I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on June 1st 2017
Source: Celebrate Lit
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 200
All her life Fern has been told she is blind to reality—but what if she is the only one who can truly see?
Fern Johnson is crazy. At least, that’s what the doctors have claimed since her childhood. Now nineteen, and one step away from a psych ward, Fern struggles to survive in bustling Los Angeles. Desperate to appear “normal,” she represses the young man flickering at the edge of her awareness—a blond warrior only she can see.
Tristan was Fern’s childhood imaginary hero, saving her from monsters under her bed and outside her walls. As she grew up and his secret world continued to bleed into hers, however, it only caused catastrophe. But, when the city is rocked by the unexplainable, Fern is forced to consider the possibility that this young man isn’t a hallucination after all—and that the creature who decimated his world may be coming for hers.
The Girl Who Could See is the first book that I’ve read by this author. Kara Swanson is a new-to-me author that honestly shows a lot of promise. I’m going to admit, I took this book mostly because of the gorgeous cover and because I had an imaginary friend as a child. Though I was worried about taking a self-published book after my recent nightmare with a writer acting less than professional—I’m really glad that I gave this book a chance. Honestly? I’m pleasantly surprised. This book restores my faith in self-pub books.
To be such a young lady, I feel like the author has a really good grip on what it takes to be a good storyteller. She gave the main character, Fern, a lot of personality and emotion. I need that in a book written in first person perspective. I need to be able to get in tune with the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings.
My only complaint with this book is that it felt rushed in some parts. I feel like this could have easily been turned into an epic trilogy. I mean, this would make an awesome movie plot, for sure! I also had a slight annoyance that Tristan’s voice was always written encased in chevrons <like this> and while I get the why, I thought that italicized quotations would have been easier on my eyes. In fact, I even googled to see if using them in a literary work was even acceptable. Apparently, it is, in France.
Overall, I give this a good solid 4. I would definitely read more by this author and I would read and recommend this book to others.
About Kara Swanson
As the daughter of missionaries, KARA SWANSON spent sixteen years of her young life in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Able to relate with characters dropped suddenly into a unique new world, she quickly fell in love with the speculative genre and was soon penning stories herself. At seventeen, she independently published her debut fantasy novel, Pearl of Merlydia. Her short story is included in Kathy Ide’s 21 Days of Joy: Stories that Celebrate Mom. She has published many articles, including one in the Encounter magazine, and she received the Mount Hermon Most Promising Teen Writer award in 2015.
Sounds good even it was a bit rushed at times- plus you’re right that cover is lovely!!
Got to love a gorgeous cover!
Yes!!
Thank you so much for joining the tour! :) <3
Ty for writing an awesome book :)