Today we are happy to host a stop on the blog tour for The Fourth Wall by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Crystal Otto of WOW! Women on Writing is here to review The Fourth Wall. Welcome, Crystal!
Summary:
The Fourth Wall is a fabulously written
first novel. When Marin was little and monsters chased her through nightmares,
she learned to weave her own dreams. Her mother called the lucid dreaming a
gift, and when an accident takes her mother and leaves her baby brother an
empty shell, Marin uses this gift to spin a new reality for herself. One
without time or sorrow. A world without memory.
But just when Marin thinks she’s safe in her make-believe
fantasy world, the monsters come back and her dream turns to a nightmare.
Something in the dream doesn’t want Marin to wake up. In order to heal herself
and her family, Marin must face the truth she’s forgotten and conquer what lies
behind the fourth wall.
Genre:
Young Adult, Fiction
Publisher: WiDo Publishing (June 10, 2014)
ISBN: 978-1-937178-51-2
Twitter hashtag: #FourthWall
Crystal's Review:Publisher: WiDo Publishing (June 10, 2014)
ISBN: 978-1-937178-51-2
Twitter hashtag: #FourthWall
The Fourth Wall is listed as YA but deals with some very grown up topics. I really struggled through the first few chapters. Not because they weren’t well written. Elizabeth’s writing is gorgeous with just the right amount of description and dialogue. The reason I struggled was the reality of her writing. She drew me into Marin’s life in such a way I found myself wondering “what if” about my own life.
It’s quite a gift to write fantasy so well it wraps itself around reality. There were times I set down The Fourth Wall and had the same feeling I do when waking from an all too real dream. I felt unsettled and somewhat confused. When Marin hurt, I hurt. I longed to hug the little girl and offer her consolation and love. Naranjo writes her characters with such dimension and depth of character. She has quite a gift for writing.
The Fourth Wall is Naranjo’s debut novel but I am certain (hint, hint) she will have many more publications in her future. Her writing is unique and I can’t think of any author to compare it to. I can say with certainty you’ll enjoy the read and be longing for more!
The Fourth Wall is available as an e-book and paperback at Amazon.
About the Author: Elizabeth grew up writing
short stories and bad poetry before escaping the cold winters of Wyoming and
settling in the Sonoran Desert. She lives in Tempe, Arizona with her husband
and two children, Abigail and Gabriel. She still loves to write, but
fortunately gave up on poetry. The Fourth Wall is her first
novel.
Elizabeth’s creative nonfiction has appeared in Brain,
Child, Phoenix New Times, Literary Mama and Babble.com, and
is forthcoming in Brevity. Elizabeth is also an award-winning fiction writer; her short stories
have been published in The Portland Review, Hospital Drive, SLAB
Literary Magazine, and Bartleby Snopes. Links to her work
and information on classes/critiques can be found at http://www.elizabethmarianaranjo.com/.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/elizabethmarianaranjo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.m.naranjo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emarianaranjo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.m.naranjo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emarianaranjo
This is a great book. Vivid dreams provide relief for a teenager dealing with life changing grief. When she no longer needs the dreams, they become frightening and dangerous.
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There is nothing generic about this paranormal YA novel. It is a young adult's story told with depth and compassion. Naranjo's fantasy throws reality into stark relief so that, through the whirl and tumble of Marin's dreams, we more fully understand her and ourselves.
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