Beta-Reader Reviews

“Overall, great work!  … the way Will shares his thoughts and feelings with Cynthia as well as his gestures I find very romantic ... The book navigates through several hot button issues like the conflict with the Palestinians, protests on college campuses, immigration and family conflicts but it does so gracefully and realistically … The ending was beautiful."

“I love as always the book. It is well structured, argued and documented. It reads well for a European and is really interesting so far. I found myself immersed in the story. I do not have unfortunately negative comments. The whole description is strong and quasi real.”

“I did like the story. It was believable …  Making it longer would not improve it in my opinion.”

“I just finished Manuela …  While I found the universe building, historical facts, and religious references more interesting in the first two books, I liked this third book best ... because the characters have now become familiar and the story arc more compelling. In other words, narratives were coming to a head. I honestly thought a focus on a late teens girl was going to be slow going, it was not. I loved the parallels between Will and Manuela … Surprisingly, the dynamic worked quite nicely because,  and not in spite of, the juxtaposition of the characters.

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“But most of all, what I liked about book three was it was a story of acceptance and redemption. If I had to describe the three books, book 1 constructed a world and told a story of perdition. Book 2 was a book about revelation and making amends. Book 3 was about redemption and the cycle of life through Manuela. I think the writing is a bit more crisp in book 3 as well.

“I also loved, loved, loved that Manuela AND CYNTHIA  finished the book. Great touch! I always thought the books needed more Cynthia. Her perspective on the beast was riveting. She's the only one who could have shed light on the subject ... Well written and quite emotional.

Overall, great job. My favorite of the three.”