Member Since: Jan. 16, 2012

Lauren R

Smashwords book reviews by Lauren R

  • Glimpse (The Retroact Saga Book 1) on Feb. 06, 2012

    Its not often you get a look into the future, but Zellie Wells gets that privilege. Oh Joy. As this ‘gift’ causes first conflict then difficult choices and mass confusion, Zellie begins to question the value of her newfound ability. Trying to make sense of the chaos that follows, Zellie is forced to choose between the people she cares about the most. This story leads you down a road full of one teenager’s tough choices, overwhelming discoveries, and steadfast determination. Zellie is a well-rounded character and while she comes across (mostly) as a confident individual, she does have some major insecurity issues when it comes to Avery. I really like how Glimpse doesn’t just jump into the main plotline; Benefiel takes the time to introduce you to the characters and their history with one another. The beginning of this book was well paced and captivating, but by the third quarter, it started getting very busy. I thought I might need a spreadsheet to keep up with all these sub-plots! I really liked the main plotline, especially the romantic issues between Zellie and Avery, but the sub-plots with Zellie’s mom got confusing. I felt that her mom reacted uncharacteristically and unrealistically to certain situations (at least it was hard to wrap my head around her actions) and, towards the end, she really started to get on my nerves. Luckily, since this is only the first book, Zellie’s mom still has time to get back into my good graces. Throughout Glimpse I really came to respect and admire the loyalty and amazing lengths Claire (the best friend) would go to ensure her friends happiness. I was also very intrigued by a mysterious stranger who I cannot wait to hear more about! This is a good fast read and is well worth your time! Cover: Oh the irony. The girl on the cover is looking down and when I first saw this book I correctly guessed it had something to do with seeing something unseen by most… well, the title helped a little. I really like the soft colors used on the cover and, of course, the glitter Valerie Wallace did a great job on this cover! Oh, the girl on the front is gorgeous, and I want her eye-makeup. Badly. Color me jealous. I give this book a Four out of Five stars: Great Book! ** This book does have some mild sexual material and I would not recommend for children under 14.**