Disharmony: The Telling by Leah Giarratano
Book One. Penguin Books Australia. ISBN: 978014356568.
(Ages: 14+) Recommended. A juvenile detention centre in Australia, a
camp in Romania and a castle in Geneva. Gypsies, ninjas, elves,
witches and kings. A psychopath, an empath and a genius. Such a
combination possesses the promise of a magnificent story, and Leah
Giarratano's new novel Disharmony: The Telling does not
disappoint!
Luke Black and Samantha White live on opposite sides of the planet.
Luke is a troubled adolescent who literally lacks the ability to
feel emotions and is an inmate in a juvenile detention centre in
Sydney, Australia. In contrast, Sam is living in a gypsy camp in
Romania, fortune telling and reading cards to make money. She has
the uncanny ability of being able to tell exactly what everyone is
feeling. These seemingly unrelated teens have nothing in common
except for the fact that they are orphans . . . and that they are part of
a prophecy which sees them restoring harmony and order to the entire
world!
Disharmony's unique and compelling plot ties together the
completely different lives of two teenagers destined for greatness,
expertly capturing the essence of action, suspense and magic, all in
a modern setting. Trouble lurks around every corner for Luke and
Sam, and with the fate of the entire world at stake, their
relentless enemies with stop at nothing to steal them. The
action-packed storyline and gripping ending will leave you bursting
with anticipation for the sequel!
The personalities and lives of each of the protagonists in Disharmony
are explored in such great depth, engendering the reader to feel as
though they really know Luke and Samantha, thus making their stories
seem so much more real. The detailed 'setting of the scene' at the
beginning of the novel verges on the brink of being too slow,
however the constant shadow of danger and the complex plot keeps the
reader engaged.
I found Disharmony to be an original and thrilling novel,
which had me rapt from the very first chapter!
Lucymarie Silvestri (Student)