The Vision

by M.J. Labrooy

With great vision comes grave danger…


Willow Blue has never told a soul. Why can she see the guardians who exist with every human being on earth? Unrelenting in her pursuit to discover the purpose of her mystifying vision, Willow is guided to the sunny coastal town of Blue Angel Bay. Struggling to resurrect her life, she is unexpectedly confronted by Tyler Sharp, a local student. He is blindingly perfect, but something is instantly wrong…he is missing a guardian.
Unnerved by foreboding warnings from her past, Willow fights her addictive attraction to Tyler, desperate to decipher his apocalyptic identity. However as the truth unravels, Willow learns the startling true nature of her vision, but what she doesn’t know is that it's set to propel the world onto a dangerous new trajectory.

Genres: Fantasy

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

M.J. Labrooy has penned a vast compilation of Young Adult and Children’s fiction, including many short-listed competition junior titles. She holds a degree in Professional Writing and Publishing and her ongoing love affair with the English language renders her an avid editor and reader. The Runaway House is her first published novel.

Reviews

[Don Gerstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that causes me to struggle when I consider how many stars it deserves. The author’s prose is a five-star element, her descriptions are entertaining and clever. Unfortunately, there are many other pieces of this puzzle to look at before deciding.

The description sounded like an adult book with a fantasy/horror feel. Though the niches Ms. Labrooy chose correspond to that – paranormal angel romance, occult horror, occult fiction – the actual book itself is nowhere near a horror story. While I suppose you could consider using the word occult for a story about angels, the word generally conjures a darker image. Angel romance is way off base, leaving readers to discover exactly what this book is only be reading it: a YA fantasy.

Truthfully, I would not have purchased this book if the author had disclosed this was a young adult fantasy. Teenage angst is not something I seek. Once the book moved to this part of the story, the plot slowed drastically and the author lost control of the excitement she had worked to develop at the beginning of the story. The supernatural danger that appeared in the first half of the book was virtually non-existent in the second.

Except for Willow, the characters are wooden. Willow’s best friend Macy was exciting at first before she faded into the shadow of her brother Tyler, Willow’s love interest. Tyler is bland, and not aided by the tired platitudes he continues to utter to Willow. Macy and Tyler’s parents are unbelievable as the parents of two teenagers.

I also struggled with plot elements. The Guardians are supposed to not interfere with the choices their wards make, yet when it suits the plot, the Guardians do whatever helps the storyline. Additionally, there are scenes that not only strain, but rip to shreds any resemblance to real life.

Even though this is a trilogy the author did not succumb to the temptation of a cliffhanger ending, although by the end of the story I would have welcomed anything to breath some life into the book. While I realize the author was setting everything up for book two, it could have been done in less pages, and maybe the trilogy might have evolved into two interesting book. For me, all of the elements I described battled against the Ms. Labrooy’s wonderful descriptive passages, bringing a potential five-star tale down to three.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow has always been able to see guardians (Angels). When she takes her future into her own hands and moves away from her home town and her father at 16, she is in for a shock when she comes to Blue Angel Bay and what that town has in store for her.

What an amazing character Tyler is. He is so easy going and just flows with the times. Whatever is thrown his way he handles with great compassion. For someone his age he is mature beyond his years, especially when it appears he doesn't have a guardian.

I found it difficult to watch Willow and all her negativity and constant worry. I know some people are just that way but it sure made for an awful aching when she would meander down that mental path on so many occasions.

The Author has done a great job at piecing this book together. It has great world building and it was so easy to connect to all the characters. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series. It will definitely be on my WATCH OUT FOR list!

[This One Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read! I did wish for a little more action and a little more expression of emotion, but this was still so beautifully written. This book left me having to keep some feelers out for the sequel. There's really not a whole LOT of dialogue, and the author does a marvelous job at world building as well as character and even description. I am impressed at how well characters can communicate where speaking is not an option. This story is a slow read and is perfect when you want to just relax and read a book here and there rather than feeling like you have to rush through. We see the world through Willow's eyes and that girl has a lot going on in her head. I really admire her strength that she continues to show throughout. I am looking forward to the sequel.

I voluntarily review this after receiving a free copy.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Vision is the first installment in a young adult fantasy series about a young girl named Willow who has a special gift of seeing guardians, ethereal beings who accompany every human being on Earth, unbeknownst to them. Even more mysterious is why Willow herself doesn't have a guardian and the meaning behind a dark prophecy she plays a vital role in. She hasn't exactly had the best childhood growing up and the opening of the book readers find her running away and starting a new life far away from her past at the tender age of sixteen. Upon arriving in the peaceful coastal town of Blue Angel Bay, her life is turned upside down when she meets Tyler. Answers begin to come to light. There were a few things that nagged me a bit about the book. The characters come across as lovesick teenagers and I felt like this was a bit overdone. There was a lack of dialogue throughout the book, which is really just a consequence of Willow, the girl who can see the guardians, telling the story. She's a bit of an odd character - she starts out as fiercely independent and paranoid to just latching on to the first person who shows her no ill intent. I would think after all she has been through that she would have a hard time trusting people, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The concept behind the guardians was very intriguing and creative. Set the stage for some interesting storytelling in future installments. I would be very interested in seeing this aspect of the story developed more.

I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy through Hidden Gems Books.

[Michelle VanDaley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this storyline but the execution was just okay. The pacing was extremely slow and I had a hard time getting through it but the overall story is a good one.

[Allie Emch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. I really loved the concept and most of the story. My only real issue was the writing. The writing was very dense for such a short book and it took me a while to finish. However, the concept and story have me very curious to read further into this series. I also didn't really like how the love story was told. It's a bit cliche and unbelievable. However, I'm pretty curious to read what happens next.