
Member Reviews

A great and exciting story that was so much fun to read. Action packed, with characters that are easy to relate to. |

Unfortunately, despite my piqued interest in this title, I did not get the chance to read it in time to publish a review before the full release. |

For me, the story lacked focus. Even by the end, I'm not really sure what the story is about. Slaone is a 14-year-old Romani-American girl who has psychic gifts, as do the rest of her Romani family. The story is mostly about her frustration with her birth father and his girlfriend and a prediction early on in the book that her father would die (but not which father). I loved the Romani culture parts of the story and the various psychic gifts they possessed. The story was easy to read, and the pacing was pretty good. The most frustrating part of the novel is that it is told entirely in first person but from different points of view, but no indication of who it is. I don't want to have to puzzle out who the character is. The second chapter completely confused me because for the longest time I thought it was Sloane ten or twenty years in the future, but it was her mother. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. The story also had too many details and backstory that had no impact on the plot, though some of it was interesting. There were issues I expected to get resolved that did not. Actually, nothing was resolved. I think people who are fascinated with Romani culture will like the book and those who don't mind a more distant type of storytelling. I think this story has a retro vibe, like a story told fifty or more years ago. So, if you like older fiction, this might be a good book for you too. |

Romani Redd was an engaging read, both for teens and older audiences. I like Cindy Summer’s use of a first person narrator, fantasy elements, and world-building. An enjoyable story that I would gladly recommend. |

I enjoyed this book a lot. I couldn't put it down and I think a lot of people will like it as much as I did. Overall, I highly recommend this. It didn't feel like a debut at all! |

Sloane has psychic visions and a difficult family. Descended from a great Romani Tarot Seer, Sloane must decide to embrace or flee from her destiny. The cover design of Romani Redd is stunning. The monotone, sketch design with the splash of brilliant red was all I needed to read the book. The story line was wonderful. It was a fantastic means of exposure to Romani culture while relating to modern day issues. My only hang up from adding it to the library's collection is that it seemed slightly too mature for the school's reading level. |

*ARC provided by Netgalley in return for honest feedback* I'm going to feel incredibly guilty being the first to leave a three-star review on Goodreads for this book. Before I begin, I want to state that getting your book published is an incredibly difficult thing. You should be proud of yourself, and don't let my commentary get you down. You're learning the ropes, and this is your first novel. So, congratulations, and I wish you many great reviews and can't wait to read your future books and see how you grow! Now... into the not-so-fun part. I felt like the writing needed a bit of work. There were some places that didn't connect, fundamental parts that felt like they needed to be included or completed, and areas where the writing style shifted a bit too much for my liking. I also personally do not enjoy accents written phonetically. This form of accent writing can be highly offensive and often showcases stereotypes that aren't always in a positive light. (I should additionally note that I do not speak the accents showcased in this novel, so I cannot speak for people who do. -- However, I do know I wouldn't want to read a book that says, "I warshed da clothes today." instead of "I washed the clothes today"). The only other note I had was that I wish there was more of a backstory toward the beginning of the novel. I almost DNF'd the book because I had no clue what was going on and felt like I was reading a sequel to a series (& yes, I did double-check on Goodreads to see if there was a book before this one). Overall, your writing has excellent potential, and the plot was to the most part enjoyable. But as Uncle Ben says in the Spiderman universe, "With great power comes a great responsibility." |

Thank you Cindy Summer, Amplify Publishing / Mascot Books and Netgalley for this free ARC in exchange for a review. Here's something to change in the final version; twice near the end of Chapter 6, sentences (and possibly paragraphs) are left unfinished. It's a little confusing, so it doesn't effect the book in general. The book held my attention. I liked that the point of view changes between different characters. I'm not sure what to think of the shocking actions of the protagonist, contrasted with her excited behaviour at the end. If <spoiler>my mother were going to be put on trial for attempted murder, due to my own actions no less, I wouldn't care about a mansion with a British butler</spoiler>. I'm guessing from that ending that this is the first book in the series, and if so, I'm on board for book 2. |

I found this book to be a joy to read, it was what I was hoping for from the description. I loved the use of Romani and the elements in this story. I was so glad I was able to read this and enjoyed getting to know the characters. Cindy Summer has a great writing style and I hope to read more from her in the future. "There’s no one to impress,” John clarified. “There’s no I was overwhelmed; Dr. McDonald noticed my apprehen-audience—he’ll never see that surgeon again, so it doesn’t sion, but I suspected it was an inconvenience. “Sloane really matter to him. He figures he’s covered since he asked you to is going to be alright,” she said vehemently. Ugh—she took keep him up to date.” |