The Limbo Tree by
T.N. Suarez
(I received a free eBook from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.)
An accident. A secret. The truth.
Something is wrong with Samantha McCallister. Her baby brother is dead, and she has only one memory of the accident: the canned version her parents impressed upon her. But piece by piece, Sam struggles to make sense of it.
Cast aside by her self-involved family, Sam seeks out a friendship with the next-door neighbor, Hazel, until Hazel inexplicably goes missing, leaving nothing but a note and a jar of jam.
Determined to uncover the truth about Hazel’s disappearance, Sam finds out more than she bargained for. Bizarre episodes and nightmares consume her, vicious and unstoppable.
Meanwhile, an adolescent muse moves into Hazel’s abandoned home. Sam is immediately drawn to him—discovering the beginnings of true love—when the unthinkable occurs. Sam is alienated to a world in which she no longer feels she belongs. Try as she might, Sam cannot escape these nightmares or the truth behind them—the truth that lies in the Limbo Tree.
Brilliantly crafted, shimmering with uncertainty, The Limbo Tree is as mystical as it is moving.
Sam is the protagonist of the book and while she is an interesting character, her narration at times frustrated me. She is a pretty much believable character and her anger and annoyance towards her parents is totally justified. I enjoyed reading about her antics but at the same time, I was disappointed/ annoyed by her decisions and reactions at times.
Elliott was a character I truly and wholeheartedly enjoyed reading about. I enjoyed having him tell stuff and liked his caring attitude. I liked how he was like Sam's partner in crime throughout the book.
For more that half the book, I honestly couldn't figure out where the story was going. It was so confusing and it felt like the plot was all over the place. I would have given the book 3 stars had it not been for the ending. The ending had me like hjgfuydudsvdfusid... I know that's technically not a word but that's just how flabbergasted I was at the end of the book. The ending was definitely not something I was expecting and I'm glad the story ended the way it did.
I felt there were too many places in the middle of the book where nothing was happening. It was just Sam and Elliott hanging out or Sam telling us stories from the past. Had it not been for these parts, the story would have been quite perfect. Also at the end, I wished I could know more about what had happened. I'd be really happy if there is a short story sequel or something to The Limbo Tree.
The book is well written but quite slow paced for the most part. I enjoyed the description of the old limbo tree and the vines. I liked how Sam's nightmares were written in a truly terrifying way. The imagery is spot on.
- Elliott
- The overall plot
- The ENDING
- The slow pace
- How the plot was confusing for the most part
If you like books that don't give away the mystery until the very end, The Limbo Tree is for you!
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Fantastic review Uma! It's always good when a book manages to save itself in the end, or else it can feel like a waste of your time, don't you agree? We might pick up this book; we love it when nightmares are described really well. Not sure if we could put up with being confused for almost the whole book until the end though. Again, great review, especially liked how the ending had you at hjgfuydudsvdfusid... sometimes words can't express what you want to say! <3
ReplyDelete~ Pendragons
Thanks guys ^_^ IKR! I was worried I might feel like I wasted my time but the ending was freaking awesome! Yes I do doubt many would be willing to stick with the book through all the confusions and stuff.
DeleteLOL! Yes, sometimes we can't quite explain how we feel about a certain book!