REVIEW: Silent Screams by Marcia Collette

Title: Silent Scream
Author: Marcia Collette

Series: Bittersweet #2

Pages: 227

Date Published: October 30th, 2020

Format: Kindle

Genre: YA Paranormal

Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours

Synopsis:

Psychokinetic teen Phaedra Thorne is back! Her life consists of balancing her high school and college courses while trying to keep the peace between her older brother Kurt and little sister Nadia. On top of that, their schizophrenic and psychokinetic mom remains locked away in the attic. Believe it or not, things are better than they have ever been.

Those "better times" go up in flames when the only sanctuary the Thornes have ever known--their home--is burnt to the ground. With Kurt severely injured and their mother missing, Phae and Nadia have been left in the hands of the supernatural foster care system. Just as the Thorne sisters start to settle in with her temporary family, a blast from their horrific past comes to their foreboding rescue. Phae has good reason to be apprehensive about the new arrangements, considering many supernaturals want to buy the burnt out husk of a home and have taken a liking to her psychokinesis and Nadia's uncanny prowess. There's only one thing Phae can do. Find their mother.

Having been kidnapped, assaulted, and sold to the highest bidder, Phae will have to learn how to trust other members of her estranged family, if she has any hopes of saving the immediate one she loves.

~My Thoughts~

There was one thing - it could be good or bad depending on how you feel about it - was that there was SO much information packed into each page. The first page was the most vibrant example (obviously, as it's trying to catch us up to the characters, plot, and setting all at once) but I felt like I was jumping from idea to idea so quickly that sometimes I felt like I wasn't capturing all of them.  - Geriatric station wagon (lol) ! - Melonie wants to get it on with her boyfriend! - Something about soda being sexually suggestive!  - You get it. All on the first page too! In a similar vein...so...many...NAMES! I met 10 people in the first 2 minutes of reading. It really could have been a lot smoother, but I get it, those first few chapters are really tough to get right as you have to get the reader centered in the story and balance the info dumps and the story actually moving forward. 

After some time, I settled down into the story and started putting the characters together and things got good! For whatever reason, I have to tell you that I never once considered the idea of a paranormal foster care system, and my friends, I have read the GAMUT of paranormal YA, adult paranormal, and every spooky or scary sort of story in between. HOW has this never been discussed before? It was such a cool and unique idea and it was really great to explore how Phae and Nadia navigate such a trying experience along with the pressures of an injured brother and missing mom. 

One of the things I really liked about this (setting/story/world?) was how tight-knit the paranormal community was. It reminded me a bit of Halloweentown (obviously a bit more grown up) in that there were kids raised by ghosts and then sorcerers have their own say and culture and mediums also fit into the picture and it's just a unique little world that I enjoyed getting lost in for an hour or two. 

Also, that cover is so nice! Very Halloween-esk with the added femininity of the butterfly/moth. Very pretty and very striking! Thanks Marcia for the fun read and I hope you enjoy your stop here on the tour!
~Try an Excerpt!~

“Phaedra if the house is on fire, you can’t go back inside. Just wait, okay? Wait until the fire department gets there. Hell, wait for me to get there. If nothing else, I heal a lot faster than you.”

“I can’t. The fire looks like it started in the attic and at least a third of the roof is smoldering. One way or another I’ll be blasting my way out of there with my mom and my brother in tow.” I handed the phone to Nadia who was shivering, eyes filled with tears. “Mason’s coming for you. You don’t leave this yard without him, do you understand? If the cops come, don’t scream. Just stay here unless they find you first. I’ll be back. That’s a promise.”

“Phae,” she pleaded. “Don’t go. Stay with me. I’m scared.”

Oh my god. My gut wavered. Why did she have to go there? I pulled her into another tight hug and kissed her head hard enough to leave a mark. Tears filled my eyes until they washed down my cheeks. I hated leaving her. Hated it more than anything else in the world. But there would be at least one guaranteed dead body up there if I didn't get to Kurt before our mother did. She was a rabid animal when she was in crazed-rage mode. Add fire to it and there was no telling how far her psychotic personality would go to rip him apart. My powers were as strong as hers, so I knew I could take her. The only problem was my powers were just as sporadic as her psychosis. Anything was possible, but my family’s chances were non-existent if I did nothing.

~Meet Marcia!~ 

I'm Marcia Colette and I love to write urban fantasy, YA, horror, and paranormal romance. Since I was never a voracious reader until later in life, I try to write stories that I like to read, and for readers who don't have a lot of time in their busy lives.

My first published novel started with Half Breed (formerly known as Stripped) and my fantasy life took off from there. My next novel was a paranormal romance entitled Unstable Environment and I also released Bittersweet (YA), Hazardous Environment (Paranormal Romance), The Spider Inside Her (Urban Fantasy), and Deadlier by the Dozen (Urban Fantasy). I have sold several short stories and novellas to Mocha Memoirs Press and I continued my Alexa York series with Purple Sword Publications.

When I'm not reading or writing, I live my best life in the real world as an IT Manager and enjoy getting into trouble with my manga-loving daughter. I can't draw, so she's out of luck with that one. However, I always write a little piece of her into each of my characters.

And before I forget, I also write science fiction under another pen name.
 Marcia will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.a Rafflecopter giveaway