Introverted and bookish, Jessica Tye isn’t coping well with her new life in London. She pours out her feelings in a long, rambling letter to Kennedy Orr, star of the dazzling hit musical MARINA, a show with which she’s become completely obsessed.
Of course, she has no intention of posting the letter, of looking like just another silly fan. It’s simply a form of emotional release, isn’t it? To be torn up afterwards…..
“Alan Davidson is a fantastic writer…a complex and fascinating story” – US Customer
“I highly recommend this YA book for everyone” – UK Customer
“Simple yet clever and beautifully woven…cannot recommend it highly enough…definitely been one of my favorite reads this year” – US Customer
ALAN DAVIDSON is the author of the classic junior suspense novel THE BEWITCHING OF ALISON ALLBRIGHT and many other titles.
Free on 27th - 31st Oct 16
Reviews:
"Great for YA readers but also likely to hold the attention of older readers, this is a really good read"
Reviewer: Reader for Bookangel.
Marina in a Green dress is a play: the charming Kronos comes out of nowhere to transform the life of the titular Marina. For one devoted fan, an innocent letter to a star will make the play far too close to reality.
The characterisation is spot on, and one of the things that I liked was how lunch we learn about Jessica simply from the beginning where she is trying to write a fan letter to her idol, actor Kennedy Orr. It is a very unusual way to meet a character in a book, and a great introduction. All the little details about her idol that Jessica has picked up, his origins, etc. make her ring very true for a teenage fan. Her desperation for a better life and burgeoning dissatisfaction are set up early, and make her vulnerable without her even realising it. And then slowly her life changes without her even noticing how far over her head she is. Her friends and associates come across as real people with their own lives and drives, and problems.
The writing is excellent. I simply didn't notice I was reading a story, it was that immersive.
The plot is a fascinating mystery that kept me gripped from twist to twist and change to change. I didn't see the end coming, and was actually surprised at the slightly upbeat twist. Psychology and secrets abound in this beautiful and intriguing story about people from two different worlds meeting.
Great for YA readers but also likely to hold the attention of older readers, this is a really good read.
"Its a good afternoon's read with some interesting characters, the mystery holds up well, but it all ends a little too soon."
Reviewer: Angel for Bookangel.
When Jessica Tye ends up sending a letter to Kennedy Orr, star of the London stage, the last thing she was expecting was to get a reply. But when the lead actor of Marina in a Green Dress, a show she is obsessed with, asks to meet her she finds herself caught under his spell. When she is kicked out of her flat, she ends up moving into a different world away from her life with her boyfriend, Steve, and his friends. But as time goes on and Kennedy starts to become more involved in her life, she begins to realise that her life is beginning to resemble the play she knows so well. A play in which the heroine dies at the end in an accident.
This is a well plotted mystery where you are left guessing through the novel as to what may or may not happen. The characters are well described each with merits and flaws and the actions they take fit well with each of them, even the reader you might consider them to be unwise. However Jessica is flighty and quite trusting in what happens to her, even though it shows scant regard for her safety, but seems to figure things out a little too well by the end.
The main downside to the book is it was a bit shorter than I expected. The plot feels a little rushed in order to get all the pieces of the mystery out before you might work out what is happening. Also your enjoyment of the novel may be determined by the message it is trying to get across.
Overall, its a good afternoon's read with some interesting characters, the mystery holds up well, but it all ends a little too soon. Rating:3
""At first she comes across as meek & spineless but in reality she's one of the strongest teenage heroines I've ever read"" (Rating: 9/10) Read Full Review by I Love YA Fiction
Anytime you hear that something ends too soon, that is usually a pretty good sign of a quality story, so I would say that this alone is worth the look. I like a good mystery too, and good characters never hurts.
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