Customer Reviews

Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Amber Page is a little girl you'll love to meet and get to know in this action-packed sci-fi novel by Stacey Cochran. I would describe this novel as a sort of Sci-fi, action, comic book. The story begins with a young spy who is in possession of the coral stone - a legendary artifact that will change the world when given to young Amber Page. But will it ever get there? And if it does, is she strong enough to defeat the evil SHROUD Organization?

I enjoyed this book, not even realizing it was aimed at young adults. I thought the story line was a great idea and was very excited to start reading. The novel was indeed a page turner - I needed to find out what happened next as well as how the book would end. This is not a book you can walk away from easily. It was a fast-paced, but easy read. I read it in a weekend and still managed to get all my errands done. This makes sense as it is a Young Adult book.

Although I wanted to read until the end of the book, there were a few things I didn't like. I felt that the character of Rio fell a little flat or two-dimensional but I wonder if this was intentional because it is a sort of comic book type character. They're all a little flat to me so this could very well be my own bias. The other characters were well developed and I absolutely adored Amber.

I thought that at times there was too much description - too much about clothing, eye color or random information that truly had no bearing on the story. There seemed some unnecessary narration. For example, during the various newscasts each newscast contained the description "city X was accredited in the corner of the screen." In addition to an overabundance of description, sometimes the same words or ideas were repeated. For example there was always a description of the material underfoot, whether it is sand, concrete, asphalt, etc.

I also didn't think the book explained everything. I have a bunch of questions about the coral stone and its origins. I also have a bunch of questions regarding the old man in the story. I'll not ask them here for fear of spoiling the story but I do think there are more questions than answers even after I finished reading the book in its entirety.

All in all, I enjoyed my reading experience with the Amber Page. I think Stacey Cochran is a talented writer who needs a little editing work when it comes to wording but I would most definitely read another book by him - in fact I have already purchased the next one. If you are looking for a fun, quick read I would recommend this book.

I agree with David Morrell that this is one heck of a good idea for a novel! In a nutshell, it's a "James Bond" type tale with a climax reminiscent of "The Matrix's" flair for bending reality and it's really hard to put the book down after about page 20. With all the action scenes, running gun battles and explosions this story has all the makings for an action packed, big-screen movie. Before you start reading this one, make sure you have a large bucket of popcorn and a large drink at hand.

Writing-wise I can see that Stacey has spent a lot of time editing this book. I noticed some redundancy in narration, but not too much. I was impressed with the active voice he used. That's something I initially struggled with when I wrote my first book, Paraworld Zero.

Story-wise, Amber Page is not what I expected. From the cute little girl on the cover I was expecting something like an elementary school book for young girls, but I soon discovered that the reading level is much higher than that. Lots of fighting and action. Imagine a seven-year old girl beating up grown men with Matrix-style moves.

I did enjoy how Stacey brought everything together at the end. The interactions of the father at the end were probably the best writing in the book, although it might have been nice to introduce him a little earlier (perhaps in a phone call or something).

Stacey Cochran has the makings of a best-seller with "Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone." It is a thrilling, action packed adventure that keeps the reader entertained, enthralled and hooked from its opening paragraph to its last words. Readers of all ages will fall in love with Amber Page as she transforms from a sweet first grader to a crime-fighting, superhero with the power to save her family and the world. Cochran has created characters that the reader will undoubtedly identify with and root for, whether it's the Amber, the heroic Rio, the hard-working Donna or the well-meaning Mike. I look forward to more adventures from Amber, as well as "Amber Page" the movie starring Dakota Fanning as a slightly aged Amber. A job well done!

As an adult, I really enjoyed this book even though it is geared toward younger readers. It was thoughtful, fun, and well written. Can't wait for his next book. Give it a try!

I just received my copy of this last week and devoured it in one sitting. So you can tell that I really enjoyed it. It's a very engaging story that made me laugh in places, cry in others and left me satisfied at the end.

If I can make one criticism of the book it's that there is the odd error in grammar or spelling. The one that really grated is the use of "shined" instead of "shone" in places. There were other minor errors but only a few and I've seen worse things slip by in traditionally published works.

Still it is well worth reading and I do recommend it.

My only major gripe is that I have to wait until Winter 2007 for the next volume.

David Morrell, bestselling author of First Blood and creator of Rambo
"This is one heck of a good idea for a novel."

Simon Wood, author of Accidents Waiting to Happen
"Amber Page is a Da Vinci Code for the junior high generation."

Jeremy Robinson, bestselling author of The Didymus Contingency
"The story grabs you from the moment an old man with piercing eyes smashes his walker through a school bus window and delivers the message that propels the book forward, `the legendary coral stone is destined for you.' The story's grip doesn't loosen until Amber's pitched battle for the fate of the world with the nefarious S.H.R.O.U.D. organization is complete. An entertaining, fast-paced read featuring a hero like no other-a powerful, seven-year-old girl who's not afraid to throw down with the bad guys. Highly recommended."

Ken Brosky, Editor-in-Chief Brew City Magazine
"Amber Page picks you up from page one and doesn't let go. The nonstop action and layered plot keep you turning pages until your thumb is sore. There's something to be said about a book that can hook readers from the first page and keep them hooked until the very end. Funny, smart and unpredictable, Cochran's newest is proof that the action thriller is still a powerful force."

Mark Jeffrey, bestselling author of The Pocket and the Pendant
"A fine first volume of what promises to continue to be a quantum fable of spy intrigue, adventure and thought-provoking speculation on the nature of the universe.

For starters, the realistic depiction of Amber's broken family and poverty combined with the way Amber's everyday experiences in school `rang true' lent believability to the tale. This is a key foundation of fantasy that many authors simply ignore, but which Cochran smartly builds on as a cornerstone. He has very clear empathy for Amber, her mom, her dad and their situation in life-and thus the reader does as well. When fantastical elements-such as the nefarious S.H.R.O.U.D. organization and the Coral Stone of the title-are introduced, they then have immediate validity, because they appear to exist in a `real world' that we can all recognize.

Cochran also manages to weave in intellectual concepts such as quantum mechanics without getting over-complex or wordy. Young readers will be able to clearly understand these concepts through his use of something he calls `The Line'-which physics buffs will recognize as the `weirdness barrier' between the bizarre actions of subatomic particles and the macro world at large we can all see. The Line is crossed in our observable world by certain individuals such as Amber and the Stone-and a certain mysterious old man with a walker who figures prominently in the tale.

The motif of `universal true freedom' is explored nicely through things as simple as a stoplight which controls whether a classroom can talk or not. A metaphor for the clamping, smothering controls we've all experienced in the world, they are perhaps nowhere as vivid as in our early classroom experiences. Amber is presented as a champion of true freedom by openly defying this control mechanism, and she is certain to go on repeating her actions in ever-widening arenas with greater consequences for all.

Lastly, the classic death and rebirth of the hero motif is also presented in fine detail at the end of the novel. Cochran isn't afraid to kill characters when needed, or have them undergo extreme transformations, even at an early age. And again, he accomplishes both believably.

So let me enthusiastically recommend Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone for your bookshelf as a rollicking adventure and fantasy tale and speculation about the world we inhabit all wrapped into one!"