Review from The Reader’s Hollow, posted 12/2/2013
Set in a town called Landry, a place that puts a whole new meaning to ‘ghost town,’ we are introduced to several interesting characters. At the heart of it, is Tallis. She’s a spunky fifteen going-on-forty teenager with problems that often plague girls of her age: weight, insecurity, maturity and boys. But, then there’s the little ghost problem.
Portal’s Choice is rife with witty dialogue, patient character development (loved how K.D. Pryor did this), and a few LOL moments thanks to that character development. It had the right combinations of teen angst, plot, humour and mystery when it came to the spooky world of Gatekeeper. There is a lot of French influence. Everything from Tallis’s family to the big names in the community and when someone moved away from Landry, they went straight to Canada. Where? Montreal. HA! Maybe my sense of humour is askew (who am I kidding, it totally is), but I found that funny along with practically everything Bailey said. So thanks for that, K.D. Pryor.
It is a thick book for a YA with minor editing glitches but I didn’t find it dragged anywhere for me or become confusing. There was always something new and interesting and it kept your attention. I’d suggest this for anyone seeking an in-depth YA that not only dives into the world of a teenager but a paranormal realm as well.
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“I felt from the beginning Tallis was a competent and caring young gal. She was likeable for her spunk and wit. I think she has a strength young people will see as a model. I absolutely loved her! . . . This is a book that will open you to new ideas about the power we all have to command our lives. K.D. affirms the unique and valuable way, through focus that we are capable of more than we might believe!” Lisa Jones
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Tallis’ challenges and revelations added to her character and personality throughout the book. . . Tallis changed from annoying teenager to someone I liked and could relate to in the book. She asked the same questions I sometimes ask and had definite opinions and views that I loved to see change. . .I liked the battles with the ghosts and Tallis’s trips to the graveyard because they had lots of action, were interesting, and were pleasantly creepy. Ellie, Eighth Grade
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Tallis finally realized that she wasn’t just that girl with the peanut M&Ms. . . She was a good person who had to deal with bad things that she didn’t want. Tallis is a believable character and I did connect with her. Noah, Eighth Grade
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I loved the book and couldn’t put it down. I also have to tell you that I didn’t read the last 5 pages first either. That is a first. Alice Amrein, Adult reader
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I can’t say enough . . .The Portal’s Choice is an absolutely fantastic book! The prologue drew me right in, and the rest of the book kept my attention throughout. . . I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Diane Breton, Adult reader
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“My first impression of Tallis was that she was a misunderstood girl and in a town and environment where she wasn’t well liked or accepted. . .As the story got more developed there were clear transformations in her character . . .As I read I started to have more of a connection to her character as she found courage. . . The book always had me wondering what was next, when would the next ghost interaction come. How would Tallis fix this? . . .A fresh take on an interesting subject, I felt like I was truly in the book and I think any reader could agree, great read. Bo Rautio, 20
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My first impression of Tallis is that she is a very smart girl who is super stubborn . . . I started off not liking Tallis very much but as the book goes on you start to realize her true personality and all of the things she is going through and has gone through and they start to make you understand why she is the way she is. . . I can tell within the first two pages of a book if it is worth reading, this book definitely was. The characters are so relatable even though their situations are nothing that anyone has ever been through. Ciera Wallace, 19
Picture courtesy of Historiography, segonku@unl.edu
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