Book Review: A Sadness Within

A Sadness Within

By: Sara Fiorenzo

Published By: Mad Hatter Press, LLC

Publication Date: August 2014

Page Count: 237

Buy it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Source: Kindly Provided by Author

Audience: New Adult - Fantasy

Disclaimer: I know this author personally and have worked with her on other websites in the past.

A Sadness Within focuses on two lost souls who are desperately trying to find solace.

Will Bradley is your typical brooding immortal. He hates his existence and his constant need for blood. Never fear - Will is not a vampire. I won't go into details about Will's condition, but I found that it was a creative spin and one of the strengths of this novel. I did find myself comparing him to Edward Cullen from time to time. It was hard not to when he felt like he was a soulless being and he was drawn to a girl in much the same way Edward was drawn to Bella. While Will does remind me of Edward, he does manage to stand on his own. It is also important to note that I was drawn to Edward Cullen for a reason which means characters who make me think of him often are looked upon fondly. There is something about a handsome, broken soul that appeals to readers. 

Aside from Will's personal history, I was fascinated by the dynamic of his relationship with his father and sister. Family conflict is inevitable, but when your family is immortal that can make for some interesting arguments and long standing grudges. 

The other focus of the novel is Julia. Julia is human and reeling from her own pain. I loved Will and Julia together.

I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns in this one. Fiorenzo's pacing was spot on and her creativity shines through each chapter. Her story shows that even in the darkest of times, love can always bring us into the light. It's difficult to talk too much about the plot without providing spoilers, but I did enjoy it.

I would recommend this one to fans of paranormal love stories. This is one of those Indie gems that sparkles.

One Last Gripe: The Twilight comparisons in the beginning gave me a slight sense of deja vu, but eventually those comparisons faded so that Will and Julia could develop on their own for me.

Favorite Thing About This Book: The explanation behind Will's condition

First Sentence: I first registered the pain.

Favorite Character: Celia

Least Favorite Character: Chris

Summary:

After losing her entire family in a few short years, Julia Cavallo finds herself disconnected and tired of everyone's sympathy. Unable to move on, she feels that she is simply broken. A gifted pianist, Julia uses music to express herself where words fail.

Will Bradley is destined for an eternal life thanks to a hopeless disease. Believing he is soulless and empty, he returns to his hometown where he happens upon Julia playing the piano. Pieces of himself that he thought were lost begin to resurface making him truly feel alive. 

Part fantasy and part science-fiction, A Sadness Within is about the restorative power of love and its ability to heal and shows that no matter what, it is never too late to change.