During the summer, I read the book called, Legacy of Lies, by Elizabeth Chandler. This is the first selection in a two book volume. Legacy of Lies is about a sixteen-year old girl, who gets an invite to her grandmother’s house for the first time in sixteen years. Megan, the main character, did not want to visit her. Even though she did not want to go, she went for her mom. Megan had to fly from Arizona all the way to Maryland. When she arrived, she had met many people. The ones she wanted to bond with were her grandma, and her new-found cousin, Matt. Mysterious things started to happen as weeks passed by. Objects were always misplaced; Megan was having bad dreams, flashbacks occurred. Everything was happening all at once. Could these incidents be happening because of Megan?
The author, Elizabeth Chandler, uses many writing techniques, such as mood, tone, setting, and voice to develop a suspenseful mystery. Her use of imagery created vivid descriptions and you can see and hear all the thoughts that are going through the characters’ minds. The author demonstrates this in the following passage: “The air was cold and damp down there; it held the darkness like a sponge. My eyes adjusted slowly to the bit of light that came from the doorway above. Suddenly I saw huge wheels, wheels with teeth, one wheel interlocking with the next, like the gears inside a clock. The largest was as tall as I.” (103). These are Megan’s thoughts about her dream, and the author makes me feel as if we have experienced this, as well. The author uses the simile,“The air… held the darkness like a sponge,” to convey the suspenseful mood of Megan’s dream.
One reason, the story is so effective in building a connection to the reader, is that the author tells the story in first person. It is Megan’s voice that leads us through the story: "It was the name he had written on my heart. I turned to look down at him. My foot slipped. Reaching out wildly, I grabbed hold of the pipe that propped open the door. For a moment it held me, then I felt its cold iron slide through my fingers, felt myself falling backwards. I heard a rushing sound in my ears and plunged into darkness"(190). Chandler's story is full of tension and excitement, not only because she is a talented writer, but also because of the choices she has made to tell her story.
This is a fantastic mystery with many plot twists and a full cast of characters. The author writes with great suspense and uses many literary devices to develop strong characters and descriptions. I would recommend this book to anyone. It has a plot that makes you want to keep reading and has many surprises!
The author, Elizabeth Chandler, uses many writing techniques, such as mood, tone, setting, and voice to develop a suspenseful mystery. Her use of imagery created vivid descriptions and you can see and hear all the thoughts that are going through the characters’ minds. The author demonstrates this in the following passage: “The air was cold and damp down there; it held the darkness like a sponge. My eyes adjusted slowly to the bit of light that came from the doorway above. Suddenly I saw huge wheels, wheels with teeth, one wheel interlocking with the next, like the gears inside a clock. The largest was as tall as I.” (103). These are Megan’s thoughts about her dream, and the author makes me feel as if we have experienced this, as well. The author uses the simile,“The air… held the darkness like a sponge,” to convey the suspenseful mood of Megan’s dream.
One reason, the story is so effective in building a connection to the reader, is that the author tells the story in first person. It is Megan’s voice that leads us through the story: "It was the name he had written on my heart. I turned to look down at him. My foot slipped. Reaching out wildly, I grabbed hold of the pipe that propped open the door. For a moment it held me, then I felt its cold iron slide through my fingers, felt myself falling backwards. I heard a rushing sound in my ears and plunged into darkness"(190). Chandler's story is full of tension and excitement, not only because she is a talented writer, but also because of the choices she has made to tell her story.
This is a fantastic mystery with many plot twists and a full cast of characters. The author writes with great suspense and uses many literary devices to develop strong characters and descriptions. I would recommend this book to anyone. It has a plot that makes you want to keep reading and has many surprises!
No comments:
Post a Comment