Review: In the Storm by Karen Metcalf

Book Description via Goodreads:

Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.

No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay?

Source: Karen Metcalf (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

First and foremost, bravo to Karen Metcalf! This novella is one mind-tickling rollercoaster ride that I will never forget. Carly, troubled and living in what she considered hell on earth. Her father died and so did her mother. She was left alone with her five year old brother, Mitchell, and her abusive stepfather, Richard. She had to endure Richard’s behavior and his games that were becoming more and more intense, knowing that there was no one she and Mitchell could turn to, no place to run to. She was stuck. There was no way of escaping Richard until Karen stumbled into a strange and beautiful world.

Metcalf made In the Storm special with her concept of in-between worlds and Morgan, the guy in the storm world. The possibilities of Carly’s life were infinite. I love how Metcalf twisted the dimensions and blurred the line between the real and the supposed to be unreal. After all the things Carly has been through, what she experienced could be anything. It could be a product of her mind, a way of giving her an escape from her bad situation, it could also be just a long, complicated dream, and lastly, it could be real. But the important thing here was the change she experienced.

In the storm world, there was no pain, no suffering, no Richard. Most importantly, there was a guy named Morgan, who seemed to know everything about her life. He was mysterious and attractive. He had the answers to most of her questions. Carly began to crush on him, feel the need to touch and be close to this guy in the storm world that only she sees.

I really, really loved In the Storm! After reading all 88 pages of it, I felt that I just watched a wonderful movie. I was angry at Richard. I wanted to strangle him and kick him out of his own house. I pitied Mitchell and Carly for having to live with him because they had no one else. I was drawn to the storm world and to Morgan. I did not want it to end!

In the Storm is a one of a kind story of pain, loss, gain and hope. It is a search for the truth, for reality, for possibilities. I highly recommend this to people who like stories about fate, dimensions and that are mind-tickling.

Rating: