Review of Happenstance
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[i][Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Happenstance" by D. R. Strahan.][/i] [rwc=id408244-125]2 out of 4 stars.[/rwc]Welcome to the magical, icy, underground town of Happenstance! This city is where Santa Claus lives with Mrs. Claus, along with elves, krolls, wickies, and reindeer. In Happenstance: The Claus Chronicles (according to me) Part Two by D.R. Strahan, a series of events unfolds that indicates the foundation of Happenstance is not standing as firmly as everyone believed. A missing person, slushy roads, ice moles, and collapsed tunnels are only some of the problems Santa and his crew have to face. Will everyone is able to accomplish their many tasks to bring Christmas to the world on time? More importantly, will they be able to save the town of Happenstance and continue bringing happiness to the world in future years?
My favorite aspect of this book is the use of the author’s imagination to create a completely unique story centered around Santa Claus. While there were elves and reindeer and toy-making, the story was set in an underground town where people skated to get around. The mortal enemies to the town were the tiny ice moles that melted ice during their reproductive cycle. The founders of the city came from Atilla, a horrible place where they were held captive. The citizens have varying amounts of magic. The ideas and premise behind the story were unlike anything I have ever read before and this was refreshing and delightful.
Despite the imaginative ideas, the execution of the story had problems. I found the dialogue was often stilted and unrealistic. Sometimes there were inconsistencies in the timeline of the story. For example, there is a moment when Santa tells Mrs. Claus that he had last spoken to Robye in the wee hours of that morning, yet Santa was referencing a conversation that had occurred two mornings prior. My least favorite part of this book was its slow start. In the beginning, Robye is having a conversation with Santa about his night at the observatory. Within this dialogue, Robye is relating to Santa what happened when his friends came to visit during his shift. He tried to explain to his friends about how the underground city uses the aurora borealis to power the city. I believe the author was attempting to embed backstory in a creative way. However, the conversation went on for more than twenty pages. It was too much too soon. I felt the plot was bogged down with technical jargon; it was like smothering a freshly sparked fire by piling on wood too early. Trimming this scene, along with some others in the book, would add more momentum to the plot.
There is potential in this novel. I would love to give it a favorable rating. However, due to the issues with the opening, dialogue, timeline, and editorial errors I feel that I have to give this story 2 out of 4 stars. If this were edited to address these issues, it would be a wonderful piece of literature. If it were fixed, I would highly recommend it to middle school and high school readers. Fans of fantasy and science fiction would enjoy reading about the adventures in Happenstance. It should be said there is no vulgar language or anything morally questionable within its pages. ****** [i]Happenstance [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=408244]on Bookshelves[/url] | on Amazon
My favorite aspect of this book is the use of the author’s imagination to create a completely unique story centered around Santa Claus. While there were elves and reindeer and toy-making, the story was set in an underground town where people skated to get around. The mortal enemies to the town were the tiny ice moles that melted ice during their reproductive cycle. The founders of the city came from Atilla, a horrible place where they were held captive. The citizens have varying amounts of magic. The ideas and premise behind the story were unlike anything I have ever read before and this was refreshing and delightful.
Despite the imaginative ideas, the execution of the story had problems. I found the dialogue was often stilted and unrealistic. Sometimes there were inconsistencies in the timeline of the story. For example, there is a moment when Santa tells Mrs. Claus that he had last spoken to Robye in the wee hours of that morning, yet Santa was referencing a conversation that had occurred two mornings prior. My least favorite part of this book was its slow start. In the beginning, Robye is having a conversation with Santa about his night at the observatory. Within this dialogue, Robye is relating to Santa what happened when his friends came to visit during his shift. He tried to explain to his friends about how the underground city uses the aurora borealis to power the city. I believe the author was attempting to embed backstory in a creative way. However, the conversation went on for more than twenty pages. It was too much too soon. I felt the plot was bogged down with technical jargon; it was like smothering a freshly sparked fire by piling on wood too early. Trimming this scene, along with some others in the book, would add more momentum to the plot.
There is potential in this novel. I would love to give it a favorable rating. However, due to the issues with the opening, dialogue, timeline, and editorial errors I feel that I have to give this story 2 out of 4 stars. If this were edited to address these issues, it would be a wonderful piece of literature. If it were fixed, I would highly recommend it to middle school and high school readers. Fans of fantasy and science fiction would enjoy reading about the adventures in Happenstance. It should be said there is no vulgar language or anything morally questionable within its pages. ****** [i]Happenstance [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=408244]on Bookshelves[/url] | on Amazon
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