Nicola J. McDonagh

**This is the abbreviated review. For the full review, please visit The Review Board.**

4.5 out of 5, but beautiful enough to round upward.

What starts off as a search for one’s brother turns out to be so much more. Adara is a young teen with a wonderful talent who is brave and headstrong. It is this talent which makes her a prize to those around her, so she constantly has to try to figure out who is friend and who is foe.

Along the way, she encounters different types. One set of people was always painted to be her enemy, yet they are the very ones who have proved to be allies. In the words of the late Tu Pac Shakur, “Keep your enemies close; watch your homies.”

I really loved the pace of the story. The action picked up at quite the right spots, and I was drawn in from start to finish. I also loved the comedic bits sprinkled in this work. Some parts that linger in my mind are the banter between Adara and Wirt; the snide comments exchanged among Marcellus and Eadgard; and the adjustment to different types of cuisine among the travels.

The first calling of the birds was very vivid to me, reminiscent of a scene in Stephen King’s “The Dark Half” that featured the flying of the sparrows.

I enjoyed reading the dialects of the characters as well as how the surroundings were described. The author took great care in getting the reader invested in the characters’ experiences, particularly when they were discovering new tastes, new methods, and new animals. I smiled at Adara’s wonder of what I would refer to as a kitten. There’s something about rubbing an animal’s fur that is calming and soothing, but I think that is the animal lover in me. You could really see the story: snapshots of the locations, the appearance of the different people, and their reactions.

One aspect I did battle with was if the intensity in the conflicts and the heroine’s reactions really match? Part of me says, “Not quite”. The other part reminds me: “The heroine is very young and not adult as of yet. Perhaps this is a typical teen response to these situations.”

In addition, there may be some readers who prefer to read a work only if it serves as a stand alone and/or if it doesn’t have a lingering effect. For those readers, Echoes from the Lost Ones may not provide that remedy.

In lieu of these things, this dystopian read was very enjoyable, and I’m in love with Adara, Wirt, and the rest of the crew. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment to see if Adara really achieves her destiny and discovers her brother in the process. The author’s method of storytelling is compelling, and the delivery is not only page worthy but audio worthy as well.… (mais)

Abbreviated version is here. Full version on KARR segment of TRB.

I purchased the electronic version a few months ago. Yet I’ve always been a fan of having a paperback copy (especially autographed paperback copies). I was in this book release party for another book this author is a part of, Aspiring to Inspire. One of the prizes given out was an autographed paperback copy of Glimmer. Guess who was lucky enough to win one?

It was very difficult for me to pick an overall favorite out of this showcase of seven. Yet four of them really stood out for me: Glimmer, On the Eighth Day, Daub and Rousseau’s Suburban Jungle.

Glimmer spoke to me because it really played with the workings of the mind. Which was truly the reality: the character’s take or everyone else’s? The first line really set the ambiance: “The world will not end because I close my eyes.”

I absolutely love the richness of personification in On the Eighth Day. I can always appreciate when an author can take an inanimate object and give it human characteristics. It reminded me of what I tend to do with some elements of my poetry (fear, pain, happiness, and the like). I connected with it very strongly.

The spook element of Daub excited me. I’m a huge fan of psychological, thriller, and horror reads that are carried out well. Timing, dialogue, reactions, everything–very well placed. It was refreshing to have the type of short dark read that wasn’t overly predictable.

I was not sure what to make of Rousseau’s Suburban Jungle at first. That is the beauty of this author’s work. You don’t know what you’re going to get. Yet there were so many segments I liked about it. One was the banter between the saleslady and Esther about the print. Yet there are two more that stand out greater than that exchange.

The tenacity of Jenny the dog spoke volumes. She was the epitome of “Don’t mess with my master.” When Jenny got into action, I wish she would have bitten a bit more of that guy or even an additional appendage–if you get my drift. I also would have liked her to thrown in a bite towards the fakery known as Louise. (It’s good I wasn’t writing this story. Jenny would have turned into a modern-day Cujo, only as a vigilante for justice.)

With all of her stories, there is a connective fabric. The author uses the reader’s mind as an easel and puts dots, splashes, and strokes of color along with deep incorporation of nature and locations. The end result took me away. The metaphorical richness was akin to the joy of childbirth in which a healthy, vibrant baby is the result.

Verdict: These snapshots of writing are lovely from start to finish. There is something in here for everyone. The only thing I would like to add is that the author should definitely write more short stories. There are some types of talent that are natural and others which are learned. Her use of language in this work is a testament that she is in fact a natural in the writing world. All of this gives this work 5 out of 5 stars!… (mais)

Abbreviated version is here. Full version on KARR segment of TRB.

I purchased the electronic version a few months ago. Yet I’ve always been a fan of having a paperback copy (especially autographed paperback copies). I was in this book release party for another book this author is a part of, Aspiring to Inspire. One of the prizes given out was an autographed paperback copy of Glimmer. Guess who was lucky enough to win one?

It was very difficult for me to pick an overall favorite out of this showcase of seven. Yet four of them really stood out for me: Glimmer, On the Eighth Day, Daub and Rousseau’s Suburban Jungle.

Glimmer spoke to me because it really played with the workings of the mind. Which was truly the reality: the character’s take or everyone else’s? The first line really set the ambiance: “The world will not end because I close my eyes.”

I absolutely love the richness of personification in On the Eighth Day. I can always appreciate when an author can take an inanimate object and give it human characteristics. It reminded me of what I tend to do with some elements of my poetry (fear, pain, happiness, and the like). I connected with it very strongly.

The spook element of Daub excited me. I’m a huge fan of psychological, thriller, and horror reads that are carried out well. Timing, dialogue, reactions, everything–very well placed. It was refreshing to have the type of short dark read that wasn’t overly predictable.

I was not sure what to make of Rousseau’s Suburban Jungle at first. That is the beauty of this author’s work. You don’t know what you’re going to get. Yet there were so many segments I liked about it. One was the banter between the saleslady and Esther about the print. Yet there are two more that stand out greater than that exchange.

The tenacity of Jenny the dog spoke volumes. She was the epitome of “Don’t mess with my master.” When Jenny got into action, I wish she would have bitten a bit more of that guy or even an additional appendage–if you get my drift. I also would have liked her to thrown in a bite towards the fakery known as Louise. (It’s good I wasn’t writing this story. Jenny would have turned into a modern-day Cujo, only as a vigilante for justice.)

With all of her stories, there is a connective fabric. The author uses the reader’s mind as an easel and puts dots, splashes, and strokes of color along with deep incorporation of nature and locations. The end result took me away. The metaphorical richness was akin to the joy of childbirth in which a healthy, vibrant baby is the result.

Verdict: These snapshots of writing are lovely from start to finish. There is something in here for everyone. The only thing I would like to add is that the author should definitely write more short stories. There are some types of talent that are natural and others which are learned. Her use of language in this work is a testament that she is in fact a natural in the writing world. All of this gives this work 5 out of 5 stars!… (mais)

**This is the abbreviated review. For the full review, please visit The Review Board.**

4.5 out of 5, but beautiful enough to round upward.

What starts off as a search for one’s brother turns out to be so much more. Adara is a young teen with a wonderful talent who is brave and headstrong. It is this talent which makes her a prize to those around her, so she constantly has to try to figure out who is friend and who is foe.

Along the way, she encounters different types. One set of people was always painted to be her enemy, yet they are the very ones who have proved to be allies. In the words of the late Tu Pac Shakur, “Keep your enemies close; watch your homies.”

I really loved the pace of the story. The action picked up at quite the right spots, and I was drawn in from start to finish. I also loved the comedic bits sprinkled in this work. Some parts that linger in my mind are the banter between Adara and Wirt; the snide comments exchanged among Marcellus and Eadgard; and the adjustment to different types of cuisine among the travels.

The first calling of the birds was very vivid to me, reminiscent of a scene in Stephen King’s “The Dark Half” that featured the flying of the sparrows.

I enjoyed reading the dialects of the characters as well as how the surroundings were described. The author took great care in getting the reader invested in the characters’ experiences, particularly when they were discovering new tastes, new methods, and new animals. I smiled at Adara’s wonder of what I would refer to as a kitten. There’s something about rubbing an animal’s fur that is calming and soothing, but I think that is the animal lover in me. You could really see the story: snapshots of the locations, the appearance of the different people, and their reactions.

One aspect I did battle with was if the intensity in the conflicts and the heroine’s reactions really match? Part of me says, “Not quite”. The other part reminds me: “The heroine is very young and not adult as of yet. Perhaps this is a typical teen response to these situations.”

In addition, there may be some readers who prefer to read a work only if it serves as a stand alone and/or if it doesn’t have a lingering effect. For those readers, Echoes from the Lost Ones may not provide that remedy.

In lieu of these things, this dystopian read was very enjoyable, and I’m in love with Adara, Wirt, and the rest of the crew. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment to see if Adara really achieves her destiny and discovers her brother in the process. The author’s method of storytelling is compelling, and the delivery is not only page worthy but audio worthy as well.… (mais)