This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers' Favorite
The Monocle by Mark Cavanagh opens in the summer of 1966 when thirteen-year-old Mick Sullivan and his friend Viv Oulette discover a mysterious bronze clamshell in an abandoned farmhouse. The house's owner, Mr. Winsor, disappeared without a trace, leaving behind the clamshell, a notebook, and a puzzle that Viv vows to solve. Mick and Viv open the clam and discover a monocle inside. Through some experimentation, the friends find the monocle can help them teleport, time travel, and even control the weather. The effects of their investigations catch the attention of a federal agent and an otherworldly being who tries to make small suggestions to lead the children down a path of destruction. When the monocle's incredible power is placed in Viv's and Mick's hands, they must decide how to use it, and their choices aren't always the right ones.
The highly descriptive details show the fight for a balance of power and the entities that will stop at nothing to tip the scale. The Monocle takes readers back to the 1960s and, even if they didn't live during that time, they will appreciate the lifestyle, speech, and familiar companies. Others will relive the generation's nostalgia, perhaps placing themselves in Mick's or Viv's shoes. Mark Cavanagh moves the story along at a pace that will hold readers' interest without pushing them too quickly from one point of action to another. We all like to think we'd have proper control over the outcome if we discovered a mechanism allowing teleportation or time travel, but the author shows the possible consequences, making the novel realistic. Readers who enjoy science fiction and young adult books will love The Monocle.
