thought and thought about this, and I seriously can't
remember how it all started. I do know that the opening scene of If I Speak
True came to me out of the blue, with a girl finding a flower on the porch and
being really upset about it, so maybe that's how I began to work flowers into
everything. At the time (four years ago), I hadn't seen many characters at all
named after flowers, so I was pretty excited as I began to research names and
whatnot.
What is your
favorite genre to read and why?
I would say
young adult fiction is definitely my favorite genre, with contemporary, fantasy
and dystopian being my most favorite categories of that genre.
What else
should readers be looking forward to in the future from you and your books?
Well, the
second in the Flora series, OPEN THY HEART, will most likely be released by the
end of this year. Regarding my other series, the Cozenage series (PITY ISN'T AN
OPTION being the first in the series), I'm currently finishing up a novella
that ties PIAO to book two (as yet untitled), and that will probably be
released beginning of 2015. I'm also working on a novella in Rowan's point of
view that bridges the gap between the end of IF I SPEAK TRUE and the beginning
of OPEN THY HEART, but am not sure when that will come out yet. :)
Thanks so
much for having me here at Chasm of Books! :) I hope everyone enjoys 'If I Speak
True'!
Jessica L. Brooks resides with her husband of over sixteen years, three awesome daughters, and a plethora of pets in Central California, where fog, frost, triple-digit heat and various items of produce arrive bountifully, depending on the season. She has an affinity for both coffee and owls, and loves to connect with fellow readers and writers on most social networks like Goodreads, Twitter and Pinterest. You can also connect with her on her blog, Let Me Tell You A Story. Jessica shares reviews for her favorite books on Afterglow Book Reviews, spreads writing and author love for independently-published authors at Indie Ignites, and salutes all writers (no matter what stage in their writerly journey) at Operation Awesome.
IF I SPEAK TRUE, the first in the Flora series, will be available 1/27/14. PITY ISN’T AN OPTION (Cozenage, #1) is her debut novel.
Connect With Jessica:
Blog Tour Schedule
January 27th – Kristalyn Thornock at The Sarcastic Palmtree (Release Day/DVD giveaway)
January 27th – Cassandra at Cassandra Lost in Books (Release Day)
January 27th – Meg at Book Groupies (Release Day)
January 28th – Kaitlin at Reading is My Treasure (Review)
January 28th – Lisa at Dizneeee's World of Books
January 29th – Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (Author Interview)
January 29th – Cheyanne at Cheyanne Young (Author interview)
January 30th – Eugenia at Chasm of Books (Author Interview and Review)
January 30th – A. Kerr at Kerrific (Review)
January 31st – Jenna (JL) at Avid Reader Musings (Writing Playlist)
January 31st – Ella Johnson at Mymcbooks Blog (Spotlight/giveaway)
February 1rd – Eugenia at Chasm of Books (Shaver dream cast)
February 3rd – Heather Rosdol at Buried in Books (Review)
February 3rd – Rachel at The NerdHerd Reads (Dreamcast)
February 4th – Penny at One Writer's Journey (Author Interview)
February 4th – Dana at Dana Square (character interview)
February 5th – Beverly at The Wormhole (Author interview and book promo spot)
February 5th – Kaycee at My Crafty Zoo (Deleted scene and recipe)
February 6th – Kimberly Lim at Kim's Reading Lounge (Review)
February 6th – Dianne at Oops! I Read A Book Again (Review)
February 7th – Janie Junebug at Women: We Shall Overcome (Guest Post)
February 7th – Jodie at Books for Company (Lyrics written for If I Speak True)
February 7th – Colleen at Cici's Theories (Plant meanings and their correlations to the characters)
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