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Stephanie Void

Author of Halfway

5 Works 48 Members 5 Reviews

Works by Stephanie Void

Halfway (2011) 33 copies
Running from Secrets (2010) 7 copies
Wanderer's Shadow (2012) 4 copies
The Blue (2013) 3 copies
Our Summer Garden (2013) 1 copy

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When I first read the synopsis for Running from Secrets, I was intrigued. A world within a world? How could you not love something so deep. I wanted to see where Bethany would go, what she would dream up, and how she would get herself into trouble. It seemed like a fantastic premise for a fantasy book, and I was an eager reader when I opened up to the first page.

From there, things became a little rocky for me. There were elements of the story that I really loved, and then there were parts that didn't feel as though they fit at all. Bethany has created the world of New Velerethland in her mind, along with a heroine named Chime. At first Bethany thinks it's all just a story. She soon comes to find out that these people really do, in fact, exist and she gets wrapped up in their adventures. This I liked. The fantasy/adventure aspect was really great. Chime and Bethany were great compliments to one another, and their adventures were interesting and fantastical.

In terms of characterization, as a main character I really felt like Bethany's story was really glanced over. The reader finds out a little bit about her at the beginning, that she's been transplanted to a brand new home after a terrible accident, but then we loose her in Chime's world. I felt like Bethany's character never really grew into her own, or was fully fleshed out. There were times I felt she was older than she was supposed to be, and times when I felt she was much younger. It was rather confusing. Chime also doesn't get much background, but as she is a product of Bethany's imagination, I understood why. Still, I would have liked to get to know them a little better.

Stephanie Void has written a very good fantasy story here, but as I mentioned there are parts that just didn't seem to fit. There is a secret that Bethany is hiding, and when she hints at it (extremely briefly) it doesn't really fit into the overall story. I found myself rereading that passage a few times to make sure I read it correctly. It was a huge thing for a girl her age to be carrying around, but I wasn't sure how it melded with her fantasy world. Except perhaps that she was hiding from it there. There are also portions of the book that are very dialogue heavy. It made reading slow going at times. I would have liked to see a little more action.

If I'm being honest, Running from Secrets was both a hit and a miss for me at the same time. There were parts of the story that flowed, and then there were things that would pull me out of the world I was reading about. By no means am I saying that I didn't like the book. What I am saying is that it wasn't the easiest read for me. I'd recommend you give it a read if you're a lover of fantasy. Bethany's world is well worth a visit.
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roses7184 | 3 other reviews | Feb 5, 2019 |
[A paperback copy was provided by the author for review purpose. Thanks Stephanie!]

"Where do we belong, Temet? Where do you belong when you grow up alone and broken?"
—Cemagna

The first thing that drew me to Halfway was its cover. I loved that swirling white text, and I love the simple yet haunting feeling it gave out.
When I saw the cover, I know that this book would be quite nice.
But when I read the blurb of Halfway, I know it going to be a different story.
I know that I would like to read this one.

Halfway told us about the life of Temet and Cemagna, the brother and sister who grew up never meeting anybody beside their mother, Nessy, as they lived in a secluded peninsula, all by themselves.
They thought that they were both normal. That they were both human, and nothing's wrong with Nessy, and that their life would continue peacefully.
But when Temet accidentally awakened his power and learned his true nature, and the people from an organization—the one whom Nessy had a dark past with—kidnapped him, wil life be ever the same for the three of them?

One thing that really stood out from this book was its amazing tension building.
I loved how Stephanie was able to built the tension on every page of Halfway.
The hint was dropped here and there, and they were totally successful on keeping reader thrilled and wanting to know more and more. It seems like I can't flipped the page fast enough.

The world building of this book was great as well. It really gave us a glimpse of otherworldly setting, while still keeping it realistic that reader would have no difficulty picturing it.
The detail of the surroundings was given in just the right amount as well, paying attention to the small things, such as the Order pin, gas mask, etc, that made us easily sucked to the stories, and might believe that somehow somewhere, that world really exist.

While the world detailing was amazing, however, I found that for the character naming, it was not the case.
I personally think that too many unimportant character was being named on the beginning, and on top of that, with an unusual name.
I mean, I perfectly understand that it was part of the culture, strange name like Cemagna and Aylward and Von Chi, and sure, it was easy to remember most of the main character.
But early on the book, there were just too many names being thrown at the reader, and it just made me goes "Um, who's this again?" and flipped back to see who the character was. Turned out they didn't hold an important role, and I was like, "Okaayy".
It got better later on the book, though.

I also feel that on some important scene, such as when Temet was taken to the Order, was not long and delved into enough. The fast pace of this book might fit most scenes of this book, but on some certain scene, I think it would be better if the pace was slowed down a bit, because it seemed like it was hurried, therefore making it losing some of its tension.

The characters of this book were also varied. Some of them was really great and three-dimensional, but some of them was really hard to imagine and to be believed that they were real.

Temet, as our main character and the so-called Halfway along with Cemagna—half human and half faerie—that made the title of this book, what he lacked, in my personal opinion, was emotion.
Or maybe not exactly emotion, but rather, reaction.
When he was told that he must come to the Order or commit suicide, he chose without any reaction—shocked, horrified, oh-my-God-my-normal-life-is-gone inner thought, or whatever—at all. The same when he said his mother was faerie.
He just said it like it was a common fact. Like everyone had a faerie for a mother. Like it was the most normal thing in the world. And no dear, it wasn't.
Throughout the story, though, His character showed a significant change, and he grow into someone quite interesting.
Although his reaction was still a bit lacking, I think it's nice to read about a character who was holding to his grudge and grow up with hatred. Not lovely, I know, but it really was a fresh read and pretty realistic, and that was what made him believable.

Cemagna, our other main character as well as Temet's sister, on the other hand, was a perfectly well-rounded and interesting character. She had a strong personality, distinct voice, and was really believable.
I love how her childhood—where she was raised alone, and never met anyone beside her mother, Temet, and Aylward until she was twenty—really reflected upon her personality and action when she was released into the real world.
Thing that was not really clicked with me about her was that her inner thought about Ormas. First, their love was insta-love already I didn't feel the chemistry between them. And then, she thought on some dire moments that "Ormas's eyes were . . ." or "Ormas's shoulders were . . .". And to be honest, it kinda ruined the tension that had been greatly built so far.

One character I really like, surprisingly, was Nessy, Temet and Cemagna's mother.
I really loved how she was unstable as a person, and yes you might notice, I adore imperfect character!
Their flaw was what made them felt human, and Nessy had some flaws that were serious enough to make her imperfect, but not make the reader hate her.
She also seemed like a character that would have her own stories outside Halfway. Simply said, she really popped out of the book, and felt truly alive and flesh-and-bone to me.

Some things that I'm not quite fond of this book were :

It's quite confusing to read a first-person-PoV to a third-person-PoV on one book, switching back and forth between Temet's chapters and Cemagna chapters.

Some other thing was, there were also inconsistencies, such as when Temet said that someone want to take him somewhere, when, in fact, that someone didn't say so. Other person did.
Also, the same case happened with the magic mastering difficulty on this book. For Cemagna—who can make a mere water move, and the control a freaking airship later—, or for Temet—water and then a boat—it seemed like an easy feat to do various magic without ever being taught or guided, and yet other people said magic had to be practiced and learned. It was like, where was the practice part, they become suddenly so awesome?

There were also some important things not explained enough, but rather being told as a one-line information. That was really not enough.

And lastly, the Insta-love between Cemagna and Ormas. I can't feel any chemistry at all from both of them, and it felt like their romance was just being thrown off. It was just, well, a no for me.

Overall, if you're in the mood for some fantasy read, and would love to try something new with a great tension and world building, you should give this one a try.
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NeysaKristanti | May 5, 2013 |
Read the full review at Smash Attack Reads! http://www.smashattackreads.com/2011/08/review-running-from-secrets-by.htmlThis was a pretty interesting way to tell a story. It is a story within a story, so to speak. After a tragic accident, Bethany begins to dream about Chime and the world of New Velerethland. During waking hours, she begins to write about Chime and her adventures, essentially writing the perilous journey that she soon becomes a part of. Somehow, Bethany has been transported to New Velerethland, meets Chime and joins her on a dangerous mission to prove Chime’s innocence and save her life.Bethany teeters in between “real life” and New Velerethland and begins to question reality altogether. You eventually find out that Bethany is hiding a serious secret form her family, and it seems as though she may have unconsciously created New Velerethland to help her deal with her guilt. However, you are confronted with some people and situations in “real life” that makes you question if New Velerethland really is real. It’s a bizarre, intriguing approach to storytelling. While I enjoyed the way the story was told, the journey through the book was a bit bumpy. The plot was interesting but I did not feel connected to any of the characters. I found myself skipping ahead here and there because I was bored or uninterested in a scene. I liked the ending to the book because we’re provided with closure, but it was way too abrupt for my tastes. I did enjoy the author’s imagination and creativity with this story.… (more)
 
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SmashAttack | 3 other reviews | Aug 12, 2012 |
Read the full review at Smash Attack Reads! http://www.smashattackreads.com/2011/08/review-running-from-secrets-by.html

This was a pretty interesting way to tell a story. It is a story within a story, so to speak. After a tragic accident, Bethany begins to dream about Chime and the world of New Velerethland. During waking hours, she begins to write about Chime and her adventures, essentially writing the perilous journey that she soon becomes a part of. Somehow, Bethany has been transported to New Velerethland, meets Chime and joins her on a dangerous mission to prove Chime’s innocence and save her life.

Bethany teeters in between “real life” and New Velerethland and begins to question reality altogether. You eventually find out that Bethany is hiding a serious secret form her family, and it seems as though she may have unconsciously created New Velerethland to help her deal with her guilt. However, you are confronted with some people and situations in “real life” that makes you question if New Velerethland really is real. It’s a bizarre, intriguing approach to storytelling.

While I enjoyed the way the story was told, the journey through the book was a bit bumpy. The plot was interesting but I did not feel connected to any of the characters. I found myself skipping ahead here and there because I was bored or uninterested in a scene. I liked the ending to the book because we’re provided with closure, but it was way too abrupt for my tastes. I did enjoy the author’s imagination and creativity with this story.
… (more)
 
Flagged
SmashAttack | 3 other reviews | Aug 15, 2011 |

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