Edition: Blink Paperback
Released: 29th July 2014
Series: Doon #1
Pages: 399 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Series Website | Buy the book!
Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes?
When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months. But the Scottish countryside holds other plans. Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt - and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation.
Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for... or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.
When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months. But the Scottish countryside holds other plans. Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt - and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation.
Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for... or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.
To all of you out there obsessed with booktube, I'll give you one guess as to why I picked this book up (or, rather, requested it for Christmas). *gives you a second* If you're answer is Sasha from abookutopia, you guessed right. Ever since she started raving about this book on her channel, I've wanted to read it. So much so that, leading up to Christmas, I was desperate for it. Luckily, Santa managed to find a spare copy lying around to pop in my stocking and, in doing so, made my day just a little more special.
What you'll find when reading this book is that it has a very fairytale-esque feel to it. The world of Doon feels like something you'd find in a Hans Christian Andersen tale. And I loved that about it. It's a world you want to fully immerse yourself in. If the opportunity ever arises one day to experience this world first-hand, I'll be jumping in head-first. It's that entrancing. I also love how it's set in Scotland (or somewhere within it anyway ;p) as my country is very rarely used as a setting and I always love coming across books where it's involved - especially if it's close by where I live!
Though I didn't fully connect with the two main characters, Veronica and Mackenna, they were still likeable and good protagonists. I liked Veronica more than Mackenna though - who I thought was a little selfish at times. Jamie was probably my favourite male character so it's safe to say I shipped him and Veronica.
To conclude, Doon was a very entertaining read laced with fairytale themes and an essence of magic. I adored the world - it really drew me in and made me want to be experiencing it right along with Veronica and Mackenna. I'd definitely recommend Doon to people who enjoy a good ol' fairy retelling or something a little out of the ordinary. An overall fun read!
FOUR TOADSTOOLS TO DOON!
Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo
I enjoyed this one too - it's such a cute premise - I totally wanted to go visit Doon! :D I had trouble connecting with the characters too - I think it was mostly due to switching back and forth between pov's. I haven't had a chance to read the second one yet though, I'm curious to see how it will go!
ReplyDeleteEeek, haven't found many people that've read it - I'm glad you enjoyed it like me! I haven't had a chance to read the second one yet either. I don't know whether I'll pick it up because it's predominantly from Mackenna's POV... but I might in the end up if Doon starts calling me. ;)
DeleteLike you, the main reason I heard about this is because of Sasha from ABookUtopia, and it sounds so great! The fairytale aspect is something I'll be really excited for when reading this!
ReplyDeleteI really hope you enjoy it like I did when you read it. It really does feel like a fairytale! :D
DeleteHmm, interesting. The story doesn't sound particularly original so I'm not sure about this one. It seems like the book is just trying to ride of the current trend of remakes of fairytales. I know that it's not a retelling, but it looks like the author just figured that people liked fairytales and that writing a book about one would be popular. If it's in my library I might read it, but otherwise I'm not too sure.
ReplyDeleteIt's a retelling of sorts of the Brigadoon musical and, unfortunately, it hasn't been read by many people. However, the exposure from booktubers is helping! You should try it and see what you think. :)
DeleteOoooh great review! I have this and its sequel in my TBR Mountain of Doom! LOL! I thought it sounded amazing as well! Traveling to another world is a theme I've loved since childhood! I always wanted to go to a fairytale world myself! Heehee! Positively loved the mini series The 10th Kingdom! So excited to read this one, eventually! Hoping to enjoy it just as much as you did! And again, excellent review!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jessica!! Other worlds have always been my thing, too. I really hope you enjoy it!! xD
DeleteHaha yes, I've been dying to read this since I saw Sasha raving about it! It looks so good and like something I'd love. Lovely review, Rachel! <3
ReplyDelete