Author: Janet DeLee
Published: May 2015
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Source: Author Copy in exchange for an honest review.
A brief synposis; (Via Goodreads)
Dreams aren’t just for the young, and Ginny Lawther is happy to prove that even at the age of fifty-eight she can still brave a leap of faith…she just needs a little prodding from like-minded individuals. Step one: place an ad in the local newspaper inviting other dreamers to form an Ideal Life Club. Step two: see if anyone shows up.
When Ginny meets four hopeful strangers at the first club meeting, she thinks they’re off to a great start.
Now it's only a matter of time before the sixty-something widow Hilda turns her crafting into a full-time career; the twenty-something Jerry becomes a professional musician; and the thirty-something housewife Lydia publishes her cookbook. That is, until the rugged divorcé, Lee, sets a goal to solve his ghost problem—and upends all their lives!
Suddenly the support group isn’t just trying to navigate the ups and downs of pursuing their dreams; they’re also wrestling with a strange cast of spirits who keep interrupting their endeavors. What do these apparitions want? And why have they latched on to the Ideal Lifers?
Haunting, humorous, and hopeful, Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts sparks the imagination and breathes unexpected life into everyday reality.
Prolific writer and author, Janet DeLee is now a second time author of two wonderful books. Her new release titled, 'Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts, A Novel' is her best work to date.
Janet DeLee is a self-appointed, self-actualization guinea pig who firmly believes in leaps of faith and is committed to creating an ideal life for herself.
The Texas author, who lives in the Dallas area, was inspired to write ghost stories after experiencing unsettling events during stays at several bed-and-breakfasts, as well as an old New Orleans hotel.
In addition to having a hint of mystery, DeLee's novels also tend to follow characters struggling to pursue their dreams. Her unique writing style, storylines, and characters in her novels are born from this sassy little Texan's delightful imagination and personal experiences.
Not your average ghost story, but in a good way.
What I love about reading on my Kindle, is the ability to make notes and highlight simultaneously, without ruining the book. It's so organised it makes me want to cry because my life is as far from organised as possible.
This feature came in particular handy with this novel.
Over all, the plot of Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts is both humorous, original and heart warming that it's hard to fault. Ginny's 'leap' is inspiring; the theme of this novel is inspiring - it even inspired me to finally make my choice of university.
But as grand as the whole schematics of this novel was, I feel as though it did not live up to its potential. The structure was great - alternating chapters from outsider point of view that revolved around each character. This allowed the insight into the separate individuals, and stopped the story from just remaining fixed in the group discussions.
The reason I felt slightly let down, was the writing. It didn't feel great - it wasn't basic by any means, but it just wasn't clicking with me. It didn't flow, and it didn't seem to reflect the premise of the work. Further, there was a lot of colloquialisms. As a British English speaker, some of the phrases used were lost on me. It was evident how much of Janet's Texas upbringing had influenced this novel - the phrase '"things in apple pie order"' was used, which I have never before heard! It's quite an interesting saying.
Characterisation was good, though contradictory in places. I also felt as though Lydia did not get enough chapters in terms of a fair distribution.
I'm not saying I didn't like this novel - I just believe it could have been better.
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