Another winner from Becca J. Campbell! In her latest series, Flawed, her usual flare for suspense and the manipulation of reality manifests itself in the forms of five unique and gripping characters, all of whom possess a certain “flaw” that enhances their life experience—and not always for the better. In Empath, the riveting first installment to the series, we are introduced to Jade, a young woman plagued by the distinctive problem of being highly sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others—to the point that she often loses track of her own personality. In an effort to gain control over this phenomenon, Jade enrolls in on-campus college classes for the first time ever, and strikes up a surprising number of friendships with people who allow her to be herself. Caught in the internal tug of war of emotion, not only with her own feelings for her new friends, but with theirs as well, Jade is unable to track the emotions of the one person who may matter most: the man who is stalking her, intent on torturing and eventually killing her. Campbell’s signature writing style shines as bright as ever in Empath, allowing the reader to be truly enveloped in Jade’s awkwardness, emotion, and conviction that she must overcome what she calls her “handicap” and have normal relationships with normal people. The story runs a winding course, cutting brutally back and forth between violent scenes that slowly reveal the villain’s intent, and touching moments between Jade and her friends that keep the reader enthralled. Though the killer purports to use people’s fears and weaknesses to destroy them, it is really the interaction between the characters minds and bodies that seems to discuss the relationship between fear and love, strength and weakness, leading the reader to question his own fears, and speculate about what it really means to be strong.
Though it is absolutely thrilling up to the very last page, this book is more than a simple suspense novel. It is a deeper probing into the idea of what makes a person normal, and how perceived abnormalities might actually be a blessing in disguise. Part thriller, part romance, and part superhero creation story, Empath by Becca J. Campbell will frighten, amuse, comfort, and inspire. With Campbell’s easy storytelling style and well-rounded characters, this is the perfect book to read when what you really need is something to devour in the course of a weekend, because it is inevitable that you will.
Bottom Line: A solid, all-encompassing book that engages and thrills. This is a series starter that will leave you thirsting for the next installment!
Side Note: I would rate this book as PG-13. Probably a good read for late middle school, early high school, but definitely not for kids. Just in case you were wondering.
About Becca J. Campbell
Becca J. Campbell is the author of the New Adult Romantic
Science Fiction novels Foreign Identity and Gateway to Reality, New Adult Romantic Paranormal
Thriller Empath (The Flawed Series #1), and
Sub-Normal, a series of Science Fiction
short stories.
An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy
and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca looks for
new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in
her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion
is defying the limits of her own creativity. You can find her on her Author
Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Amazon.
If you would like to purchase a copy of Empath, it will be on sale for $0.99 through the following venues:
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