Forever Obsession: TOUR: The Lantern

ISBN: 9780997122718
Pages: 118

Source: YA Bound Book Tours

Publication Date: December 11, 2015

Initial Reaction:

Five days before Halloween, all sixteen-year-old Tori has on her mind is vacationing with her family and scoring lots of candy. Her grandmother’s estate, with its Gothic spires and trails that lead out to the woods, holds an unexpected secret: a lantern that lights up for Tori and nobody else. Certain that it’s a ghost or a prank, she investigates further and discovers a mysterious life that shines in the darkness.

Before I get started, this book is currently free on Amazon so if you're interested in picking this up then click the cover! The Lantern follows Tori who is vacationing at her grandmother's estate which literally sounds like a dream with its fantastic Gothic architecture and woodsy surroundings. She finds a lantern that strangely only lights up for her and she decides to investigate the mystery to see if it's just a prank or something mystical.

This is a novella so keep that in mind when you're reading because I got caught up in everything that was going on and didn't notice that I was getting close to the end. The author does a really good job in creating a mysterious and suspenseful air around the characters as Tori tries to figure out the secret of the lantern. The story starts off with Jared, a lantern maker with a prosthetic leg, before fast forwarding to present times.

I read a review that compared the set up of this book to a Tinkerbell/Pinnochio cross and I can kind of see that. Jared has some wooden parts and just longs to be full functioning again and he's stuck in this lantern and has a fairy-like characteristic. To be honest, I didn't really put that idea together but after reading the review, I can definitely see some parallels. Regardless, Chess Desalls creates these really interesting characters that play out their role in the story.

Tori is a teenage girl and she has a very gentle and sympathetic nature. At the same time, she is also extremely courageous in how she maneuvers her way through the story when things get a bit tricky. The overall story just radiates the idea of bringing hope to others and helping them find courage when it seems hard to go on.

This story was fun and fast paced and I definitely wish it could have been longer but overall, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see more from the author.

Click on the banner for links to other tour stops!

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chess Desalls is the author of the YA time travel series, The Call to Search Everywhen. She's a longtime reader of fantasy and sci-fi novels, particularly classics and young adult fiction. Her nonfiction writing has led to academic and industry publications. She’s also a contributing editor for her local writing club’s monthly newsletter. The California Writers Club, South Bay branch, has awarded two of Chess’ stories first place for best short fiction. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys traveling and trying to stay in tune on her flute.
Travel Glasses is YA fantasy filled with metafiction and other literary twistiness. Sign up for Chess' newsletter to receive updates on giveaways and new releases.

Author Links: