Review Detail

The combination of historical fiction and paranormal fiction is one of my favorites, and it’s been a successful one, as bestselling author Libba Bray can attest to. In Born of Illusion, Teri Brown deftly handles the task of writing a multi-genre young adult novel, and she does it in a way that I found to be quite enjoyable. I didn’t think Born of Illusion was a perfect read, but it came close.

To begin with, Brown’s main character, Anna, while not the most spectacular piece of characterization, was undeniably proactive and praiseworthy for much of the book. She’s spent all her life as an accessory to her mother’s career as a fraudulent spiritualist, and though Anna has talent of her own, she’s always been stifled by her mother. Moving to New York City opens up many new pathways, and Anna finds herself following her would-be father around town, as well as experiencing exciting things alongside two equally delicious suitors.

Of more interest, however, is the relationship between Anna and her mother. As far as Anna is concerned, her mother loves her daughter, but she loves her career more. Her mother has always been greedy and self-serving, always in search of power. But she’s also frivolous, and Anna has had to shoulder much of the “parenting” responsibilities over the years. The strained relationship between the two women is a major source of conflict in Born of Illusion, as Anna is understandably bitter toward her mother.

The love triangle, generally speaking, was mostly well done. Anna’s two love interests, Cole and Owen, were both presented as handsome young men with mysterious secrets. I’m of the opinion that love triangles are highly overproduced in young adult fiction, but this one wasn’t too bad, if a little obvious.

Where Brown excelled, in my opinion, was in the melding of historical and paranormal fiction. Anna’s world of real psychic abilities and fake séances fit perfectly against the backdrop of Prohibition-era New York City. I found the author’s numerous nods to the era’s fashion and music to be well-placed and appropriate, and the topic of spiritualism was also portrayed in an interesting manner, if not an entirely unique one (this book is rather reminiscent of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Distant Waves).

For the most part, Born of Illusion went along at a reasonable pace, with never a dull moment. Action and exposition were nicely balanced, and my interest was high. However, I found the novel’s climax to be predictable and too reliant on obvious clichés for my own taste, and the way Anna’s problems with her mother and with her two love interests resolved felt a bit obvious and forced to me. I did like how things were left open-ended but mostly wrapped up. I’m not sure if a sequel is in the works or not, though.

In the big picture, Born of Illusion was a fun and entertaining book that I enjoyed very much. Teri Brown did an excellent job with her topic and in mastering the two genres, and I found the story to be very engaging. And while this novel wasn’t without its faults, I was impressed nevertheless.