Review: Keeper of Infinity by Haley Weilmuenster

Airyn and Trent come from very different backgrounds. Airyn has a loving home, doting family, loyal best friends. Trent has nothing. He has a father who hates him and no friends at school.

But the two have one very important thing in common. They're both dead.

After dying, Airyn finds her way into a colorful room, pictures of her life everywhere, and file cabinets full of her life. She has a decision to make: go to heaven with her memories (the good and the bad), or go to heaven with her mind wiped blank of her life.

Trent is there to help her decide; he is her Keeper of Infinity. In order to make her decision, Airyn must first face the nightmares of her life, and, ultimately, her death.

**

This book is short, more like a novella, or maybe even a novelette, ringing in at a mere 70 pages. The author is a Junior in High School, and I was impressed that she would be following her dreams at such an early age.

I am a little torn about this book.

I loved the characters. Airyn and Trent are good people, regardless of the mistakes they've made or the lives they've been thrown into. The story and plot were intriguing! What an idea, that you get to decide what kind of heaven you want to live in. The author gave simple, yet powerful, descriptions of afterlife. And the thought that you can find true love only when your life has ended seems a cruel irony, but it's better late than never!

Weilmuenster shows great potential as an author. Her creativity and gift for storytelling ensure she has a bright future.

However, there are a few things that I did not love.

First of all, given the length of the book, I was quite shocked to find there were about 15 uses of the f-word. Really? There is a lot of foul language, which I don't think is appropriate, even though the characters are primarily teens.

There is also a lot of mention of casual sex. There is no detail, thank goodness. But it's flippant and there's no remorse. Call me old fashioned, but it makes me sad to read about a girl who, at the tender age of 13, earned the reputation of being easy and responds with a nonchalant shrug.

The writing in Keeper of Infinity needs a little more development. There were times I was confused who was speaking. The timeline is sometimes disjointed. We meet Airyn, and then after a few pages, we read the story of her mother going into labor with Airyn. Then a few pages later we learn about how her parents met. It's fantastic character building, but it seems to come out of order.

Like I said before, Weilmuenster has a lot of potential as an author, but her writing is underdeveloped. She could have added so much more to make Keeper of Infinity more than an a short story, or novelette.

In the end, I did enjoy this book. I give it 3 stars. I was intrigued and loved the story. But I just can't appreciate alcohol, drugs, sex, and foul language rampant especially among teenage characters.

I received a complimentary copy of Keeper of Infinity by Haley Weilmuenster as a member of the    

    Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team.  Visit dorrancebookstore.com

    to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team. You can find Keeper of Infinity on amazon.com or here.

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