Book Review: Forecast by Elise Stephens

Forecast Elise StephensTitle: Forecast
Author: Elise Stephens
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon | B&N
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Calvin isn’t a teenager, not really; instead, he’s spent his life trying to protect his mother and sister from his alcoholic father. Calvin keeps a knife close and sleeps with one eye open, even years after his father has left the family. A summer vacation spent at their late grandfather’s estate promises him and his sister the chance to leave their problems behind.

Instead of blissful freedom, they find the old house harbors secrets at every turn, like a mysterious stone door in the forest with rumored powers to give its entrants the gift of future-seeing. When Calvin faces the return of his seemingly-reformed father, he throws himself through the door to receive the gift of foresight. But the door offers more doubt than certainty, and the future he sees is riddled with disturbing confusion. With a revenge-obsessed lawyer hunting him down and a secret society out to control him, Calvin must figure out how to stop what he’s started before he loses what he holds most dear.

As he battles the legacies of his past and the shadows of his future, Calvin must accept help from unlikely sources, give trust he never thought possible, and learn that the greatest challenges lie not in the things to come, but in the present moment.

I wasn’t sure what I’d think about Forecast, based on its descritpion, but I ended up enjoying the book more than I thougth I would. Calvin is one of the most realistic protagonists I’ve come across in YA literature. He knows hardships, he knows troubles, he knows what it’s like to get hurt, to protect others, what pain feels like. His reactions to things are so incredibly realistic I expected him to crawl out of the pages any minute.

Calvin made this book come alive, but an equally as intriguing character is the estate of Calvin’s late grandfather. The house harbors many secrets, and is so impressive it’s almost a character on it’s own. By passing through a mysterious stone door in the forest, Calvin receives the gift of foresight. However, the future isn’t clear, and there’s more doubt and confusion than clarity. Calvin struggles with his new power while trying to get away from the people hunting him down.

While Calvin was my favorite character, I enjoyed the other characters as well, in particularly, Cleo. The dynamics between the two siblings were spot-on and entertaining.

Forecast is a rollercoaster ride of plot twists, emotions and an unexpected ending. Add in solid writing, and you know you’re in for quite an adventure. Recommended to fans of YA fantasy.

Giveaway

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There is a tour-wide giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card, along with these books:

 Charis: Journey to Pandora’s Jar (by Nicole Y. Walters)

A Kingdom’s Possession (by Nicole J. Persun

Doublesight (by Terry Persun)

Always and Forever (by Karla J Nellenback)

Moonlight and Oranges (by Elise Stephens)

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