Cornerstone (The Cornerstone Series Book 1)

This is one of those indie books that you just fall in love with from the word go! It was the perfect start to the `Cornerstone' series that brilliantly portrays both the painful reality of everyday school life that some young people have to live through, and the importance of family. I was drawn into this novel from the first page, especially with the subtle Psychology running through the story.I loved how the story started by introducing Nalena's home life and, despite her mother being a paper hoarder which greatly disrupts their life, the emphasis on how strong relationship with her mother. It really helped me warm to Nalena and understand and sympathise with her inner turmoil at her mother's behaviour, feeling sad that being so devoted to her mother causes her so much pain at school, but feeling guilty at her thoughts knowing it is not her mother's fault.Garrett's introduction was simply superb! Garrett is the kind of guy that every girl wishes to be with and every guy wishes they could be. And Nalena meets him in a library!! Enough said, he is perfect (This has nothing to do with my fantasy about meeting my soul mate in a library...of course not...) I loved how without even knowing her well, Garrett stood up to Nalena to bitchy cheerleader Jen, and to everyone at the school who calls Nalena `The Waste' due to her mother's hoarding of paper. He was the perfect example of a saviour that all girls who are bullied wish would swoop in and defend them, and I really sympathised with Nalena for thinking that Garrett's interest in her was because of a cruel joke with their classmates.The storyline was so cleverly written that, having bought the book a while ago, I had forgotten that it was a fantasy story. This was great for me as a reader because I was gradually exposed to the different fantasy elements which had me squealing excitedly. This is one of the best things about not reading the blurb before you read a book, as you become involved in the different storylines at the same time as the main characters and you can more closely connect with the characters feelings and behaviours. I won't go into detail about the fantasy storyline as it was so imaginative and cleverly written that I don't want to spoil the great reading experience for potential readers by giving anything away, but we are introduced to some amazing, unusual, comic and creepy characters that help make this book the gem that it is.Also I have to say "MOVE OVER CULLENS", there is a new paranormal family in town and they are the Reeces.' The Reeces are a family that stick together and help each other no matter what. Some of my favourite scenes were those that involved all the Reece brothers, especially Sean, who I love and hope to see more of in the future books.Overall this was an amazing book! 5 stars easily and such an imaginative well thought out storyline.

I was hooked by Provencher's engaging writing style and intrigued with Nalena's unusual life with her hoarding Mom. I felt I could relate personally with Nalena which made her character believable. Tantalizing twists throughout kept me reading, I wanted to know what was going to happen and why.I'm not particularly interested in the teenage romance aspect, although I would have loved it when I was a teen, now I don't find it interesting. The novel was heavily focused on the romantic life of Nalena and I find it dissatisfying for the romantic interest to be perfect, but I understanding that this is appealing to teenaged readers.I don't fully understand the finer details of the plot concerning the ancient community and the antagonists, but that might just have been something I missed, or may yet be revealed in the rest of the trilogy. Personally I prefer more conflict and action throughout books whereas Cornerstone felt a little more slower paced and the climax seemed short lived.As an independent author, Provencher has brought a very high standard of writing and editing to her novel. Cornerstone is certainly on par with traditionally published books. I know a lot of people who love Cornerstone and it is a books that teenage readers would also love. I think Provencher is a noteworthy writer and should be celebrated as an ambassador for independent authors. I look forward to seeing where her writing career takes her.

Nalena Maxwell's life hasn't been fun. She loves her mother, even though she has filled their house with reams of paper with "characters" and their "stories" on. At school, she is known as 'The Waste', because a popular girl dropped by her house and saw the paper that covers nearly every inch of the floor.School politics serves as a backdrop for this refreshing urban fantasy novel. In a market that is saturated with vampires and werewolves, Misty Provencher has created an original supernatural world that is highly engaging.The story is told in the first person and (unusually) in present tense. As a result, tension is present in every single page and every single word. The main character, Nalena, is easy to love and her emotions come across so clearly, that as a reader you almost fall in love with Garrett along with her.Speaking of Garrett... Provencher has written a romantic lead who isn't cliched. He may be popular, but he doesn't care what other people think and he certainly isn't a 'jock'. He's also not angst ridden (thankfully)! Instead he is funny, compelling and strong.The characters and story pull you along to the end and leave you wanting more. I'm really looking forward to the release of the second book and I heartily recommend Cornerstone to anyone who likes YA fiction, romance, action, or fantasy.

great book

In a category that is riddled with stale old stereotypes and eye-rolling cringe worthy characterizations, Cornerstone reads like fresh flower growing in a spring morning. While I don't think the concepts are new (and really there isn't truly any new concept in the world anymore), somehow the way it's presented and written makes it extremely fresh.If I had to describe the book it would be a WAY BETTER written version of Twilight. HAHAHHAHA no seriously, the romance in here is written a lot better (although it has the same tropes like drop dead gorgeous guy chasing a socially awkward girl, bullying because she's dating said gorgeous guy, etc... I could go on and on) and the world building for this is actually so much better (no it doesn't have vampires but it involves an ancient community).The book starts off with just a brief introduction to Nalena and her mother's hoarding condition. Then it puts you right into the action and you have no clue as to what is going on (just like the main character herself) in the hands of a less skilled author, this could have ended up as a disaster but Misty Provencher dangles enough 'carrots' to keep the reader going on. This really kept the pace of the book going and I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know more about their world.Speaking of which, the writing is very top notch which is highly impressive given that this is a self-published Indie book. Although there are some grammatical errors strewn throughout (like the infamous than vs then or their vs they're) but I can live with those things (Grammar Nazis be warned though!). The writing style reads like a contemporary YA fiction but the plot itself is actually more urban paranormal. I thought that was quite an interesting contrast and it reminded me a lot of Bridge to Terabithia. I guess it's because the contemporary elements play equal weight in developing the character (like how the main character has to deal with bullying from cheerleaders).I also really like the characterization, Nalena (the MC) initially starts off quite docile and weak willed but I can understand where she's coming from as children are cruel and getting bullied does that to you. I really love how there's tremendous character growth in her but still at a realistic pace. She's still a bit apprehensive (socially awkward as well) but at the same time there's a quiet strength in her towards the end that wasn't present before. I really love how realistic the growth was and it makes me sympathize with her character even more.I also love the Reese's! They're so fun and each of them are fully fleshed out and have such clear characterization I can see them in my head as real people. I use to know a family that had that many siblings and it reminded me of my time with them.Now the only thing that I didn't like as much was the romance. While there were some parts that were extremely sweet and swoon worthy, there were some parts I felt that moved along a little too fast and some actions that were so cliche had it been written by a less skilled author I would have been rolling my eyes but somehow Misty makes palatable. The cliche stuff would be popular boy falls in love with social outcast girl, protecting her name and honor, saving her several times and the dreaded insta-love thingy (omg it sounds like Twilight right?!). Thankfully the insta-love is mostly on Garrett's part and I'm glad Nalena didn't head dive into it (she acknowledges the physical attraction but doesn't kid herself that she's in 'love' with Garrett). I still don't get how Garrett could have fallen so quickly in love with Nalena and I can't help but feel this nagging feeling that he has some kind of ulterior motive.Garrett is also a strange character, he has some really swoon worthy knight in shinning armor moments and when you first are introduced he seems like genuinely nice and sweet guy. Then you get to know him a little better and he proceeds to exhibit some chauvinistic and immature tendencies. Like for example he simply introduces Nalena as his GF somewhere along the book (without consulting her) and always makes assumptions in their romance (and in a really smug way too) and seems to think that she's equally as head over heels as he is. Sorry Garrett as lovable as you are, you still need to work it ok! Then he throws a semi-hissy fit when Nalena clearly chooses her mother over him. It's all very strange because genuinely he is a nice guy but I suppose it makes Garrett real because he has these flaws? I'm very curious to see if there's any purpose to give him these character ticks and if they will play a bigger role in the upcoming books.Overall a very great start to what appears to be a very intriguing series. I've been told that the 2nd and 3rd books are a lot more polished so I can't imagine what they'd be like if the first book is all ready pretty good.It's going for 0.99 cents on Amazon, so whatcha waiting for! Get it!!!! :)

This book was on the best list of Shelly Crane (another Indy author) and I decided to give it a shot. At the very beginning it was a bit slow and I couldn't emerge in the story from the very first sentences. But I kept reading and well just wow- I definitely wasn't prepared for that. Nalena lives with a mother - apparently a bit crazy due to her obsession with paper. On this paper she puts the "stories" of people, drafts which are never written down in a full story, and which are not allowed to be thrown away. Because of that Nalena and her family had to change the houses and even the most recent house is overflowing with paper again. And all this torture is "for the sake of mankind" (according to Nalena's mother). Having a crazy mother and living in the house full of paper doesn't help Nalena's popularity at school. She is named "The Waste" and is always mocked by other students. Nalena, no surprise here, longs to be normal, have friends and a boyfriend. One day her life changes as a boy - a cute and popular one- sits down at her table in the library and tries talking to her. Though being attracted to him, Nalena doesn't want him to be tainted because of her "Waste"-status and leaves. The next day the boy -Garrett- asks about her at school, Nalena is verbally attacked by a popular girl. And something weird happens to Nalena's body, which she can't interpret. That evening Nalena goes back to the library to find Garrett sitting at her table again. They have a small talk, which leaves socially awkward Nalena overwhelmed. She leaves for the bathroom and when she gets back, she overhears a heated conversation between Garrett and his "girlfriend" Jen (the girl who was Nalena's best friend and started the whole rumors about her mother's craziness). Nalena decides to leave her things and just go home. Unfortunately it doesn't go according to plan and she is attacked in the forest. The same strange thing happens again and then Garrett appears and saves Nalena. And that is the beginning of the whole new life for "The Waste".I really liked how the characters were depicted. Garrett and his family are very likable and authentic. Nalena's angst and longing for acceptance is palpable. Sometimes due to her actions I wanted to hit her on her head - to bring some sense in it. But it's a good thing since it makes the characters more real. There are a lot of stories about teenagers with special abilities but this one has a few original ideas. There is some romance, but the story really concentrates on how Nalena's life changes due to her new discovered family history.This book is worth reading.

I enjoyed this book so much that I bought the rest of the series and loved them too!

Nalena's story captured me from the first sentence. The image of a girl living with a mother who writes constantly, filling the house with piles and piles of paper covered with small, neat writing, was addictive. And Nalena herself is beautifully realized. Like Harry Potter in The Order of the Phoenix, she is adolescent and angry.Her anger is understandable. She is bullied at school, and she has to lug home those reams of paper for her mom. She's pretty, and she could be popular, but because one girl saw the inside of her home, her nickname is "The Waste."It isn't until she meets Garrett Reece that her life begins to change. He is gorgeous and kind, and his family takes Nalena and her mother in. More importantly, he seems to understand her mom and why Nalena herself is starting to experience some strange episodes of her own.Provencher insisted on including the fantasy element in the book, to the point of rejecting agents' cries for a rewrite into a more realistic book. The fantasy is well-done, although the ending does feel a bit rushed. (As a fellow author I can sympathize; endings are incredibly difficult to pull off.) Still, it's satisfying and makes me want more.Keystone will be the next in the series, and I shall certainly look for it.Here's what I liked about the book:1. The writing is fantastic. "A wave of hot, rancid stomach soup rolls through me." I remember that stomach soup feeling from my own teens. That little sentence captures that feeling of dread perfectly.Another example: "There's a whole library full of empty tables up front, but this boy, with hair that would probably feel like soft twine between my fingertips, has to sit here." Great description, and I'm very thankful that she resisted the urge to use the Jewel Words: topaz eyes, etc.2. Nalena herself. She's a well-drawn, conflicted character.3. The tensions between Nalena and her mother. It's perfect and logical.4. Provencher is self-published, and the format and edit are just about perfect. Too many self-published novels roll into cyberspace with myriad errors, and Cornerstone is clean of those. Again, as an author with a small (tiny) press, I appreciate this. Self-publication is an art form, and Provencher has pulled it off beautifully!A few quibbles:1. You know that I love female friendships. Nalena and Garrett become friends, but she doesn't have a girlfriend to chat with in the book. The one girl who hangs with her in school, Cora, is depicted as a physically repulsive, not-very-nice person. I would have preferred to see a friend who could be counted on throughout the story.2. Garrett was just a bit too perfect. He's gorgeous and kind, as I said, but he really would have sprung to life if he had a few flaws.Perhaps these will be addressed in the next book. And I'm being very picky. For those quibbles, I give Provencher a 4 out of 5 stars, and I definitely recommend this as a great read.