Official Review: Gods of Sound by QM Schaffer
Posted: 02 Apr 2021, 15:13
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gods of Sound" by QM Schaffer.]
When Cameron Foster's mother dies, he goes to live in a mansion with other musically talented kids like himself. This is no ordinary house, though. In addition to being musically gifted, they wield special guitars that harness the power of sound. Each has a different ability; one can bend the sound around objects to obliterate others. Another can cause fire. Together they make a formidable force. The question, though, is what exactly does the owner of the mansion want with all of them?
Gods of Sound by QM Schaffer is a young-adult novel. Fantasy with some superhero thrown in for good measure, it's a quick read at a little over 200 pages. There are adult themes and profanity. As such, I'd recommend it to high schoolers or adults.
My favorite part of this book was Cameron's character. Sometimes frustrating, he was extremely realistic. He had asthma and was constantly bullied. He started off as a normal kid. Even after he discovered his magical talents, he was no superhero with asthma attacks often coming at the most inopportune times. He downplayed his talents in order for others to like him more. It's encouraging to the rest of us who are simply normal, without magical abilities, that we, too, can make a difference.
Likewise, the other characters are equally interesting. Each has his or her own background. Each has his or her own quirks. For instance, one flips off every one and every thing. Can you guess his nickname? (It's Flipper.) Their uniqueness made me want to continue reading.
Also, I enjoyed how captivating the book was. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming. More than that, though, I was invested in the story, wanting to know how it all turned out. Even those with short attention spans would become engrossed in the book in a matter of a few short pages.
There were only a few small detractors. First, some of the story was a little unbelievable. For example, when entering a facility with airtight security, the guards don't even question them wearing suction cup headsets attached to their guitars. At the very least, I believe they would have asked why the headsets were necessary. There were only a very few of these moments in the story, though.
The largest problem with the story was the editing. I ran across many errors. These ranged from missing or extra punctuation to misspelled words. It's clear that another round of proofreading is needed to solve these issues.
In summary, Gods of Sound is an enjoyable novel that I award 3 out of 4 stars. The removal of a star comes simply from the need for more editing. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys novels involving everyday people who rise above in an almost fantastical way. It wouldn't be for anyone who is triggered by bullying or cultish behavior. Of note, though the main plot arcs are mostly wrapped up, the author leaves some loose ends that could signal a sequel. If so, I, for one, would be more than happy to read it.
******
Gods of Sound
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
When Cameron Foster's mother dies, he goes to live in a mansion with other musically talented kids like himself. This is no ordinary house, though. In addition to being musically gifted, they wield special guitars that harness the power of sound. Each has a different ability; one can bend the sound around objects to obliterate others. Another can cause fire. Together they make a formidable force. The question, though, is what exactly does the owner of the mansion want with all of them?
Gods of Sound by QM Schaffer is a young-adult novel. Fantasy with some superhero thrown in for good measure, it's a quick read at a little over 200 pages. There are adult themes and profanity. As such, I'd recommend it to high schoolers or adults.
My favorite part of this book was Cameron's character. Sometimes frustrating, he was extremely realistic. He had asthma and was constantly bullied. He started off as a normal kid. Even after he discovered his magical talents, he was no superhero with asthma attacks often coming at the most inopportune times. He downplayed his talents in order for others to like him more. It's encouraging to the rest of us who are simply normal, without magical abilities, that we, too, can make a difference.
Likewise, the other characters are equally interesting. Each has his or her own background. Each has his or her own quirks. For instance, one flips off every one and every thing. Can you guess his nickname? (It's Flipper.) Their uniqueness made me want to continue reading.
Also, I enjoyed how captivating the book was. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming. More than that, though, I was invested in the story, wanting to know how it all turned out. Even those with short attention spans would become engrossed in the book in a matter of a few short pages.
There were only a few small detractors. First, some of the story was a little unbelievable. For example, when entering a facility with airtight security, the guards don't even question them wearing suction cup headsets attached to their guitars. At the very least, I believe they would have asked why the headsets were necessary. There were only a very few of these moments in the story, though.
The largest problem with the story was the editing. I ran across many errors. These ranged from missing or extra punctuation to misspelled words. It's clear that another round of proofreading is needed to solve these issues.
In summary, Gods of Sound is an enjoyable novel that I award 3 out of 4 stars. The removal of a star comes simply from the need for more editing. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys novels involving everyday people who rise above in an almost fantastical way. It wouldn't be for anyone who is triggered by bullying or cultish behavior. Of note, though the main plot arcs are mostly wrapped up, the author leaves some loose ends that could signal a sequel. If so, I, for one, would be more than happy to read it.
******
Gods of Sound
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
I like your description of the main character very much! I always prefer books with well-developed protagonists