Reviewer: Samantha
I received a review copy
Summary:
Angry and defiant, Stella runs away from home and lands in a small seaside village. It is overlooked by the forbidding ruins of Trial Bay gaol.
Stella hides out in the town and is disturbed by her growing confusion about her identity. Her mysterious flashbacks to the gaol one hundred years before are even more frightening.
What is reality? What is fantasy? And is the guy next door the one to help her solve the mystery?
Or will a stranger unlock the key to her past?
Review:
On first glance, I will say that I didn’t love the cover. It didn’t pull me in, but we all know we shouldn’t judge a book on its cover, and I’m happy to say that this ended up being a very suspenseful, intriguing and emotional read. The action and suspense starts right away, and we realize we are follow Stella, a runaway, as she tries to stay alive after running away from home and encountering several bad people and situations along the way. There is also quite the twist in here as well when Stella starts having strange dreams, and though it took me a little bit to wrap my mind around everything that was happening for that part, it was still really awesome to read about. The ending was the best part though, with a surprise twist I didn’t see coming. Enjoyable read, set in Australia.
4 stars
Author Bio
What happened when PJ found her old journal, and in it was jotted the bones of a story?
What happened when that story had been rattling around in her head for fourteen years?
What happened when she admitted she’d always wanted to write, and now newly retired had time to pursue this dream?
She started, of course!
In the journal the story outline was set at Trial Bay gaol near South West Rocks, a beautiful place where PJ’s family had holidayed for years. She was inspired by the history of the Germans interned at the forbidding gaol during the First World War.
PJ grew up in Sydney’s Northern beaches, married Ivor, and they have raised two wonderful daughters, Zoe and Hannah, on the Central Coast. She had a long career as an English, History and Drama teacher, and is passionate about youth literacy and encouraging young people to read. This book is pitched as Young Adult genre, one of the world’s fastest growing genres, and is part of a series. A prequel and sequel will follow.
She has a diverse range of interests, including reading, bushwalking, a cappella harmony singing, film, theatre, swimming as well as volunteer work for a disaster relief charity called ShelterBox.
Links
pjbyerwriterblog.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/pj.byer/
Twitter: @PJ Byer
Pinterest@PJ Byer
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25865098-collision
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