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A review by christian_faith_and_fiction
Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou
4.0
Story Enjoyment Rating: 8/10 Christian Faith Rating: 1.5/3
Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou is marketed on Amazon as a middle-grade book. It follows Vincent, who used to like art but now doesn’t. He and his sister are sent to stay with a relative, who has many paintings on the walls. Vincent discovers he can travel into the paintings. Then his sister disappears, and he has to get her back.
I liked the creativity of this book. I liked the magical elements of being inside a painting, and I think there is scope for that to be developed further in future books. I enjoyed the character growth of Vincent and his cousin. I liked their friendship, and I also enjoyed finding out about the world.
The book feels part fantasy, part contemporary, part mystery and suspense, and part dystopian.
I enjoyed reading it as an adult.
There were a couple of moments where the Christian faith came through into the plot. I’m not sure whether this is aimed at Christians or those who are seeking faith but find church boring.
**Content for children (**contains possible spoilers) — the book contains some violence and some themes of bullying/school troubles. There is a brief discussion about nudity in art, and the story also mentions the death of loved ones. Some of the things they experience in the paintings feel a bit creepy and a little unsettling.
Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou is marketed on Amazon as a middle-grade book. It follows Vincent, who used to like art but now doesn’t. He and his sister are sent to stay with a relative, who has many paintings on the walls. Vincent discovers he can travel into the paintings. Then his sister disappears, and he has to get her back.
I liked the creativity of this book. I liked the magical elements of being inside a painting, and I think there is scope for that to be developed further in future books. I enjoyed the character growth of Vincent and his cousin. I liked their friendship, and I also enjoyed finding out about the world.
The book feels part fantasy, part contemporary, part mystery and suspense, and part dystopian.
I enjoyed reading it as an adult.
There were a couple of moments where the Christian faith came through into the plot. I’m not sure whether this is aimed at Christians or those who are seeking faith but find church boring.
**Content for children (**contains possible spoilers) — the book contains some violence and some themes of bullying/school troubles. There is a brief discussion about nudity in art, and the story also mentions the death of loved ones. Some of the things they experience in the paintings feel a bit creepy and a little unsettling.