Satan's Garden

A Novel

Fiction - Thriller - General
320 Pages
Reviewed on 04/30/2014
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Satan's Garden is Kit Lyman's debut novel. A 2011 graduate from Cornell University, she has prior experience in screenwriting and script coverage. She currently resides in San Antonio, Texas. Visit her website at www.kitlyman.com.Satan's Garden is Kit Lyman's debut novel. A 2011 graduate from Cornell University, she has prior experience in screenwriting and script coverage. She currently resides in San Antonio, Texas. Visit her website at www.kitlyman.com.Satan's Garden is Kit Lyman's debut novel. A 2011 graduate from Cornell University, she has prior experience in screenwriting and script coverage. She currently resides in San Antonio, Texas. Visit her website at www.kitlyman.com.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite

Satan's Garden: A Novel by Kit Lyman brings us into the life of Dani and Keely who imagine that life is more magical than others do. The twin sisters felt that often it was them against the world until something else interfered with that. The man who broke into their lives stole Dani away and left the damage to be dealt with by both sisters.

This novel is chock full of suspense and interesting choices that will bring you in and latch you onto the characters and their struggle. I enjoyed the way that it is written, giving you both girls' perspectives - not in flashbacks but in the details as they know them, as they live and feel them. I found the whole story gripping from the first few pages until the last and the style flows very well. Kit Lyman has really done a perfect job of putting the story together and telling it in a way that makes it enjoyable to readers. I never would have known this was her freshman work! Whether you are a mystery reader or someone who is just dabbling in the genre, this book is going to have something for you. While I read suspense and mysteries these days, I find myself preferring other styles more. That did not end up being the case with Satan’s Garden. I am glad I took the chance to read this because I enjoyed every word. I am looking forward to reading more by Kit Lyman in the future.

Mamta Madhavan

Satan's Garden - A Novel by Kit Lyman is the beautiful story of two sisters, Dani and Keely, looking for survival. The author takes you on a six-year journey through the lives of these twins, who will teach readers many valuable lessons about life and how it can change and how we can change our lives. Readers go through the lives of these two girls side by side from ten to sixteen. The book is a fine piece of engaging story telling where the author has masterfully woven and tied in the stories of these sisters with great expertise.

The plot has intrigue and the anticipation and the unpredictability of the next scene make it edgy and thrilling. The emotional bonding between the sisters has been portrayed well in the story. The twist in the plot in the form of kidnapping is something that is unexpected and gives an altogether different dimension to the story. Readers will fall in love with these identical twins.

It is a great book where every scene is detailed and perfectly put together for readers to enjoy. The characters are real and the incidents are relatable as the story progresses. It is a compelling theme and has been handled very smartly.

Patricia Day

Satan’s Garden by Kit Lyman is a story of perseverance and of overcoming adversity. The story portrays the lives of two beautiful twin girls. Dani and Keely are inseparable. They live and breathe as one. They could almost be described as ‘joined at the hip.’ They complete each other, with Dani being bold and adventurous, while Keely is more subdued, even nervous. They are loved very much and do all the things that ten-year-old girls do together. All this changes, one fateful day, after a visit to their tree-house in the woods close to their family home. Each life is unequivocally altered forever by an event that tears them apart. How they cope is a compelling, unnerving tale. As they mature into adults, Dani is the one who becomes submissive and Keely the more daring. No matter what each day brings, each girl hangs onto the memory of the other, while attempting to accept the circumstances in which they find themselves.

It is a sordid story at times. It took me on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, one of which was horror. I found it a good read, but very hard to do so at times, only because I imagined myself beside each twin as the events in their lives unfolded. I won’t spoil the end, but I will say, ‘Read it for yourself.’ I think you will find it is worth your time. It is a book that might get you rethinking your own life and be thankful that you are not Dani or Keely.

Bruce Scheel

Satan's Garden by Kit Lyman is a book that all types of readers will enjoy. I tend to lean towards military themed fiction and non-fiction, but within one chapter of this book, I was hooked. I spent every spare minute I could find alternating between my Kindle app on my iPad and my Kindle app on my iPhone. I couldn't get enough. The story is told in a way that shows you both girl's journey without causing you to track of what is going on. This story of perseverance, commitment, dedication, and family is one that everyone should read.

I am in agreement with the other review that mentioned it was hard to believe this was her first novel. I am looking forward to whatever Ms. Lyman puts out next. I can not wait to see what she comes up with.