Solstice Paperback – March 9, 2014

DISCLAIMER: I was asked by the author to download this eBook when it was free and write a review for it. My review remains completely unbiased.I've read many thrillers where at the end of the story a twist is thrown at the reader that one of the characters is mentally disabled so badly that he or she has created multiple fictitious personas and has been acting them out for the length of the story. That honestly is what I expected "Solstice" to be: just another story about a schizophrenic girl who had a fake boyfriend that would go missing before chaos would ensue. Oh wow. This story is so much more. In fact, it's a bucket full of crazy twists and turns that may get a bit too drastic near the end of the book, leading to a somewhat ridiculously well tied up conclusion. But I'm getting ahead of myself.STORY - After checking herself into rehab for her depression and being treated for a few days, Dana is finally ready to visit her sister and introduce her new boyfriend to her. On her way to the cult-like camp her sister lives in, Dana stops at a set of cabins with her boyfriend, Tyler. The night is full of arguments and come morning, Tyler has abandoned Dana leaving only his unregistered car and a few of his belongings. Frustrated, Dana sets off to visit her sister solo but begins to think that Tyler's disappearance may be less than voluntary. With the police department beginning to think that Tyler doesn't even exist, Dana sets out to find the truth behind Tyler's disappearance and the cult she is now staying with.WRITING STYLE - Firstly, let me comment that Mr. Stevenson's writing is almost completely devoid of typos. Sure, there are a few incorrect punctuation marks and a misplaced clause or two if you want to get really picky, but overall, the writing is extremely professional and what one would expect from any noteworthy author.The plot progression occasionally moved a bit too fast but mostly continued at the perfect rate. The backstory had enough time to be set up, as did occasional flashbacks that were rarely located in the story.In fact, the only major complaint I have about the story is that the ending is just a bit too cheesy for me. Without giving anything away, the last 1/4 of the story has so many people running around accomplishing ridiculous feats that it becomes a bit on the level a teenage horror film. Still, I did find myself reading faster and faster as the tense scenes escalated.The character development was not really a negative aspect of the book, but it did leave a little to be desired. There were so many names thrown at the reader that weren't really integral parts of the plot apart from a few minutes of action, and it became just a tiny bit confusing to keep them all straight. Like I said, they weren't really influencing the story's outcome that much, though, so it really wasn't a huge deal to know the difference between Michael and Mike.WARNINGS - Language, Violence, Sexual InsinuationsOVERALL - Is this short book worth a buy? With it being a bit cheesy and only lasting about 30-45 minutes to get through, perhaps not at the original list price of four dollars. If you can pick it up for a buck or two, though, then you'll probably get some enjoyment out of this twisted thriller of a tale.

Let me begin by saying that I am an author, too. I understand the resistance to changing "your baby." We have all been there. But trust me, the editor is your friend. This book has a great concept with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the writing leaves so much to be desired that I was not able to enter the world of the story in a meaningful way. The stylistic errors kept breaking the fourth wall for me. Please get an editor to go over this book. Then re-write it. You will be glad that you did.1 POV- learn to use it. You cannot simply shift POVs so abruptly, and the character POV can only comment on what the character can see or experience.2 Descriptions- don't simply use a thesaurus to spice up your adjectives. I was laughing at some descriptions of the car, such as "scuzzy" and "smutty". Instead of using a single word, why not create a similie? Instead of "smutty car" you could say, "Crusts of dirt hung like barnacles on the battered Honda." Or something, obviously not what I just wrote because that sucked, but just for an example.3 grammar- make sure that your clause modifies the proper subject.4- characters-if you name them, try to develop them, if you don't plan to develop them, don't name them and then keep using the names later. It is too confusing5-realism-you can only suspend so much disbelief. If freakish things occur in your book, try to make the "non-freakish" things believable. For example, if I am going to believe the bizarre scenario (no spoiler) don't try to make me believe that the cat will rip the rapist's face off to protect her mistress. Trust me, kitties don't do that kind of thing. There was just way, way, way too much going on at the end. Way too much. Way. Too. Much. I was just so done.6-Don't say things like "the doctor was a Nazi" in such a realistic way if he a)is not a Nazi, b)has zero significant role in the story c)does nothing bad. You ramp up the tension with the doctor in the first page, and that is the end of the doctor, why did you even include this? And the old lady, what was that for?7-consistency- Don't say that the sky is "black" with rain and then in the next paragraph moments later say that the car was being burned by the bright sun. Did you notice what you just said in the last paragraph? And not to even mention that drought is a main feature of the book? If the rain is happening far far away, make it clear that a long distance has been traveled. Please remove inconsistencies.I am not being harsh, just being honest. I think this book can be great. It really can. But please get input and re-work it. Remove unnecessary characters. Remove the veiny eye in the eyehole. Make the slow sinster thing come on much more slowly. Allow the characters to progress. If you need to pay someone to go over the book, do so. Then, follow the advice. A writer's group will also help a lot. Good luck and this is an awesome start.

As I came to the end of this story, I realized that I had been holding my breath. I took several deep breaths. This story will do this to you, too. It's a story that is chilling and intense, and you'll never know what will happen next. So let's begin at the beginning. Dana Barnes is 26 years old, living in Los Angeles. She's had bouts with depression and her therapist suggests she stay at the Expedition House, a psychiatric facility for five days to get a quick-start to erase her depression. Dana had been diagnosed two years earlier as being bipolar. But at the facility they treated her as though she was suicidal. After the five-day internment, she is driven toward Oklahoma by Tyler, who she considers her boyfriend. Her sister, Zoe, lives in an isolated area at an experimental environmental community called 'Rainbow.' Zoe is married to the founder, Clive. Enroute, during a terrible storm, they stop at an outdated motel for the night. The Motel Americana ... well, you'll soon think of it as the Bates Motel. When she awakens, there is no trace of Tyler other than his belongings, wallet, and keys. What has happened to him? The local police feel he just walked away from her ... or, maybe she was delusional about him even being with her. Soon, she decides she best complete her trip to 'Rainbow.' She should have followed her instincts and driven back to Los Angeles. This story is an extremely well written spooky story! At first it reminded me of the chill of reading years ago John Fowles thriller, "The Collector." This, too, is a haunting story you will read non-stop. The pace grows more vigorous by the page, the plot is excellent with many twists and turns that will shock you. If you like thrillers, you will love this story; I did!

This is a particularly clever psychological thriller which completely misleads the reader into believing the main character, Dana is as crazy as she is made out to be!A wonderfully woven web of false information and doubts leads the reader along several paths thinking Dana is delusional as the narrative draws towards an explosive conclusion.Once again though, just as you think you've guessed what is going to happen, more twists and turns are revealed which found me reading faster and faster to discover how this tale was going to finish.The characters are realistic and varied and the detail of the plot is brilliantly conveyed.If you enjoy a thrilling tale, this is the story for you.

Another reviewer said this was a book of two halves. Spot on. Exactly what I got from this book. The first half was a standard psychological thriller that I enjoyed without it ever really grabbing me. Then after halfway, it picked up the pace. From then on it was a breathless, white-knuckle ride to the end.Except of course, we were less than 80% of the way through the book. Under the latest Amazon crackdown this would fail the test that only 10% should be allocated to extracts from other stories by the same author.That minor gripe aside, this was a good read.

Seen the Wicker Man?Then you might recognise this.Having said that, it's reasonably well written (minus the truly dreadful use of onomatopoeia! Every 'whoosh' and 'bang' makes you feel like you're in that old Batman series). The characters are interesting and the twists, although predicatable, hold your attention.The central character suddenly transforms from a vulnerable child-like personality to a feist femme-fatale.The whole thing requires a certain amount of suspension of disbelief.I've given it four stars, though, as it was a page-turner and I did actually quite enjoy it.A guilty pleasure rather than a literary classic!

When I started reading this I wasn't too sure of what to expect. it was well written and it seemed to be settling in to some kind of murder mystery, and then it got really interesting. This book follows the travails of a woman who was lured and trapped by a cult who planned to sacrific her. It tells of he attempts to escape, although I'm not too certain that she did. A great read and I highly recommend this book.

A suspense filled thrill ride. An unpredictable and expertly woven story about a girl lured by a cult. You are left unsure of what is real and what could be the construct of her own madness until you reach the surprising and well conceived ending. Highly recommended read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.