Sky by R.E. Palmer

Sky
By:  R.E. Palmer
Paperback, 340 pages
Publishing Date:  December 2012
Frontrunner Publications
Source:   Author (for honest review)

Goodreads Summary:


Tomas Moone has a secret - he’s terrified if anyone finds out, he’ll lose the girl of his dreams he’s so desperate to meet. 

Selene has a secret - she fears if Tomas discovers the truth, he’ll reject her, and the last of her race will be lost forever. 

Carly has no secrets – she’s in a coma. If Tomas fails to rescue her, she will suffer an eternity of horror and torment. 

For the first time in her career, Shelley has a killer story, but she dare not tell it… no one would ever believe her. 

SYNOPSIS: Tomas Moone, is a dreamer, struggling to cope after the death of his father, in a run down London neighborhood. But Tomas has a secret - he’s fallen in love with a girl he calls Sky. But she’s not real. He’s only ever met her in his sleep. Then one night she fails to show, and his dreams take a darker turn. A mysterious woman in black, takes him to worlds beyond his imagination, promising Tomas power and immortality. But there's a heavy price to pay, and he begins to fear for his sanity, as the boundary between his dreams and reality breaks down.




Excerpt of Sky:


In the timeless space between consciousness and sleep, Tomas Moone met the girl he would love for the rest of his short time on Earth. It happened during one of those perfect summer days you don’t want to end. He lay on the grass, gazing up at the sky, trying to look at those strange, squiggly things you get in your eye. But as soon as he caught a glimpse of one, it darted away. As Tomas drifted off to sleep, he saw her face and named her Sky. She seemed just as surprised as Tomas, but then the small, blonde girl with the pretty face smiled and disappeared.
 

My Take on this Journey:

The main character in this novel was Tomas Moone, a very shy, insecure and sweet guy.  Tomas lived in London in a very poor area across from a borderline, where gangs hung out.  Greg, the leader of one of the gangs, was constantly badgering Tomas, and threatening him with violence.  On the day that Tomas was burying his father, he searched with his face towards the clouds, looking for a glimpse of Sky, but didn't see her.  Sky was the beautiful blond that he had been having an ethereal relationship with his whole life.  Sky was from another planet.  When he finally saw her, he said, she had a look of "Blind Panic." He was confused, because he didn't know why she looked that way.  Sky always had a beautiful smile on her face.  During the most devastating times in his life, she had always appeared to him.  

After his father's mysterious death, his mother, Matylda, and him went to live with his Grandfather.  His Grandfather was quite a character, with a bundle of stories.  
Tomas felt he was burying two fathers, because his father was an alcoholic.  He felt his father had two personalities.  What Tomas didn't realize was that his father had demons, and secrets of his own, no different than his son.  Tomas lived between two worlds, and the other world was his lifeline to Sky.  That world only existed in his dream state.  His mother feared for him having the same problems as his father, when Tomas was laying in the hospital in a coma.  lt was obvious he was having terrible reactions to whatever he was dreaming, yet, there was no pulse-reaction.  Matylda never tells her son of his fathers' demons, or why he really died.   Eventually, Tomas finds a secret out about his father that devastates him.   

This novel was full of imaginative description.  Tomas had such a love for Sky, and for his friends on the other side, in his dream state.  Unfortunately, his real life was full of sadness, and disappointments.  He was just walking through life, waiting for his next glimpse of Sky, because, all he lived for were the times he could  see her, and be with her.  When there was a change in Sky, and Tomas finally realized that something terrible must have been wrong with her, Tomas was thrown into tormented dreams with horrific scenes that intimidated him, and made him realize he had to make some tough decisions.  Tomas had a good heart, and he always wanted to do the right thing.  He was brought to the edge of sanity by an alien named Selene, and Drax, a demon of sorts.  I thought there was a great amount of thought put into this book, and many concepts, and some very violent and brutal scenes, that at times were quite scary to read.  I felt like I was there watching these gory scenes play out, and it scared the hell out of me!  

The only criticism I have about the book, is that at times, it had transitions that ran into each other, which made it confusing for the reader.  Overall, I think Mr. Palmer did a good job for a first novel, and he has quite a vivid imagination, with a lot of concepts.  It was obvious that this novel took quite a bit of thought to plan out.   I wish Mr. Palmer the best with his sequel, and enjoyed trying Sci-Fi out.   I Give this Thriller, 31/2 Vividly Imaginative Stars!!! 

                                  Come Along for the Ride,

           About the Author:  R.E. Palmer

I've always enjoyed reading and have fond memories as a child devouring the books by Arthur C. Clarke, John Wyndham and J.R.R. Tolkien. When I wasn't playing sport, I could usually be found reading or watching old science fiction movies.

I'd always wanted to write, but after many a failed attempts I put that ambition on the back burner - for much too long. 

But finally, after reading a number of books and online courses on how to write - see my recommendations in my tips for aspiring writers - I set myself the goal of writing a novel, it just came out as Young Adult.

If you're interested, you can read more about me here.

And of course, you're welcome to download my book from Amazon as soon as it's out :0) and subscribe to my monthly newsletter.



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