Five teenagers – a geek (Ben), a bad boy (Lucas), a class clown (Adam), a goth (Bonnie) and a rich kid (Makenna) – are all drawn together. Not knowing why, they all feel the urge to visit the Carnival. Unbeknownst to them, their ancestors have buried a box containing a letter – a letter stating that they are the only hope their town has against Maxvale, a man the ancestors defeated all those years ago but somehow has the power to come back and terrorize the town.After digging up and opening the mysterious box, the teenagers all develop special abilities that are supposed to help them in fighting Maxvale.Bonnie, the girl who feels like nobody knows she exists, gets invisibility. Quick-witted Adam who fires off jokes at the speed of light can now run kilometres in seconds. Ben, the nerd of the group, who has always excelled in school is now able to memorize textbooks in a heartbeat. Bad Boy Lucas who is repeating year 11 and is living with a foster family can walk though walls. Makenna, the final member of the group and narrator of the novel, is gifted with telekinesis - the ability to move objects with her mind.I enjoyed reading this novel. It felt a little like The Breakfast Club meets X-Men. Makenna is the narrator and tells the story in first person present tense. I can’t remember the last time I read a book in this style and it took me a little while to get used to it. But once I was used to it, I could appreciate that it suited the novel. There were a few point of view changes – from Makenna to a third person – and I liked that it gave me a little more insight into the other teenagers but I felt like it took me out of it a little and I felt a little detached from the novel after the switch.The powers that the teenagers get are perfectly suited for their personalities. I really liked how they all came together to help each other in the mission to find and destroy Maxvale. I did feel like the mission was a little rushed in the end but it was appropriate for the villain (He’s not as big and bad as I was expecting. I wanted him to be ferocious and terrifying and completely town destroying… rather than a bit of a pussy cat…).The strength of this novel is the development of the characters throughout. I loved how they grew as people and as friends. There’s a message of stereotyping and that people are not always what they seem at first glance. The relationship between Makenna and Lucas was lovely to read – I liked the pace and the fact that they did have their struggles. These characters (all of them) were written in a way that did make them likeable and realistic. Many of the issues that were faced were ones that I have faced myself in my youth. I also enjoyed the Aussie-isms inserted into the novel – things like petrol being it’s cheapest on Tuesdays, the P plates etc.I thought this was a fantastic debut novel by a self-published author. It was entertaining and interesting and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult paranormal fiction with an Australian flavour. ( )

A Season of Transformation
By: Jayne Fordham
ISBN: 9781447548
Published March 31, 2011
Available Format: Paperback, ebook

My Rating: ★★★★☆

In Jayne Fordham’s new novel, A Season of Transformation, five teenagers from diverse circumstances and social circles are brought together to save their town from a paranormal menace. In response to this threat and with the help of their clever ancestors, each of the five begins to develop their own supernatural abilities. In addition, each of the teens is struggling with personal issues. Ben, the nerd, and Adam, the clown, are trying to break free from their labels and express who they truly are as individuals. Lucas masks his pain with a bitter and repelling attitude but soon finds he might be pushing away the very person he is falling in love with. Bonnie works hard to hide her father’s battle with alcohol behind her ‘gothic’ exterior and introverted demeanor. Makenna, the rich kid, deals with a bit of an arrogant and judgmental mother and best friend as she develops a bond with each of the misfits of their group. This seemingly incompatible crew must overcome their differences and learn to trust each other, or their beloved town may be doomed.

I received a copy of this book from the author for review.

What I loved the most about A Season of Transformation was that the “transformation” was not just focused on the supernatural abilities the teens develop. It also encompassed the transformations that were taking place in their lives. Makenna learned to truly humble herself and encouraged her mother and friends to do the same. Lucas was able to allow himself to fully trust and love and let others into his lonely life. Bonnie confided in her new friends and was able to get help for her father and truly open her bruised heart to love. Each character is forced out of his or her comfort zone, where they begin to reexamine themselves and make important changes in different areas of their lives. I think that is the essence of this book, and I believe that is the most important message the reader can gain.

There were a couple times in the book that I had to stop and re-read and ask myself who exactly was talking. I think Jayne switched the POV then, and it just threw me off for a minute. If she were to change anything about the book, I think I would work on syncing up all the points-of-view and making everything flow more smoothly in that regard. I also felt these shifts in POV and the changes in scene should have been separated more within the text. For instance, we might be alone with Makenna in her bedroom one minute, and then right away in the next paragraph we are suddenly walking the high school halls chatting with Aliysha. If there was just an extra space or something there to highlight the change, it would have made it easier to follow. (I was reading this on my Kindle, so formatting issues could also be attributed to the type of file.) Aside from these minor technical, easily fixed issues, I cannot criticize anything else about this read!

I have been truly honored to be allowed to read, review, and feature this novel. Coming from a psychology background, I feel that Jayne can relate to the human feelings and interactions of the group better than most authors could. I think it is a wonderful way to help teens realize that they can all too often be self-centered and judgmental of others through their own struggles and insecurities. In that way I think the message of this book is if we can open ourselves up and accept others for what they truly are, rather than what they appear to be, we can overcome anything and work together to make the world a better place. ( )

A Season of Transformation is a debut paranormal young adult title for Australian author, Jayne Fordham. Five teenagers are inexplicably drawn together and discover a box, hidden a century before. It is revealed that a murderous spirit once terrorised their small country town and the high school students have inherited powers designed to vanquish him. Makenna, Lucas, Ben, Adam and Bonnie must learn to work together and master their abilities before his resurrection on the last day of autumn.
Makenna, takes a leadership role among the five teens who barely know each other. The diverse group reminds me a little of the movie "The Breakfast Club" (an eighties classic) where high schoolers from different social sets find themselves in a situation that requires them to associate with one another. Makenna is a fairly typical seventeen year old with some of life's advantages, Lucas is the wild boy - abandoned by his drug addicted parents and raised in foster care, Ben is the nerd, Bonnie is described as a shy goth chick and Adam is considered a class clown. The abilities each develop vaguely relate to their personalities though Fordham tries to show how the characters are more than the stereotypes they portray.
Much of the story is told in the first person by Makenna though Fordham switches to a third person viewpoint briefly to more fully develop the other characters. I felt the author captured the youthful voice of her protagonists well, including some subtle use of slang that ground the story in contemporary Australia. However the writing didn't quite have the polish of a professionally edited piece with some structural and style issues. While the narrative is realistic, I thought it lacked nuance. I would have liked a bit more room to make assumptions and 'see' the story unfold rather than be told what to expect.
A Season of Transformation is very much a character driven story, focusing on the personal issues of the teens and their developing relationships with each other in the lead up to the confrontation. Fordham demonstrates an solid understanding of her characters and their motivations and this aspect is a clearly the strength of the novel. Personally, I would have preferred more balance between character and plot, as the potential was there to include more action or adventure throughout. The final battle scene wasn't quite the climatic moment I had hoped for, however Fordham brought the story to a neat conclusion.
Perhaps best suited to a teenage audience, who are likely to relate well to the protagonists and the straightforward plot, A Season of Transformation is a pleasant and quick read that I enjoyed. ( )