I love discovering independent writers and yet I have a pretty critical eye when it comes to fiction. I am happy to report that I very much enjoyed Laura May's novel, Pickles and Ponies.
Another reviewer referred to this as a middle grade novel but it strikes me as fundamentally written for adults and it does work well as an adult novel. One of the elements that I most enjoyed was the story's exploration of love. This exploration is carried out in a light and affectionate way. It's kept simple, which is really how love is. Helping each other. Not forgetting one's feelings. Enjoying life. In fact the tale is full of affection for even the feelingless Prince Vanya. After all, it's not his fault that he doesn't feel. And he does try to his best to be honest and responsible, which is the closest he can get.
Laura maintains a lovely balance with her exploration of the dangers of feeling, as well. Melodia, Horse, and Prince Theo all wrestle with coming to terms with out of balance or unrealistic feelings.
Despite what I said above about this being an adult's story, I think it could also be entitled " A Child's Guide to Love and Life." There are no terribly revealing new insights into our emotional lives in the book but there don't need to be. Laura reminds us through the medium of fairy tales that life is about friends and feelings in the most simple and direct of ways.
Laura has a well-developed sense of humor, tending to the pun. Be prepared to duck quite a few as they spring out at you during the story. I personally enjoyed her drawing on some Slavic words in the story. It was fun to recognize them.
Being an author of two novels myself (Death by Haggis,
Death by Haggis
and Annie Gomez and the Gigantic Foot of Doom,
Annie Gomez and the Gigantic Foot of Doom
both available on Amazon) I know how tricky it can be to weave a consistent story that keeps the reader entertained. Laura does a great job of creating an entertainingly complex plot and keeping the story moving along, while fleshing out the characters. Congrats, Laura.
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Top reviews from other countries
J F WALKER
Warm, hilarious, thoughtful.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2014L F Griffin
An artful adventure!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2015