A review by mystic_dclouds
Red Is for Remembrance by Laurie Faria Stolarz
4.0
Wow, there was a lot going on in this book and for once we had more than one individual similar to Stacey.
Amber. Let’s start with her. Wild, loud, voracious and always wanting to get laid, Amber surprises me in this book. From Stacey’s viewpoint and her recollections, Amber has been there with Stacey ever since the cruise ship accident. I would have thought Drea or Chad would be there since they were the closest to Stacey in the previous books. But no, it was Amber and she cared. Taking away Stacey’s tranquilizer pills, giving Stacey a reality check, checking on Stacey and noting her absences and changes in behavior while giving her space. Amber was there and I was for this friendship all the way. It was heartwarming to see someone unexpected supporting Stacey when she really needed a friend.
Stacey’s emotions were a roller coaster and felt real in this book. Stacey’s relationship with Jacob wasn’t fully fleshed out in previous books so at first, it was hard to understand their level of understanding and trust. However, in this installment through Stacey’s recollections and everyone’s reactions it can be said they both had a strong connection and dearly loved each other. The story focuses more on the mysteries and the related suspense instead of getting caught up in the romances and side stories. Although it’s a good thing, it also reduces the understanding and connection the reader makes with the characters.
As part of this book’s plot there are many new potential wicca learning individuals (or witches if you prefer) introduced. I enjoyed each one since they were unique and not repetitive. We had one who found wicca interesting and was trying to learn even if her thoughts weren’t for “helping” per say, and then we had another who was the center of focus during this book’s mystery. This book also described two characters where one accepted wicca practicing individuals readily and another who took a bit of time to accept them after learning what exactly the practice was about. I found it amazing that the author introduced these characters without ruining the story to provide more diversity and viewpoints.
The main mystery or plot of this story is interesting. Told in dual perspectives of Stacey and Shell we learn of how each of them are eventually trying to get to terms with themselves and get out of their current situations. Stacey, having lost the love of her life finds solace in Porsha’s nightmares hoping that the boy she sees is Jacob. Whereas, Shell having lost his memory finds his new “family” a little concerning as the secrets are revealed. There were both completely different stories in the beginning that ultimately connected at the end making the ending seem a bit rushed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Maybe it’s for the hopeful thought that maybe we could see Jacob again or the possibly new characters and views of wicca individuals and how society perceives them discussed. Either way, it was interesting for me and I found the writing quite mesmerizing in this installment. The mystery in this book wasn’t there for me fully but I liked how we were using someone else’s nightmares to save an innocent life. I’m looking forward to ending this series with the next and last book and hoping for a happy ending!
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
Amber. Let’s start with her. Wild, loud, voracious and always wanting to get laid, Amber surprises me in this book. From Stacey’s viewpoint and her recollections, Amber has been there with Stacey ever since the cruise ship accident. I would have thought Drea or Chad would be there since they were the closest to Stacey in the previous books. But no, it was Amber and she cared. Taking away Stacey’s tranquilizer pills, giving Stacey a reality check, checking on Stacey and noting her absences and changes in behavior while giving her space. Amber was there and I was for this friendship all the way. It was heartwarming to see someone unexpected supporting Stacey when she really needed a friend.
Stacey’s emotions were a roller coaster and felt real in this book. Stacey’s relationship with Jacob wasn’t fully fleshed out in previous books so at first, it was hard to understand their level of understanding and trust. However, in this installment through Stacey’s recollections and everyone’s reactions it can be said they both had a strong connection and dearly loved each other. The story focuses more on the mysteries and the related suspense instead of getting caught up in the romances and side stories. Although it’s a good thing, it also reduces the understanding and connection the reader makes with the characters.
As part of this book’s plot there are many new potential wicca learning individuals (or witches if you prefer) introduced. I enjoyed each one since they were unique and not repetitive. We had one who found wicca interesting and was trying to learn even if her thoughts weren’t for “helping” per say, and then we had another who was the center of focus during this book’s mystery. This book also described two characters where one accepted wicca practicing individuals readily and another who took a bit of time to accept them after learning what exactly the practice was about. I found it amazing that the author introduced these characters without ruining the story to provide more diversity and viewpoints.
The main mystery or plot of this story is interesting. Told in dual perspectives of Stacey and Shell we learn of how each of them are eventually trying to get to terms with themselves and get out of their current situations. Stacey, having lost the love of her life finds solace in Porsha’s nightmares hoping that the boy she sees is Jacob. Whereas, Shell having lost his memory finds his new “family” a little concerning as the secrets are revealed. There were both completely different stories in the beginning that ultimately connected at the end making the ending seem a bit rushed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Maybe it’s for the hopeful thought that maybe we could see Jacob again or the possibly new characters and views of wicca individuals and how society perceives them discussed. Either way, it was interesting for me and I found the writing quite mesmerizing in this installment. The mystery in this book wasn’t there for me fully but I liked how we were using someone else’s nightmares to save an innocent life. I’m looking forward to ending this series with the next and last book and hoping for a happy ending!
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf