Title: Gabriel and the Swallows Author: Esther Dalseno Publisher: Of Tomes Publication Publication Date: March 2016 Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance Format: ebook My Rating: 4.75/ 5 stars Links: GoodReads . Amazon Blurb: Orvieto, 1957 Gabriel, a peasant boy with a disabled mother, constructs elaborate fantasy worlds to comfort when life becomes unbearable. The monotonous days of poverty and merciless bullying are interrupted when Gabriel unintentionally attracts the attention of a mysterious creature, a girl with swallow’s wings. Navigating life with fellow outsider, the foreigner Orlando Khan, Gabriel abandons his small town for the grandeurs of Rome. But Gabriel is now a man and must choose where he belongs: the imperfect reality, or the dream world that grows stronger and more seductive with each day… My Review: Gabriel and the Swallows is a coming of age book that is not only beautifully written, but also creatively scripted . It is not another coming of age story; It is a magical story that includes diversity that is well researched, magical realism that is mind-blowing, and a writing style that will haunt you ! I found myself highlighting a lot of quotes !!!! And by a lot , I mean way too much !! He called everyone “God-damn bastardo salami-eaters, except for you Gabriel . “I am a human with bird tendencies when I am with you.And I am a bird with human tendencies when I am with them.” - Volatile “Your subconscious is a place too, as real as any other.” -Volatile If that doesn't make you want to get and read this book ASAP, I don't know what will. Gabriel's best friend Orlando, was a Muslim. Once I discovered that, I was dancing around like a fool. Esther started by showing some of the Islamic practices , before using the word Muslim or Islam. Just like any other human, Orlando made mistakes & sinned. She showed how Muslims are flawed, but not the religion itself. She also used some Arabic words with english pronunciation that I liked very much. Those who disliked this book complained about how foolish Gabriel was, and how it took him way to long to appreciate what he had. How the main characters were hard to LIKE !!! But I have to say that the fact that characters were flowed, made me love the story & the characters even more. This is a story with real characters, in a fictional world ! I only wished that the revelation part was described a bit more, especially that Esther is a wizard with words , when it comes to description. I absolutely adored GATS; it is a book the left with tears, not only because of the events that shaped the ending, but also because my journey with this book was over. I give it 4.75/ 5 stars . About the Author: Esther Dalseno was born in Australia. After living in both Portland, Oregon and Sydney, New South Wales, she headed off to see the world. Writing and teaching, she has lived in Laos, Vietnam and South Korea and has traveled the world extensively. She now lives in with her family in Berlin.
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