’The Keeper’ Review’
It would be very hard to believe that Vega Jane is a character written by David Baldacci as it is too unusual of him to write fantasy fiction.
Baldacci known for his crime thriller and masterful storytelling has ventured into an altogether new territory where he has tried to blend magical realms, courage, shadowy challenges, fantastical landscapes and effective storytelling to cater to a new audience - tweens and teens.
‘The Keeper’ is the second installment in the Vega Jane series and Baldacci has continued the journey of Vega Jane well.
His portrayal of Vega Jane as a courageous, sharp witted young protagonist resonates with the audience which is either young by age or at heart.
In the story, Baldacci has shown depth in the mysteries of the town Wormwood while introducing new allies and obstacles.
He was meticulous in building the fantasy world of the Quag and Wormwood by describing, more specifically, the Quag in vivid detail.
Baldacci has succeeded in interestingly describing the shadowy terrifying creatures of the Quag and the eerie landscapes.
He has also succeeded in creating a fantastical, magical but menacing ambience to such a level that you would feel accompanying Vega and Delph in their journey.
Although every obstacle faced by the characters leaves an impact on the reader, some challenges feel repetitive because of which the pace of the plot suffers.
For example - Vega and Delph frequently encounter similar types of traps that require teamwork and shrewdness to solve but they don’t significantly advance the plot.
Also, these traps don’t seem as interesting as more dynamic and unique obstacles such as the labyrinth puzzle or shadow beast encounter and feel like fillers.
While the story illustrates intriguing mysteries and breathtaking action, a few answers remain elusive therefore leaving readers with more questions than answers in the end.
Surely, Baldacci did this to evoke eagerness in the readers for the next installment but too many questions may seem frustrating for the readers.
Baldacci’s writing style provides emotional depth to the characters that compensates for the pacing issues.
Also, his portrayal of Vega Jane as a strong, inspiring female protagonist and her evolving relationship with Delph adds value to the narrative which makes up for these minor flaws.
What makes this book meaningful and entertaining at the same time is the blend of friendship, courage, dangers, high-stakes action, resilience, and strong will to uncover the truth which is why it resonates strongly with the readers.
David Baldacci’s ‘The Keeper’ is no less than 3.5 stars for me and it has 3.93 stars on Goodreads from 9086 ratings and 4.1 stars on Amazon from 5655 ratings.
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