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.
Ben is a (mostly) retired adventurer who has traveled across Tibet, climbed to 18,000 feet on Mt. Everest, and solo backpacked wilderness areas. He now writes adventure stories for boys and girls. Tales of lost gold and river caves, and flying with eagles. Stories of friendships that endure through adversity and danger. Adventures that inspire and educate and, most of all, entertain.
Reviewed by Alyssa Elmore for Readers' Favorite
A young man must accept his painful past and face an uncertain future in the young adult novel, The Staircase of Fire by Ben Woodard. Fourteen-year-old Tom Wallace is no stranger to heartbreak and grief. After an unfortunate accident leaves him an orphan and the last surviving member of his immediate family, Tom is relocated to his uncle's farmhouse in Shakertown, Kentucky. Angry at himself for the loss of his mother and baby sister, Tom is not the best company. Only one thing gives him hope; the mystery of the Shaker Gold.
Confident that he and his cousin, Will, can find the hidden gold, Tom knows that it is his ticket out of the hell he's been living. Through the nightmares and episodes, there are only two people that make Tom's life worth living; his new girlfriend, Helen, and Will. Complications arise when Tom witnesses a crime that places his life and those he cares about in danger. As Tom struggles to adjust to living on a farm, he discovers that beneath the small town's friendly exterior beats the sinister heart of prejudice and hate. Can Tom release his past and finally appreciate his present? Will the boys find the gold, freeing Tom to escape from his demons?
The Staircase of Fire by Ben Woodard is an enticing coming of age novel with social issues and emotional growth at its roots. I enjoyed the story, set in the late twenties, but felt the addition of sexual encounters was unnecessary. I appreciated the author's ability to bring to life specific social issues that have been plaguing our country for far too long. The author's in-depth research into past circumstances has created a compelling story, leaving the reader hopeful for another installment. The story is wonderful. I liked the settings, and the characters are well-thought out. I recommend this book to older teen readers, due to light adult content.
