The Invisible Hand: Shakespeare's Moon, ACT I - by James Hartley

Hartley has provided a perfect gateway for children and teenagers to experience Shakespeare from a young age. Shakespeare isn’t remedial literature and certainly difficult at times, but with a strong character and a realistic environment, Hartley has created a conduit that gently introduces complex themes that parallel the life of a young teenager. While some of Shakespeare’s more severe themes are sacrificed to appeal to a more juvenile audience, a strong sense of mystery, a time-travelling twist and an unexpected conclusion come together to satiate the reader’s expectation. 

The historical aspects of the story resonate strongly, and with each shift back to Shakespeare’s past, I found myself giddy with anticipation. Hartley’s simplistic prose captures the aesthetics of an ancient world with surprising ease, and scenes of endurance flow with a nature flair that left me in awe. Timeless scenes from Macbeth are reiterated with hypnotising exposition, and some curious and titillating theories—such as the reason behind Lady Macbeth’s lack of children, and the motive of the three witches—are proposed to keep the gears in the reader’s mind turning. These theories add relevance to the narrative, and with the focus on a younger audience, they offer a critical point of view that will encourage readers to think outside of the box, a mandatory skill when approaching Shakespeare.

Although the modern school scenes are grounded in out reality, the castle itself is no less mysterious. When Hartley takes the reader on an expedition through the school, there is a reminiscent quality that harkens back to Rowling’s Harry Potter, which offers moments of tranquility between the madness of the past. A small romance also blossoms between the two core characters, and it’s sweet sprinkle of sugar that adds just enough to the story without taking away from the focal narrative.

At the risk of nitpicking, I have two minor complaints I must bring to the table. Firstly, I would have loved for more time to have been spent in the past, delving into extended Shakespearean elements. Secondly, the age of the characters while in our world is far too limiting. At the tender age of thirteen, they are allowed to be more curious toward their mysterious circumstances, though it also stretches the imagination too thin. Sam, our main protagonists, often acts far wise than any adults around him. Perhaps if they had been a few years older, with a little bit of expected maturity, it wouldn’t have caused such a dissension. I understand their ages are intended to reflect the target audience, which keeps this issue a minor one, and it never reacts corrosively upon the rest of the story.

The conclusion was excellent, and while I was convinced I had unravelled the inevitable twist early on, I was still taken by surprise—a rarity for a young adult novel. It was emotional and shocking, and one of the better cliffhangers I’ve ever ever read. The epilogue also offers a charming and poignant taste of the narrative to follow, and I have to be honest: I’m excited! Hartley has established a complex and intriguing world with many threads neatly woven together, and his adept ability to tell a convincing frame story should allow future instalments to impress in all the right ways.

This book earns four stars easily, with full stars for its great World Building, Story and Writing Style. 

I Saw Him First: A Rocky Isle Romance, Book One - By Penny Harmon

I Saw Him First is a brilliant example why independently published stories can sometimes trump those that have been professionally published. In my travels, I have passed many 'higher' Romance novels that seem to forget what it's really like to be in love. It's often too perfect, with characters so entranced with each, holding themselves so much like Barbie and Ken that I feel many authors have forgotten what it's like to be in love. A fresh, down-to-earth perspective, such as what Penny Harmon has written, is exactly what the genre needs to revitalise itself from the stereotypical Mills and Boon ideology. 

Harmon doesn't treat her characters like gods; she actually allows their flaws to sway their decisions on the occasion. They can be impulsive, bossy, jealous, naive and—without realising it—high-maintenance to each other. Yet they also have good traits, with meshes well with the bad to create believable, three-dimensional characters who are refreshing to read. 

The first entry in A Rocky Isle Romance follows Mallory, a once rebellious teen who has returned home to take over her family business. She's such a fantastic and real character that I couldn't help but connect with her straight away. Her love interest is Michael, who has come to her home island on a writer's retreat, to escape the chaos that is New York. Naturally, they cross paths very quickly and feel a possible connection, but Mallory also finds herself in a friendly race with her friends to hook and reel-in his attention.

Each of the core female character contrast with one another, yet they are all so engaging. Of course, I had my few favourites of the group, but you couldn't help loving each all them. Being the first book in the series, I can't wait to see how each of them go in their ventures, and not just in the man-hunting department, as a few of them had careers just starting to bloom. I can't wait to see more on Ashley, as—although a good character—was very quiet, and unlike the others, we didn't learn too much about her besides her choice of a very different career. I also really want to see where Megan and Emily go; they had very, very interesting threads. I enjoyed seeing small glimpses of what's to come while reading Mallory's tale, and based upon the epilogue, I have a strong idea where things are going, but I'm intrigued to see how Harmon pens with tentative future. 

[Spoilers Start Here]

And the twist at the end? Whoa. I had my suspicions that there was going to be a pregnancy, but when once it became ectopic, my heart just sank. I was gut-wrenched alongside her, and almost shed a tear as she was taken into surgery. The emotions afterward were so raw and visceral—I just loved it, some really strong and passionate storytelling.

[Spoilers End Here]

I would recommend this book to any female in need of a good romance story. The way the characters are written makes you feel that they are your friends too, so this would be a perfect choice for a bookclub to share amongst your own friends. It's not a solo story; it's a story of a group of friends experiencing romance together, so it should be shared as such. If you don't have a book club though, don't let it hold you back, these ladies will be all the friends you need. 

I Saw Him First easily earns itself five out of five stars!