Book Review
Title: Geneva Sommers and the Quest for Truth
Author: C. J. Benjamin
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Rating: ****
Review: I knew nothing about this series before requesting them so all I have to go on is the synopsis: “Geneva Sommers, a young orphan girl on a quest to know who she is, has always wished for a different life. Since the great flood and the untimely death of her parents, she’s lived a captive life at the orphanage, barely surviving the dangerous predators that patrol the prison-like walls of the Troian Centre. One day, Nova, a brave orphan boy claiming to know the truth, speaks up. He tells her an impossible legend and that she’s the key to unlocking it. Not only does he believe she’s the daughter of a long-lost goddess, but he thinks she holds the magic necessary to save their island.”
Jane #65 is an orphan from the Flood that lives on Hullabee Island. She lives in the small town of Aveile on the outskirts of Lux City. It seems that Jane #65 and Nova are friends as she has a crush on him and he’s even given her the nickname Tippy, life isn’t good for the orphans, but they make do. Jane #65 does even have a name despite the title as she was only a baby when the Flood happened, so she was too young to remember her name while other like Nova were old enough to remember their names and families before they became orphans. After a fight with another orphan Nova, tells Jane #65 that there is something special about her, she has a magic gift of sorts and some of the other orphans have them too, but it is Jane #65 they have been waiting for.
Jane #65 learns of the legends surrounding the island and how the Flood came to be, it turns out that Nova and several other children including Jane #65 aka Tippy have powers as well. Nova teaches Tippy what her trigger is in order to find out what her powers are and there are several. Nova is also under the impression that Tippy is the person in the Legend of the island. After learning about her powers Tippy wonders if other children beside Nova has them too when she gets to know Sparrow and Journey, she realises that Sparrow also has gifts. However, when she tells Remi, he isn’t impressed and even calls her mad. There is now a group of four with confirmed powers; Journey, Sparrow, Nova, and Tippy. It seems that Tippy is a Parallel meaning that once a person shows her their powers, she can mimic it, this is how she can use Sparrow’s healing ability and Nova’s telepathic communication. As some training Tippy can now copy all over Nova’s, Sparrow’s and Journey’s powers and use them as her own and it seems there is a lot more to her than meets the eye.
During the gang’s nightly escapades in the forest Tippy is called an Echo which is similar to a Parallel but not quite the same, but a new power emerges called a fissure which is temporarily stopping time, but these new powers have a hard impact on Tippy’s body. Nova and Journey assure her there is a way to find out about her powers, there is information in the Locker and with their light, they can collect it, but Journey also mentions seeing new Beto markings on the trees which is amazing as they were said to have all been wiped out in the Flood. While the four seem to be developing strong bonds Tippy is worried about her friendship with Remi but she needs to know she won’t hurt him before she can tell him anything. One night in the forest, Journey leads them to the Beto markings, and it leads them to a path where they meet Eja who is one of many Beto’s hiding the forest unseen and he offers to teach Tippy and answer all her questions about her gifts. However, before they can get into it someone else appears in the forest and it is Remi. Eja tells them that Remi is like the rest of them although he doesn’t know how but he agrees to work with the others for Tippy’s sake. Tippy seems to be becoming the leader of the group despite knowing less than Nova and everyone else but according to Eja Tippy has a much bigger destiny than any of them could have thought.
We soon learn that Remi has the ability to become invisible and he gives the gift to Tippy, but she learns that she can also share her gifts with others through direct contact. As they bring their plan together to get the information, they need Nova is worried because Journey couldn’t come with them on their last outing to the forest and they don’t know why, and it is setting them all on edge. As the group learn more about their gifts that when things get really interesting, Nova and Tippy have the date set for them to get into the Locker and get the information about the Legend of Lux, however, it seems they have been betrayed which ends up with Nova and Tippy in the locker, but Nova is seriously injured. Tippy manages to heal him and both come to realise their feelings for each other, but they have much bigger problems to worry about right now. Sparrow and Journey aren’t with them and Tippy is also soul bound to Niv; her pet marmouse and if he is killed, she dies too, so time is against them right now.
Although I was sure Nova and Tippy had been betrayed it seems this wasn’t the case, it was just Nova did something stupid and Tippy tried to stop him and it ended with them both ending up in the Locker. However, some strange things happen while they are in the Locker, to them it only seems like 2 days have passed but everyone else says it was 4 and that Remi visited every night but Tippy only remembers him being there twice. It could be that Tippy was influencing the time they spent in the Locker, however, they do uncover some information that refers the Book of Secrets that they need to find and to uncover the truth they must show bravery in the place where the 140 stood. From the riddle, they deduce that the Book of Secrets must be in Greeley’s office as she is the person who runs the orphanage. With the New Year Gala they can’t get into the office but heading to Lux might just give Tippy the answers she is looking for, but Jemma is also hinting that she knows more than she is letting on.
During the Gala Tippy is sure she sees Nesia, the woman from the legend but Nova insists it was just her. Things get more difficult when Jemma tricks Sparrow out of her solo but bargaining with Niv. After the concert, the plan is set where Nova, Remi, Journey, and Tippy will break into Greeley’s office and find the book while Sparrow acts as a lookout but there is a feeling of impending dread like nothing about this plan is going to go right for the group. In the end, the group ends up expanding and learning the truth from the Book of Secrets brings something else into the story. We finally learn who Geneva Sommers is and what the relationship is to some of the other characters and where she fits into the Legend of Lux. The ending of this book was action packed and I can’t wait to jump into the sequel.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
I received this review copy from Booksprout.
Comments