Countercharm

by Cherese A. Vines

Sydnie Knight never knew how much her life would change when her mother sent her to Seattle to stay with her aunt. Upon her first meeting with a strange young man named Ron Andres, she has a foreboding feeling about him. After a series of dreamlike visions, bizarre behavior, and a near-fatal drowning accident, Sydnie is sent to "talk things out" with psychologist Dr. Neal Vaughan. From the doctor, Sydnie learns frightening realizations that only get more fantastic as time goes on. Who can she trust when she finds out her mother is missing and everyone seems to think she's gone crazy? Including herself.

111 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Novelist, Cherese A. Vines was born into a military family. Throughout her life, she has lived in several cities from Texas to Illinois.
Although she has a background in Journalism, Cherese's love of reading fiction led to creative writing pursuits. She has incorporated her experiences and her travels into her writings. In 2001, she self-published, Countercharm, her first young adult novel. She has lent her talents to projects for other writers and has consulted with several Atlanta-based film companies and stage productions. Cherese resides in Georgia and has a number of projects currently in development.

Reviews

[Mymcbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good book that you can’t put down and Countercharm is that book. This story reminds me of sitting with my brothers and sister listening to my grandmother tell a good story where you can’t wait to know what happened to the main character. A story full of fantasy and imagination as you wonder what Ron is up to, and why Sydnie felt so strange every time he is around. Great story line and I recommend this book to family.

[Jessica Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Question 1
On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate your reading experience of Countercharm by Cherese A. Vines?
*Rate 5 for I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Question 2
What was your favorite part of Countercharm? What was your least favorite part of Countercharm? Why?
*My favorite part was Sydine's relentless spirit throught the story. She reminds me a lot of myself. If there is something I want to find out, I cant let it go until I do. She's a fighter and I was rooting for her the whole book. Didnt want to put it down.
*No least favorite part.

Question 3
Who was your favorite character? Who was your least favorite character? Why?
*Sydine was my favorite character as explained in the answer to question #1.
*My least favorite character was Ron. He was just a very bad man. Cherese developed him very well in order to emote those feelings about a fictitious character because I REALLY didnt like him at all...the meanie!

Question 4
Was this a Quick read, Medium read, or Slow read? Why do you think so?
*This was a Quick-Medium read because I didn't want to put it down. I had to make sure I finished the chapeter before I let myself close the book for the night even though I didnt want to. It was partly Medium because I wanted to make sure I understood what I was reading when the story takes the reader to the different times and deminsions.

Question 5
Would you recommend this book to Family, Friends, Strangers? Why or why not?
*I would definitely recomment this book to EVERYONE. It is fitting for all ages. It has all of the elements a story should have: excitement, danger, romance, humor, & it keeps you on the edge of your seat. I loved it.

Question 6
Do you think Countercharm is appropriate for the target age group (juvenile/teen ages 11-16)? Why or why not?
*Yes it is for the appropriate age group. Kids that age are able to relate to the main character. It is not over your head but it is also not so simple that an 11 year old would think it to be too young for them.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Countercharm (Cherese A. Vines)

Sydnie Knight was sent by her Mother to stay with her Aunt in Seattle. Once there she meets a strange young man named Ron Andres, she gets an odd feeling about him when ever he is around, but (she) is not sure what feels so wrong about him. She starts to have bizarre dreams and nearly drowns, then is sent to a psychologist.

Soon she finds out her mother is missing, and as she continues with her counseling session she starts to learn frightening things about her past, which is affecting her current state and the out come of her future is uncertain. Every one is starting to think she is going crazy, and she is starting to question her own sanity.

A fast paced exciting Y/A fantasy I feel Adults will enjoy as well. I intend to read the next book Countercharm 2: Of Stars and Dreams to find out more about Sydnie. A great "beach read".

[Kenechi Udogu · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable, quick read. One thing that stood out was the length of the novel. It would have been better if the story was fleshed out a bit - apart from Sydnie, we didn't get to know the other characters very well. I also got a little confused with the POV switching up numerous times within each chapter, sometimes even mid paragraph. Notwithstanding, it was a good story which kept me reading.

[Read for your future! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Mecheles review here:
http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com...

[Mechele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review at readforyourfuture.blogspot.com :)

[Tiffany]

I won this book on Goodreads.  This was an interesting story, but not really my cup of tea.  I think it may be for a younger age group than I usually read- perhaps more middle grade/pre-teen than YA  (but far more advanced than the chapter books I read with my 6 year old).  The story is simple and complex at the same time but not always in a cohesive way. The pacing and length are appropriate for pre-teen readers, but the book suffers a bit from a lack of background and explanations.  Little bits of information are sort of thrown at the reader and it gets quite confusing.  The dream sequences and references/jumps to and from different dimensions were hard for me to follow, so I would think the target age reader might have problems as well. It’s fine to leave some mysteries and open questions until the end, but the reader does need enough information to feel like they have some sense of what has happened and what is going to happen in the story. I do think there are multiple elements that would be entertaining for and well-liked by the intended age group.