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VOLT
When seventeen-year-old Samantha learns her boyfriend died, she is throttled with grief. Comatose for three months, she wakes –standing in a line, in a city called VOLT – Village of Lost Things.
Sam’s life has been a series of the universe crapping over her desires. When she learns Ryan is waiting behind the thick forest that leads to this city, she’s more than skeptical. When you have nothing left, you accept scraps. VOLT is Sam’s scraps.
Except, Ryan isn’t where he’s supposed to be. VOLT’s promise of a sweet reunion appears as likely as being tied to a hog and dragged around the moon.
Eighteen-year-old, Joe, is an egotistical, whiny Momma’s boy. He has a knack for verbally eviscerating those around him. That’s Sam’s evaluation of him when she meets him in VOLT. He lost his mother months ago and comes to VOLT often. Because of his knowledge of the city, his mother makes him Sam’s official guide to find Ryan.
Fifteen-year-old Ferris has a borderline personality disorder. Several years ago, he lost his mother also. He’s been in VOLT the longest and might be a great addition to aid them in finding Ryan. Or stop them from killing each other. He just needs to remember who he is – which seems difficult.
Finding Ryan is Sam’s last effort to reconnect to a life teetering by a string with an anvil attached. She must decide between the living and the dead, and if she were keeping tally, she’d be closer to a corpse than a teenager.
Sam’s life has been a series of the universe crapping over her desires. When she learns Ryan is waiting behind the thick forest that leads to this city, she’s more than skeptical. When you have nothing left, you accept scraps. VOLT is Sam’s scraps.
Except, Ryan isn’t where he’s supposed to be. VOLT’s promise of a sweet reunion appears as likely as being tied to a hog and dragged around the moon.
Eighteen-year-old, Joe, is an egotistical, whiny Momma’s boy. He has a knack for verbally eviscerating those around him. That’s Sam’s evaluation of him when she meets him in VOLT. He lost his mother months ago and comes to VOLT often. Because of his knowledge of the city, his mother makes him Sam’s official guide to find Ryan.
Fifteen-year-old Ferris has a borderline personality disorder. Several years ago, he lost his mother also. He’s been in VOLT the longest and might be a great addition to aid them in finding Ryan. Or stop them from killing each other. He just needs to remember who he is – which seems difficult.
Finding Ryan is Sam’s last effort to reconnect to a life teetering by a string with an anvil attached. She must decide between the living and the dead, and if she were keeping tally, she’d be closer to a corpse than a teenager.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2020
31 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Brazil
18 books113 followersI read words. I write words. I love words. Words have so much power, I understood this at an early age so story-telling has always been a part of my life. After college, I tried my hand at a few different careers - paralegal, customer service, sales. Yeah, I shouldn't have. Now, I'm following my passion and doing what I love. I write Young Adult urban fantasy, science fiction, and romance novels. I live in Texas with my husband and three kids and my endless imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 1, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and this does not affect my review or rating. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
4 fascinating stars!
This book was so interesting! It had shocks and plot-twists at every page, and the characters seemed incredibly realistic and utterly believable. I couldn’t help but be drawn into the book by the interesting synopsis and cover, and I was not let down!
“We’ll walk in the light and not the shadows. We’ll smile more….We will not apologize for our existence…. We will not live with regrets. We will take hold of the power inside us and we will live free. We will never forget, but we will move forward.”
(Joe talking to the other two.)
V.O.L.T. was a story about learning to love yourself and learning to let go of things that tie you to the past, no matter how much they may have meant to you. Throughout V.O.L.T., three fascinating and intricate characters had to face danger and adventure in an attempt to find those they’d loved and lost, whilst also learning to grow and adapt as people. I loved the interesting aspects of mental health, and I was completely shocked by the plot-twists, which had me riveted to the book. I also really enjoyed the character development, and though the book started with a lot of jumping around and a bit of rocky writing, it soon evened out, making book much more enjoyable. V.O.L.T. was also a really interesting place, with talking pigs and weird-vampire-things, which I found really unique and entertaining!
“Everyone’s fighting a battle no one else is privy to.”
(Sam’s inner monologue.)
All in all, the gorgeous mental healing, the sweet romance aspects, the fantasy creatures and the beautiful character development truly created an enjoyable and fascinating novel. Thank you to the author and YA Bound Book Tours for the free copy!
4 fascinating stars!
This book was so interesting! It had shocks and plot-twists at every page, and the characters seemed incredibly realistic and utterly believable. I couldn’t help but be drawn into the book by the interesting synopsis and cover, and I was not let down!
“We’ll walk in the light and not the shadows. We’ll smile more….We will not apologize for our existence…. We will not live with regrets. We will take hold of the power inside us and we will live free. We will never forget, but we will move forward.”
(Joe talking to the other two.)
V.O.L.T. was a story about learning to love yourself and learning to let go of things that tie you to the past, no matter how much they may have meant to you. Throughout V.O.L.T., three fascinating and intricate characters had to face danger and adventure in an attempt to find those they’d loved and lost, whilst also learning to grow and adapt as people. I loved the interesting aspects of mental health, and I was completely shocked by the plot-twists, which had me riveted to the book. I also really enjoyed the character development, and though the book started with a lot of jumping around and a bit of rocky writing, it soon evened out, making book much more enjoyable. V.O.L.T. was also a really interesting place, with talking pigs and weird-vampire-things, which I found really unique and entertaining!
“Everyone’s fighting a battle no one else is privy to.”
(Sam’s inner monologue.)
All in all, the gorgeous mental healing, the sweet romance aspects, the fantasy creatures and the beautiful character development truly created an enjoyable and fascinating novel. Thank you to the author and YA Bound Book Tours for the free copy!
February 24, 2021
TW: Self-harm (minor references, happens once), child abuse mentioned
I won a copy of this in a giveaway. Sam’s narrative voice was good, crispy and salty with a side of ketchup. I looked at a preview before signing up for the raffle, and her voice is what drew me to read the rest. There’s a unique, quirky substitution of the names of U.S. states in place of curse words. For example, “What the Houston?” That’s either going to be endearing or annoying to you. I like it though because it made Sam distinct. Honestly, the cast all had distinct voices and personalities.
However, I hated Joe though. He was just too nasty for no reason. I feel like he was supposed to be this lovable broody, snarky guy, but I just wanted him to shut up. It’s like he hated Sam on sight. Whatever their little banter was supposed to be was just draining. Every line is an argument or a putdown.
I’ll give him some merit. This was a line, BAY-BEE:
The story can be dark at times. It’s obvious one of the characters has been self-harming themselves. Sam has a lot of emotions and pain that rears its head in violent ways, sometimes. Despite the heaviness, Volt is also fantastical with pigs, reapers, literal dolls, and other things Sam cannot comprehend. I get major Alice in Wonderland vibes from this.
I cannot speak to the mental disability representation.
I think the author is talented, so I didn’t regret reading this. I had to keep turning pages—uh, strolling to find out more. Info-dumps do not exist here, so mysteriousness around all the character’s backgrounds and traumas is ever present.
I won a copy of this in a giveaway. Sam’s narrative voice was good, crispy and salty with a side of ketchup. I looked at a preview before signing up for the raffle, and her voice is what drew me to read the rest. There’s a unique, quirky substitution of the names of U.S. states in place of curse words. For example, “What the Houston?” That’s either going to be endearing or annoying to you. I like it though because it made Sam distinct. Honestly, the cast all had distinct voices and personalities.
However, I hated Joe though. He was just too nasty for no reason. I feel like he was supposed to be this lovable broody, snarky guy, but I just wanted him to shut up. It’s like he hated Sam on sight. Whatever their little banter was supposed to be was just draining. Every line is an argument or a putdown.
I’ll give him some merit. This was a line, BAY-BEE:
The story can be dark at times. It’s obvious one of the characters has been self-harming themselves. Sam has a lot of emotions and pain that rears its head in violent ways, sometimes. Despite the heaviness, Volt is also fantastical with pigs, reapers, literal dolls, and other things Sam cannot comprehend. I get major Alice in Wonderland vibes from this.
I cannot speak to the mental disability representation.
I think the author is talented, so I didn’t regret reading this. I had to keep turning pages—uh, strolling to find out more. Info-dumps do not exist here, so mysteriousness around all the character’s backgrounds and traumas is ever present.
November 12, 2020
This isn't a review, I'm the author.
VOLT is - We Were Liars X The Wizard of Oz
Of course, I'm going to give my book 5 stars. I'm just hoping you love it as much as I do. I wrote this story with the intent to touch hearts, to heal, to remind others that we're all fighting battles but we don't have to fight them alone.
This main character, Sam, is a total mess. Death can be traumatizing. Sometimes we're shaken but resilient - we can bounce back. We're rubber bands. Other times, we can barely remember why we get up in the morning. Samantha Porter has been colossally shaken and her life is about to get twisted in a way she never expected in a strange city called VOLT.
Come take the journey with Sam as she tries to untangle her crappy existence and decide if living is even worth the effort anymore.
VOLT is - We Were Liars X The Wizard of Oz
Of course, I'm going to give my book 5 stars. I'm just hoping you love it as much as I do. I wrote this story with the intent to touch hearts, to heal, to remind others that we're all fighting battles but we don't have to fight them alone.
This main character, Sam, is a total mess. Death can be traumatizing. Sometimes we're shaken but resilient - we can bounce back. We're rubber bands. Other times, we can barely remember why we get up in the morning. Samantha Porter has been colossally shaken and her life is about to get twisted in a way she never expected in a strange city called VOLT.
Come take the journey with Sam as she tries to untangle her crappy existence and decide if living is even worth the effort anymore.
December 20, 2020
I loved this book. I'm not sure I can put it into words that will make sense, but I'm going to try.
Poor Sam is a mess. Her boyfriend dies & she ends up in this totally nutty place called the Village of Lost Things, looking for him.
This book is about friendship, loss, pain, self-hurting, love, and healing. It delves into the dark places inside us & shows how we CAN heal. How others can help us and how to trust ourselves and our friends. It's quite an adventure.
It absolutely touched my heart and I highly recommend it. I found it impossible to put down.
I'll never look at curse words the same way again. Ha!
Poor Sam is a mess. Her boyfriend dies & she ends up in this totally nutty place called the Village of Lost Things, looking for him.
This book is about friendship, loss, pain, self-hurting, love, and healing. It delves into the dark places inside us & shows how we CAN heal. How others can help us and how to trust ourselves and our friends. It's quite an adventure.
It absolutely touched my heart and I highly recommend it. I found it impossible to put down.
I'll never look at curse words the same way again. Ha!
December 28, 2022
Audiobook: This was my first experience with Dawn Brazil's work, and I found most of it entertaining. I liked the world building and the creative imagining of "The Village of Lost Things". I appreciated that the characters were flawed. My greatest issue was that it just seemed to take a long time before things started happening. As I was listening to the audiobook, my attention would start to wander and then something would happen, and I would become wrapped up in the story again. Erin Chmela's narration was fine. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.
December 1, 2020
This is my first book by Dawn Brazil and I really enjoyed it!!! After three months in a coma Samantha wakes up in a line to the city called VOLT-Village of Lost Things. This book is definitely a page turner!!! Read and enjoy!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 16, 2023
This book was an emotional roller coaster for me personally, it was sad and heartbreaking but also I couldn’t stop until the end. The story is so deep, especially for someone who has lost a loved one and would have done anything to have them back.
May 19, 2023
Really enjoy this read. It’s a fantasy about a mysterious city for lost things. The main character boyfriend dies and she wakes up from a coma here, she is told she can find and speak to her boyfriend. The writing is good and it deals with grief beautifully. I thought it was funny how the main character substitutes swearing with states. Perfect for YA readers who enjoy a unique portal fantasy type vibe. 4.5 stars rounded up.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews