4.0 (1 rating)
Unlocking the Willow
"I know why I'm here. You think I'm crazy, don't you?"
Pam smiled sympathetically. "You didn't fit into this world, Scarlet. You made a world in your head, one which you were able to unlock with a key you created in your subconscious thoughts. You are the key. You are the willow.
"Everything you've told me - the fire, your father's murder, the loss of your mother, even the magic you experienced living with your grandparents are all reflected in the world you created.
"You've become confused, combining a perfect world which you crave with the hardships you've endured and turned everything upside down.
"You can't really believe your step-father is possessed. I know it might seem that way considering the things he's done, but we have to be realistic, Scarlet. There are no monsters here, only the ones in your head."
Scarlet's fingers curled around the warm Transportation Stone in her palm and she smiled knowingly, but said nothing.
Pam smiled sympathetically. "You didn't fit into this world, Scarlet. You made a world in your head, one which you were able to unlock with a key you created in your subconscious thoughts. You are the key. You are the willow.
"Everything you've told me - the fire, your father's murder, the loss of your mother, even the magic you experienced living with your grandparents are all reflected in the world you created.
"You've become confused, combining a perfect world which you crave with the hardships you've endured and turned everything upside down.
"You can't really believe your step-father is possessed. I know it might seem that way considering the things he's done, but we have to be realistic, Scarlet. There are no monsters here, only the ones in your head."
Scarlet's fingers curled around the warm Transportation Stone in her palm and she smiled knowingly, but said nothing.
Pages: 322
ISBN: 9781788780681
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4.0
1 rating
Charlene M.
Apr 18, 2026
This took me way longer to read than I intended it to, so my apologies to the author, who was kind enough to send me a copy in return for an honest review.
This is a YA/teen portal fantasy mixed with a touch of supernatural horror and family drama. It has overtones of Narnia and Neverending Story to it (at least to my mind). And a CW for child abuse.
The good: It is an easy read that drew me in. I would start reading a bit and end up 3 chapters done without meaning to. The fact that it took me a couple of weeks to read is entirely due to the chaos that is my life at the moment. The book deals with things like loss and abuse well, and there is plenty of magic and a really Nasty Villain, which I do like seeing in my fantasy lol. It felt very reminiscent of childhood fantasy classics but with its own twist. I absolutely adored the Abstract Woods idea and the new beings that were created.
The critique: the book needed a beta reader and/or a trusted editor. And I 100% do not blame the author for this. I did some digging on the publisher (I always do for publishers I have never heard of) and these guys have a poor rep: they are vanity publishers who charge authors to publish and then don't actually do anything but put it out. You can see this in this book because parts have typos, the wrong words are used, and some repetition in phrases. There is also just some awkward writing.
Now, as an author myself, I know damn well that it's far too easy to say the same word three times in a sentence and use the wrong one or misspell. That's why we have editors! But, I think the publisher did a real disservice to this story by not editing it and asking for changes in places. (Mind, this publisher has a reputation for doing that to everyone. Never pay to publish folks!)
It also dragged in some areas (again, a good beta reader or editor probably would have caught that).
So, in short, it's a good story, and I quite enjoyed it, but it got a bit betrayed by the lack of a firm edit. I hope the author goes the self-publishing route next time and can find a good beta reader to ensure that her storytelling shines through because there is definitely talent there.
This is a YA/teen portal fantasy mixed with a touch of supernatural horror and family drama. It has overtones of Narnia and Neverending Story to it (at least to my mind). And a CW for child abuse.
The good: It is an easy read that drew me in. I would start reading a bit and end up 3 chapters done without meaning to. The fact that it took me a couple of weeks to read is entirely due to the chaos that is my life at the moment. The book deals with things like loss and abuse well, and there is plenty of magic and a really Nasty Villain, which I do like seeing in my fantasy lol. It felt very reminiscent of childhood fantasy classics but with its own twist. I absolutely adored the Abstract Woods idea and the new beings that were created.
The critique: the book needed a beta reader and/or a trusted editor. And I 100% do not blame the author for this. I did some digging on the publisher (I always do for publishers I have never heard of) and these guys have a poor rep: they are vanity publishers who charge authors to publish and then don't actually do anything but put it out. You can see this in this book because parts have typos, the wrong words are used, and some repetition in phrases. There is also just some awkward writing.
Now, as an author myself, I know damn well that it's far too easy to say the same word three times in a sentence and use the wrong one or misspell. That's why we have editors! But, I think the publisher did a real disservice to this story by not editing it and asking for changes in places. (Mind, this publisher has a reputation for doing that to everyone. Never pay to publish folks!)
It also dragged in some areas (again, a good beta reader or editor probably would have caught that).
So, in short, it's a good story, and I quite enjoyed it, but it got a bit betrayed by the lack of a firm edit. I hope the author goes the self-publishing route next time and can find a good beta reader to ensure that her storytelling shines through because there is definitely talent there.