It’s been a while since I read a novel in the young adult category. That’s why I was really excited when I was asked to be a part of the Women in Writing Blog Tour for Margi Preus’ latest book, The Silver Box. The mentioned novel is the third in the Enchantment Lake Mystery series.
Before I received a complementary copy of The Silver Box, I also received the two earlier books in the series. I got a chance to read the very first one called Enchantment Lake. There I was introduced to the main characters and the author’s interesting writing style. The story was intriguing and full of nice twists. It also has a nice cliffhanger for the next book.
While I have a copy of the second book in the series, The Clue in the Trees, I have to skip it and go directly to The Silver Box. This is due to time constrains. But I will definitely read it.
Going back to the Silver Box, I was a bit confused when I started the first three chapters. I felt so left out because it seemed that there were significant happenings in the second book that continued to the third book. After reading a few more chapters, I began to realize that this series is not what I expected it to be.
At first, I thought this book series was more like my childhood favorites Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys where each book has a completely different mystery being solved. Some may be related but generally, the previous book doesn’t have anything to do with the next one. In my case, I often randomly pick up any book from the series and call it a day.
As for Enchantment Lake Mystery series, the stories were written as a progression of events. Yes, you should start from book one and don’t skip book two to better understand book three.
The author did a good job of drawing in the readers and letting them be a part of the novel’s community. In the Silver Box for instance, the reader will have a better understanding why the characters behaved that way in the previous books. Aside from the main plot, the reader will also learn the complexities of life, life choices and why it is important not to judge someone right away.
Being a mom of a preteen and three teenagers, Margi’s style of writing is quite complex. Not only is she describing a story, she is also allowing the reader to think, feel and relate the characters’ behavior in his or her own personal life. Something most books nowadays lack of.
I like how she tackled difficult life situations in such a way that the young reader will truly understand the “why” behind a certain action. Enlightening, entertaining and thought provoking, Margi Preus was able to teach her young readers to empathize to each character. She has a subtle yet effective manner of showing life’s complexities in a very relatable level.
If you have children 9 years old and up, I highly recommend not only the Silver Box novel but all the other books in this series. Easy to read, captivating and full of life lessons.
Since the holidays are fast approaching, I’m so happy to host a giveaway for a free copy to the Silver Box book. This giveaway is open to US residents 18 years old and up. Just do the steps below to get entries. Hurry, this will end on Oct. 25, 2020 11:59pm EST.
Hugs,
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mine was a message from nam
Being Henry David by Cal Armistead .
my bible! 😀