Book Review: Finding Innocence
By Elizabeth Suggs
Finding Innocence: Book 1 by Karen Keith is a young adult fantasy novel focused on 17-year-old Alexa Walker and her growth from living in an orphanage to starting new with a family and friends who love her.
The funny thing is, I’m not a big YA fan, yet I’m excited for book 2 to come out because I found the story so engaging. Don't get me wrong; it is very much a YA book. If you don’t like the genre, odds are this will be hard to get into. Because I don’t often read young adult, some scenes left me frustrated, but that’s for the genre itself and not the story. I gave it a chance because I was intrigued by where the book was headed.
My biggest critic for this story is the beginning. I wanted more from the orphanage and Alexa’s life dealing with it. We got a taste of it, but I didn’t feel like there was enough, despite how big of a role it plays throughout the book. I would have loved to see more of that in the book. Maybe we’ll see more in book 2?
Other than that, though, the characters are well-developed with their own thoughts and needs. I fell in love with each one, despite their flaws.
But there is more to the story than just the relationships and growth. There’s something hidden, which Alexa slowly has to learn, and that hooked me.
A quote that sums up the tone of the book:
I was ready to see my prince, slay the haters, and open myself up to all the mystery and possibilities of the night.
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com