Indebted by Charmayne Hafen, 300 pages. Capture Books, 2018. $15.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Princess Wren is trapped in her own castle by her grieving father after the disappearance of her mother. But after years of acting in secret to find happiness where her father would forbid it if he knew, Wren finds word about a contest. A contest she is determined to win to show everyone that she is more than a princess.
Hafen writes as an emergent writer, with an appealing but unpolished story. Her writing finds a space between genuine and forced, especially with the Christian theme she wants to highlight. With prayers, scriptures, and discussions of belief, Hafen successfully communicates her values to readers. However, though the intent is genuine, the execution seemed forced. Dialogue was stilted, and the characters didn’t always seem to respond naturally according to the way they were written. The story isn’t bad, it just comes across as choppy, occasionally inconsistent, and a little cheesy at times. The mature content rating is for brief nudity.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
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