Review by mariathewriter -- The Raven's Trail (Book 1)
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mariathewriter
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- Latest Review: The Raven's Trail (Book 1) by Liz D. Marx
Review by mariathewriter -- The Raven's Trail (Book 1)
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Raven's Trail (Book 1)" by Liz D. Marx.]
The Raven's Trail by Liz D. Marx is a young adult novel discussing topics such as coming of age, friendship and love. Marx creates stories for the fictional Native American Tula tribe and sets the story in two levels: part of this story is set in the past, and part of it takes place in the present. One half of the story takes place when the invaders bought land and pushed Native Americans away from their ancestors' territory. The other half discusses the journey of the protagonist, Chloe Doyle, in the present and how her unique story interrelates with these legends of the past and this unknown Tula tribe.
Chloe Doyle is fascinated by Native American history and legends. She's always had a natural ability to understand old languages and signs easier than most people. When she was young, she thought she was going crazy because she would constantly see a spirit called Lady. Her mother assumed she had a mental health issue so Chloe also discarded the notion these images could be true and assumed this "Lady" was a figment of her imagination. It all circles back when she finds an ancient artifact while cataloguing old artifacts at her job at the Smithsonian. She now feels compelled to learn more about these carved symbols and their meaning. This is where her journey begins.
I want to mention all the positive aspects of the book first. It is well-written and exceptionally well-edited. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the characters. Chloe is the awkward but loveable dork we all like and can relate to. She is extremely smart and appears very attractive. Mason is the mysterious protagonist who goes by a lonely lifestyle and has pushed aside his true roots because it hurts him to remember. Their lives clash together and both their worlds are turned upside down. The plot is full of action and the descriptions provided are well-worded and allow the reader to visualize all those unique and beautiful aspects isnpired by the Native American culture.
However, there were some elements I did not enjoy. Something that instantly put me off was the fact that yet again the male protagonist is way older than the female. Especially in the plot set in the past it is said that Prince Kaye is ten years older. In the present plot Mason is also older. This is always a bit sketchy to me but at least in this case the female protagonist is not in highschool as we see in many other similar books. Another element that also put me off is that some of the characters appear a bit flat and boring like Pamela who is helping the antagonist. I found myself really bored reading though her chapters.
As an overall note, this book has no vivid sexual descriptions only general mentions of the act or hints. It also contains no profanity. Even though I enjoyed this book, there were some elements I did not quite get and this is why I cannot rate the book more than 3 out of 4 stars . It would definitely appeal to young adult audiences. I would love to read the sequel as well.
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The Raven's Trail (Book 1)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Raven's Trail by Liz D. Marx is a young adult novel discussing topics such as coming of age, friendship and love. Marx creates stories for the fictional Native American Tula tribe and sets the story in two levels: part of this story is set in the past, and part of it takes place in the present. One half of the story takes place when the invaders bought land and pushed Native Americans away from their ancestors' territory. The other half discusses the journey of the protagonist, Chloe Doyle, in the present and how her unique story interrelates with these legends of the past and this unknown Tula tribe.
Chloe Doyle is fascinated by Native American history and legends. She's always had a natural ability to understand old languages and signs easier than most people. When she was young, she thought she was going crazy because she would constantly see a spirit called Lady. Her mother assumed she had a mental health issue so Chloe also discarded the notion these images could be true and assumed this "Lady" was a figment of her imagination. It all circles back when she finds an ancient artifact while cataloguing old artifacts at her job at the Smithsonian. She now feels compelled to learn more about these carved symbols and their meaning. This is where her journey begins.
I want to mention all the positive aspects of the book first. It is well-written and exceptionally well-edited. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the characters. Chloe is the awkward but loveable dork we all like and can relate to. She is extremely smart and appears very attractive. Mason is the mysterious protagonist who goes by a lonely lifestyle and has pushed aside his true roots because it hurts him to remember. Their lives clash together and both their worlds are turned upside down. The plot is full of action and the descriptions provided are well-worded and allow the reader to visualize all those unique and beautiful aspects isnpired by the Native American culture.
However, there were some elements I did not enjoy. Something that instantly put me off was the fact that yet again the male protagonist is way older than the female. Especially in the plot set in the past it is said that Prince Kaye is ten years older. In the present plot Mason is also older. This is always a bit sketchy to me but at least in this case the female protagonist is not in highschool as we see in many other similar books. Another element that also put me off is that some of the characters appear a bit flat and boring like Pamela who is helping the antagonist. I found myself really bored reading though her chapters.
As an overall note, this book has no vivid sexual descriptions only general mentions of the act or hints. It also contains no profanity. Even though I enjoyed this book, there were some elements I did not quite get and this is why I cannot rate the book more than 3 out of 4 stars . It would definitely appeal to young adult audiences. I would love to read the sequel as well.
******
The Raven's Trail (Book 1)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Raven's Trail (Book 1) by Liz D. Marx
