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Riverside
From the Back Cover:
Meg Edwards have never really fit in with her peers. She graduated from high school at sixteen, is an accomplished musician who had her pick of schools, and was the only child of a single father after her mother passed away when she was an infant. Going off to college is stressful for any teenager, but for Meg, it's more than that. A new health concern, coupled with the mysterious drowning of college students in the local river, set her into a tailspin she's not sure she can get out of.
About the Author:
Serine A. Haugsness is a freelance novelist who grew up in western Wisconsin and now lives in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri. She wishes she could say she wrestled a grizzly bear while doing ballet for the Pope in the Bavarian forest, but that would be a lie. In fact, when she is not working in healthcare, remodeling her home, or caring for her family, she's writing. Serine's latest project, Riverside, is a mash-up of real life meets murder/mystery meets science fiction/fantasy, topped off with just a splash of humor. She is currently working on book two of the Riverside series.
Meg Edwards have never really fit in with her peers. She graduated from high school at sixteen, is an accomplished musician who had her pick of schools, and was the only child of a single father after her mother passed away when she was an infant. Going off to college is stressful for any teenager, but for Meg, it's more than that. A new health concern, coupled with the mysterious drowning of college students in the local river, set her into a tailspin she's not sure she can get out of.
About the Author:
Serine A. Haugsness is a freelance novelist who grew up in western Wisconsin and now lives in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri. She wishes she could say she wrestled a grizzly bear while doing ballet for the Pope in the Bavarian forest, but that would be a lie. In fact, when she is not working in healthcare, remodeling her home, or caring for her family, she's writing. Serine's latest project, Riverside, is a mash-up of real life meets murder/mystery meets science fiction/fantasy, topped off with just a splash of humor. She is currently working on book two of the Riverside series.
359 pages, Hardcover
Published September 27, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 22, 2017
It was with excitement and trepidation that I started reading Riverside. My concern was two-fold. First, and primarily, my concern centered around the fact that Serine is my friend, and has been for over 10 years and the last thing that I wanted to happen was for me to complete the book and be left with only a generic "it was good." Secondly, modern fantasy is not my genre of choice, so Serine's description of a mashup of mystery and modern sci-fi/fantasy was outside my comfort zone. Thankfully, I am happy to report that my concerns were completely groundless....Over the course of three evenings of reading, I DEVOURED Riverside. I unapolegetically *loved* this story and I am definitely looking forward to the sequel!
This story centers around a lovely community in western Wisconsin near where I have lived for the last 10 years. Serine's love for the area is obvious in every word. In this story, Meg is beginning college as a music major (voice), and over the course several months discovers curious events occurring during the times when she sings. Around this time, she discovers a special relationship with her maternal grandmother and aunt, whom she is meeting for the first time due to her mother's death when she was a baby. These relationships lead Meg to new self-discovery with an intriguing plot twist into mythology.
Overall, the writing style was clear and very readable. My only critique is that I found the ending abrupt. I would have loved a longer tale (at least a page or two) to slightly flesh out the surprising plot reveal.
In closing, I would love to be able to give a comparable, but as I stated previously, this isn't my preferred genre so finding a good comparable is a challenge. The best that I can come up with is Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, as modern fantasy but not the action/thriller aspect of that series.
I would encourage anyone who enjoys fantasy to give Riverside a chance!
This story centers around a lovely community in western Wisconsin near where I have lived for the last 10 years. Serine's love for the area is obvious in every word. In this story, Meg is beginning college as a music major (voice), and over the course several months discovers curious events occurring during the times when she sings. Around this time, she discovers a special relationship with her maternal grandmother and aunt, whom she is meeting for the first time due to her mother's death when she was a baby. These relationships lead Meg to new self-discovery with an intriguing plot twist into mythology.
Overall, the writing style was clear and very readable. My only critique is that I found the ending abrupt. I would have loved a longer tale (at least a page or two) to slightly flesh out the surprising plot reveal.
In closing, I would love to be able to give a comparable, but as I stated previously, this isn't my preferred genre so finding a good comparable is a challenge. The best that I can come up with is Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, as modern fantasy but not the action/thriller aspect of that series.
I would encourage anyone who enjoys fantasy to give Riverside a chance!
November 7, 2017
My barometer for successful storytelling is how fast I am drawn into a book. In this case it was the first chapter. I could “see” the characters and locations in my mind immediately and felt a part of what was happening. Serine’s writing is enjoyable: there’s enough dialogue and enough information to round it all out. I won’t give spoilers because the story must be read and experienced. It doesn’t go at all like you first think it might and that’s exciting for a reader who really hates knowing what will happen before you’re a few chapters in.
The story moves at a decent pace and while the ending is best described as abrupt, it left me excited about what she will come up with next.
Full disclosure- as a personal friend of mine I was excited and nervous to read her book. Serine blew me away with her writing talent and even if I didn’t know her I would still rate this 5 stars.
The story moves at a decent pace and while the ending is best described as abrupt, it left me excited about what she will come up with next.
Full disclosure- as a personal friend of mine I was excited and nervous to read her book. Serine blew me away with her writing talent and even if I didn’t know her I would still rate this 5 stars.
November 23, 2017
Intriguing story
Started out slow, but rapidly picked up speed . Read it in one sitting. Thoroughly enjoyed the story. Great book from a new author!
Started out slow, but rapidly picked up speed . Read it in one sitting. Thoroughly enjoyed the story. Great book from a new author!
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December 25, 2017Very enjoyable read, looking forward to megs new adventures soon!
June 21, 2020
Being born and raised in La Crosse, I was pretty excited to read this. The general plotline was creative and had potential, but definitely could have been executed better. The writing, to me, felt a bit monotonous and very chronological, narrating every detail but lacking dialogue and emotion. I would have liked to see more complex feelings and thoughts coming from the main character, given the bizarre and even tragic circumstances she goes through. She was actually pretty flat and unlikable most of the time, which made the book hard to get through at some parts. I love reading local authors, and I definitely think this book could have been improved with a better editor or more revision!
January 19, 2019
This book has an original plot that integrates actual events into its storyline. However, it suffers from tedious storytelling, uneven pacing and a boring, incurious protagonist. The book doesn't fit well in any genre: is it YA? Urban fantasy? Science fiction? Murder mystery? Fairy tale retelling? It contains elements of all but has a hard time blending the genres into a cohesive whole. A solid effort for a first novel, but it would have benefited from more time on the drawing board and a better editor.
April 20, 2026
It was fun reading a book set in a place I love and know so well. But NEVER trust a man who wants to marry you within 6 months.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews