Yes, yes, yes!
You will love The Limbo Tree…
One of the best books I’ve read this year.
Goodreads Review of The Limbo Tree by Laura on November 21, 2016
I received this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
What a nice story. It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA novel so full of surprises. Let’s just say that the I expected something else from the blurb. I will try my best to review this book without giving anything away that might take away from the novel’s twists and turns.
Plot
The Tree Limbo has a fast-medium pace – most of the chapters are really interesting, but there are some that are a little bit slower.
Based on the blurb, I expected this novel to be about Sam finding Hazel and discovering what happen to her brother. In other words, I expected Sam to play detective, and Elliott would help her.
Granted, the first chapters were about Hazel, but it expanded in more than that. Moreover, the plot is full of twists and turns; nothing is predictable, which is great! Also, certain scenes allude to some paranormal elements, and they made the novel even more intriguing.
Therefore, I was mostly confused. I didn’t know where the story will go. When I thought I figured it out: bam, another twist. And of course, I needed to know what will happen next, and figure out the mystery!
The end was a huge surprise! I didn’t see that coming. Actually, what I thought it was the end, turned out to be an impostor! Then the real end finally revealed itself, and it was really good! Everything wrapped up nicely, and all the ambiguity and confusion was explained.
One more thing about the ending – it’s open.
The ending is just the beginning, but that beginning will be based our own imagination
(hence the words ‘open ending’).
There is also the possibility of a sequel, which would be quite interesting. At the same time, I would like for it to stay open, though. It would fit the novel perfectly.
The only con for me are the slower paced chapters – the ones where Sam and Elliott have fun and nothing else. The chapters are not bad, but my attention kind of dwindled while reading them. Anyway, this is a personal preference/opinion. Other people will not have a problem with this.
Characters
The main character is Sam. She is quite interesting, especially since she’s an unreliable narrator. Which for me, made the story about Sam itself more interesting and a priority over Sam’s characterization. Since Sam’s point of view is not reliable, I had to pay attention to the clues, and made up my own theories.
Sam is a nice, kind and smart young lady. She is a pleasant character. Since she’s a teenager, she does have her moments of drama and stubbornness. Her relationship with her parents is quite typical for a teenager – she sneaks out of the house, she tells white lies, sometimes she argues with them.
As the blurb says, Sam has nightmares and sometimes is hard for her to realize what is real, and what is not. Thus, the reader does not know either – the author did a really good job writing those nightmares as reality. I cannot tell you how many times I was fooled by those bloody dreams! 😀
And then there is Elliott, the boy who moves in Hazel’s house. He turns out to be an interesting character, as well as a really good friend to Sam. Just like Sam, Elliott has his own secrets that may or may not be revealed.
Hazel appeared to be a nice, old lady – the grandma type. However, she is a mysterious character that will only be reveal towards the end of the novel. Same goes for other secondary characters.
In general, I liked all the characters. They’re mysterious, well developed, intriguing. Also, each minor character has his/her own purpose – even the ones who appear only for a couple of pages, here and there.
Romance
There is some romance in this book, but it’s not the main focus. I mean, Sam and Elliott develop feelings for each other, but their friendship is the foundation if you will – no instant love. We’re talking about that cute, innocent type of romance – that first time a teenager falls in love.
I liked it a lot. I also loved the fact that Sam had Elliott in either world.
Conclusion
What can I say? This novel surprised me – in a good way.
I think it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year, especially in the Young Adult category. I’m really glad I had the chance to read it!
What I liked:
ツ The mystery of the plot.
ツ The twists and turns.
ツ The unpredictability of the story.
ツ I love unreliable narratives.
ツ Open ending.
ツThe characters – all of them.
ツThe writing.
ツBasically, almost everything.
What I didn’t like:
☹ The slow paced chapters – very few, and this is a personal preference.
☹ I wished to know more about what happened to Sam’s family at the end. This is not a dislike, more like a wish to know more.
Recommend?
Yes, yes, yes! You will love The Limbo Tree.
It’s a great story for both adults and teenagers. It has a little bit of everything: mystery, romance, drama, problems in a marriage, animals, twists and turns, unpredictability, scenes that appear to be
paranormal, teenagers, friendship, family.
Goodreads Review of The Limbo Tree by Laura on November 21, 2016
Surprises At Every Turn
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. In THE LIMBO TREE, T.N. Suarez introduces readers to an intriguing cast of characters along with a masterful use of the unreliable narrator—and even a sprinkling of horror. When a young girl named Samantha McCallister tries to find her neighbor, who has suddenly and mysteriously—and creepily—gone missing, at first you think that’s what the book is about. But just when you’re sure you know what’s going on, bam, the story turns on a dime and you realize there’s more—much more—than what you see on the surface. And then when you think again, ah, so that’s it—no, it’s not, and you start to wonder if you’ve entered an alternate universe. And of course, you won’t be able to stop reading because you have to find out what’s really going on and you won’t rest until you do. THE LIMBO TREE is a story with so many layers you’ll feel dizzy by the time you reach a most satisfying and emotional ending. I highly, highly recommend this book.
Awesome, and a must read!
By Amazon Paperback Customer on October 22, 2016
Well Worth the Read!
The Limbo Tree is one of those magical, timeless stories, and is well worth reading.
I felt sort of enveloped in a golden childhood summer, but there was also this underlying sense of something wrong that piqued my interest. The mystery of Hazel and of Sam’s dreams keeps you reading. Although the ending can be a bit confusing (my one criticism of the book), once you figure it out, it’s very satisfying.