Jenelyn’s Journey sees our main protagonist, Jenelyn, embarking on a voyage of self discovery as she leaves the security of home and all that she knows, to venture out into the world and find her true path in life. The beginning of her journey takes her to Gretchen and Lazlo in Germany, where she starts to build a life there until the spirits acknowledge whether she should remain or move on. Jenelyn is soon drawn into a tragic secret guarded by the couple connected to a dark urban legend.
I really enjoyed this unusual tale, and the challenges that were raised for the protagonist Jenelyn, not just on a physical level but on a spiritual and emotional level too. The events and situations that occurred were convincing, and I could easily resonate with the character of Jenelyn, and all that she was experiencing. There were no noticeable errors in the editing of the book, and no significant issues that pulled me out of the story and spoiled my enjoyment. As a reader I was engaged throughout, and connected to the characters, finding the relationships between Jenelyn and her hosts believable and heart felt.
The introduction of the legend and the tension built was well written. During one particular scene the building atmosphere had me so emotionally invested to prompt a physical reaction. The scene described leading the reader to question what was the actual truth of it, a coincidence, or had the legend come to life?
The story moves forward at a satisfactory pace, although I did feel at times it dragged in places, caught up by the level of detail described relating to Jenelyn’s visits to the tourist landmarks and attractions. Any reader who is interested in travel and tourism however will love this, but for me I was more fascinated with Jenelyn’s beliefs and the difficulty of adapting to a new culture and way of life.
The dialogue is credible, however I must admit I really struggled trying to read the speech when it was written in german, and this caused me to stumble over the words. Although the author does provide some translations, there isn’t anything noted to support the pronunciation of the words. Other readers more proficient in languages will however not find this an issue, and it does support in setting the scene and location for the reader.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read and a great beginning to a fascinating series. I award, Jenelyn’s Journey, 4 stars.
