Praise for Freaksville--
Freaksville is a laugh-out-loud chronicle, January 13, 2010
By
LAS Reviewer "The Long and the Short Of It Re...High school sucks when you live in Freaksville, also known as Stony
Creek, CA. And what would make living there so much better? Special
powers enabling you to see the future. Right? Not quite. At least, not
as far as Kasey Maxwell is concerned. After having been blessed with the
ability to see the future on her sixteenth birthday, things haven't
quite been the same for her. Armed with her sharp wit and her best
friend, Gillie, Kasey does the best she can to just muddle through.
Kasey
is your typical teenager. She thinks her parents haven't a clue; her
best friend is the greatest ever, loves to gab on the phone and believes
that shopping can cure anything. She is also a total and complete
crack-up. Using humor as both a defense mechanism and as a way to
bolster her courage when it's flagging, she'd be one of those girls you
loved to hang around. Although she has a tendency to complain (what
teenage girl doesn't?) and underestimate herself, she has a strong
support system in her parents and her best friend. And with them, she
knows that she can overcome anything thrown at her. Psychic powers and
all.
Josh Johnstone, British hottie supreme, is in California on
an exchange program. He's wise to Kasey's act and refuses to let her get
the best of herself if he can help it. He's confident, courageous, and
harboring a secret of his very own. Having grown up with a supernatural
secret himself, he's just what she needs to grow and become more secure
with her abilities. Armed with a quick wit of his own, he and Kasey make
the perfect couple. Their teasing, yet flirty conversations are
engaging and entertaining, as well as very real-to-life.
Freaksville
is a laugh-out-loud chronicle of Kasey Maxwell's venture into ghost
hunting, all things paranormal, and her first real boyfriend. Written as
a series of blog entries, complete with comments, Ms. Keswick not only
moves the young adult novel into the modern era, but also hooks the
readers with her fun, flowing style and irrepressible sense of humor.
From her witty chapter headings to the mystery surrounding the ghosts
inhabiting the school's theater to all the yet-unmentioned surprises
lurking within, the author will capture your attention and hold it
hostage until you've reached the end. A highly enjoyable read that left
me anxious for the sequel.
Teens Read and Write Reviews: teensreadandwrite.com, March 24, 2010
By
Alyssa M. Kirk "Teens Read and Write" (Los Angeles, CA United States)
If you like a sharp, snappy female protagonist embroiled in danger, mystery and action, Freaksville is for you.
The
strongest thing about the story is Kasey's sassy voice. And talk about
energy. This girl has got plenty and it leaps from the pages with a
manic pace.
Freaksville is written in blog format from Kasey's point of view, chronicling her crazy adventures.
She
knows she's got the gift of sight and when she has a vision of British
exchange student hottie, Josh, she follows him. Kasey is smitten and
romance quickly ensues. But nothing is easy.
Kasey and Josh get
the leads for Romeo and Juliet and their time in the theater becomes
dangerous. Kasey starts seeing ghosts and some of them get cranky when
she sticks her nose in their business, attempting to solve the mystery
of an old disappearance.
Then there's the mystery of her father's
job, and some deep family secrets she didn't know about that just
happen to connect with Josh, his family, and their deep dark secrets
that threaten to turn dangerous for both her and Josh.
The
romance is innocent. Mostly sexual tension, lots of 'OMG isn't he
dreamy' as well as Kasey going ga-ga over Josh's accent and use of
British colloquialisms. She frequently gushed about how everything he
said was so cute and adorable. It began to grate on my nerves but I got
past it and think younger teen girls would eat it up.
Keswick
admits to a love of all things British and it shows. She even puts in a
dictionary of the British terms. Another unique aspect of Freaksville
were the drawings that are spattered throughout the book to help you
visualize characters and particular scenes. And Kasey has this quirk of
writing lists, I'm sure trying to calm and organize the wacky whirlwind
she lives in.
Kasey is a screech. Her sarcastic wit had me
laughing often, and she is full of spunk and determination. She and her
best friend Gillie have a wonderful relationship, open, honest and
loyal. Having boys enter the picture didn't interfere with their love
for each other.
Annoying/stupid/disloyal/guy crazy BFF's in YA are a pet peeve of mine and I was glad to see that wasn't the case here.
I
also applauded the fact that Kasey had a strong relationship with her
parents (who were still happily married) and they were involved, caring,
interested and supportive. Sometimes they made Kasey crazy (and vice
versa), but the relationship was real and healthy. I found that
refreshing!
While the real action doesn't get going for a bit,
Kasey's high energy and snappy dialogue makes up for it. There's a lot
thrown in at the end, including some surprises that come out of the
blue, but it all wraps up nicely. And Kasey's adventures will continue
with the sequel Furry and Freaked.
It's a good, light-hearted
read with funky characters, a hefty dose of paranormal and layers of
mystery weaving throughout. I'd recommend it, especially for younger
teens and anyone who loves all things British.
The Cover:
I
like it. Very haunting and foreboding. Great shot of the moon, cool font
and love the red color. The only thing I'd say is that the cover has a
dark feel and the content is light-hearted and fun.
First Line:
So
I needed a filter between my brain and my body, one with big flashing
lights and blaring sirens that ruptured my eardrums if I was about to do
anything stupid.
See what I mean? Strong voice and great sense of character. It's fun!
