Review: Greatness in the making
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 11, 2014
There are three bears, a girl with honey gold blonde hair, and a secret lair, but this story is far from the children’s fairytale our parents used to read to us when we were kids.At seventeen years old, Hannah Adler has already lost her mother to a brutal murder, and her father to a job that keeps him away more often than not. It couldn’t get any worse for this depressed teen, except it does when she is abruptly uprooted from the city and only home she’s ever known and deposited in the gold rich mountains of Hinsdale Colorado. Never one to make friends easily, the only thing that keeps Hannah grounded is her star quality cross country talent. While running through the woods behind the cabin, that is now her home, gives her solace, Hannah quickly discovers that this seemingly enchanted forest is hiding something that no one is willing to talk about.Being eaten by one of the many mutant wolves, that keep escaping through the underground tunnels of the Golden Wonder mine, is the least of her worries. When Hannah stumbles upon a hidden cave deep in the woods, the bear that saves her life only adds more mystery to the sable eyed boy she’s come to know as Jake. But there is something that Jake isn’t telling her, and Hannah is determined to find out what.What she uncovers has not only been a secret for over a millennia, but a truth that forces the fate of an endangered human race into a young Hannah’s hands. Unknowingly born of a strange primal lineage, she finds herself fighting to save the only family she has left, the love that she’d never expected, and ultimately the entire world. What begins as a simple curiosity will lead her into a legacy that no one will soon forget. (taken from Amazon book description)Let's get right down to it.  This is a great re-telling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  It's been updated and made current.  Some wonderful darkness has been added, both in the characters and the settings.  This is a dark and action-packed story that you'll enjoy.  The characters are well-layered and likable.  Personally, I had a wonderful time just sitting back and reading this.  It was relaxing, without going too slowly or too quickly.  There was just the right amount of detail to the scene settings to keep me from being bored.  The ancestral stories are almost Native American in feel.  You'll love their ancient and spiritual feel.So, on to the negative stuff.  I felt like I was really being talked down to it.  I get it!  She's blonde!  He's a bear!  Telling me this every other paragraph merely annoyed me!  In all fairness, this was only in the beginning of the book, however.For those of you who enjoy retold Fairy Tales, you'll really enjoy this one, despite my personal issues with it.  It isn't quite to Gregory Maguire standards, but there's definite promise there.  Dunn has a flair for story-telling and drama that could serve her well in the book world.Another note, if you write a review for Goldilocks on Amazon, and then e-mail her that you've done so (address is on the last page of Goldilocks), Dunn will send you another of her e-books at no cost.  Honestly, this almost makes up for the issues I had.  I love when authors are willing to spoil their fans a little!Reviewed for Minding Spot