Finding My Escape
By: Fran Veal
ISBN: 2940011464119
Published August 13, 2011
Available Format: ebook
My Rating: ★★★★★
Seventeen-year-old Hannah Jordan stumbles upon something no person should ever have to face—the murder of her parents. When Hannah awakes after having tripped and hit her head, she cannot remember exactly what happened that fateful evening, other than walking into her dark home and hearing her mother's pleas for her to run away. She knows the murder was much more than a simple home invasion, and with the help of her best friend, Matt, she sets out to discover exactly why anyone would want to take her mother and father away from her.
As she dreams, Hannah suddenly begins visiting a strange new world, a world her new friend, Josh, explains is very real and very dangerous for Hannah. Josh isn't completely forthcoming about the details, but Hannah begins to suspect there is something very important she is missing about the land of Valeria.
I was actually really impressed with this book. The writing style is easy and captivating. The plot flowed nicely. I was immediately drawn into Hannah's life and was able to relate to her (despite the awful things that have happened in her life). I LOVED the idea that she visits this other realm in her dreams, and I liked the little element of mystery, brought full circle by the twists at the end of the book.
I think this is a fantastic YA novel, with a little bit of paranormal, a little bit of romance, and a little bit of mystery mixed in. I think the author does a great job mixing all the elements and leading the reader on the search for answers. The paranormal aspect wasn't so far-fetched as to be completely unbelievable, so it gave the story a much more authentic feel.
There could have been a bit more explanation about what her parents did that made them a target. Is what Hannah dreams about really the motive for the killer? I think some of the loose ends will probably be tied up in the next book of the series, My Way Out—which I am very much looking forward to!
Pretty much all of you know, I'm an Alabama gal, so having this story set in the south, in places that I am very familiar with, was just an extra bonus for me! Where can I get a house like Aunt Laura's? J
