All readers have a treasured book. And I’m sure many readers have wanted to live in the pages of their favorite book. What is it like to hang out with characters and situations who hold dear to your heart? Eamon Buckley and his friends are about to find out. And it may not be a wonderful as they hope for. New author, Jonathan Edward Durham explores this premise in his book Winterset Hollow.
Eamon gets a chance to visit the former home of one of his favorite authors, Edward Addington. Addington’s book, Winterset Hollow, is beloved by Eamon (and many others) for its tale of bravery, friendship, and love. Eamon had a very difficult childhood and Winterset Hollow and it’s fantastical characters was a place of solace for him.
Eamon brings his friends Mark and Caroline to the island where the late Addington’s house lies, and it just happens to be on Barley Day, which is a pretty big deal in the Winterset Hollow world.
Once Eamon, Mark, and Caroline reach the island and Addington’s home, they are in for a surprise. They end up meeting the characters of Winterset Hollow. Initially, the three are delighted. Who could imagine such an outcome?
As Eamon, Mark, and Caroline meet these characters, and explore Addington’s home, they realize that coming to the island wasn’t exactly a good idea. And they learn Addington’s world isn’t exactly as delightful as originally thought. Things get really, really messy. And before you know it, these three are fighting for their lives in a tale with many twists and turns, including one that stuns Eamon.
As much as the premise was interesting, I found the writing to be overwrought and florid, with long run-on sentences that were nearly as long as paragraphs. I think this took away from the flow of the book, which have been served with a lot of editing.
Still, I’m going to give Durham some credit for writing a novel with a creative storyline. Perhaps, with time his writing will become sharper and more cohesive. He just needs more practice and a really good editor.
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