Review: A Great Entertaining Read for All Ages
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 5, 2013
This is the first book in the CUL8R series that I've read, but having read it I shall certainly be going back to read the others. Although it's probably aimed at teenagers, with its short length and young cast - I can vouch for the fact that it can be just as easily enjoyed by adults.The story starts out introducing the main protagonist, Kelly and giving a brief overview of the previous adventures that she and the gang have been involved in since their discovery of the `spirit radio' - an invention that allows them to communicate with the dead. Readers new to the series are quickly brought up to date, meaning it is possible to start out with this third book in the series and not feel lost. The details that people familiar with the series will already know are spliced in with new events occurring between Kelly and her aunt Jane, so that fans of the series will be kept as engaged as new readers. The plot develops at a good pace, with enough action to keep you hooked and plenty of character development to boot.The characters are the real crowning glory of the book. All vastly different, they are vividly portrayed in such a way that they really come to life in the imagination. You quickly come to recognise their various traits and what makes them happy, sad, or fearful. It is impossible not to care about each character and this really helps to draw the reader into the story. Even characters with a small supporting role feel real and fully fleshed out. The author has a real talent for characterisation. Adult readers will find themselves transported back to their high school years - experiencing again the joys of trials of first love, crushes, awkward self-consciousness, pride in achievements, dreams of the future, and flourishing new friendships that they might have thought they left behind long ago. It is so easy to empathise with the characters and they don't seem at all simple or childish, despite their youth.I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good entertaining read. I am looking forward to the next offering and will definitely fill the intervening time by reading the first two books!