When tragedy falls upon 15 year old Daisy Madigan, she escapes to the only place she feels safe, the cemetery of Abney Park. There, in the company of the dearly departed, she realises she is changing, growing stronger and faster by the day. But in the darkness lurks a terror even she can't imagine facing.
Daisy Madigan's Paradise is a Morgan Sisters novella. Check out The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, the full length first novel in the series.
Suzy Turner wrote her first chick lit novel in her early twenties, but it wasn’t until much later that she decided to focus on writing full time. It was during a visit to Canada in 2009 when the ravens within the dark eerie forests of British Columbia called to her. The story of Lilly Taylor was born soon after and the first novel in The Raven Witch Saga was created. Suzy has since published numerous urban fantasy books, contemporary women's and cozy mystery novels. Having lived in Portugal since childhood, Suzy, who is originally from Yorkshire in England, loves to travel. She finds inspiration wherever she goes. Old decrepit buildings, graveyards, cathedrals and castles are just a few of the things that can be found within the worlds of her urban fantasy books, and her contemporary women’s fiction novels are filled with fun friendships, ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and quirky characters you’d want as friends. Suzy lives in the Algarve with her husband, three cats and a dog, where she works on her bookcover design business—creating book covers for fellow authors. You can find out more at https://www.suzyturner.com/covers-by-...
I was given the free ARC in return for an honest review. This story follows 15 year old Daisy Madigan till the point in which we meet her in 'the ghost of Josiah Grimshaw' which i would also recommend.
No matter what hardship that is thrown Daisy's' way, she always finds a way to cope and when she meets dear Jack, she has someone to help her cope but how long can that friendship last with all the things that are happening to Daisy. It all starts with her tattoo!!
Suzy's writing is so beautiful that i could always relate to Daisy and carry a vivid picture of what is happening to her. Loads more interesting characters are introduced and we get to know more about DFaisy's drunk dad. the incredibly creative powers and unique names carry on in this book.
The story is full of all the aspects that make a good book; Love, regred, loss and a heart-warming plot. It is a must-read!!! Suzy, You better hurry up because I don't think any of us can wait much longer.
This novella stands on it's own as a complete story with fully formed characters and significant conflict. Readers who like urban fantasy will particularly like this little book.
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you. My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it. If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give. Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away. Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
First, Daisy Madigan loses her mom in an auto accident. Then, she loses her dad to the bottle. Finally, the bank takes her home. Yet she stays strong as she learns to navigate life as a homeless teenager while developing the ability to help ghosts. When The Skulls, a group of supernatural beings, begin terrorizing her, she begins to grasp the skills to survive in a world she hadn't known existed.
This T&YA Paranormal & Urban Fantasy is superb. This tale shapes a world where tragedy allows a teenager to fall through the cracks of society. Then, it throws a few curve balls: ghost-whisperer and supernatural beings. The open and agile mind of the main character quick and effective responses to otherwise untenable situations. The end is exquisite.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Haunting. Romantic. Scary. Tragic. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.
MY REVIEW I received a free copy of this novella which is 1.5 in The Morgan Sister’s Series from the author Suzy Turner in exchange for my honest review. I read the book in as a mother of a once young teen, and as a book lover that also reads YA. The cover is really atmospheric, which fits in with daisy living in a cemetery. It also represents Daisy’s situation well, everything looking dark, lonely and bleak for her. The female on the cover depicting Daisy is a really good match and certainly what I imagined Daisy to look like, with the bright copper red hair. If anything on the negative she looks slightly older and more mature than I thought Daisy would. I like the fonts and placement of the title, series title and authors name, they are prominent enough to be seen yet do not take over the whole cover which is good. It is right that the main character in the book Daisy be “center stage” and prominent on the cover. The blurb tells us a little about what Daisy is going through and put that together with the fact you will have read The Morgan Sisters, The Ghost Of Josiah Grimshaw, you should be really wanting to know more about Daisy as she has a somewhat brief appearance in that book. Daisy is quite a complex character really but Suzy manages to keep things in the book simplistic enough for the age group she is aiming for. The language is kept easily readable and not taxing to maximise the enjoyment of the younger reader. I would say the books are aimed at the younger end of the teen market, who can be an extremely critical crowd. The book flowed well and it did the job it set out to do which was to give us some background on Daisy and her life before she inevitably joins the Praxos Academy. There are mentions of songs in the book which I think will appeal to some of the younger generation. I did know the Coldplay song and I think linking the book title with the song being sung a few times in the book is quite clever. My only worry is will the young teens like it or will they think it a bit too far to go or twee. The teens these days are really mature for their ages perhaps too much so. Though I think the book will be loved by the tweens before they become cynical teens. As an adult reading the book, the language, words used and sentencing was quite basic making it an easy read. Don’t take that comment as a criticism, what i’m trying to say is other than the simple layout on sentences and words this book could easily appeal to older teens and adults too. For me the book was an easy fly trough read, which as an adult it should have been. Will the books appeal to boys and girls? I think they will though this novella was probably more girl aimed. I still re-iterate my statement when I finished the first book, this could easily be a sensation such as Harry Potter! This novella reminded me a little of the Enid Blytons Secret Seven and Famous Five books. Would I have bought this for my daughter wen she was younger? Yes this is the type of book my daughter would have been reading at age 10+ as the language and content I feel are suitable from that age. So what did I think? Did I enjoy the book? Yes, I would remind I think it’s aimed at the younger teen. Would I recommend the book? Yes to the appropriate age group. Will I read more of the series? Yes please! Will I read more by Suzy Turner? I will and I have read other books by Suzy.
With my having recently review two books off two of my TBR lists I decided to review one off the third list I have. This time I decided to read/review Suzy Turner’s “Daisy Madigan’s Paradise.” When I read this book I had no knowledge it is actually part of a series, which indicates how this book a great stand-alone novella on its own.
How much is one individual expected to cope with, especially, since she’s about to that all important age in a girl’s life, sixteen? To begin with her mother dies, and then the inability of her father to cope with this causes him to start drinking which leads with to disappear out of Daisy’s fractured life.
Daisy is now homeless with no one to turn to for the dire help she needs, and is increasingly being bullied at school which had started even before the death of her mother. I have to wonder whether her being a “ginger” had anything to do with the treatment she receives from her classmates. A “ginger” for those who are unfamiliar with the term is someone who has red hair and freckles.
When she reaches the age of sixteen a strange tattoo mysteriously appears on her arm. At this same time Jack, a wonderful guy who isn’t judgmental about her homeless condition, enters her life and becomes her only friend.
Daisy is lucky in that she receives some support from the local merchants in her town who have taken pity on her circumstances. She finally finds solitude and safety in the last place you would imagine at Abney Park, the local cemetery. While living here she soon discovers she has the ability to communicate to ghosts. Unfortunately there is an evil presence there, “The Skulls,” who are out to hunt and harm the ghosts and any human prey which happens to be in the cemetery at night. Will the additional powers she learns she now has be enough to defeat them.
Please note this author uses the British spelling of words so words like “organized” and “neighbors” get spelled “organised” and “neighbours” respectfully, in addition to British terms which might seem strange.
“Daisy Madigan’s Paradise” is an age-appropriate novella whose delightful and vivid writing by Suzy Turner, makes it an absorbing, page-turning reading experience. And the reason I’m giving it 5 STARS.
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Daisy's world collapses when her beloved mother dies and her distraught father falls into alcoholism and vanishes. Forced to live in the nearby cemetery, Daisy communicates with the ghosts that reside there. But there is something evil there, hunting and damaging ghosts and looking for human prey like her-the Skulls. Her new found superpowers may be all that keeps her alive.
This was a very sad and touching story which I got quite emotional about when I was reading it. Poor Daisy is only 15 when her life as she knows it ends. First the bullying at school, then the loss of her parents. You can't help but feel for her as she struggles to survive with only her friend Jack and the lovely shop owners who take pity on her. It is great to get the back story on the character that we first meet briefly in The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw. You start to recognise events as the story starts to join Lana and Emma's quest to help Joe, which was nicely written.
Daisy's character is beautifully written and really does tug at the heartstrings, especially with the events surrounding Jack. The poor girl has so much to deal with in a short period of time-and I wanted to jump into the book and tell her that things will get better for her! I liked seeing the ghosts again, and Daisy's mission to help them cross over was a nice touch as you wait for her to discover her destiny.
This was a really good novella which adds a bit of depth to the world that we are introduced to in the first book and I certainly want to see what happens in book two!
Firstly I’d like to thank the author for sending me this eBook novella to read and give an honest review. This quick read covered the back story of Daisy Madigan who was one of the characters from The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw. I was pleased to find out more about her as she had been a bit of a mystery and as I read about the traumatic events that led up to her appearance in the first book I felt incredibly sad for her.
I was intrigued by Jack, I couldn’t figure out where he fit into the story and was concerned that he would turn out to be a bad person for Daisy to have in her life.
Daisy discovered her abilities and found her purpose in life in the dark, dangerous cemetery. This was something that fascinated me and gave the book an eerie atmosphere. I can’t wait to see the part Daisy will play in the next book The Temporal Stone.
This was an emotional and intriguing read, another piece of the puzzle in place for this mysterious series.
A great little read. I've never touched a novella before. I'm not really sure why. I just prefer full length books I guess. After reading this, I am still a fan of the fuller length novel. I prefer getting a little deeper with the characters. In saying that, I still enjoyed this and the best part for me was it made me really hungry to read Suzy Turner's full length: The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw.
A few characters are introduced at the end of this novella that really intrigued me and THANKFULLY there is plenty more of them for me to enjoy in 'The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw.' I started reading it last night and am pretty excited :)
Daisy was a great character. I wanted to get to know her more. I would have liked to see more of a relationship blossom between her and Jack too.
If you like stories about ghosts, then this is definitely worth checking out.
Turner is such a strong writer and this prequel is a wonderful start to her newest series. There is a little bit of everything thrown in here to keep the reader interested: adventure, drama, romance, paranormal. It all adds up to a fantastic read that will have you buying the next as soon as you get to the last page.
This is the second book of this series I have read after first reading the Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw. I liked them both and have found a new author I enjoy and will look for. The story is meant for younger readers and some of the dialogue is for a younger age group but the story is interesting for all. Well written and entertaining. The characters come to life.
I enjoyed the story, but wasn't sure when I came to the end of it was the end or not. Just kinda ended. I do want to read the rest in the series. The main character is endearing and going through a very tough time in her life, but has a spirit about her that won't let her shy away. She meets everything with a very strong hand.
Daisy Madigan's Paradise is a lovely dance between ghosts and outcasts (and maybe the occasional werewolf). Deftly orchestrated by author Suzy Turner, I was thoroughly charmed by the British-isms, a boy named Jack and the graveyard setting. Perfect summer read for fans of a slightly Tim Burton skewed Vampire Diaries.
I loved it and felt that it was short and open ended, until I realized that it's a novella and I totally skipped the first book. I'm leaving it as a neutral score for now until I decide if I want to pursue this series or not!
I thought it was a cute book, nothing too dramatic. Fairly predictable, but being a novella, it is probably why. I would like to read the others in the series, I did want to find out about what makes Daisy special.
Wonderful addition to the Morgan Sisters series! I might suggest reading The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw first, but this should stand on its own even if you haven't. Such a lovely, well written story - I highly recommend it and all of her books.
This novella would fit perfectly between the first and second book of the Morgan Sisters series. Even so I did enjoy it after reading the first two books of the series. Ms. Turner tells a wonderful story that doesn't loose its appeal even when not read in order!
I like the story but am very confused on why everything is happening. It would have been nice there had been a little more description for those of us who have not read book one at this point in the series. Maybe I'll read book one and may like things a little better after that.
This book was an emotional roller coaster! I was crying within the first few pages! I really was. I am so amazing by Author Suzy Turner! I love love love her books!!!
Book about young girl going through transformations; physical, spiritual and social. I'm in two minds about continuing to read the series. I'll decide in a few weeks
Very good prequel to The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw. I am so looking forward to reading the next in the series and hopefully Daisy plays an integral role. I love Suzy's books!