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Heather McKenzie is a Canadian author whose first book Serenade was released April 2017. A professional singer/songwriter with five albums to date, she told stories through music for years before falling in love with novel writing. Heather pulls from her extraordinary experiences as a musician to fuel her passion for creating Young Adult fiction.
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Serenade by Heather McKenzie is the first book in the author's series, The Nightmusic Trilogy. Kaya has lived a shockingly sheltered existence as the heiress to a billion-dollar empire. Her father (and grandfather) have made her a virtual prisoner, dictating where she can go (nowhere, really), when, and with whom. Her only friends are her bodyguards and a "manny" who's been with her since birth. When she's kidnapped, the plot thickens as things begin to reveal themselves, and this is helped along by the multiple points of view. Ultimately, the lines become completely blurred as to who is good and who is bad, and a romance ensues, adding to Kaya's turmoil.
Serenade: The Nightmusic Trilogy Book 1 by Heather McKenzie has a slow burn of a start, but the backstory is important - especially her relationships from "home." The writing is well executed, particularly the descriptive elements, something in which I feel the author truly excels. "When she turned to face me, her eyes were wide and her cheeks were flushed--all my breath left my lungs. We were surrounded by incredibly beauty, yet she completely outshone it with her own." The scenes and action following the kidnapping are fantastic, with enough unexpected twists to keep the pages turning. The book does end on something of a cliff-hanger, but readers will be happy to know they don't have to wait for the next installment as Nocturne, book two in the trilogy, has already been released. I'd highly recommend this book to lovers of good, traditional YA with a unique plot.
