Heather’s Bookshelf: Storybook Inc.
Author: Parker Pace
Released: 8/21/2020
Genre: YA Mystery/Psychological Thriller
“I always feel calmer in the daytime than at night. My thoughts are less muddled. Problems are easier to work out. I am calm now, and with the calmness of daylight comes a sort of detached sensibility, a certainty that what I experienced last night was nothing more than a panic attack. Not because the alternative is too horrible to consider, but because I don’t feel insane.”
“Storybook Inc.” follows Mica Psmith, a troubled high school senior who has experienced loss in her past and is struggling to move forward. Mica’s mom and step dad are introduced to possible help for Mica in the form of a boarding school called Storybook Inc. Mica boards a train ride on her way to the boarding school, but things begin to go terribly wrong as she finds herself in the middle of a series of events that lead her into a mind-bending and dangerous situation.
Amidst all the chaos, Mica begins to notice that things are not quite right. Lucky for her, she is not alone. She finds herself relying on her reluctant, handsome, and sometimes rude adventure-buddy Roman. Mica and Roman end up running from one bad situation to the next. Ultimately, Mica must decide what is real and who she can trust if she is going to make it through this crazy sequence of events.
Mica is a complex and interesting protagonist. She definitely has her faults and her demons, but there is something really endearing about her. I loved how the author gave us insight into what she was thinking - her intelligence but also those little things that bothered her throughout the book. It gave her character a lot of depth and made me want to root for her. While there is plenty of action throughout this story, it is a mystery novel at heart. The mystery moves the story along and Mica keeps you engaged. A great combination for an intriguing concept that keeps you guessing.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. The story was well paced and the mystery intriguing. The overall concept was really interesting and I thought the author did a great job in keeping me guessing. Unfortunately, when I reached the ending, I was not as surprised as I had hoped that I would be. I also really enjoyed the background and development of the main character, Mica. However, I found Roman’s character sometimes confusing and really wish that there would have been more relationship development and tension between Roman and Mica throughout the story.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A thought-provoking psychological mystery novel with a strong female lead. The author keeps you guessing and turning the page to an interesting ending.
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