Published By: Dorrance Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 58 (U.S. Paperback)
Synopsis: Do you believe in the afterlife? Is it someplace called Heaven, or possibly Home? Two teenagers meet upon their death in a place where they must decide their final destination. They come from the same hometown, but very different backgrounds. However, unbeknownst to them, there is a possibility their paths have crossed and the same people or events have touched each of their lives. Haley Weilmuenster has written this tale of two seemingly lost young souls who find each other under the strangest of circumstances.
As the story unfolds, providing the backdrop leading up to their meeting, the author weaves a masterful tale that leaves the reader cheering for a good outcome. Can love conquer all?
Review:
For being a junior in high school while writing this is really impressive. I must say, being a junior, and trying to finish a complete book, even though this is more of a novella, is really amazing. With everything going on in her life, and trying to finish a book, finding a publisher and getting it out there is just an extreme accomplishment, not to mention a dream for any writer that wants to be published before leaving high school.
Anyways, on with the review shall we?
Airyn and Trent come from very different backgrounds. Airyn has a loving home, doting family, loyal best friends. Trent has none of those things. He has a father who hates him and no friends at school.
But the two have one very important thing in common. They're both dead.
After dying, Airyn finds her way into a colorful room; pictures of her life are everywhere, and file cabinets full of details from her existence on earth (like every shoe she's ever worn and every door knob she's ever touched) crowd the walls. Now she has a decision to make: go to heaven with her memories (the good and the bad), or go to heaven with her mind wiped blank.
Trent has already made his decision, now he is there to help her decide; he is her Keeper of Infinity. In order to make her decision, Airyn must first face the nightmares of her life, and, ultimately, her death.
**
I am a little torn about this book.
I loved the characters. Airyn and Trent are good people, regardless of the mistakes they've made or the lives they've been thrown into. I was rooting for them the whole book. The story and plot were intriguing! What an idea, that you get to decide what kind of heaven you want to live in. The author gave simple, yet powerful, descriptions of afterlife. And the thought that you can find true love only when your life has ended seems a cruel irony, but it's better late than never!
Weilmuenster shows great potential as an author. Her creativity and gift for storytelling ensure she has a bright future.
However, there are a few things about this book that I did not love.
First of all, given the length of the book, I was quite shocked to find there were literally 14 or 15 uses of the f-word. Really? There is a lot of foul language, which I don't think is appropriate. Besides that, I felt like it wasn't necessary.
There is also a lot of mention of casual sex. There is no detail, thank goodness. But it's flippant and there's no remorse. Call me old fashioned, but it makes me sad to read about a girl who, at the tender age of 13, earned the reputation of being easy and responds with a nonchalant shrug.
The writing in Keeper of Infinity needs a little more development. There were times I was confused who was speaking. The time line is sometimes disjointed. We meet Airyn, and then after a few pages, we read the story of her mother going into labor with Airyn. Then a few pages later we learn about how her parents met. It's fantastic character building, but it seems to come out of order.
But like I said before, Weilmuenster has a lot of potential as a writer.
In the end, I did enjoy this book. I was intrigued and loved the story, but I just can't appreciate alcohol, drugs, sex, and foul language rampant especially among teenage characters.
I received a complimentary copy of Keeper of Infinity by Haley Weilmuenster as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.
Teaser:
"When I woke up, I couldn't tell if I had been asleep for ten years or ten minutes, and right as I opened my sleepy eyelids it hit me. Every memory, every experience, lesson, and breath I had ever taken; it was a sensation running through my whole body and I felt everything at once. The pain, sorrow, and fear, along with the happiness, love, and excitement; I could feel all this in every part of my body I had never in my life felt so out of control and completely in control at the same instant. However, once that moment was over, I knew I was dead."
-Prologue
Rating:
Plot: 13/20Characters: 15/20
Writing: 15/20
Originality: 15/20
Cover: 10/10
Ending: 8/10
Total: 76/100=C
