An accident, a semi-conscious victim, paramedics and… dark humor?
That’s when you know you might have a great book in your hands and Secret Sky by JP McLean promises, in its first paragraphs, to be an adventure, but does the book live up to seasoned readers expectations? YES IT DOES!
With a very nice description ability, both on the third and first person perspective, JP McLean steadies his grip on our attention and describes to us what we have to see, and slowly but surely the book starts to paint it’s tones upon us.
Mysteries and puzzles are thrown around with a care-free liberty and we as readers follow the main character, trying to solve them, mostly because in a way or another, they are connected to her as she tries to find a hold on her gift and have the chance to experience a “normal” life and release herself from the burden of having to choose her secrets over having people around them.
As she finds people of her “kind” and with the same gift, she realizes that things are more serious than she could imagine and she might be in real danger, and the only way for her to a have a sliver of change of surviving is having hold of her powers.
A warning, though, the book is heavy. Not only in page count, but the mood of our main character and its story is… heavy. Grim, dark and sad, and here’s the kicker, the book would be a reject for this very site, IF it wasn’t so curiously, oddly, and mesmerizingly… satisfying!
Slowly, steadily the book develops and we welcome it’s warm embrace and grip and once we stop reading it, we miss it already because we want more The narrative is strong enough on its grip that we have no other choice to continue to read, and WHY wouldn’t we?! This is about a girl who was given a “gift” of flying and night-vision, that she CAN’T control. How can THAT not make you want know more about what happens?! It’s unheard of!
The roller-coaster rides that we experience as we go along with the main characters adventures and life shows us how hard it is to keep a secret from those you care about in order to protect your own life, which is an interesting take on this type of thriller-fantasy book, and it’s no easy thing to pull out given that as an author, you have to put fantasy while gripping reality, something that JP McLean and made it look easy.
Not only the main character as a uncommon personality setting for a female main character, she surprises us and inspires us with her will and determination even after all that happened in her life, and all that she is going through. It’s something refreshing to read.
Her consistent personality, dark sense of humour and the fact that although she has consistent doubts on herself, which makes her humane, she is determined and wise.
There’s also the fact that Emmelyn, the main character, is logical and not just emotional and reactive.
She is proactive in her choices and thoughts and thinks things through, weighing her decisions and accessing possibilities on her mind, and sometimes even choosing reasoning over feeling.
It’s nice to see such type of female character, specially when on the lead role, which influences readers to be like her, and I think this book will make a difference in the lives of shy women that wish they had the strength and the courage to stand out. It’s empowering. She even, in an indirect fashion, appeals to logic in this sense with other characters, as an example: “Her lack of confidence saddened me because it was way off the mark. Molly’s dark hair set off her flawless pale skin beautifully, she had a curvaceous figure, and her perky personality sealed the deal. Who wouldn’t notice her?”.
There isn’t cliché on the relationships inside the novel, in fact, the relationships examples set out here are VERY healthy, there’s honest love and care, the sex scenes are well made with great build-up and detail and the fact that JP, the author, actually states about putting condoms, is something that distinguishes this book in terms of quality.
There isn’t the arrogant jerk cliché that the girl falls for, but*, there is the “rich” guy cliché, that, if you are ok with, it won’t bother you, because Jackson is a great character, he’s brisk and logical, is well constructed when it comes to his motives, persona and background.
Another thing that I liked a lot about the dynamics of relationships is the fact there are more healthy relationships than toxic ones, even in the spicy sex scenes. It feels natural, it feels real, both his reactions and his concern when the first scene rolls around, not like in some books that the main character has to sign legal documents in order to lose her virginity.
The narrative has a “personal” tone to it, as the narrator, our main character puts in bits and pieces of her thoughts very often and it keeps the atmosphere of the story stable while giving insights on the character’s minds and received inputs of other characters to her.
It’s a pleasant dynamics, given that we can “see, hear and feel” just like the main character, giving us a better experience of reading.
Although few, the action and thriller scenes are worth the wait, and one can feel his heart-rate rise up as he/she reads the words in those detailed sequences, heightening the reading experience significantly.
The whole book has a familiar, VERY much realistic, positive – yet not utopic – feel to it when it comes to relationships.
This is the type of social relationships we should be reading in books more often, the ones that help us understand what to expect and how to behave towards others with care and respect, or, as best as we can. It’s nice. Thank you JP McLean
The book, in it’s entirety and specially upon its completion, feels real. No utopic, fairy tell endings, scenes or platitudes. Although it’s book about flying it’s very much down to earth, and one has to love that.
Great piece of writing by JP McLean, one has to take his hat off for the effort put in this book, it shows.
If you want a book that feels solid and that keeps you on your seat, entertained and pleased, Secret Sky is a very good choice.
PS: For an even better reading experience, do get the paperback or hardcover version. It’ll be worth it.
Pros:
- – Emotionally accurate. Great description of emotion
- – Consistent plot
- – Lovely dark humour
- – A resilient, realistic, original, rational and imperfect female main character that DOESN’T play the victim card
- – Great character development
- – Well thought mysteries and revelations
- – Well built of exemplary, realistic and original relationships.
- – Realistic storytelling, although there are fantasy points to it
- – Lots of burns
- – Spicy sex scenes
- – Empowering narative to female readers. Loved this trait of the book.
- – Tragic event that hit you
- – Amusing character interactions and dialogues
Cons:
- Rich, mysterious, bossy “alfa” guy cliché, that had a multi-millionaire father that died. It’s a pesonal thing, mostly, and it doesn’t show much, but…. yeah…. it’s still a big cliché. I mean, why isn’t the girl rich for once? It seems like a guy isn’t lovable enough if he doesn’t have tons of money.
Favourite Character: Avery.
Lesson from the book:
“Keep your trust in check and think with your head.”
Scribble's Worth 