Benevolent

by Devon Trevarrow Flaherty

This is an alternate Cover Edition for ISBN10: 0988965100 / ISBN13: 9780988965102.

There she goes...

Charming and addictive, Benevolent is sure to keep you turning the pages from one humanitarian mishap to another. Beginning with a roadkill-burying nine-year-old and a gas-leak explosion, it follows Gaby LeFevre, a suburban, Midwestern firecracker, as she traverses the 80s and 90s with characteristic intensity and a penchant for disaster. Meanwhile, the large cast of compelling characters entertains and the Northwhyth legends draw you into their magic. You'll leave the book wondering what is and what isn't. Thought-provoking and honest, entertaining and magical. A great debut leaving the reader waiting for the next book.

Gaby LeFevre is a suburban, Midwestern firecracker, growing up in the 80s and 90s and looking to save the world one homeless person, centenarian, and orphan at a time. With her crew of twin sister, Annie, smitten Mikhail, frenemy Mel, and wanderlust friend Afentra, she’s a pamphlet-wielding humanitarian, tackling a broken world full of heroes and heroines, villains and magical seeds, and saturated with variations of the Northwyth legends.

Beginning with a roadkill-burying nine-year-old and a gas-leak explosion, Benevolent follows Gaby from her formative years; through her awakening (during a soup kitchen stampede); through high school drama; a college career filled with an epic term paper, a building fire, and a protest-gone-bad; to Israel, a land full of romance and mysticism. It all ends back in metro-Detroit with a cataclysmic clash to resolve all good intentions. Accidents abound in Gaby’s life. As does love. And, thankfully, as does mercy.

Meanwhile, Benevolent is woven with tales of The Queen, The Angel, Jaden the Great, and The Sage. Are they figments of John’s and Mercedes’ imaginative stories? Or are they something more? You’ll want to find out for yourself.

Award winner, Paris Book Festival 2013, Beach Book Festival 2013, and Hollywood Book Festival 2013, and Readers' Favorite Five Star Review.

Genres: Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published February 13, 2013

About the author

Devon is a novelist from Durham, North Carolina. She grew up in metro-Detroit in an enormous extended family and was an artist as soon as she could hold a crayon. She put together her first book–with packing tape, cardboard and wrapping paper–in her aunt’s magical bedroom full of bookshelves and a roll-top desk. In fourth grade she won a Young Laureate for the book she wrote about the death of her closest sibling and was pushed further toward her inevitable literary future by an enthusiastic and supportive teacher who let Devon sing her science reports and limerick her way through schooling. In junior high, she lost a Farmers Bureau poetry competition to a little girl who seems like quite a neat lady, now, on Facebook. In college, she rebounded with local awards for her poetry, a stint as editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Parnassus at her alma mater in Indiana, and almost received honors for her philosophy thesis, “The Obligation of Affluence.” She was an assistant editor for The Gale Group before she relocated to Durham and became a mom and a freelance editor/writer/researcher.

Devon loves writing and hopes to keep bringing you novels, blogs, poems, short stories, and essays until well after she should have retired as anything else. She spends her time now between mothering, wife-ing, reading, painting, yoga, hiking, crafting, cooking and enjoying food, homemaking, traveling, and humanitarian and religious work. Except during the work day, when she is a full-time writer and indy publisher with Owl and Zebra Press.

Reviews

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't recall how this debut novel made it onto my radar of books to read, but make it, it did.
I received a copy via one of the BookCrossing Wishlist Tag Games , and begun reading it on the red eye flight from Western Samoa to NZ on Wed/Thurs where I managed a good 75 page first bite into it, and was absorbed well and truly.
Since then I stole moments with the book, and consumed it in small bites until a final hurrah of 135 pages in one sitting this morning.
Now....This book had to end, but like that? Really?!
I'm often disappointed with 'rushed' endings, but this was by far the most "shove it in a box, slap a bow on it and offer it up as the ending" I have seen.
I really enjoyed the journey this book took me on, particularly so because it journeyed to Israel - given I am traveling myself at the moment - it was nice to be taken off somewhere obscure in the book. Gaby played her lead role very well - the fraternal twin yet the polar opposite to Annie - and her journey from childhood to teenage years to early adulthood was woven in a clearly spun spider web by the author.
On the whole I was a fan.
I would definitely seek out more from this author due to the writing style.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benevolent (Devon Trevarrow Flaherty)

Gaby LeFevre and her twin sister Annie are fraternal twins, complete opposites. Where Annie is athletic, Gaby wants to save the world, she is very charitable and is always up for a good cause.

The story starts with them as children and ends up in their teens. There are quite a few characters and the story is told from a third person perspective. Detailing each persons life.

We follow Gaby and discover a Queen, Angel, Jarden the Great and magic, as Gaby travels to Israel and back to Detroit Michigan. We also meet Mercedes and John, story tellers. Are these stories true or are they just the creation of a wild imagination.

Both words hold answers as the chapters flow back and forth. Fascinating and original story line, with likable characters. Fast paced and a fun read. I feel Y/A as well as adults will enjoy this read. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Peggy Roberson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this book had some wonderful scenes in it, and the Author has a very descriptive way of writing, which makes you believe that you're really there. I really wanted to give this book a higher rating, and would probably give it an extra half star, but just when I started to get into a scene of the book, the Author started into a totally new scene, which threw me off a bit. I realize that it was part of the story, but to me the book just didn't flow the way I am used to. Otherwise, it was a very interesting read, with nail-biters, and a couple of tear-jerker scenes thrown in for good measure!!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended I try this book. I waited a day or two to start it, figuring I'd take my long weekend and mosy through it. But once I started... I just couldn't put it down! A really enjoyable book! If this author writes anything else, I am totally reading it, immediately.

(Just for clarity, I read the paper copy, not the kindle copy.)

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended I try this book. I waited a day or two to start it, figuring I'd take my long weekend and mosy through it. But once I started... I just couldn't put it down! A really enjoyable book!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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