OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Sparrow" by Denna M. Davis.]

Not quite prepared to spend a boring summer with her grandparents, Amanda is even less prepared for the secret they are about to reveal to her. Mimi-Rose gives Amanda a key to a portal that transports her to the nation of Emaji. The people of Emaji come in more colors than one would see in a rainbow, and Amanda doesn’t know what to think when these colorful people claim that she is their prophesized savior. In order to fulfill the prophecy, Amanda must complete the Journey of Discovery. She must also survive multiple attempts on her life made by those who don’t want to see a savior prevail.

The Sparrow is not only the title of this intriguing beginning to Denna M. Davis’ Emaji Nation series, it is also the name given to Amanda in the prophecy. Amanda is reluctant to embrace her destiny and is confused as to why the people of Emaji so quickly accept her as the subject of the foretelling. Amanda’s story is quite an eventful one full of teachings about Emaji, a handsome suitor, and death threats from those who don’t want to see Amanda gain her wings, literally and figuratively speaking.

Davis does an excellent job of building the nation of Emaji. She seamlessly integrates new words into the story as Amanda learns them, even going so far as to write Amanda’s failed attempts to pronounce the foreign words. I thought this was an incredibly accurate depiction of anyone struggling to learn words in a foreign language. Davis also describes the nation of Emaji so beautifully. The Emajians, the buildings, and the land are really brought to life through Davis’ descriptions. In particular, I enjoyed the variations in skin color and Amanda’s humorous struggle to understand how siblings are not born the same color.

The author also writes Amanda very true to what I would expect of a sixteen-year-old. She is hesitant, self-conscious, and a little snarky. There is just the right balance of maturity and teen angst to make Amanda an incredibly relatable character. Although I got frustrated with some of her emotions at times, I thought they were genuine.

The Sparrow has just the right amount of plot development to keep the reader interested throughout while making the reader want to delve deeper into the history of Emaji. As one would expect, there is a villain who is determined to steal the happiness of the people of Emaji; he just hasn’t quite reached a point where he can put his plan into motion. Zorn sees Amanda as an obstacle that needs to be removed before she becomes too powerful. I would have liked to have known more about this villain and his plans to conquer Emaji. However, enough is revealed throughout The Sparrow to keep the intrigue alive without creating frustrations in the reader.

This is a well-developed fantasy, perfect for older teen readers and young adults who enjoy reading about other realms and the battles between good and evil that take place in those realms. I am at ease giving The Sparrow 3 out of 4 stars but would have preferred to give it 4 stars. The storyline is intriguing, the ending satisfying yet not quite enough for the reader to want to move on from the series, and the characters realistic and relatable. The reason for the single star deduction is merely a result of missing words, missing commas, and a few other minor errors.

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The Sparrow
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Siblings are different colours? I LOVE that. It's awesome when an author steps out of the box with her world-building. It makes the book that much more interesting.

I love fantasy books where the author builds the alternate world meticulously and which can immerse the reader. I will check out this book. Thanks for the review!

I just love the cover illustration and was immediately attracted to it. However, not being a fan of Sci Fi, I couldn’t really bring myself to read this book. Thanks anyway for your review and your opinions.

I was taken back by the cover. I actually thought it was a horror book . I am glad it is not and the plot you described sounds intriguing. I love this genre and would give this book a try.

I was intrigued why of all people, the Emaji thought that Amanda was their prophesized savior. How did Amanda arrive in the world of Emaji? Where was this world located?

I need to read the book.

I'm so sorry to hear about errors that hindered the book from having a perfect rating. Thanks for the review.

Like others, I thought the book was a horror sorry. That's what the cover seems to indicate. Emaji sounds interesting, and I want to know how she does on the journey of discovery. Sounds like a book I need to read. Thanks.

I like the book title and this seems like an inspirational coming-of-age story.
Thanks so much for the wonderful review.

Great review, I definitely got an "Avatar" type of feel for this book. I am a big fan of YA novels, so this seems right up my alley. The descriptions of the settings in the book seem interesting and fantastical.

Dolor wrote: ↑13 Oct 2018, 18:56 I was intrigued why of all people, the Emaji thought that Amanda was their prophesized savior. How did Amanda arrive in the world of Emaji? Where was this world located?

I need to read the book.

I'm so sorry to hear about errors that hindered the book from having a perfect rating. Thanks for the review.

There is a lot to learn about Emaji, and the author does a good job of providing more and more information as the story flows along. It is really enjoyable, and the errors are not distracting, so if the story interests you, go for it! I really look forward to the sequel.

serendipity 27 wrote: ↑15 Oct 2018, 10:05 Great review, I definitely got an "Avatar" type of feel for this book. I am a big fan of YA novels, so this seems right up my alley. The descriptions of the settings in the book seem interesting and fantastical.

Thank you for saying Avatar! I knew the cover reminded me of something, but I never could put my finger on it. You are right about that. This is a great book. I really want to see what happens next.

I wonder if an Emajian can choose his or her skin color. Would a red man and blue woman produce a violet son? But siblings can be different colors!

Fascinating world for sure! Are the Emaji people worth dyeing for?

Your review was well constructed and through. It really makes me want to read The Sparrow. It is unfortunate the errors in the book did not allow you to give it 4 stars, as it sounds like the author took a lot of time to capture the essence of the characters and the world.

I thought this was an incredibly accurate depiction of anyone struggling to learn words in a foreign language.

Hilarious, right? Especially when you throw in homonyms! The book sounds enjoyable. Thanks for the great review! I am curious about the villain.

This sounds like a well-crafted book with genuine characters and an interesting plot. Thanks for the review!