Review: I Was The Artist by S.A. Eldin

Synopsis: “They live among us, silently, the Gifted. Beneath the politics of ordinary life a battle rages that affects us all. Our fleeting chance of survival is down to three Timekeepers of the Past, Present and Future.

Zac is a weapon in a war he knows nothing about. The first Timekeeper to manifest in generations, he is thrust into a covert world where his very existence could prevent the destruction of the Gifted Mokiæ.

Revealed through his talent of drawing, his Gift allows him to travel into the past, away from the fragments of his shattered life where he is hunted by the fanatical Ronoa. Join Zac as he confronts the responsibility his Gift has bestowed upon him.”

Rating: *****

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I don't know if I Was The Artist was intended to be humorous, but I found the first chapter so funny. So much so, I was reading extracts out loud in the staff room to my colleague, who also found odd snippets funny (but most definitely not in a negative way). It did take me a little while to realise that Zac was writing about himself being 8 but reflecting back on it when he's older. It crossed my mind that how he was writing was not exactly how an 8-year-old would think, or I doubted so anyway. But once I'd gotten my head around the fact that it was an older Zac writing about when he had been 8, the writing style slotted into place.

I was definitely hooked by the end of the first chapter and didn't have any idea where the plot could possibly go. I re-read the Goodreads blurb and was still none the wiser. This isn't an experience I usually enjoy, but unusually in this case I did.

I really enjoyed the family dynamic that surrounded Zac and his family, especially their interaction with the Grandfather and his obvious negative feelings about the family's decision to move away. This was very authentic and readers of all ages would be able to relate to it, I am sure. Equally as enjoyable was the relationship between Zac and Troy, and I am so interested in how this might develop.

There was a massive plot twist at the end of part one, which was a complete bolt out of the blue and so well written. It did however take me a few chapters to get my head around the change of narrator after this but it was a very clever way of the author showing she can get into the heads of different characters and still write in the same style.

I enjoyed all the different strands of the plot and even though they were quite different they complemented each other well and all fit together nicely. I would recommend I Was The Artist to readers who enjoy YA novels, specifically fantasy coming of age stories.

A simple but effective cover, which I think would make an awesome tattoo!

I Was The Artist was very easy to read. The plot flowed very well and the characters were believable and developed consistently through the course of the book. I was very surprised to discover that I Was The Artist was S.A. Eldin's debut novel! She is definitely an author I will watch closely and I will be reading the sequel which, I have on good authority, is being written as we speak!

Without a doubt, THE best book I have read in 2017 so far! For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t counting down the pages but instead was wishing I Was The Artist wasn’t going to end!