Title: Visions
Author: Lauren Klever
Series: The Secret Watchers #1
Published: September 26th 2012 by BookBaby
Page Count: 351
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy
Shelf: Review Copy
Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Welcome to the world of Owen Ryer and The Secret Watchers. What would you do if you suddenly discovered that you could not only sense dark energy but individuals with evil in their hearts? What if you were given hints about horrible things that had already happened and you had no choice but to fix them? What if these things you were driven to do were not only dangerous but had to be concealed? Who could you trust with this perilous secret? How would you handle homework and chores when you felt like the weight of the world rested on your shoulders? Owen feels he has no choice... What would you do? Would you have the courage to try?
In Visions (The Secret Watchers, Book One) fourteen-year-old Owen Ryer hates school and his life in general, but dreams that there must be something more... until he is irrevocably drawn to a watch in an old pawnshop that unlocks his amazing and unexpected gift. Now it’s a race to see if Owen can master his special ability before the dark watchers destroy or turn him to the side of evil and chaos.
You will experience Owen’s confusion, frustration and compassion as he discovers that it is demanding enough just to be a teenager, let alone have a secret as big as the one he is burdened with. Who should he trust? Who can help him? Typically watchers work alone but Owen is the next generation - should he be the one to challenge the rules?
Everyone needs a hero and sometimes the best ones are the unintentional ones. Owen is that kind of guy as he searches for purpose, acceptance and morality. He isn’t perfect, he doesn’t always do things right, but he has the greater good at heart – always.
You are invited to follow Owen as he journeys through the darkest walk he has ever taken; where he captures glimpses of the underbelly of society, a place he never knew existed and didn’t want to see. After you read Visions, will you be looking under your bed and double checking your closet? Please enter the Secret Watchers universe if you dare but beware – you may be sucked right into the good versus evil suspense of jaw-clenching action and never want to leave.
My Review:
OMG. It’s over? I’m out of pages? I’m out of words? I NEED to know what happens next. I NEED to spend more time with these characters. Please.....
This novel is impeccably well written, insightful and speaks to the reader on a whole new level. Klever employs some awesome first person descriptions that catch you right away without the reader noticing that you are being filled in with lots of background information. Everything is written with such realism that you cannot help but become emotionally involved in the story.
The characters in this novel are great. They not only talk the way that a normal person would, but also think in the same terms. This adds not only realism to the characters but also adds to the distinct flow of the novel as a whole. I also enjoy that most of the characters in the novel have a good work ethic. Klever skips over having a cast of well off youths running around without responsibilities, replacing them with individuals who have to help out and do so (semi)willingly. The supporting characters in this novel are all well developed enough to stand on their own and are more developed than many main characters in other novels.
I absolutely love the fact that each and every thought that pops into the main character’s head is part of the story. It helps you learn so much more about him than a regular narrative description would. You learn about his psyche, not just his appearance and general personality traits. Because the story is written in the first person, these added thoughts never disrupt the smooth flow of the story. This also helps illustrate how strong a main character Klever has developed. You also see him struggle with his feeling and drawing relationship boundaries. This is an anomaly for many YA books, and was very interesting to see it from a male perspective. The main character is also extremely strong, both as a very well developed presence in the novel and as a person. I couldn’t picture being in half the circumstances that this character faces on a daily basis. He juggles coming of age, with family issues, along with his gift. And he does so while remaining calm, focussed, and being there for those that he loves as well as individuals that he has never met.
This novel is a coming of age story with a bit of a supernatural twist that leads to a young main character who is more grown up than many adults (to the extent that at times I forgot how old, or rather how young, he really is). It was a phenomenal story that I wish had never ended. I want to continue on the journey with these characters for a good long while yet.
Buy your copy online here today!!!!
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