Review of The Sectet Place

[Maduabuchi Okwiya N Eze]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Sectet Place" by Leslie Anne Veinot.]

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2 out of 5 stars

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The waterfall is a center of magic and holds the survival of many, casting a veil between tribes and nations of humans, fairies, and sprites, who, if allowed free access and interaction, could spell doom for all. Recently, a strange noise was heard at the waterfall, and some fairies believe the noise is coming from humans who might have crossed their boundaries into the territories of the Land of Fays and the Land of Sprites. Following this, some scouts are sent off to find out what is amiss.

Tension builds up following the suspicion that the magical barriers exerted at the waterfall are being weakened. The leaders of the fairies and the sprites (called the Old Ones) can manage the situation to some extent, but some orientation needs to be inculcated into the minds of humans to achieve the desired result. The plot develops to bring up characters like Dot, Pixie, T-1, T-2, and Gypsy, among others. Could it be possible to bring together the necessary figures needed to resolve the variety of issues arising among the fairies, the sprites, and the humans?

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this story is its subtle messages of unity, the strength of diversity, and obedience. These are developed first through the incidents surrounding the fairies and sprites' nations and then through the introduction of the tree-born fairy, Pixie; the sprite-twins, T-1 and T-2; the human lady, Gypsy; and other figures like Sarah Little-Mouse and Champion. A read through all these reveals how much they need one another and how promising their remaining on good terms is. Furthermore, I think Leslie did a great job in her attempts to discuss the existence of magic, sprites, and fairies. The encounters between Gypsy, T-1, T-2, and Pixie shed enough light on these issues.

Another striking observation was the author's commentary on some mystic beings, magic, and paranormal lifestyles and incidents, and although I had some dissatisfaction, I would say Leslie Anne Veinot put an appreciable amount of effort into giving them a manageable outlook. For example, the narration about how humans, fairies, and sprites operate at the waterfall is strange yet thrilling, opening the mind up to the possibilities in a mystical center where simplicity and sophistication in the art of magic are tested. Likewise, the narration of the fingernail fries evokes both feelings of repulsion and awe.

However, Leslie didn't take enough advantage of the chances in this story. Take, for instance, the initial crises between the fairies and the sprites and the incidents that happened following the humans' migration across the waterfall. Those situations could have been better developed and garnished with the relevant narrative ingredients to meet the readers' literary and aesthetic thirsts, but that didn't happen. I would say they were merely "mentions" that disappeared as soon as they were introduced, leaving the readers gasping for clarifications.

In addition, I wasn't impressed by the narrative flow. There was no direction, as the author keeps lumping everything together. There was no clear report of the outcome of the scouts' adventure to the waterfall before narrating Pixie's attempts to rescue Dot and others. Again, the narration of T-1 and T-2's attempts to retrieve the scroll was unnecessarily prolonged with irrelevant details, making the whole exercise boring. Furthermore, I think some incidents and characters in this story do not have any plot or thematic significance. For example, I couldn't pinpoint the relevance of the character Bling in this story, and of course, I have to note that most of Gypsy's meetings with T-1, T-2, and the Old Ones lacked purpose.

I rate The Secret Place two out of five stars because I found Leslie's attempt to recreate her imagination about some mystical beings and incidents interesting. The story's lesson that "obedience is better than sacrifice" (as seen in the punishment given to Pixie despite the worthy nature of her adventure) was also enlightening. Anyone who wishes to try their hands on a literary piece with mystical and spontaneous, underdeveloped content might consider reading this.

This book lost three stars due to some issues I had with it: The narration lacked direction. Some characters and incidents lacked plot and thematic significance. The book was not thoroughly edited and contained some poorly crafted sentences. The categorization of this book under children's literature is not so proper, given that the story is too long, lacked illustrations, and contained some complex words and themes.

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The Sectet Place
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[Rica Concepcion]

I think the book cover is engaging and persuasive. I like the reviewer's honesty; the book's plot was solid, but it needed a little more fixation. The critique is thorough and well-written. Good job

[Mayang Bature]

A children's book should prioritize holding the reader's interest but it seems this one failed at that. I liked your honest criticism about this book.

[Catherine Radford]

Interesting that it is a children’s book. Reading the description and most of the review would have led me to believe it was aimed at adults.

[Suvankar Das 1]

"The Secret Place" by Leslie Anne Veinot seems to have an intriguing premise with mystical elements and subtle messages of unity. I appreciate the author's attempt to recreate imagination and the lessons on obedience. However, I can understand the reviewer's concerns about the lack of direction in the narrative and underdeveloped content. It's disappointing to hear that the book wasn't thoroughly edited and contained poorly crafted sentences. I also agree that the categorization as children's literature might not be suitable if it lacks illustrations and contains complex themes. Overall, it seems like an interesting read, but the issues raised in the review give me some reservations about picking it up.

[Catherine Radford]

"The Secret Place" by Leslie Anne Veinot seems to have an intriguing premise with mystical elements and subtle messages of unity. I appreciate the author's attempt to recreate imagination and the lessons on obedience. However, I can understand the reviewer's concerns about the lack of direction in the narrative and underdeveloped content. It's disappointing to hear that the book wasn't thoroughly edited and contained poorly crafted sentences. I also agree that the categorization as children's literature might not be suitable if it lacks illustrations and contains complex themes. Overall, it seems like an interesting read, but the issues raised in the review give me some reservations about picking it up.

From the sounds of it the book does more than subtly suggest unity. It appears to be one of the main themes.