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The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear
Librarian's note: This is an alternate cover edition for
ISBN: 0615732135 (ISBN13: 9780615732138).
The journey into adulthood is stranger than she expects. Graduation from community college isn’t the magic elixir Hetty Locklear counts on for becoming an adult. Her parents, who work the Renaissance fair circuit, insist she spend part of the summer with them. Hetty doubts pretending to live in the Middle Ages will help her find her way. To make it worse, an entity haunts her at her dead-end job, warning her of a dangerous man she doesn’t know. The ghost leads her to a lover who has a lot of secrets. He pulls her farther into peril and into a strange, hidden world of genetic experimentation. New Adult contemporary fantasy with a contemporary sci-fi twist. Some mature content.
ISBN: 0615732135 (ISBN13: 9780615732138).
The journey into adulthood is stranger than she expects. Graduation from community college isn’t the magic elixir Hetty Locklear counts on for becoming an adult. Her parents, who work the Renaissance fair circuit, insist she spend part of the summer with them. Hetty doubts pretending to live in the Middle Ages will help her find her way. To make it worse, an entity haunts her at her dead-end job, warning her of a dangerous man she doesn’t know. The ghost leads her to a lover who has a lot of secrets. He pulls her farther into peril and into a strange, hidden world of genetic experimentation. New Adult contemporary fantasy with a contemporary sci-fi twist. Some mature content.
- GenresFantasyParanormal
255 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
493 people want to read
About the author
M. Pax
46 books298 followersM. Pax is author of the sci-fi series, The Backworlds, and the new adult urban fantasy Hetty Locklear series. A Browncoat and SG fan, she's also slightly obsessed with Jane Austen. In the summers she docents as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory where the other astronomers now believe she has the most extensive collection of moon photos in existence. No fear, there will be more next summer. She lives in stunning Central Oregon with the Husband Unit and two lovely, spoiled cats. Want to connect? Visit www.mpaxauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 6, 2012
LOVE this story! Humor, intrigue, a little romance. Great series starter!
July 13, 2015
This is the second book I’ve read by M. Pax and I have to say I was wowed. Hetty is unlike many heroines one meets in books. She’s awkward, unsure of herself, too curvy (in her opinion), honest, and she loves donuts. Seriously, I was craving donuts the entire time. She’s also a geek. Many can relate to Hetty as she’s transitioning from college to real life. For me, real characters make the best characters. I want to get to know their flaws and fears. This is a fun story about a lovable character bumbling into adulthood.
November 14, 2012
It's Hetty Locklear's big day. She's graduating from college and starting her life as an adult. But when her diploma's in her hand, nothing changes. She's still sharing an apartment with her cousins, working at a convenience store, and eating too many sweets. Her only escape is through her fantasy worlds, but that's where the surprises in her life begin. Two new members join Hetty's online role-playing game and a gorgeous man at a bakery offers to help her find a job. Her estranged parents contact her and want her to visit as they work at Renaissance fairs. If that isn't enough to drive a woman to too many donuts, a ghost stalks Hetty at the shop and sends her chilling warnings. Hetty's fantasy worlds begin to look tame compared to her real life, and she can only hope to survive the strange secret life she's being dragged into.
Mary Pax's newest book is a weird and wonderful ride. It begins on a familiar note. Trying to find one's place in the world and start life as an adult is something we can all relate to. From the ordinary, we slowly spin into a tale of the extraordinary. Mysterious men, ghosts, psychics, and then we're hit with a sci-fi twist. I had wondered how everything would fit together, but Mary Pax weaves a clever tale.
The biggest hook for me was Hetty Locklear herself. She's not your typical heroine. She's a real woman with flaws and too many curves. She's creative, geeky, and loyal to her friends, but insecure and way too nice. Sometimes she's far too emotional, but she's brave when she needs to be. I immediately connected to her. It was as if the story could be about me. I love reading about woman who are real. Most urban fantasy heroines I might enjoy reading about, but I can't relate to them. There needs to be more books out there with ordinary woman who rise to great challenges.
Mary Pax's newest book is a weird and wonderful ride. It begins on a familiar note. Trying to find one's place in the world and start life as an adult is something we can all relate to. From the ordinary, we slowly spin into a tale of the extraordinary. Mysterious men, ghosts, psychics, and then we're hit with a sci-fi twist. I had wondered how everything would fit together, but Mary Pax weaves a clever tale.
The biggest hook for me was Hetty Locklear herself. She's not your typical heroine. She's a real woman with flaws and too many curves. She's creative, geeky, and loyal to her friends, but insecure and way too nice. Sometimes she's far too emotional, but she's brave when she needs to be. I immediately connected to her. It was as if the story could be about me. I love reading about woman who are real. Most urban fantasy heroines I might enjoy reading about, but I can't relate to them. There needs to be more books out there with ordinary woman who rise to great challenges.
December 19, 2012
Hetty Locklear is the perfect heroine for anyone who has ever felt like a misfit. Awkward and clumsy, Hetty worries about her weight, hates what she sees in the mirror, and feels completely unlovable. She wants her life to change after her graduation from the local community college, but has no idea how to make that happen.
As Hetty struggles to become the adult she wants to be, her life does begin to change in ways she never could have imagined. She meets a gorgeous guy who stuns her with his interest in her, deals with the parents who left her years ago to work in traveling Renaissance fairs, and even ends up haunted by her own personal ghost. It's impossible not to root for Hetty as she learns to navigate the changing landscape of her world and is faced with things she never could have dreamed existed.
The supporting characters in the book are just as strong as Hetty, with special mention going to her best friends and roommates Raspberry and Maisey. The relationship between the three young women is funny as well as touching.
The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear is a great start to a new series, and I know I will be looking forward to reading more of Hetty's adventures.
As Hetty struggles to become the adult she wants to be, her life does begin to change in ways she never could have imagined. She meets a gorgeous guy who stuns her with his interest in her, deals with the parents who left her years ago to work in traveling Renaissance fairs, and even ends up haunted by her own personal ghost. It's impossible not to root for Hetty as she learns to navigate the changing landscape of her world and is faced with things she never could have dreamed existed.
The supporting characters in the book are just as strong as Hetty, with special mention going to her best friends and roommates Raspberry and Maisey. The relationship between the three young women is funny as well as touching.
The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear is a great start to a new series, and I know I will be looking forward to reading more of Hetty's adventures.
November 23, 2012
A great start to what will surely be a successful series.
I read this in two nights (in roughly 3 hours altogether!) and I liked every minute of it. Hetty is a character I think a lot of women can relate to. She does not see herself as beautiful at all, is a bit on the pudgy side, and a bit nerdy. Yet she has wonderful friends who see her as what she is - a beautiful, loyal friend. Eventually, she becomes involved with a man who sees her as the most beautiful person in existence; again something many of us can relate to. Each character is enjoyable, and you feel like each of them is real. A good deal of drama and intrigue (I get the feeling a certain character is not as sweet as he appears!), along with humor and romance make this worth reading. Beautiful writing helps describes the scenery like you are there, without being overly descriptive and lengthy. I look forward to the next installment!
I read this in two nights (in roughly 3 hours altogether!) and I liked every minute of it. Hetty is a character I think a lot of women can relate to. She does not see herself as beautiful at all, is a bit on the pudgy side, and a bit nerdy. Yet she has wonderful friends who see her as what she is - a beautiful, loyal friend. Eventually, she becomes involved with a man who sees her as the most beautiful person in existence; again something many of us can relate to. Each character is enjoyable, and you feel like each of them is real. A good deal of drama and intrigue (I get the feeling a certain character is not as sweet as he appears!), along with humor and romance make this worth reading. Beautiful writing helps describes the scenery like you are there, without being overly descriptive and lengthy. I look forward to the next installment!
November 15, 2012
Hetty is a real-world geeky girl trying to figure out her place in an adult world, while escaping the harsh realities by playing fantasy games with her friends. Mysterious events soon sweep her along a different path, one that challenges Hetty to rise above her preconceived notions of what it means to graduate from college and grow up.
This is a fun beginning to a new series, filled with foibles and embarrassing moments for Hetty, as well as romance and triumph. Add in ghostly visitors, strange parents and several potential suitors and you have the makings of a roller coaster ride filled with excitement.
This is a fun beginning to a new series, filled with foibles and embarrassing moments for Hetty, as well as romance and triumph. Add in ghostly visitors, strange parents and several potential suitors and you have the makings of a roller coaster ride filled with excitement.
April 28, 2015
Excellent story. I love Hetty. In her quest to reinvent herself from chubby convenience store worker, she finds love, adventure, and truths about herself. Ms. Pax did an excellent job of blending women's lit with some sci-fi elements proving that not all stories have to come from a cookie cutter to be good.
August 9, 2016
I won a copy of this book in the 2013 Blogger Book Fair.
There were many aspects of this that I liked a lot, in particular the geek girl main character and her roommates, who spend all of their free time eating pastries and playing an online RPG that they've created themselves. The three of them have a solid, realistic friendship and its always nice to see such a thing portrayed (especially when it passes the Bechdel Test)!
It was intriguingly hypocritical, though not really commented upon, that Hetty -- so into online RPGs -- would be so down on the Renaissance Fair lifestyle that her own parents live, since these are both "geeky" things, although Hetty is bitter of their abandonment of her and not because of the Ren Fair lifestyle itself. I thought from the book description that Ren Fairs would play a bigger part, but Hetty only attends for one day. But I did like, ultimately, how the 'high-fantasy' elements of the book function as a misdirection away from the modern sci-fi elements that eventually take precedence.
I thought it neat, at first, that Hetty was portrayed as so clueless about adulthood and what she wants to do with her life. We need more books urban fantasy books wherein the heroine works a crap job at a convenience store -- they can't all be detectives and heiresses! However Hetty's basic immaturity wore out its welcome for me. Although there are hints of character growth, Hetty mostly just continues along waiting for things to magically happen to her (regardless of whether or not they do) and pretty much all of this revolves around her need for male approval. From the beginning I thought the book was going to lead away from that, with Hetty learning that she doesn't need a man for validation, and I felt a little cheated when things did not go that way. There was, instead, some creepy stalkerish behavior masquerading as "romance", and it never once got called out.
All told, this was a decent enough bit of fluff, but could have been so much more. The great portrayals of friendship and geekdom would lead me to a 3-star rating, but the extremely hinky romance bump the whole thing down a notch.
There were many aspects of this that I liked a lot, in particular the geek girl main character and her roommates, who spend all of their free time eating pastries and playing an online RPG that they've created themselves. The three of them have a solid, realistic friendship and its always nice to see such a thing portrayed (especially when it passes the Bechdel Test)!
It was intriguingly hypocritical, though not really commented upon, that Hetty -- so into online RPGs -- would be so down on the Renaissance Fair lifestyle that her own parents live, since these are both "geeky" things, although Hetty is bitter of their abandonment of her and not because of the Ren Fair lifestyle itself. I thought from the book description that Ren Fairs would play a bigger part, but Hetty only attends for one day. But I did like, ultimately, how the 'high-fantasy' elements of the book function as a misdirection away from the modern sci-fi elements that eventually take precedence.
I thought it neat, at first, that Hetty was portrayed as so clueless about adulthood and what she wants to do with her life. We need more books urban fantasy books wherein the heroine works a crap job at a convenience store -- they can't all be detectives and heiresses! However Hetty's basic immaturity wore out its welcome for me. Although there are hints of character growth, Hetty mostly just continues along waiting for things to magically happen to her (regardless of whether or not they do) and pretty much all of this revolves around her need for male approval. From the beginning I thought the book was going to lead away from that, with Hetty learning that she doesn't need a man for validation, and I felt a little cheated when things did not go that way. There was, instead, some creepy stalkerish behavior masquerading as "romance", and it never once got called out.
All told, this was a decent enough bit of fluff, but could have been so much more. The great portrayals of friendship and geekdom would lead me to a 3-star rating, but the extremely hinky romance bump the whole thing down a notch.
June 25, 2013
Hetty Locklear soon discovers being an adult isn’t as magical as she’d hoped it would be in M. Pax’s The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear.
Hetty Locklear is unlike any character I’ve ever read about. She’s awkward, a tad shy, and a bit lost on what she wants to do with her life, but she’s also a very cool geek, who’s very loyal. Her best friends have so much character and add to the storyline. And the men vying for Hetty’s attention make this novel a fun and sometimes quite steamy read. And having spent many hours role-playing online, I love that Hetty and her friends enjoy that too. It definitely brought back memories of good times.
Sometimes the wordy descriptions had me skimming a bit here and there, and the plot could’ve been a bit tighter. The worldbuilding was fascinating, but I would’ve liked to learned more about it as some of the plot threads had a science fiction feel with a hint of fantasy. I liked how Hetty slowly grows more confident in who she is toward the end as well. As for the ending, it had me on the edge of my seat, and I hope Pax gets around to writing book two, so I can see what happens next.
Overall, The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear by M. Pax is an enjoyable read and sure to bring out the geek in us all.
Hetty Locklear is unlike any character I’ve ever read about. She’s awkward, a tad shy, and a bit lost on what she wants to do with her life, but she’s also a very cool geek, who’s very loyal. Her best friends have so much character and add to the storyline. And the men vying for Hetty’s attention make this novel a fun and sometimes quite steamy read. And having spent many hours role-playing online, I love that Hetty and her friends enjoy that too. It definitely brought back memories of good times.
Sometimes the wordy descriptions had me skimming a bit here and there, and the plot could’ve been a bit tighter. The worldbuilding was fascinating, but I would’ve liked to learned more about it as some of the plot threads had a science fiction feel with a hint of fantasy. I liked how Hetty slowly grows more confident in who she is toward the end as well. As for the ending, it had me on the edge of my seat, and I hope Pax gets around to writing book two, so I can see what happens next.
Overall, The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear by M. Pax is an enjoyable read and sure to bring out the geek in us all.
October 28, 2013
Donut-popping Hetty Locklear is one of the most self-doubting lovable heroines you'll ever meet, but who can blame her? Her own parents ditched her when she was still a young teen, just so they could go gallivanting after their weird Renaissance Fair dreams. When she finally walks onstage seven years later to get her college diploma, she has her fingers crossed that her less-than-stellar life will suddenly transform into something... better. She expects magic.
In hindsight, maybe she should have been more specific. Oh, don't get me wrong. She got transformation and magic out the wazoo, but I don't think it was exactly what she had in mind. I don't think she expected to attract an invisible stalker, or to be thrust into the middle of a mind-boggling battle. Up until now, the only place she felt special and in control was in her online fantasy game world, but she soon learns that she's every bit as beautiful and courageous in real life as her online persona.
Pax has created a group of unforgettable characters in this book, and I can hardly wait to read the rest of Hetty's tale.
In hindsight, maybe she should have been more specific. Oh, don't get me wrong. She got transformation and magic out the wazoo, but I don't think it was exactly what she had in mind. I don't think she expected to attract an invisible stalker, or to be thrust into the middle of a mind-boggling battle. Up until now, the only place she felt special and in control was in her online fantasy game world, but she soon learns that she's every bit as beautiful and courageous in real life as her online persona.
Pax has created a group of unforgettable characters in this book, and I can hardly wait to read the rest of Hetty's tale.
May 25, 2013
This book by M. Pax took me by surprise, and was very different than what I expected it to be, (in a good way).
The Renaissance of Hetty Loklear, is based on the life of a recently graduated college student, who due to her insecurities, prefers to live her life as an avatar, in the fantasy world she has created.
Hetty's life is turned upside down, when she partakes on a journey to visit her estranged parents, who travel the Renaissance circuit. Strange events start to take place around her, when she finds herself caught up in more than a video game.
Hetty is a believable character, who finds herself and gains her self confidence as the story progresses and most female readers, who are honest, would certainly relate to her as a person. This supernatural fantasy, has a few twists and readers are kept guessing of the outcome, right up to the end. Quite an enjoyable read and worth adding to your TBR list.
The Renaissance of Hetty Loklear, is based on the life of a recently graduated college student, who due to her insecurities, prefers to live her life as an avatar, in the fantasy world she has created.
Hetty's life is turned upside down, when she partakes on a journey to visit her estranged parents, who travel the Renaissance circuit. Strange events start to take place around her, when she finds herself caught up in more than a video game.
Hetty is a believable character, who finds herself and gains her self confidence as the story progresses and most female readers, who are honest, would certainly relate to her as a person. This supernatural fantasy, has a few twists and readers are kept guessing of the outcome, right up to the end. Quite an enjoyable read and worth adding to your TBR list.
March 24, 2013
Wow. From the blurb this was not entirely what I was expecting but it was amazing all the same. Hetty is a wonderful character. I love that she's this overweight, self conscious homebody that dabbles heavily in gaming. She is so different from a lot of young adult story leads and I loved her. I think the title is perfect as well. I like that renaissance alludes to her parents but is really about Hetty becoming an adult and coming into her own. The sci-fi aspects were great. It wasn't too terribly out there so it was believable, especially because Hetty had such a horrendous time believing it herself, like a normal person would. Overall I thought this was a fantastic story and I'm so glad I won a copy in a giveaway.
August 22, 2013
Hetty Locklear is a very likable main character and I loved watching her grow up in this story. I have to say, I wasn't really into the 'sic-fi' aspect of the book, it felt off and didn't really match the rest of the book - just sort of patched on. I think it would have been a stronger story without it. I loved the writing and cared so much about the characters that I gave this 4/5 stars though. I got this book through a giveaway on this site and am looking forward to reading more of M. Pax's books.
September 12, 2014
Far Out
A wonderful coming of age book with some freakish twists. You really don't know what to believe, just like the main character, Hetty. It's a page Turner that keeps you wondering at ever twist. Will Hetty get along with her estranged parents after not seeing them for seven years? Will, Hetty, help her human/ beast boyfriend? Or will she take the easy route with easygoing Nate? I can't wait to read the next installment to find out!
A wonderful coming of age book with some freakish twists. You really don't know what to believe, just like the main character, Hetty. It's a page Turner that keeps you wondering at ever twist. Will Hetty get along with her estranged parents after not seeing them for seven years? Will, Hetty, help her human/ beast boyfriend? Or will she take the easy route with easygoing Nate? I can't wait to read the next installment to find out!
October 25, 2013
Started off nice. Got to meet Hetty. And that she is pretty normal. Just gets caught up in weird stuff in her life is all. Love the fact that she has a body image problem and deals with it the way most other people do, ie tomorrow. The end does set this up as a series. curious were it will go next.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews