Review Detail

REFLECTIONS by Clifton Kenny follows Shane Sullivan as he discovers that he has the ability to talk to people from the past—specifically the ancestors of whomever is nearby when he starts to “reflect.” With this gift, Shane (accompanied by his friends Paige and Jimmer) discovers that the history lessons he learned in school aren’t the full story, and the people he sees every day have sometimes astonishing backgrounds. He also learns quite a bit about his own family and the genealogical path that led to his existence.

Kenny pulls on history (of course), science, and theology to tell Shane’s story. Set in 1974, the teens in REFLECTIONS have an impressive level of freedom. Shane and the other Sullivans (Shane is the youngest of four kids) have full run of their house since both parents work odd hours, and they make use of it with typical teenage shenanigans—and some atypical adventures as well. Shane is an agreeable protagonist, and the premise of the book is really interesting. Although some of the more academic explanations went a little long, and some of the sex scenes seemed gratuitous, the book is well written with good pacing. I’m not sure who the target audience is… the main characters are eighth graders, but some of the content is a bit risqué for middle school kids.

For fantasy readers who are looking for something a little different, I recommend you check out REFLECTIONS!

My thanks to the author for a copy of an ebook in exchange for my honest review.