Thursday 2 January 2014

One stone left unturned - Marianna Heusler


Review of Marianna Heusler’s ‘One Stone left unturned.’


About the book

At midnight on July 16th, 1918, Tsar Nicholas Romanov and his family were murdered, thus ending the Russian Empire. Historians believe that a peasant by the name of Rasputin was instrumental in the downfall of the dynasty. Because Nicholas thought that Rasputin could cure their son, Alexis, who was suffering from hemophilia, Rasputin was able to influence the Imperial Family.

But what if Rasputin's power did not come from God, as he claimed, but from a simple jewel, a tricolored, fifteen-carat tourmaline? And what if that very stone landed in the hands of a lonely teenager a century later?

The middle grade novel, One Stone Left Unturned is told from two points of view, two teenage girls, living in different times and different places leading parallel lives with parallel needs and desires.

My review

At first I wasn’t even sure whether I wanted to review this book or not as it didn’t seem to fit into any of my preferred genres. However, one good thing about being a reviewer is that it widens your literary horizons and I am so glad that I agreed.
The story of the last days of Tsar Nicolas’ rule in Russia is extremely well researched and, as a history fan, this part of the story really appealed to me. I wasn’t so sure about a stone with special powers though as this seemed a bit far-fetched to begin with. It didn’t take long, however, before I was avidly reading to find out more about the parallel contemporary story of Augusta and her grandmother. The two stories are expertly interwoven and I have to admit to enjoying everything about this book.  Marianne Heusler is a skillful storyteller and this book will have you gripped as you wait to see how the power of the tourmaline unfolds.
It is a historical novel combined with a modern contemporary story of teenage bullying and a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure. Somehow this just works. Although it is aimed at YA, it is a story that would appeal to adults too.

Best for...
Anyone who enjoys parallel history with a paranormal element

My rating

4/5



No comments:

Post a Comment