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It’s almost summer in the tiny American town of Crimson Cove, but 12 year-old twins Joshua and Ella Beckett have a major problem: Their best friend Kory has been kidnapped by the evil Lord Kharon and taken to the Unbetween, a parallel realm of the dead. When a mysterious recluse known only as the Great Witch magically shows them how the futures of two worlds depend upon Kharon’s defeat and Kory’s safe return, the Beckett’s and fellow friends – Daniel, Jack and Raevyn – risk their mortal souls to bring her home. Guided only by a shape-shifting guardian and blessed with extraordinary powers from the Unbetween itself, the five companions face their darkest fears, reconnect with lost loves and battle terrifying creatures on their perilous journey to destroy Kharon once and for all. But the Unbetween holds far more secrets than they ever expected, and the fate of every soul - living and dead - hangs in the balance…
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2011
1 person is currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Philip David Hogan
1 book1 followerPhilip David Hogan was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, where he has lived most of his life. As a boy, he simultaneously discovered the books of Stephen King and the films of Steven Spielberg and quickly began a love affair with epic, emotional storytelling. In the late 90's he attended film school in Ontario before embarking on a career as an independent filmmaker and screenwriter. His subsequent short films have played at various festivals throughout North America and several of his feature length screenplays have done very well in some of the most prestigious competitions in the U.S. In 2010, with his head full of more magic, monsters and mayhem than he knew what to do with, Philip finally decided to fulfill a lifelong ambition and complete his first novel, which quickly blossomed into a series of ongoing books called The Weeping Tree Chronicles. The first, BELIEVE, is available now.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 14, 2017
Philip David Hogan’s debut novel, The Weeping Tree Chronicles: Book One – Believe (Darkwater Publishing, 2011) is a lot of things: a teenaged hero’s journey (think The Goonies meets The Lord of the Rings), an emotional drama and a fantasy epic. It often soars, occasionally stumbles yet consistently entertains. It’s not perfect – and I believe (heh) it may suffer from its young adult trappings – but it’s a very solid novel and well worth your time.
The events get started with an unnamed girl dreamily wandering about a wooded area. Was it a nightmare? Why did elements seem familiar? Who was responsible for her attack? Light tension and good usage of psychological horror set the stage for what’s to come.
When the pre-teen heroes of this story gather at the usual meeting spot, one is missing: the girl from the prologue, perhaps? With a MacGuffin in place, they set about an adventure that shatters their concept of the world. Summoned by The Great Witch, the youths must travel to The Unbetween – a place we go when we’re no longer ‘needed’ on Earth. There, the god-like immortal, Kharon, has sucked the life out of the world in his unending quest for power. The Great Witch explains their friend’s – and The Unbetween’s – only hope is to defeat him and restore order.
The book clocks in at approximately 400 pages and the plot is a good, if not incredible, spin on Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. The true strength of this book is in its characters. These are no mere archetypes but well-rounded characters with arcs of their own. Joshua Beckett, the strong leader, and his adventurous (and three-minutes-younger) twin sister, Ella, have a well-written dynamic between them. The gentle spirit, Raevyn Odessa, bears a heavy load upon her soul. Jack Scarlett – the smart-mouthed trickster – and Daniel Roberts – the wise-beyond-his-years meekling – are both great characters as well. They may bicker a little too much, but that's probably realistic now that I think about it.
In addition to these humans-out-of-water and the aforementioned Great Witch, we meet a bevy of creatures: gargoyles, vampires and wayward souls, oh my. And that’s just in the first half!
Hogan has a strong grasp of the written word and is effective at pacing his story. The world is vast and the author’s love of stories shines through. In addition to the comparison above, I’d wager this story appeals to fans of the award-winning comics Fables, The Unwritten, and The Sandman.
Despite its depth and attention to detail, this is no textbook and the young adult tag is well placed. Unfortunately, I believe it also limits Hogan’s abilities: I would love to read a mature readers’ tale by him to really see how he writes when the gloves are off. I felt that, at times, things were repetitious and moved slower as the author waited for younger readers to catch up. I never felt insulted, merely a tad frustrated. A trimming of approximately 50 too-expository-for-their-own-good pages and an elevation in the reading level would boost this book to even greater heights.
Not bad for a first try, eh? I’m noticing a trend from these Newfoundland authors: solid debuts in exciting series across a range of genres. Consider this a call to the rest of Canada.
The events get started with an unnamed girl dreamily wandering about a wooded area. Was it a nightmare? Why did elements seem familiar? Who was responsible for her attack? Light tension and good usage of psychological horror set the stage for what’s to come.
When the pre-teen heroes of this story gather at the usual meeting spot, one is missing: the girl from the prologue, perhaps? With a MacGuffin in place, they set about an adventure that shatters their concept of the world. Summoned by The Great Witch, the youths must travel to The Unbetween – a place we go when we’re no longer ‘needed’ on Earth. There, the god-like immortal, Kharon, has sucked the life out of the world in his unending quest for power. The Great Witch explains their friend’s – and The Unbetween’s – only hope is to defeat him and restore order.
The book clocks in at approximately 400 pages and the plot is a good, if not incredible, spin on Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. The true strength of this book is in its characters. These are no mere archetypes but well-rounded characters with arcs of their own. Joshua Beckett, the strong leader, and his adventurous (and three-minutes-younger) twin sister, Ella, have a well-written dynamic between them. The gentle spirit, Raevyn Odessa, bears a heavy load upon her soul. Jack Scarlett – the smart-mouthed trickster – and Daniel Roberts – the wise-beyond-his-years meekling – are both great characters as well. They may bicker a little too much, but that's probably realistic now that I think about it.
In addition to these humans-out-of-water and the aforementioned Great Witch, we meet a bevy of creatures: gargoyles, vampires and wayward souls, oh my. And that’s just in the first half!
Hogan has a strong grasp of the written word and is effective at pacing his story. The world is vast and the author’s love of stories shines through. In addition to the comparison above, I’d wager this story appeals to fans of the award-winning comics Fables, The Unwritten, and The Sandman.
Despite its depth and attention to detail, this is no textbook and the young adult tag is well placed. Unfortunately, I believe it also limits Hogan’s abilities: I would love to read a mature readers’ tale by him to really see how he writes when the gloves are off. I felt that, at times, things were repetitious and moved slower as the author waited for younger readers to catch up. I never felt insulted, merely a tad frustrated. A trimming of approximately 50 too-expository-for-their-own-good pages and an elevation in the reading level would boost this book to even greater heights.
Not bad for a first try, eh? I’m noticing a trend from these Newfoundland authors: solid debuts in exciting series across a range of genres. Consider this a call to the rest of Canada.
April 19, 2023
Beautiful YA novel that is completely enchanting, with a wonderful cast of characters. The imaginative other world is described with beauty and with the perfect amount of humor and charm that you never want to leave. A perfect medley of fiction and non-fiction characters in an unforgettable coming of age story. Hogan's writing is full of unforgettable imagery that keeps you turning the pages.
June 27, 2011
I'm not a fantasy fan. I'm also not a fan of teen lit. Harry Potter, Twilight, etc. do nothing for me. I even think Lord of the Rings is a bit over-rated.
That said, Believe had me taken within the first few chapters and over the past couple of weeks I've found myself plotting out my hours, looking forward to a moment in the day when I could get back to the Unbetween. Simply put, it was addictive. Which is probably the ultimate goal of any novel.
But, Believe is more than just an addictive read. The characters pop, the story twists, the surroundings thrill and captivate. And, of course, what's most fascinating is the world that Hogan has created: The Unbetween, with all of its haunting, vivid landscapes (The Forest Dark will blow your mind!), strange creatures, and even stranger phenomena. Still, while certainly imaginative, all of these fantastical elements would be thin and uninteresting were they not rooted in a philosophy of belief equally compelling to adults and teens.
I give Believe four stars because I have a feeling the Weeping Tree Chronicles will only get better. If you think you don't like fantasy, this is the book for you.
That said, Believe had me taken within the first few chapters and over the past couple of weeks I've found myself plotting out my hours, looking forward to a moment in the day when I could get back to the Unbetween. Simply put, it was addictive. Which is probably the ultimate goal of any novel.
But, Believe is more than just an addictive read. The characters pop, the story twists, the surroundings thrill and captivate. And, of course, what's most fascinating is the world that Hogan has created: The Unbetween, with all of its haunting, vivid landscapes (The Forest Dark will blow your mind!), strange creatures, and even stranger phenomena. Still, while certainly imaginative, all of these fantastical elements would be thin and uninteresting were they not rooted in a philosophy of belief equally compelling to adults and teens.
I give Believe four stars because I have a feeling the Weeping Tree Chronicles will only get better. If you think you don't like fantasy, this is the book for you.
June 5, 2011
The story is about six friends close to each other. Just leaving sixth grade and enjoying their summers before their middle schools tear them apart. The town is seperated by a river and in this half are on one side and the other half are on the other. With the river being their meeting point. The tweens begin a summer journey that will change their lives forever when one of them goes missing. Taken by a man in a world they thought didn't exist telling themselves it's not real not true they soon learn that somethings are better left to be discovered.
I enjoyed this book, It was intriguing and brought me back to some of my childhood days when things were still imaginary and we all still had those dreams. The ones that there might be something under your bed. Just the usual fun of being a kid I can't wait for more of the chronicles to emerge just to know what happens to these kids.
I enjoyed this book, It was intriguing and brought me back to some of my childhood days when things were still imaginary and we all still had those dreams. The ones that there might be something under your bed. Just the usual fun of being a kid I can't wait for more of the chronicles to emerge just to know what happens to these kids.
July 27, 2011
Won this book on the Library Thing Member Giveaway and enjoyed it a lot. It tells the story of 5 childhood friends (ages 12-13) who journey to the 'Unbetween' to rescue their friend who has been kidnapped. The Unbetween is the place where dead people/things go and stay for awhile until they move on to their final destination. But the Unbetween has been twisted and broken by Kharon and the children face many challenges on their adventure. Elements of mythology play into the goings-on in the Unbetween. This is a great first effort by the author; I look forward to reading the second book in this series.
August 4, 2011
Won this book on the Library Thing Member Giveaway and enjoyed it a lot. It tells the story of 5 childhood friends (ages 12-13) who journey to the 'Unbetween' to rescue their friend who has been kidnapped. The Unbetween is the place where dead people/things go and stay for awhile until they move on to their final destination. But the Unbetween has been twisted and broken by Kharon and the children face many challenges on their adventure. Elements of mythology play into the goings-on in the Unbetween. This is a great first effort by the author; I look forward to reading the second book in this series.
October 2, 2013
This was much better than I thought it was going to be . Now where's book 2????
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews