Finding Harmony Involves Risk

Stephanie Allen does a great job carrying me away from the reality of Kentucky and into a world of intrigue and fantasy in Harmony where the eponymous Harmony learns she has an important gift and because of that, danger lurks nearby. There was some confusion surrounding the story. Harmony kept referring to her dad as 'dad', 'father', and 'Jeff' and it took me a while to realize these terms were all referring to the same person. Also, there was never an explanation given as to why the fantastical world of Harmony shares the same name as our title character. Or why she insisted in being called by her middle name, Anne. Or what happened to her mom. It also took several chapters until we learned how old she was. These were all important details that needed clarity.

All that aside, Allen does an amazing job creating conflict, constructing witty and forward-moving dialogue, and smoothly transitioning between both worlds. Harmony's gift is intriguing and I like how Allen brings about its true nature as a surprise to both Harmony and the readers. There's a twist here too when we learn the reason behind her dad's offenses. All of these elements create a compelling and fascinating story line.