A Season of Transformation by Jayne Fordham

Publisher: Jayne Fordham
Publication Date: March 31, 2011
Pages: 258
Source: author, I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Buy It: Amazon

A Season of Transformation is a young adult fantasy/ romance novel set in the contemporary world. It is the story of five young people drawn together to complete a Quest, to protect their town from destruction. In order to defeat the story’s villain, Maxvale, the five virtual strangers must come together and not only forge a bond of trust but become proficient with the ‘abilities’ temporarily bestowed upon them.

In the midst of the lead up to the battle each of the young people has their own personal struggles they are trying to deal with. Lucas, an adopted and bitter teenager struggles to become the person he wants to be whilst developing feelings for Makenna, a rich kid who doesn’t like his attitude. Bonnie is a ‘gothic’ that is dealing with an alcoholic father, Ben the school nerd and Adam the class clown are trying to break free from their high school stereotypes. Can these five teens put their differences aside to defeat Maxvale and save their town? --Goodreads

A group of unlikely friends are destined to save their town from the evil being, Maxvale. Every hundred years, Maxvale terrorizes the town and it’s up to five people with special, talented powers to bring a stop to him before it’s too late. First there’s Makenna, the hot girl, gifted with telekinesis, then Lucas, the off-limits guy, who can phase through walls, followed by Adam, the class clown, who can run as fast as Flash, and Bonnie, the Goth, gifted with invisibility as well as Ben, the smart guy who becomes even smarter. This group comes together with a strange, almost magnetic, pull to a letter that tells them of the discovery of their powers and their mission. The rest is up to them.

This book was very good. Fans of Comic-Con, super heroes, and even Stephen King’s Carrie will definitely warm up to this book nicely. When I first picked this up, it sounded great. An evil guy, special powers, and maybe a love relationship or two—I was so in.

The plot started out with a very fast pace and wonderful until it started to get a little slow. However by the end, the novel was in full swing and beautifully-paced again. The storyline was fantastic. It was mostly about this group of teens growing out of their shells, learning how to be comfortable with different people.

The writing style didn’t hold my interest at all. It was a rollercoaster ride: Fordham using great diction one moment and it becoming bland the next. The style did not make me put down the book at any time though.

The characters are what stopped me from even thinking of putting a bookmark in to stop for the day. Each character was relatable and wonderfully developed. Bonnie’s ironic situation of her gift and her dad’s relationship with herself was fantastically drawn. Adam’s optimistic attitude made me smile every time. Lucas’s bad-boy, don’t-care personality was a bit cliché but being adopted, his relationship with Makenna, and his father’s parents put a spin on things.

The ending was great. Fordham tied everything up onto a nice bow but still left room for a sequel. The perfect ending to a very good story. You’re definitely going to want a copy of this book because it’s entertaining, humorous, and adventurous. There is fun for everyone in A Season of Transformation.

First Sentence:

“‘Elizabeth! Behind you,” an anxious voice calls out in the distance."

A Season of Transformation by Jayne Fordham, p. 3

Rating:

Cover: 3
Characters: 5
Plot: 4
Ending: 5
Writing Style: 3
Overall: 4