Book Review and Amazon GC Giveaway: The Gardenia Curse

I’m pleased to be a part of this book tour, coordinated by BeachBoundbooks, for the middle grade fantasy The Gardenia Curse by C.M. Savage. The tour runs November 7 – November 28, 2016.

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About the Book

Title: The Gardenia Curse | Author: C.M. Savage | Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy | Number of Pages: 158 | Release Date: October 26, 2015

Book Description: Thirteen-year-old Eva Thomas finds herself in a life threatening mystery when her dreams become real. Night after night, she is transported to Dreamland, where an evil being, the Shadow, wants her dead. Can Eva save herself and her dreams before it’s too late?Exhausted from troubled sleep, Eva stumbles through her days in a new town where her grandmother is known as an eccentric and in a new school where a bully has decided Eva needs to be put in her place. Eva is left feeling alone and uncertain until she meets Alice, a quirky classmate with non-stop questions about Eva’s family.

Is Alice a friend or is she after something more?

In Dreamland, Eva is constantly on the run from the Shadow, even after she meets Herman, her dream-guide. Will Herman be able to protect Eva from the Shadow and shed some light on why the Shadow wants her dead? Or are Eva’s dreams destined to remain a nightmare?

Mystery, evil and a touch of romance—all in a night’s dream.

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~My Review – 4 stars/5~

The Gardenia Curse takes you on a ride from reality to Dreamland. Eva starts having disturbing dreams after she and her mother move in with her grandma. Her parents have divorced, she’s on the other side of the country now, and has to start a new school. That’s a recipe for stress right there. Add in scary dreams, and it’s downright miserable. I think a lot of kids would relate with Eva’s emotions.

In the midst of unsettled sleep and exhaustion, she does befriend a girl at school who helps her navigate her new life. When Eva discovers that her family may have interesting abilities, her goal is to discover why she visits Dreamland. But she doesn’t know what to make of her grandma—or her new friend. An ominous Shadow chases her through her dreams, and through Dreamland.

This story has strong, interesting female characters, mystery and suspense. There are scary moments, but it isn’t too scary in my opinion. The first scene might frighten some younger kids, but most of the book is milder than that. The visits to Dreamland are full of danger and adventure—great things in a children’story! There is a theme of family and one particular subplot, about saving someone, is sweet. I would recommend it to children 10+.

What others are saying…

“In The Gardenia Curse, Eva’s adventure unfolds like a gardenia blossom, a little at a time, getting more intriguing with each pedal that unfurls until finally the full thing is open to enjoy.” – Amazon Review

“The Gardenia Curse is an exciting middle grade fantasy that easily captivates readers with it’s imaginative plot and interesting characters.” – BeachBoundBooks

“The author really captures your mind and heart. I am looking forward to the authors second book to see what happens next!” – Amazon Review

About the Author

C. M. Savage began writing at a young age. She used a typewriter and crayons to write and illustrate her first book when she was in second grade and continued to write off and on through college. After traveling, she enjoyed working with birds of prey, mammals and endangered Hawaiian birds. She is a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, enjoys crafting and having fun with her family. She recently moved back to Bend, Oregon with her husband and two daughters. The Gardenia Curse is her debut novel. She is now working on the sequel.

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Blog Tour Prize Pack Giveaway

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize(winner’s choice), a copy of The Gardenia Curse, and a Book Flower.
Giveaway ends: November 28, 11:59 pm, 2016
Open to: Internationally.
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, C.M. Savage and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for reading!