Book Review: The Tethered World by Heather L.L. FitzGerald

Title:  The Tethered World (The Tethered World Chronicles, Book 1)
Author:  Heather L.L. FitzGerald
Genre:  Young Adult Christian Fantasy
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date:  February 1, 2016

From the Back Cover:

“Normal” means different things to different people. For sixteen-year-old Sadie Larcen, family dynamics look a little different than most. Parents with oddball occupations? Normal. Five homeschooled siblings—one with autism? Normal.

Police knocking on the door and parents gone missing? Definitely not normal!

When Sadie uncovers the reasons behind her parents’ disappearance and the truth about her heritage, she despairs of ever feeling normal again. Especially when she learns that her mother’s interest in Bigfoot, Dwarves, and other lore extends beyond her popular blog. Sadie’s family has been entrusted with keeping the secrets of the Tethered World—home to creatures that once roamed the Garden of Eden.

Sadie and her siblings must venture into this land to rescue their parents. Stepping out of reality and into a world she never knew existed is a journey Sadie fears and resents. But she chooses to risk all to save her family.

She’s just not sure she will survive in the process.

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review:

Heather L.L. FitzGerald has crafted a magical world that coexists alongside our own, "tethered" in such a way that few people know about it except through accidental sightings (Bigfoot, anyone?). With an eloquence and gift for storytelling, FitzGerald has woven a fantastic tale and seamlessly combined both religious undertones and elements of fantasy in a spectacular tale that both young and old will enjoy.

The Tethered World is the story of Sadie and her siblings, and their mission to find their parents in the strange world where the creatures who once roamed the Garden of Eden have now claimed their home. I found the world to be a fascinating mix of mythical creatures with some rather entertaining and unusual characters. It reminded me of the Narnia books, and this would be a great read for young adults. 

As a personal preference, I enjoy really strong heroines. Sadie didn't want to be there for the majority of the book and I got a little annoyed with her whining. When one of the Gnomes told her off and put her in her place, I couldn't help but snicker a little bit. Go, Reiko! I'm glad someone did. It had an effect and we began to see quite a bit of growth and maturity in our heroine.

Overall, I found this to be a terrific and well-written book with memorable characters and lots of adventure. I was kind of surprised at Sadie's disinterest at exploring The Tethered World, and that made it somewhat harder to enjoy everything the book had to offer. I understand there's a second book in the series and it'll be interesting to see how that pans out, considering her reluctance to ever return to The Tethered World.

My Rating:

About the Author:

Heather L.L. FitzGerald writes from her home in Texas, while dreaming of being back in the Pacific Northwest, where she grew up. When her four kids were young, she enjoyed reading aloud until her voice gave out. (Her son, who is autistic, would just move on to his favorite book on CD).

Certain stories became good friends--the kind you want to revisit. The kind you wish never needed to say goodbye. Those are the sort of stories Heather aspires to write. Stories worthy of delicious coffee and tea, that are difficult to leave.

Heather is a member of the North Texas Christian Writer's group and helps to lead the Manet Writer's group in Fort Worth, Texas.

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