The Ancient Sacred Tree: Birthing a Hero by Dawnette Brenner is a strong children's fantasy novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. On the surface, the story seemed like the usual children's book, but once I started reading I realized that it was so much deeper than I initially thought it to be. With themes of mental illness running through the center of the story, the novel lightly addresses some serious issues that are plaguing young people's minds at the moment.

This is the story of Joshua Creed, a twelve-year-old boy who suffers from bipolar disease. Finding it hard to adapt to his current condition, coming to terms with the situation in his family, and fighting to make friends and fit in, Joshua has no idea how he will survive. To make things worse, he is suddenly thrown into a magical new world where he discovers that he has powers he had no idea he possessed. Now he must use his powers, master them, and help the people or else they will suffer. Does he have what it takes to fight pure evil? Can he overcome his own struggles and become what he is needed to be?

Fast-paced and craftily handled, the story is intense and had me wishing for more pages when I realized that I had reached the end. I wanted to know more about Joshua, I wanted to see what happened next, and I wanted to know how he felt. What really surprised me was how well the descriptions were written. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Dawnette Brenner gave Joshua a realistic appeal and gave him character. He was as mature as he should have been, yet still had the innocence that he should have had. Very enjoyable and entertaining. The Ancient Sacred Tree: Birthing a Hero is a real winner!

The Ancient Sacred Tree: Birthing a Hero by Dawnette Brenner is an adventurous tale of a twelve-year-old boy. Joshua Creed is the youngest of four siblings. He doesn’t think they like him much; for that matter, he doesn’t feel that anyone really likes him. Joshua is socially awkward; he constantly gets into trouble at school and, to top it off, his parents are divorcing! He hates his life. To cope, Joshua escapes into his imagination. He enters a world where he is needed, a place where he is brave. In this bizarre fantasy realm, Joshua discovers his importance. He is the key to an ancient prophecy; his role is to save the world. Traveling between two worlds, Joshua learns the value of family and friends, and that deep within him is the spirit of a hero.

Dawnette Brenner uses her real life as a platform to create the fantasy of The Ancient Sacred Tree: Birthing a Hero. The narrative is written in the first person, providing the point of view of the child protagonist. However, it doesn’t always sound like a child. The story portrays the difficulties of being a misunderstood child; several of the chapters begin with a quote from children of divorce. Brenner captures the imagination of a child by taking you into the world of make-believe, a realm filled with strange creatures and ancient powers. The setting traverses from fantasy and reality quickly, time lapses in leaps and bounds. Emotions peak and ebb as pain is the means to travel between worlds. Facing the conquest before him, “the edge of life and the edge of daydreams seemed to collide,” as the hero’s character develops and grows. This book is a great tool for a parent trying to understand a troubled child. As for the child reader, I hope the takeaway would be that you can handle any adversity in life with the help of your family.

The Ancient Sacred Tree: Birthing a Hero is an engaging story for all ages but is catered toward a younger audience. Author Dawnette Brenner's purpose behind this story is moving. She addresses mental illness in a unique way. As a first time author, she did a wonderful job at creating a visual world. Her young protagonist is dealing with a mental illness and the fantasy world he visits brings up emotions he deals with on a daily basis.

As a reader, I was a bit confused when the chapters would switch back and forth between reality and fantasy, but later I found out that the author did this intentionally to show her audience the mind of a child with a Bi-Polar disorder.

BLURB ( AS ON GOODREADS)
Joshua Creed receives disturbing news about his parents, but before he is able to process it, he is flung into a world of intrigue and danger where he must fight for his life and the lives of the inhabitants. He discovers he has secret powers, and the mystery of his eye is revealed, but it isn’t easy being bipolar and only nine years of age. His newly found friends and family help him through his adventure but not before he’s forced to change schools.
The action-packed, fun, and exciting adventures of Joshua begin in this first adventure of his destiny!

MY REVIEW
“I really didn’t understand at first. But as the years went by, I thought it was my fault. It was a very confusing time for me. ”

I love reading Fantasy genre books and this one is one of them. The story-line is amazing and if you love fantasy too then its a must buy. Now lets talk about the book.

The story is about a 12 year boy named Joshua who was bipolar and suffering from anxiety. His world crashes when his parents divorce each other. Frustrated from his life he always used to daydream about imaginary worlds where no problem existed. His adventure begins when he suddenly falls down while going to school.

Joshua is depicted as a weak and lonely child who never made a friend in school. But as the story progresses, so does his character. The story is all about Joshua being transported from his world to the imaginary world , called the world of Ice Plants, in order to save it from the evil powers. Why was only he chosen in order to save the ice plants ? What special abilities he had? Go read the novel and know the answer to these questions.

I really loved how the author described everything in detail. Her work is written in such a good way with simplicity and clarity. This novel is full of fantasy elements and suspense and you won’t be able to put down the book without finishing it.

Also a very important message was conveyed by the author of valuing one’s family and knowing their importance in our life.

“There is no such thing as a broken family. Family is family and is not determined by marriage certificates, divorce papers, and adoption documents. Families are made in the heart. The only time family becomes null is when those ties in the heart are cut. If you cut those ties, those people are not your family. and if you hate those ties, those people will still be your family because whatever you hate will always be with you.”

What a masterpiece! This book is filled with excitement action and unique characters. Would recommend this to, well.... everyone ever in the history of everything ever.

Excited to be writing a review of my own book, what else would I give it? I wrote it!

A personal story told from my heart, one that touches home. Joshua Creed a young boy who's advanced, adventurous and troubled and travels through a fantastic wild on an imaginative journey, a huge undertaking to discover his value. Birthing this hero will have you turning pages, laughing and scratching your head. Strange exciting creatures, amazing new worlds are all wrapped up in this fantasy-filled story of great characters. This is just the first book in the series of The Ancient Sacred Tree Chronicles, another will be coming out later this year, 2018.

My hope is to tap into the heart of readers, to allow them to see a character, perhaps fall in love with him, because he's relatable or they feel empathetic for him. My passion for kids and people with mental health illness is deep-seated and it is through books that I'm determined to break the stigmas and hopefully open the eyes to thousands, we are all striving in our worlds to make it and become the hero in our own right.

Definitely worth reading.

The Ancient Sacred Tree - An Amazing Adventure!

Dawnette Brenner captures perfectly the feelings that reside within each of us. The main character, Joshua Creed, is a young boy whose life is filled not only with the uncertainty of growing-up in today’s world but also with the daily challenges he must face because he is bi-polar. With an impending divorce in his family, Joshua feels more lost than ever. That is, until he finds himself thrown into a magical world full of creatures, both good and bad! He is expected to rise to the challenge of being a hero when he doesn’t even feel he can do anything right. He embarks on a magical journey to save a mystical realm and its inhabitants. While there, he discovers things about himself he never knew existed and finds strength within he did not know he possessed. The Ancient Sacred Tree embodies within its pages both a classic story of the battle between good and evil, and a modern, adventure-fantasy story that speaks to the hidden hero within each of us! It is a must read for all!

Stop the Presses!

Well strap on your seat belts baby, if you are looking for an escape than this is the book for you. In addition for you mother's out there, this is appropriate entertainment for your young impressionable teens. The underdog saves the day, once again! The characters are ripe with suitable topics that face most families, which makes it completely relevant and relatable. The imaginative use of scenery is both refreshing and hypnotic! There's multiple flavors akin to J.K. Rowling's unique storyline, as well as, the mysteries of Stephen King!

Buy your copy now, you won't be disappointed