Friday, December 6, 2013

Review: The Other F Word (Susan Stec)

Dekram can't help feeling like an outcast. She's the only mixed breed fairy running around her secluded home realm of Wandermere. She loves her parents, but part of her wishes she could just be like everyone else. That sentiment only intensifies when she begins overhearing strange conversations the adults seem to be having about her and her future. Something isn't quite right in Wandermere and Dekram seems to be at the center of it.

Wandermere is anything but your typical fairy forest kingdom. You won't find any dainty, innocent, classical fairies sitting on toadstools petting baby bunnies. Instead, you'll stumble upon mouthy teen fairies wearing designer knockoffs and texting on their smart phones. It wasn't always like this, and the adults claim the reasons behind the change is to help them better deal with trips to the human world, but Dekram begins having doubts about what is real and who has been lying.

I enjoyed the integration of the modern human world into the world of fae. Stec is very clever in the lingo the teens use and the phrases they exclaim when excited or agitated. Her references to fairytales and Disney movies had me chuckling. The fun atmosphere of this book will draw in younger readers and make it easy to connect with the characters.

Dekram and her friends are a fun lot to follow. Dek is relatable because she has plenty of insecurities and doubts about her future. She struggles to find her place not only in her family and community, but in her own skin as well. She wants to trust her friends and the adults in her life, but she's too smart to follow blindly. Dek battles between doing what she's expected to do and what she feels in her heart. That struggle is all too real when it comes to falling in love.

Everyone in her life seems to be pushing her toward Detaf, but Dek's heart is drawn to Nesohc. The struggle surrounding Dek's relationship problems is an engaging tangle. It becomes clear that the adults in Wandermere are hiding something and what Dek decides may have a huge impact on more than just herself. I enjoyed the hunt Dek goes on to figure out just what is going on and who is telling the truth. It's a fun, fast paced storyline that will pull readers along with the characters.

What I had trouble with was at the end of the book when the truth is revealed, I did feel like I, as a reader, had been tricked a bit. When certain characters reveal that they knew the truth from the beginning, it didn't seem realistic that they could have put on such a good act during the rest of the book. It seemed as if those characters had been written as if they knew nothing, then reinvented at the end of the book. Having said that, I did enjoy the twist at the end and thought it was an original and entertaining story.


The Other F Word is on Sale in Kindle for 0.99 right now!




ABOUT THE AUTHOR: One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead~~Oscar Wilde
I've always been weird, even as a child—might've been influenced by all those fairies and trolls living in and around the streams behind Grandma's house. Today I live with my husband and three King Charles Spaniels on 50 acres of woods, fields, and streams in upper Michigan.

More about me and my books: http://thegratefulundead.blogspot.com/

Connect with me on: https://twitter.com/Suesan0814 
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2 comments:

  1. As always, your review is honest and well written. That's why I follow you and why I trust picking up a new author after you point me in their direction. I'm very pleased that you enjoyed the read - you are spot on with the ending (changed it three times, lol), but I do like the final result, because it is not what is expected.

    The interview was fun and the review is gold--looking forward to seeing it on my Amazon page. I can't thank you enough for your constant support, praise, and constructive criticism. You're the best, Sheree.

    Susan Stec

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    1. I thought the twist was great! Thanks for sharing your book with me :)

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