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Selected as a 2021 Kirkus Top 100 Indie Books of the Year
MY REVIEW
Jeff Gunhus writes some fabulous horror novels and when I saw this one in his newsletter I realized it was different than what I was used to from him. It is personal, written from the heart, and I LOVED IT. Caroline & Mordecai The Gand sends a subtle message through a fabulous adventure with a girl that wants things to be like they were before her father died.
Thirteen year old Caroline lost her father, her friend, and her grief is overwhelming. She does have her mother, who has her own struggles with her own loss, Abby and her Aunt Betty, but nothing fills the void.
When she fell from the tree, she entered a world that would open her eyes as she finds her way through her sorrow. Her adventure will take her back to herself.
I feel this is a book everyone who has suffered a loss would benefit from. Even in sadness there is happiness, smiles with the tears…
May you feast on your dreams
If you check out Jeff Gunhus, you will see why this book came to be. It may be a middle grade read, but I feel it holds a wonderful message for us all.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Caroline & Mordecai The Gand by Jeff Gunhus.
GOODREADS BLURB
Caroline loses her spark. It takes a great adventure for her to find it again.
When Caroline loses her father in a car accident, she can’t shake the feeling that it was her fault. Consumed by grief, she has a difficult time readjusting to a world that has changed so dramatically for her. Not long after her father’s death, a strange window opens in the middle of the small lake behind her house. She climbs up an old oak to peer inside, but falls out of the tree and discovers that the window also serves as a door into a different world.
Enter Mordecai the Gand, a mysterious traveler who befriends Caroline and promises to help her find a way back home since the window she fell through has disappeared. The two set out on a series of adventures that include visiting a tree village populated by a tribe known for eating travelers, running into a witch under a spell of her own making, hiding in a cave with a dragon encased in a wall of ice (prone to melting by campfire), all the while being pursued by a mysterious entity call the Creach which promises to devour Caroline and trap her in an eternity of despair.
As they navigate these adventures and this new world, Caroline slowly discovers that she is meant to help each of the characters she meets. As she battles internally whether to stay or return home to the sadness and grief waiting for her there, she must regain perspective and open her heart to the act of caring and to the joy of love itself. In the end, she must demonstrate great courage, loyalty, and caring as the plot unfolds, becoming the active hero of her own story
ABOUT JEFF GUNHUS
Jeff Gunhus is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thriller and horror novels for adults and the middle grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year-old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His books for adults have reached the Top 30 on Amazon, have been recognized as Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalists and reached the USA TODAY bestseller list.
After his experience with his son, he is passionate about helping parents reach young reluctant readers and is active in child literacy issues. As a father of five, he leads an active life in Maryland with his wife Nicole by trying to constantly keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel or on JeffGunhus.com.
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MY JEFF GUNHUS REVIEWS
Oh, this sounds wonderful. I like stories dealing with grief.