Johnny Worthen

Do you know why I love Johnny Worthen’s books? It’s because they pull you right into the story and then they keep you hostage until you’ve finished the book. It doesn’t matter what book of his you read and what genre they happen to fall into, you’re always right at the center of things. That, my friends, is the mark of a truly great author.

Instead of reviewing each book individually (as I did with Eleanor), I decided to rather write a bit of a mini essay on why I love the trilogy in a whole. It’s a bit different to what I usually do, but then again, this trilogy deserves something special.

I’ve reviewed numerous of Worthen’s books in the past, all of which have spoken to me on some level, but my favourite work by the author is The Unseen Trilogy. This young-adult fiction trilogy is so inspiring and relatable, so tragic and real even though it’s fiction, that I struggled to find the right words to convey my feelings. The intense emotions that Johnny Worthen leaves his readers with at the end of each book is just indescribable. You cannot not love Eleanor, you cannot not want her to be happy. Then there’s David, who is just such a lovable character and so understanding considering his own teenage problems. And Celeste, who you can’t help but feel all the feels for too …

Layered with mystery and intrigue, magic and drama, as well as romance, The Unseen Trilogy has everything a reader could ever want.The messages that Worthen painstakingly hides between the lines are so relevant today, it’s unbelievable that he was able to work them into a YA series. And considering how watered down some YA books are these days, this trilogy is a breath of fresh air.

**Mid-Review Rant: Seriously, YA fiction has become really bad lately, but the publishing machine keeps spewing out inconsequential drivel just to make more money out of an already over-saturated market. It’s why I’ve personally decided to stop reading most YA books that come my way!**

Personally, I L-O-V-E this The Unseen Trilogy. Why? Because the books are written intelligently enough not to offend young readers by suggesting they’re stupid, because adults can enjoy these books as well, and because the books handle with important subject matters without rubbing it in your face.

And that ending in David was just … well, I’m not going to give anything away, but boy oh boy! Are you in for a treat! I wish I could read these books for the first time. *cries*

These books are a must-read!

YA-lovers will enjoy the books for the good writing and well-crafted plot. Teenagers in general will be able to relate to the characters and the situations described in the books. Adult readers will love reminiscing about their own teenage years (and how the majority of them felt like outcasts). And paranormal readers will be thrilled to enjoy a shifter novel that deals with something other than werewolves and is plausible (if you’re into Native American mythology, of course).

Every bookcase should feature this trilogy in a collection. Period.… (más)

Some authors have the ability to draw you into a story, regardless of the story’s genre, and keep you tied up in their tale, while the rest of the world continues without you in it. Johnny Worthen is one of those authors. I’ve devoured almost every book that he’s published over the past few years, and I always seem to find myself lost in his words, the characters, the entire plot … It’s not an easy feat. And while I know Johnny Worthen is always broadening his horizons by writing stories in a variety of genres, the eloquence of his words are always present. From horror to young adult to mystery, I’ve never read a book by the man that I haven’t enjoyed.
The Finger Trap by Johnny Worthen is a tale that’s slightly more personal, but even if the author hadn’t let me in on this secret, one needs only to read the novel to notice.
We are presented with Tony Flaner, a down-on-his-luck protagonist who’s gotten himself into quite a predicament. He’s one of those people who goes with the flow, and never bothers to actually plan out his life – even though he’s had many opportunities to do so. This, unfortunately, is one of the reasons why his marriage didn’t work out, why he’s never kept a job for very long, and why his whole life is about to take a turn for the worst. When he’s framed for a murder, however, it’s up to Tony to put on his big boy pants, get to the bottom of the mystery, and save himself from serving time for something he didn’t do.
Witty, sarcastic, and incredibly enjoyable, The Finger Trap is a book in its own league that’ll entertain you for hours! I flew through the pages, enjoying Tony Flaner’s adventure, catching myself giggling every now and then. In other words, if you’re in the mood for a mystery that’s slightly different, a whole lot of funny, and extremely gripping, this is the book for you.
Furthermore, The Finger Trap has strengthened my belief that Johnny Worthen is a must-read writer. I can’t wait to see what he’ll come up with next!

Review originally posted at:
… (más)

I've been sitting pretty, patiently waiting to put my review up of Eleanor: The Unseen by Johnny Worthen, which in short is a remarkable piece of work that keeps you wanting more. No kidding, I've already tried to get the next two books out of him just to see what happens with sweet-but-deadly little Eleanor. Unfortunately the man's made of stone, so poor old me will have to wait like the rest of the masses. But I digress. You see, Eleanor: The Unseen is a shifter book, but don't worry it doesn't have werewolves in it. Nope, we're talking skinwalkers, folks ... real Native American awesomeness. Oh, and then we also have the day-to-day 'high school sucks' thing to enjoy. It's fun, it's gory, it's got an array of mythology and touches a variety of subjects, and honestly it's one of the most memorable books I've read this year.
I reviewed Johnny Worthen's debut novel, Beatrysel, last year [read review here] and I was worried that Eleanor: The Unseen wouldn't be as good. I mean, it's sometimes difficult for writers to transition from one genre to another as seamlessly as Worthen's capable of. However, this book is really good. It'll keep you glued to your seat from beginning to end and then (if you're anything like me), you'll start hounding the author for the other books in the trilogy ... Like I said, my efforts didn't pay off, but hopefully it won't take too long for the next book to be released.
So, is it worthy of a read? Well, the man's name is Worthen, so yes . Yes Eleanor: The Unseen is worthen of a read (see what I did there? It's Worthen a Read! Oh, man I crack myself up). It's filled with all kinds of awesome and you know what's really great? Eleanor is not some silly little girl, she's real, which makes her the type of character that girls can relate to (shifting aside). David's wonderful too, he's just such a good person ...
Worthen captures emotion in words, which is a difficult feat for authors.
Okay, I'll stop rambling now, but seriously, it's a must-read if ever there was

(review originally posted on www.tentaclebooks.com)… (más)

Beatrysel by Johnny Worthen is a book that digs deep into your psyche, crawls even deeper into your thoughts and sends chills down your spine while the story of Julian Cormac, the powerful Magus that created Beatrysel, plays itself out. We are presented with a man, who is pretty much a shadow of his old self, riddled with psychological problems according to psychologist Doctor Stephensen and unaware of how much danger he’s in. We hear about the violent outburst that landed Julian in his current position, but there’s something terrible at work, and it’s not something that can’t be explained by science. Magick, religion, and philosophy combine together to bring a fantastic read to the table, whilst giving the reader enough action to keep the pages turning.

I quite enjoyed Beatrysel, not only because of how accurate the research was that went into it, but because the book pulls the reader into the story and makes them apart of it. With well-crafted descriptions, intriguing characters and a magnificent plot, this is the ultimate piece of fiction when it comes to the occult. However, even if you’re not interested in the occult or religion, Worthen is able to bring to the table an intelligent murder mystery wrapped inside it all, and frankly it’s simply an exceptional read.

The only reason why I didn’t give the book a full-star count is because I’m not exactly keen of animal cruelty and even though it was basically just a single paragraph that was used to flesh out a specific character, Worthen has the ability to make the reader visualize things… needless to say, that lost Beatrysel a couple off points for me, but that’s just a personal preference. Other than that though, I found a couple of editing oopsies (I had to read very closely to find them).

In the whole though, Beatrysel is a fantastic read and I won’t be surprised if it becomes a bestseller.

And horror lovers, you’ll absolutely adore Beatrysel as a character… she’s sexy, she’s bloodthirsty, and she’s very creative with her kills.

Frankly, I enjoyed Beatrysel, and if you like exorcism films, love a bit of occult reading, or you’re just interested in an accurate fictitious account where the occult/religious research is sound, well you’ll want to get your hands on this book. It’s definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year and it’ll keep you wondering who’s behind the murders all the way.

(review originally posted on www.tentaclebooks.com)… (más)