Today, I am reviewing the YA Paranormal story Desperation is the New Hope by Jessica
Simone. This is a post-apocalyptic novel set in the isolated kingdom of Patico,
which is kept from the rest of the presumably-destroyed and barbaric world by a
giant wall and governed by a King whom everyone believes to be doing his best
to protect them from situations they can’t understand. During the novel, some
of the characters begin to develop paranormal powers and control over the
elements…something which doesn’t sit well with the established authority.
I give this book a 2.75/5. Here is my breakdown.
Characters: 3/5. The characters were interesting, but hardly unique. Many book tropes were filled in the writing of this novel – the love triangle, the hidden mentors, the new discovery of powers, and the prophesied hero. Jessica pulls it off reasonably well, but I didn’t find myself very invested in the individuals themselves.
Plot/Storyline: 3/5. More of the same. The story is interesting, and as the book went on I wanted to see more of what was going on, but it feels like several other things I’ve read or seen. It’s derivative, is what I’m trying to say, and many of the points were either predictable or hard to understand (like the sudden influx of people who knew what was going on), forcing me to swallow my disbelief to continue the story.
I give this book a 2.75/5. Here is my breakdown.
Characters: 3/5. The characters were interesting, but hardly unique. Many book tropes were filled in the writing of this novel – the love triangle, the hidden mentors, the new discovery of powers, and the prophesied hero. Jessica pulls it off reasonably well, but I didn’t find myself very invested in the individuals themselves.
Plot/Storyline: 3/5. More of the same. The story is interesting, and as the book went on I wanted to see more of what was going on, but it feels like several other things I’ve read or seen. It’s derivative, is what I’m trying to say, and many of the points were either predictable or hard to understand (like the sudden influx of people who knew what was going on), forcing me to swallow my disbelief to continue the story.
Flow: 4/5. The author’s use of language is solid and the story flows reasonably well. I didn’t have any major hitching-points or places where I just flipped through the pages to get through. Kudos!
Spelling/Grammar: 2.5/5. Many typographical errors. Tenses
are switched in several places. This book needs a professional
editor/proofreader to go through and clear up these issues.
Overall: 2.75/5. For a debut novel, this is a fairly decent work. I’ve seen much worse from many sources. However, I think there is also a lot of room for improvement, and I hope that Jessica takes the opportunity to do more with her sequel. Good luck!
If you want to check out Jessica's work for yourself, click the below link. Thanks for reading!
