“A. L. Waddington has taken the basics of the human psyche and creatively morphed them into a narrative that is both familiar and jarring. Like Jocelyn, the reader is thrust back and forth between stable reality and uncertain fantasy. Waddington uniquely captures the tumultuous nature of adolescence: the maddening taste of first love, the conflicting urges of youth and maturity, the tortured struggle for one’s identity. Young readers will instantly relate to the challenges faced by the charters in ‘Essence’.”
~Kevin Rand, PhD, Psychology Department, Purdue School of Science, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
“A. L. Waddington’s book is unique and interesting with characters I can relate to!”
~Caitlin A. Janus, Avon Middle School South, Eight Grade
“This is an entertaining book that captures the spirit of youth and makes you wonder if there is more to those moments of déjà vu than you thought.”
~Patricia Clark, PhD, Biology Department, Purdue School of Science, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
“A very interesting look into our perception of reality and what happens when things suddenly are not what they seem. The world Jocelyn thinks she knows changes dramatically with the realization that she actually is living two different, but interconnected lives, in different times. As the boundaries between her two realities begin to crumble, she begins to question her own sanity. While reading the novel, one begins to ask the same question, ‘What exactly is our reality and how do we fit into the much larger scheme of things?’ ”
~Bethany Neal-Beliveau, PhD, Psychology Department, Purdue School of Science, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.
“It was Captivating! ‘Essence’ is so much more than your typical boy meets girl story. Don’t miss.”
~Cynthia Hensley, YA author and Silver Medalist with Independent Book Publishers Association, the Benjamin Franklin Award, in Category of New Voice for “Echoes of Pemberley”.
