Book Review & Giveaway: The Emerald Ring by Dorine White

I'm excited today to be kicking off Dorine's tour for The Emerald Ring.  As you will see in my review below, I loved this book. I'm also very excited for the second book in the series, The Ruby Pendant and I can't wait to see when that will be released.  Dorine should know the release date any day now.  I will be first in line to get a review copy of that one because I am captivated with the characters and the premise now!  So read my review and make sure you enter to win a copy of The Emerald Ring by Dorine White.


My Review:
While I had just a bit of trouble getting into the flow of The Emerald Ring in the first few pages, it wasn't long before I did get into it.  And when that happened I could not put The Emerald Ring down.  While geared toward middle graders, I can see all ages and both genders getting into this book.

Sara is a great character, she seems typical of a tween embarking upon the middle school years.  She's into boys, has a best friend and just wants to get by without embarrassing herself during her sixth grade year.  She's wise, into books and very put together it seems, but as is typical with middle school, she is still trying to figure herself out.  When she tries out her Grandmother's ring and it becomes stuck on her finger, strange things start happening.  Then there are the dreams.  She has research and her friends Heidi and her new friend Kainu to help her out.  Heidi and Kainu made great characters too.  Kainu seemed to be more than he seemed and Heidi was a great best friend, she stuck with Sara even when she wasn't sure what was going on.  And I liked Sara's parents.  They weren't absentee parents, they were watchful and careful with Sara, but they did give her some freedom to grow and become more.  So to me they were typical parents and it's refreshing to have parents in MG/YA fiction.

The story was interesting.  What is it about the ring? What about Sara's strange dreams?  There is so much more to the story and it is a wonderful read.  After getting into the book, (which really only took 10-20 pages, which I find is typical for me reading MG fiction) it was very fast-paced and exciting.  I can see MG-fiction readers really enjoying this one.  I plan to let my older son see if it is his speed and reading it with my younger son.  The plot has a great mystery with paranormal elements and it's different from other books I read so that made it more interesting as well.  It concludes with a finish for this chapter of the story, but leaves a lot open for the continued series which I am looking forward to.

Ms. White does an amazing job with characters and plotting.  The Emerald Ring is a great start to what looks like will be a wonderful series for MG and older (and great to read with younger children who are more advanced readers).  It has mystery, the paranormal, friendship and middle school.  What more could you ask for?  Oh well you could be like me after you finish and be anxiously awaiting The Ruby Pendant!

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

About The Emerald Ring:

Ordinary tween life turns upside down when Ancient Egypt intrudes on modern middle school life. Twelve year old Sara Guadalupe Bogus reads about adventures, but unexpectedly is drawn into one when a mystical emerald ring that once belonged to Cleopatra becomes stuck on her finger.
A series of burglaries spook Sara’s small Ohio hometown. Concluding that the root of all the crimes is the emerald ring, Sara realizes it’s up to her and her friends, Heidi and African exchange student Kainu, to save the town and protect Cleopatra’s legacy. Filled with magic, the ring thrusts Sara into a world filled with nightmares, allows her to shape shift into an Egyptian cat and battle assassins.

Buy it Now:

Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com

Deseretbook.com

CedarFort.com

IndieBound.org

 

About Dorine White (from Goodreads):

My name is Dorine White. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Humanities. I am a member of the SCBWI, ANWA, LDS Storymakers and the PNWA. I write middle grade and YA fantasy. My first book, The Emerald Ring, was published May 2013 by Cedar Fort Books.

Author Website- http://www.dorinewhite.com/

Blog- The Write Path- http://www.dorinewhite.blogspot.com/

Twitter @Dorinewhite- https://twitter.com/DorineWhite

Facebook Author Page- https://www.facebook.com/dorinewhite

Giveaway:

Dorine is giving away one (1) paperback copy of The Emerald Ring to a lucky winner in the US or Canada.  Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

Note: This giveaway will be mailed by the author. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

***I received this book from the author for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***