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Flashback
Isabelle Holloway is not your average teen. As if being reincarnated and having confusing flashbacks about her past isn’t enough. Now her boyfriend Erik is back from her life in the 1800s. Not to mention the man who murdered her has returned to seek his vengeance. Even though her friends want to catch the killer, Isabelle can’t trust anyone. Can they stop him, or will they fail?
153 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2012
1 person is currently reading
86 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 11, 2013
I wanted to like this book. I wanted to like this book so badly. I think it is an incredible achievement for a thirteen-year-old writer to complete a story like this (I was one, too) and I believe that this could have been an amazing story if it had just gone through a few more rounds of editing. As it is, it felt like there were too many inconsistencies and clichés and things that didn’t make sense. Like I said, it was a good premise, it just needed more polishing.
The plot:
This story has an interesting storyline, combining vampires, reincarnation, and magic. Isabelle is a sixteen-year-old with a previous life in pre-Civil War New England that ended when she was murdered by an unknown killer for an unknown reason. She is haunted by dreams and flashbacks of a man named Eric she knows she loved, but can’t seem to make heads or tails of what to do until he shows up at her high school. The storyline didn’t drag, one of the qualities of this book, and I was pleasantly surprised when I was taken unawares by the twist of the villain’s identity at the end.
The characters:
I had a real problem with Isabelle. She seems unstable, silly, and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It seemed that every few scenes she was telling Eric to go away and leave her alone. It may just be me, but if I met the man I’d been dreaming about and pining after for years, I would be nervous, but when I did speak to him my first words would be something other than “leave me alone.” Most of Isabelle and Eric’s moments involved her asking him to go away and I didn’t think it made sense considering she was supposed to be in love with him. Even when it becomes clear that her life is once again in danger and he is attempting to protect her, she keeps doing ridiculous things like running off by herself.
The author attempts to put in a love triangle that has carried over from Isabelle’s past life. The love triangle has become one of the hallmarks of the vampire romance and I believe it is the puffer fish of literature—one wrong cut and you taint the whole story. Personally, I remember only ever reading three, perhaps four, love triangles which I actually thought were written well. (Two of those were by the same author in the same series and in both cases the romances were never requited, so I don’t know if they count.) Personally, I think Ms. LoPresti should have handled that element of the story differently—perhaps not eliminated it altogether, but edited it further to make it more believable.
There were a lot of things in this book that bugged me, but I still read it in a single evening. I did enjoy parts, I just would have enjoyed it much more if the issues I had were addressed. I think this author does have talent and she should definitely keep writing, I just think she needs to find a good editor to help hone her skills.
The plot:
This story has an interesting storyline, combining vampires, reincarnation, and magic. Isabelle is a sixteen-year-old with a previous life in pre-Civil War New England that ended when she was murdered by an unknown killer for an unknown reason. She is haunted by dreams and flashbacks of a man named Eric she knows she loved, but can’t seem to make heads or tails of what to do until he shows up at her high school. The storyline didn’t drag, one of the qualities of this book, and I was pleasantly surprised when I was taken unawares by the twist of the villain’s identity at the end.
The characters:
I had a real problem with Isabelle. She seems unstable, silly, and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It seemed that every few scenes she was telling Eric to go away and leave her alone. It may just be me, but if I met the man I’d been dreaming about and pining after for years, I would be nervous, but when I did speak to him my first words would be something other than “leave me alone.” Most of Isabelle and Eric’s moments involved her asking him to go away and I didn’t think it made sense considering she was supposed to be in love with him. Even when it becomes clear that her life is once again in danger and he is attempting to protect her, she keeps doing ridiculous things like running off by herself.
The author attempts to put in a love triangle that has carried over from Isabelle’s past life. The love triangle has become one of the hallmarks of the vampire romance and I believe it is the puffer fish of literature—one wrong cut and you taint the whole story. Personally, I remember only ever reading three, perhaps four, love triangles which I actually thought were written well. (Two of those were by the same author in the same series and in both cases the romances were never requited, so I don’t know if they count.) Personally, I think Ms. LoPresti should have handled that element of the story differently—perhaps not eliminated it altogether, but edited it further to make it more believable.
There were a lot of things in this book that bugged me, but I still read it in a single evening. I did enjoy parts, I just would have enjoyed it much more if the issues I had were addressed. I think this author does have talent and she should definitely keep writing, I just think she needs to find a good editor to help hone her skills.
June 15, 2013
First I will say that I am very impressed that a twelve year-old girl wrote a novel and had it published. Cheers for her!
Now, the overall idea for this book was interesting. However, the delivery was not. The book was filled with errors that an editor could have easily fixed (spelling, grammar, overall appearance of the book, etc.) and parts of the story were just too juvenile for the main character's age (16).
Some parts of the story were very confusing and the characters seemed to keep changing so much that it was hard to figure out what they were trying to accomplish. There were several times that I got lost and could not figure out what the characters were doing. They were obviously keeping information from Isabelle (the main character) but the inconsistencies made it too hard to follow. I also wasn't sold on the vampire situation and thought that was a little too clichéd. I thought that the author could have done something totally different with the characters and made this a more original story.
The overall confusion in the book and the many errors kept me from reading it quickly but as I mentioned before, the overall plot was interesting.
Since this author is so young, I think she would benefit from having an older mentor help sort out her thoughts so that they can be clearly expressed in her novel.
After completing Flashback, it appears as if there will be a sequel. I will most likely read it and I hope that the author has found a way to clear up some of her previous errors. I applaud her first efforts as a published author
Now, the overall idea for this book was interesting. However, the delivery was not. The book was filled with errors that an editor could have easily fixed (spelling, grammar, overall appearance of the book, etc.) and parts of the story were just too juvenile for the main character's age (16).
Some parts of the story were very confusing and the characters seemed to keep changing so much that it was hard to figure out what they were trying to accomplish. There were several times that I got lost and could not figure out what the characters were doing. They were obviously keeping information from Isabelle (the main character) but the inconsistencies made it too hard to follow. I also wasn't sold on the vampire situation and thought that was a little too clichéd. I thought that the author could have done something totally different with the characters and made this a more original story.
The overall confusion in the book and the many errors kept me from reading it quickly but as I mentioned before, the overall plot was interesting.
Since this author is so young, I think she would benefit from having an older mentor help sort out her thoughts so that they can be clearly expressed in her novel.
After completing Flashback, it appears as if there will be a sequel. I will most likely read it and I hope that the author has found a way to clear up some of her previous errors. I applaud her first efforts as a published author
October 2, 2012
I had the pleasure of meeting Kyla at one of her author events. Beyond being a wonderful role model, Kyla is quite the budding writer. I loved Flashback's intricate plot with two different time periods and a twisting, turning mystery. What an ambitious undertaking for any author, never mind one as young as Kyla. I look forward to her next book and watching her grow as a writer. I see a bright future for Kyla.
May 27, 2015
Thoroughly Enjoyed
Considering the author's age, I was very impressed with this novel. Some moments are a little clinched, but the overall storyline is interesting and definitely kept me entertained throughout. I can't wait to see what else she will do as a writer and as she matures. I would recommend this book to people who like the Twilight saga or books about supernatural teens.
Considering the author's age, I was very impressed with this novel. Some moments are a little clinched, but the overall storyline is interesting and definitely kept me entertained throughout. I can't wait to see what else she will do as a writer and as she matures. I would recommend this book to people who like the Twilight saga or books about supernatural teens.
May 28, 2012
Kyla LoPresti is definitely one to watch. There is a huge amount of creativity and imagination behind this book and it's written in a very easy-to-read manner. I was hooked from the start into a genre I don't normally pay much attention to. I totally forgot I was reading the work of a 12-year old at times as the story moved to its climax.
Bravo Kyla!
Bravo Kyla!
April 4, 2017
Really good for her age.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews