Official Review: Whimsy’s Curse by K.D. Michelson
Posted: 29 May 2021, 11:00
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Whimsy’s Curse" by K.D. Michelson.]
Whimsy Whitman was cursed with the empathic ability to sense how people she came in contact with would die. Because it made her feel like she was dying herself, it was traumatic and could incapacitate her. Being in close proximity with anyone, even her own family, was problematic. Whimsy confided her problem to a cruel psychiatrist, Dr. Goodrich, when she was a child with dreadful consequences. He hospitalized her with the diagnosis of severe anxiety and forced multiple unapproved medicines and experiments on her, torturing her in the process. Consequently, she has informed no one else of her dark secret and has spent her life homebound and depressed.
After Whimsy had made the unwise decision to go running late at night without notifying anyone, Dr. Goodrich came for a visit, which hurled her into a panic. Soon afterward, she had mysterious visions that demanded she go to New York. She quietly snuck out of the house and took her sister’s car without permission. Upon arriving in New York, the car broke down, forcing her to go searching for help. Whimsy was becoming overwhelmed with passersby’s deaths when she was suddenly bowled over by Beck, who was distracted by his phone. Whimsy noticed he was the person she had encountered in her visions. Her powers seemed to grow stronger the longer she was away from home. Will she be capable of controlling them and using them for good, or will they ultimately destroy her?
Whimsy’s Curse by K.D. Michelson is a 280-page supernatural story with a strong romantic undercurrent. Although the first in the series, it can be read as a standalone novel. The author possesses a remarkable imagination, and her prose is well organized and easy to understand. The slower portions of the story allow us to get to know Whimsy and Beck; these are intermixed with highly suspenseful scenes. My attention was captivated throughout the book. The tale began promptly with action as Whimsy came in contact with the police after going for a run late at night. This caused her to become almost paralyzed as she experienced their deaths. The story is narrated alternating between Whimsy and Beck’s third-person points of view, which helps to understand things from their perspectives. The author’s ability to make you feel what her characters are experiencing is impressive, especially Whimsy. You can sense her panic when she comes close to other people. One can also feel the attraction between Beck and Whimsy. They had their weaknesses, but both grew and evolved as the story continued. Their flaws made them seem realistic.
Unfortunately, there were over ten errors in the story. It could use one more round of editing. In addition, I felt the paragraphs were excessively long. The first one, for example, lasted for six pages. Separating this into additional paragraphs would make it easier to read and comprehend, and it would aid readers to take breaks if they are needed. Because there was absolutely nothing else I didn’t enjoy, Whimsy’s Curse achieves a rating of three out of four stars. If the prior issues are corrected, I think it could easily deserve four stars.
The book was written primarily for young adults who enjoy romance novels with supernatural themes, and they would probably delight in it the most; however, I no longer fit in that age range and still found the novel captivating. Therefore, I think it could be appreciated by older people as well. If the reader doesn’t enjoy romance novels or books about paranormal abilities, they should look elsewhere. There were only two borderline profanities and no explicit sex scenes in the novel; however, there were several descriptions of death. Sensitive readers should be forewarned.
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Whimsy’s Curse
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Whimsy Whitman was cursed with the empathic ability to sense how people she came in contact with would die. Because it made her feel like she was dying herself, it was traumatic and could incapacitate her. Being in close proximity with anyone, even her own family, was problematic. Whimsy confided her problem to a cruel psychiatrist, Dr. Goodrich, when she was a child with dreadful consequences. He hospitalized her with the diagnosis of severe anxiety and forced multiple unapproved medicines and experiments on her, torturing her in the process. Consequently, she has informed no one else of her dark secret and has spent her life homebound and depressed.
After Whimsy had made the unwise decision to go running late at night without notifying anyone, Dr. Goodrich came for a visit, which hurled her into a panic. Soon afterward, she had mysterious visions that demanded she go to New York. She quietly snuck out of the house and took her sister’s car without permission. Upon arriving in New York, the car broke down, forcing her to go searching for help. Whimsy was becoming overwhelmed with passersby’s deaths when she was suddenly bowled over by Beck, who was distracted by his phone. Whimsy noticed he was the person she had encountered in her visions. Her powers seemed to grow stronger the longer she was away from home. Will she be capable of controlling them and using them for good, or will they ultimately destroy her?
Whimsy’s Curse by K.D. Michelson is a 280-page supernatural story with a strong romantic undercurrent. Although the first in the series, it can be read as a standalone novel. The author possesses a remarkable imagination, and her prose is well organized and easy to understand. The slower portions of the story allow us to get to know Whimsy and Beck; these are intermixed with highly suspenseful scenes. My attention was captivated throughout the book. The tale began promptly with action as Whimsy came in contact with the police after going for a run late at night. This caused her to become almost paralyzed as she experienced their deaths. The story is narrated alternating between Whimsy and Beck’s third-person points of view, which helps to understand things from their perspectives. The author’s ability to make you feel what her characters are experiencing is impressive, especially Whimsy. You can sense her panic when she comes close to other people. One can also feel the attraction between Beck and Whimsy. They had their weaknesses, but both grew and evolved as the story continued. Their flaws made them seem realistic.
Unfortunately, there were over ten errors in the story. It could use one more round of editing. In addition, I felt the paragraphs were excessively long. The first one, for example, lasted for six pages. Separating this into additional paragraphs would make it easier to read and comprehend, and it would aid readers to take breaks if they are needed. Because there was absolutely nothing else I didn’t enjoy, Whimsy’s Curse achieves a rating of three out of four stars. If the prior issues are corrected, I think it could easily deserve four stars.
The book was written primarily for young adults who enjoy romance novels with supernatural themes, and they would probably delight in it the most; however, I no longer fit in that age range and still found the novel captivating. Therefore, I think it could be appreciated by older people as well. If the reader doesn’t enjoy romance novels or books about paranormal abilities, they should look elsewhere. There were only two borderline profanities and no explicit sex scenes in the novel; however, there were several descriptions of death. Sensitive readers should be forewarned.
******
Whimsy’s Curse
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
