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The Cadence of Gypsies: Book 1 of the F.I.G. Mysteries
Book Details:
Book Title: The Cadence of Gypsies (Book 1 of The F.I.G. Mysteries)by Barbara Casey
Category: YA fiction, 272 pages
Genre: Literary/Mystery
Publisher: Gauthier Publications/Hungry Goat Press
Release date: April 2015 (e-Book)
Content Rating: PG-13 (A few expletives, mild sexual innuendo)
Book Description:
On her 18th birthday Carolina Lovel learned that she was adopted and was given a letter written by her birth mother in an unknown language. After years of research she travels to Italy on a mission to find the truth about her past. Carolina is accompanied by three extremely gifted but mischievous students the FIGs from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women. In an effort to help their favorite teacher, the FIGs will have to use their special abilities to decipher the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world, and the one thing that is strangely similar to what Carolina was given. Their search will take them into the mystical world of gypsy tradition and magic, more exciting and dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
My review:-
This book was very entertaining and engaging with complex and well developed characters , a well crafted plot and a great story. And gypsies! I mean how many times do we see them be so strongly portrayed in a book. This book was a great bedtime read with a National Treasure movie type plot and relatable characters in the shape of the F.I.G girls and Carolina
Guest post by the author
THE “WHAT IF” GAME
By Barbara Casey
What child hasn’t imagined being something they are not. Little girls and boys dream they are royalty, or beautiful prancing horses, or life-saving doctors, or famous film stars—even though they know they are not. But when a child imagines these things because they really don’t know if they are or not, that is a little different.
Playing the “what if” game is one of the ways my three main characters, Dara, Mackenzie, and Jennifer—Females of Intellectual Genius—survived in a world where they were different. They were orphans from different parts of the country who had been sent to the same orphanage in North Carolina. Each “FIG,” as they were known, had an IQ in the genius range. They also had developed unique skills that gave them a place where they could retreat when trying to cope in an otherwise normal environment became too difficult.
Dara’s skill was an innate understanding of foreign and obsolete languages. At a very young age, she had developed a method whereby she could define the root of a word, identify its origin, and eventually translate it. Nothing was beyond her comprehension, including Egyptian hieroglyphs. Mackenzie, shy and insecure for as long as she could remember, turned to numbers. They became her friends because people could be mean-spirited and cruel, especially to a child who was slightly overweight and stuttered when she became fearful or anxious. Because of her relationship to numbers, she became a problem solver.
Unlike Dara and Mackenzie, Jennifer knew her parents before they were killed in an automobile accident. She was fifteen years old at the time—old enough to realize her life had changed forever but young enough to not be able to take care of herself. Jennifer, full of anger and attitude, was born with the gift of music and art. In her deepest, darkest moments, the cadence of some musical composition would start to reveal itself in her mind. As it did, she would capture the notes on eight-stave paper and in images painted on canvas board.
These girls were different, and it was that difference that drew them together to form a bond that was unbreakable. When Carolina Lovel was hired by Headmaster Harcourt at Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women to “keep them on a short leash” because of the problems they caused on campus, the FIGs instinctively knew that Carolina was one of them. And even though Carolina didn’t know it yet, she was.
The Cadence of Gypsies, Book 1 in The FIG Mystery Series, begins the story of these three remarkable young women and their devoted mentor, Carolina. Books 2 and 3, The Wish Rider and The Clock Flower, follow the FIGs as they tentatively explore beyond the stone walls of the orphanage and eventually leave in order to expand their natural talents. Whether they are separated or together, though, they are always the FIGs. Nothing can take away the bond that has been forged between them and made even stronger in their search for truth and the answer to “what if.”
Playing the “what if” game is one of the ways my three main characters, Dara, Mackenzie, and Jennifer—Females of Intellectual Genius—survived in a world where they were different. They were orphans from different parts of the country who had been sent to the same orphanage in North Carolina. Each “FIG,” as they were known, had an IQ in the genius range. They also had developed unique skills that gave them a place where they could retreat when trying to cope in an otherwise normal environment became too difficult.
Dara’s skill was an innate understanding of foreign and obsolete languages. At a very young age, she had developed a method whereby she could define the root of a word, identify its origin, and eventually translate it. Nothing was beyond her comprehension, including Egyptian hieroglyphs. Mackenzie, shy and insecure for as long as she could remember, turned to numbers. They became her friends because people could be mean-spirited and cruel, especially to a child who was slightly overweight and stuttered when she became fearful or anxious. Because of her relationship to numbers, she became a problem solver.
Unlike Dara and Mackenzie, Jennifer knew her parents before they were killed in an automobile accident. She was fifteen years old at the time—old enough to realize her life had changed forever but young enough to not be able to take care of herself. Jennifer, full of anger and attitude, was born with the gift of music and art. In her deepest, darkest moments, the cadence of some musical composition would start to reveal itself in her mind. As it did, she would capture the notes on eight-stave paper and in images painted on canvas board.
These girls were different, and it was that difference that drew them together to form a bond that was unbreakable. When Carolina Lovel was hired by Headmaster Harcourt at Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women to “keep them on a short leash” because of the problems they caused on campus, the FIGs instinctively knew that Carolina was one of them. And even though Carolina didn’t know it yet, she was.
The Cadence of Gypsies, Book 1 in The FIG Mystery Series, begins the story of these three remarkable young women and their devoted mentor, Carolina. Books 2 and 3, The Wish Rider and The Clock Flower, follow the FIGs as they tentatively explore beyond the stone walls of the orphanage and eventually leave in order to expand their natural talents. Whether they are separated or together, though, they are always the FIGs. Nothing can take away the bond that has been forged between them and made even stronger in their search for truth and the answer to “what if.”
BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:
Feb 26 - Working Mommy Journal - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
Feb 27 - eBook Addicts - book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 27 - Writers and Authors - book spotlight / author interview
Feb 27 - Pretty Little Library - review of Cadence of Gypsies / guest post / giveaway
Feb 28 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 28 - Library of Clean Reads - review of The Clock Flower / giveaway
March 1 - Booklove - review of Cadence of Gypsies / guest post
March 1 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Cadence of Gypsies / guest post / giveaway
March 2 - #redhead.with.book - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 5 - T's Stuff - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
March 5 - Book for Books - review of Cadence of Gypsies
March 6 - Sefina Hawke's Books - review of Cadence of Gypsies
March 6 - Rainy Day Reviews - review of Cadence of Gypsies /author interview /giveaway
March 7 - Bound 4 Escape - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 8 - Booklove - review of Wish Rider
March 9 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review of Cadence of Gypsies /giveaway
March 9 - Cassidy's Bookshelves - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
March 9 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of Clock Flower / guest post / giveaway
March 12 - The Book Enigma - review of Cadence of Gypsies / giveaway
March 12 - Sefina Hawke's Books - review of Wish Rider
March 12 - Literary Flits - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 13 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review of Wish Rider / giveaway
March 13 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Wish Rider / giveaway
March 14 - Pretty Little Library - review of Wish Rider / giveaway
March 14 - Rainy Day Reviews - review of Wish Rider / giveaway
March 15 - Book Reviews @Athena - review of Cadence of Gypsies / guest post
March 15 - Booklove - review of Clock Flower
March 16 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 16 - Bookworm for Kids - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 19 - The Book Enigma - review of Wish Rider / giveaway
March 19 - Book for Books - review of Wish Rider
March 20 - Book Reviews @Athena - review of Wish Rider
March 20 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 21 - Pretty Little Library - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 21 - Rainy Day Reviews - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 22 - Book Reviews @Athena - review of Clock Flower
March 23 - Sefina Hawke's Books - review of Clock Flower
March 26 - The Book Enigma - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 26 - Two Points of Interest - review of Cadence of Gypsies / giveaway
March 27 - StoreyBook Reviews - book spotlight / author interview ./ giveaway
March 27 - Book for Books - review of Clock Flower
March 28 - JBronder Book Reviews - review of Clock Flower
March 28 - Books are Love - review of Cadence of Gypsies / giveaway
March 28 - Two Points of Interest - review of Wish Rider / giveaway
March 29 - Books are Love - review of Wish Rider / giveaway
March 30 - Books are Love - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
March 30 - Two Points of Interest - review of Clock Flower / giveaway
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends April 7, 2018
Thank you so much for hosting me and for your wonderful review. The three FIGs are certainly special, and I am glad you enjoyed reading about them.
ReplyDeleteAll best,
Barbara