Blog Tour: A Review for Eternal Youth by Julie Crane & Nolia McCarty + eBook Giveaway.

Posted by Donna

Release Date: April 4th 2012

Finished Date: April 17th, 2012

Publishers: Self-Published

Source: For Review

Format: Kindle

Pages: Unknown
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

The six years following the abrupt death of her father were the worst of Calista Bishoff's life. Frightened by her own mortality, Callie’s mom threw herself into a search for the Fountain of Youth—and dragged Callie along with her. Callie should have loved traveling, but instead she hated every minute. When one more failed search sends her mother into depression, they finally return home to California. Sixteen-year-old Callie is ready to hang with her friends and be normal for as long as she can. But, an unplanned trip to Bermuda with her grandmother throws Callie’s plans awry, and there’s more in store for Callie and her mom than just a simple beach vacation. Callie’s life is turned inside out as she finds herself in a very different world than the one she knows— Where things exist that she never dreamed were real.

The Review: Following the death of Callie’s father when she was 10 years old, her mother decides she must find ‘The Fountain of Youth’ and for 6 years that has been Callie’s life – one journey after another, chasing leads to the far ends of the earth without success. Callie has had enough, she hates it and just wants to lead a normal teenage life where she can hang with her friends and possibly get a boyfriend, if only her mother would listen. So Callie is less than pleased when her mother- Emma decides they will join her Gran for a proper vacation to Bermuda when all she wants is to relax at home with her friend Avery. Yet again Callie is forced to leave her life behind to follow her mother’s whims only this time they are in for an adventure that no one saw coming and as discoveries are made she must decide where she really belongs.
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I liked this book, it was quite sweet and heart-warming – every one of the characters were likable, I don’t think I came across one I didn’t like. . . well maybe Emma (in the beginning) but only because I thought she was a bit selfish trying to accomplish her goal while forsaking her daughters childhood. Callie and Alaric were the best characters though and I enjoyed reading of their blossoming relationship especially since they were both from different places in time. I enjoyed getting the extra glimpse into Callies’ mind set through her journal entries at different points in her life, what started with enthusiasm turned into frustration at each failed mission. It helped to feel her frustration of living her life for her mothers’ quest when all she wanted to do was be a normal teenager – going to school, hanging with friends, getting a boyfriend and a life basically. I would have liked to have read some on island entries though, particularly when she had just met Alaric because her feelings would have been so new to her and in her entries you actually get that she is just a teenager whereas it is easy to forget that throughout the book where she seems older than her years. I liked the dilemma they were all faced with and how the circumstances and meaning were something different to each person and that they were each in charge of their own destiny.
I liked the whole scenario and while the plot wasn’t something I have read before I couldn’t help but think about the TV series ’Lost’ not that there were a lot of similarities – there weren’t- but it just kept popping into my head for some reason. I was very curious about the island and felt it could have had a greater part to play in the book – we got a bit of the powers that be with-holding information that could have been expanded on. Plus there is the history and mysteriousness of the island itself, not to mention the fountain which again could have been explored and expanded upon because what we did get, I did like – I just wanted a bit more. It was rather slow paced, it didn’t really bother me apart from the fact that it didn’t really pick up until halfway and then again at the ending. I do like more of a fast paced adventure but I admit it wasn’t needed to get the story across any better. So this was a nice sweet adventure/love story and for all I wanted more from it, I was satisfied with what I got and that’s why I’m giving it a 3 out of 5. 

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