Release Date: August 20, 2013
Publisher: Blink (Zondervan)
Pages: 368
Series: Doon #1
Review Source: Netgalley
Synopsis: (from Goodreads)My Thoughts:
Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months.
But the Scottish countryside holds other plans.
Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt—and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation. Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for...or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.
‘Doon’ is a book which starts off a bit slow. I liked the characters (especially Veronica), but I wanted to see where things were going. Thankfully things do pick up, especially once the characters travel to Doon, and there’s a good combination of character development and action.
Veronica is a character who has never had a place that's truly home. She's been left behind by her family, and her best friend Kenna is really the most important person in her life. Kenna is an actress who is very focused on her future career. She cares about her friends, but she won’t stray from this path for anything or anyone. Jamie is a character who is very focused on leading his people and doing what is best for Doon, but he also has a fun loving side to him. Jamie’s brother, Duncan, is the type of guy who is outwardly always smiling and friendly, but he also has a deep love for Doon and wants to help his brother.
With two female leads and two main male characters there are also two romantic relationships presented. One becomes very serious very quickly, and yet somehow it really works, especially because one person is cautious of the other. The other relationship is more of a flirtation, but you can definitely see the chemistry there. One of my biggest pet peeves is when characters are forced into something just because it was “fate”, so I loved how there was a predestined/faith element to Doon, and yet the characters also had a choice. Just because Veronica has visions about Jamie it doesn't mean that they have to choose to be with one another. There’s prediction and the idea of being “meant” for one another, but it’s dependent upon the choice of two people, which I really appreciated.
This book was released under Zondervan’s new Blink imprint, which publishes books for the general market that still include some level of Christian values. ‘Doon’ is an allegorical tale, but not in a hugely overt way. There's worship and prayer and a theme of good vs evil, but it didn’t feel at all preachy to me, which I liked.
‘Doon’ is an entertaining tale loosely based off the musical Brigadoon. The book tells a complete story, and yet it also has an epilogue which leaves you knowing that there will be a second book to finish off the story for one character in particular. I really enjoyed reading about the land of Doon, and I especially loved the characters of Veronica and Jamie. If you're looking for a lighter fantasy tale, then this might be one you should pick up.
The Cover:
Very pretty.
Rating:
[3.5/5]Find Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.
Sounds pretty good! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a new one for me. I like the setting a whole lot. It's always rough to stick with a book when it starts slow but I'm glad continuing was worth it. Light fantasy is really something I enjoy. :)
ReplyDeleteI read this one on my flight back from ALA and I enjoyed it but wasn't too impressed. I have a feeling I'll still pick up the sequel though since I do like to know how everything ends. Great review!
ReplyDeleteKatie @ Katie’s Book Blog
Love fantasies, so I may have to pick this one up. I really like how there's a focus on two relationships instead of one. Keeps things interesting! Great review, Ashley :D
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of Brigadoon so when people started getting excited about Doon I was very confused, haha. After reading your review, it sounds like this one isn't for me, although I do like how there was choice in the relationships and not just that they were fated. That annoys me a lot too!
ReplyDelete