Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Illusion is a non-fiction motivational book written for young adults by Carly Sotas. The author asks her readers a number of discussion questions about their lives, aspirations, weaknesses and strengths, and fears. Then she leads the discussions by offering her own personal stories or the stories of people she knows, and proceeds to show what lessons or insights she gained from those experiences. Sotas grew up on a farm in rural Canada and attended a small high school where most of the students didn't have any expectations for their educational experience or academic future. In her first chapter, Do You Live in a Box?, she relates how she was able to get out of her box and achieve the dream she and her sister had long shared of visiting New York City. Actually, Sotas did much more than that; the seventeen-year-old placed a telephone call to a reality show host and offered her services as an intern in his real estate office. She followed up her call with an email and actually got offered the position. Then she started to arrange for affordable and safe housing.

Carly Sotas' young adult non-fiction book, Illusion, is a refreshingly frank and thought-provoking guide to living fearlessly and well with one's eyes wide open to dreams and possibilities. Her anecdotes and stories make for fascinating reading, and her challenges to examine one's own life are not easily shunted aside. While Illusion was written for young adults, it's a book that transcends age groups, and I would recommend it for mature pre-teens as well as adults. This is a well-presented and meticulously written work that shows the reader how to make a difference in his/her life. Sotas offers no magic fixes or special offers that will do the trick for you, but she does pose the questions and offer the insights that will get you brainstorming and considering just what you want from life and how to achieve it. I was quite impressed with Illusion. It's most highly recommended.