The Reading Bud

Book Blog by Heena Rathore-Pardeshi

Book Review: A Hero Dreams by Mark Ristau

Book Details:

Author: Mark Ristau
Release Date: 21st September 2017
Genre: Coming-Of-Age, Supernatural
Series: Hero’s Path (Book #1)
Format: E-book 
Pages: 288 pages
Publisher: 
Blurb:
Devastated by his father’s sudden death, eight-year-old Ricky begins to see things—a ghostly silhouette in his bedroom window, a gruesome train accident involving four local teenagers, a terrorist attack that won’t occur for another twenty-five years. After a traumatic incident at a New England summer camp, the visions become more frequent, more vivid, and more disturbing. A mysterious voice assures him everything will be okay if he crosses the “threshold.” But just what is the threshold? And what lies beyond? 

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award 
– Popular Fiction (Winner of Silver) 
National Indie Excellence Awards 
– New Fiction (Winner) and Visionary Fiction (Finalist) 
Next Generation Indie Book Awards 
– First Novel (Finalist) and Inspirational Fiction (Finalist) 
Best Book Awards 
– Best New Fiction (Finalist) and Visionary Fiction (Finalist) 

Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

A Hero Dreams by Mark Ristau is an imaginative and unique supernatural book about a protagonist that will remain in your heart long after you’ve put the book down.

This book is really well-written and has a brilliant concept, for the book itself as well as the series – from what can be seen as the foundational layout of the plot. The characterisation is good and I was able to connect and relate to the protagonist, Ricky, who is an 8-year-old kid on a path to something he cannot comprehend entirely for the most part. This raises the stakes in the story to a point where the book becomes unputdownable.

The only thing I had a problem with is the sexual abuse that kind of felt forced in the way to only drive the plot forward and justify the visions the kid has. This could have been tackled in a better way in my opinion. Apart from this, the book as pretty good.

I liked this book and am looking forward to reading the next book in this series to know what happens next in Ricky’s life. I’d definitely recommend it to readers of all genres as this book is a coming-of-age story that has a little something for every reader. Though if child sexual abuse is a trigger for you then you might want to reconsider.


You can also read this review on:

Goodreads


Amazon


I love reading your comments, so please go ahead…

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I’m Heena

Welcome to The Reading Bud, my cosy corner of the internet dedicated to all things books and authors. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of discovering under-represented books, independent and small press authors, and all things book with a touch of love and loud purrs. Let’s get Reading!

Book of the Month

Read this captivating story on the adventures and hardships of Frank Knightlite, a man who strives to illuminate darkness with his lantern in search of answers to life’s questions.
You can get it here.
September 2021
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  

Reading is like breathing to me.

Recent Posts

  • Book Review: Exits: Selected Poems by Stephen C. Pollock

    Book Details: Author: Stephen C. PollockRelease Date: 12th June 2023Series:Genre: Poetry, Non-FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 54Publisher: –Blurb:Every life is finite. Though circumstance and timing may vary, death remains the one inescapable attribute of the human condition. Awareness of this inevitability…

  • 5 Factors That Affect Property Valuation

    Property valuation is the process of determining the worth of a real estate property. This involves assessing various factors such as location, size, condition, and comparable sales in the area. Valuations are typically conducted by professional…

  • Book Review: Brothers and Strangers: A German-Iraqi Memoir by Junis Sultan

    Book Details: Author: Junis SultanRelease Date: 11th January 2022Series:Genre: Memoir, Non-FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 330Publisher: Brandylane Publishers, Inc.Blurb:Born in Mosul, Iraq, to a wealthy intercultural family, Junis Sultan’s happy, privileged childhood is abruptly cut short by the start of the…

  • Book Review: Carving Up Riley (Riley MacLeod Series # 1) by Paul Flanagan

    Book Details: Author: Paul FlanaganRelease Date: 27th March 2023Series: Riley MacLeod (Book #1)Genre: HumourFormat: E-book Pages: 78Publisher: –Blurb:Meet Riley MacLeod…loving husband…caring father…faithful friend…successful writer…and the world’s biggest idiot. Of course, in Riley’s insane mind he sees himself as the…

  • Book Review: Tap and Die by Lancelot Schaubert

    Book Details: Author: Lancelot SchaubertRelease Date: 24th October 2023Series: Genre: Western Parody, Humour, Cowboy Fiction Parody, Action & AdventureFormat: E-book Pages: 138Publisher: ValeBlurb:A cowboy separated from his wife visits an ambassador’s gala above an active volcano. Magical terrorists attack.…