Ravenhill Court Kindle Edition

I feel like it was an unusual plot that had potential to become a very interesting book. It ends with questions in the readers minds about what was presented and about what would become off the main characters.

This is a very short novel, I think it was 69 pages, but it's engrossing from the beginning. David Beshears has done a masterful job of developing both the characters and the story line and taking both along to a surprising conclusion so quickly. It's both sci fi and fantasy combined, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in either genre. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review. That said, I would gladly have bought it as it was a really engrossing and fun, albeit short, read.

Strange things were happening in the neighborhood of Ravenhill Court in 1964. Whether the adult residents of the time didn’t notice or were trying to keep it hidden the children didn’t know but Ben Foster, his older sister Julie and his friends Louis and Peter were determined to figure out what was going on.

The story moves back and forth from the present day when Ben Foster has returned to Ravenhill Court to find it completely abandoned. He has with him Peter’s journal of the time when they were searching out the peculiar events in their teenage years. He reads the journal and reflects on what happened.

There is only one adult they can talk to about the strange things they are experiencing in the neighborhood – Professor LaMothe and even he won’t tell them much. He does however give them some clues which they set off to follow in the forested area behind the houses.

The twists and turns in the novel bring the story to an unusual conclusion which I found quite unexpected and unique. It’s kind of like looking at the mirror from the back. I quite liked it for its creativity.

The novel moved along at a good pace and though it was about teenagers, it isn’t necessarily just for teenagers. I think Ravenhill Court would be suitable for teens to adults. It’s the mystery of the story here that intrigues, the age of the characters aren’t as important.

I gave Ravenhill Court 4 stars out of 5 and would recommend it to lovers of science fiction, fantasy and mystery.

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

To see my complete review visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-ravenhill-court-by-david.html

AudioBook Review
Stars: Overall: 5 Story/Plot 5 Performance 5 Production Quality 4 Attention Holding 5

I’m not a huge ‘epic fantasy’ fanatic, but the premise for this audiobook had me intrigued: who can resist a suburban 1960’s alternate universe story told from the teens and pre-teens who lived it? Not only would it be an interesting counterpoint displaying the world that “was” but the incorporation of alternate events and elements only witnessed by the children would make this unlike other stories I have read or heard about.

Beshears has created a lovely story, laden with unexpected twists and unique elements, giving us four teens: Ben, Peter, Louis and Julie, and their quest to discover and unmask the strange happenings in their neighborhood. Initially the children are leaning to conspiracy – the adults MUST see what is happening, and they have decided to ‘ignore’ it all, or keep it hidden from them with the oft-heard refrain of “you are too young’. But then things turn on their side in a quite unique way, and the professor asking for their help gives them an entrée into all sorts of new and different perspectives.

World-building, from the clubhouse to the neighborhood, and the kids’ experiences on their adventure give readers / listeners imagery that is accessible and easy to visualize, and it isn’t geared to just a younger reader. Adults and children alike can appreciate and understand the story, the plotting arc is smooth and flows from questions to adventure to recap smoothly as the characters come together to discuss what they know, don’t know and want to discover.

Karen Krause is the narrator for this story: I’ve appreciated her work on other titles, and she did not disappoint in this one. Seamlessly navigating between the different voices that she gave to each character, with inflections, pitch and pacing varying slightly to give each character a unique and recognizable voice, her delivery of voices and the addition of emotive traits to emphasize emotions was spot on. The audio production was smooth and free from jarring transitions or noticeable editing.

I received an AudioBook copy of the title for purpose of honest review for audiobookreviewer.com. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.