Thursday, December 12, 2013

Unusual Awakening by S.M. Knowles

Unusual Awakening by S.M. Knowles

Title: Unusual Awakening
Author: S.M. Knowles   
Genre: Young Adult
Tour Host:
Lady Amber's Tours



Book Description:

With tears and a tight hug, Rylee Everley’s dad left for Afghanistan with the Army Reserve. Since his deployment, her mom has been distant, her sisters are constantly fighting, and Rylee, at only thirteen years old, has to be the glue to keep them together. While her mother stays locked in her room, Rylee has been forced into the role of parent.
Now, two years later, a freak accident involving a bus at school promises to restore some normality to her family. In spite of not knowing how their father is, her mother is happy and her sisters don’t seem to fight as much as they used to. Rylee herself is seeing more of her friends and is even trying to sort out her own feelings about Brock Parker. However, something dark threatens to disrupt that normality for personal gain, and that darkness is willing to break every rule to get what it wants.
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Author Bio:

S.M. Knowles was born in Elmira, New York where she was swept away in a whirlwind to the Land of Oz—Independence, Kansas. Her parents were relocating for working opportunities and decided that this would be the perfect place to start new roots. Little did she know that this place would contribute to the inspiration for the first book she wrote in her Rylee Everley Series.
While growing up, S.M. would travel the roads around her house while imagining she was somewhere else. Her imagination would take her everywhere, making the long hot summer days seem shorter throughout her fantasies.
At the age of twelve, she decided to write her first book. Filled mostly with dialog, she filled up one-hundred pages, front and back. After taking the book downstairs to show her mom, and persuading her to buy her more paper, she excitedly ran back to her room. As she barreled through the door, S.M. tripped over items left on her floor, and her papers came raining down in her room. Discouraged, she stood there in tears, picking up her papers and throwing them in the trash. Her work had no organization, no numbers on her pages, just a child fulfilling a joy that she would put down and not pick up again.
When she became older, she joined the military for something different. In that time, she was able to explore many places and even met her husband in Iraq. After coming home, she started her family in Arizona and went back to school, earning a Master’s degree in Adult Education and Training. Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrOQwyLPeMM&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share

Excerpt:

Getting up, I walk over to the tree line. I don’t see anything around, so I grab a rock and throw it to scare off any animals. Walking in further, I call out, “Hello?” Everything is quiet. I wait a few more seconds. Something feels off. Walking in a little further, I hear a branch break. I know I didn’t step on anything, so something’s unquestionably out there. “Who’s out here?” I yell. A big oak tree stands directly in front of me, right next to him. “No, no, no, no,” I beg.
 
    http://www.youtube.com/embed/5y_KJAg8bHI : Avicii, Wake me up
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IigRv6B763k : Eric Clapton, My father’s eyes



My Review:  

I found this book to be intriguing.  It does keep your attention and keep you guessing.  I personally found a few things here and there that did annoy me personally, but they may not annoy another reader.  Rylee is a likable character, though sometimes I wanted to smack her, and you do want to root for her to overcome this mentality of thinking that she can't have a boyfriend and that she only has room for her absent father in her heart until he comes home.  If I was her friend, I probably would shake her and smack her a little, lol.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series, so that says something!

 http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bfdedc1

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