I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the A MEASURE OF SERENITY by Bryan Prosek Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: Bryan Prosek
Pub. Date: July 20, 2021
Publisher: CamCat Books
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 368
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org, Libro.fm, Book Depository
*Please note - this post contains affiliate links, from which we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase
A million thoughts, but only one right thing to do.
Eighteen-year-old
Serenity Ashdown has a brilliant mind: she counts, calculates, and analyzes
everything, even when she doesn’t want to. Her memory is also far beyond
photographic, surpassing her physicist father’s abilities. But her world was
otherwise normal right up until dimension-hopping enemies forced her into a
parallel reality. The feds she meets on the other side claim to want to help
her go home. All she has to do is use her memory to reconstruct the right
sequence of codes. But it’s soon clear they want something more: a gateway for
invasion, because this version of Earth is dying.
Serenity can’t risk returning home with a deadly force behind her, but the feds
aren’t about to let her escape. Then she learns that the “other Serenity,” her
alter-ego in this dimension, was a resistance leader recently betrayed and
killed. She has a chance to assume her alter-ego’s identity and use her unique
ability to lead the resistance in their fight against the tyrannical
super-government that is poised to invade her universe. Serenity has no idea
how to be someone she’s not, but she has to try—or she may not even have a home
to return to.
Review:
"Readers will enjoy following Serenity as she learns to become a leader . . . in this dystopian thriller showcasing a strong young woman in STEM." -Kirkus Reviews
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: July 20, 2021
Format: Audiobook (Review Copy from Publisher)
Publisher: CamCat Books
Serenity Ashdown is a genius - essentially a human calculator, she can’t stop herself from running the numbers in any situation she finds herself in (be it sneaking into a building, winning a game of chess, or calculating who has the best odds after a car crash). If that wasn’t enough, she was also blessed with a photographic memory. A normal day as a senior at Harvard becomes very strange once she enters one of her father's labs and encounters an odd device. Serenity quickly realizes she’s in a world that resembles her own but isn’t quite the same. Will she be able to save the day and return home before it’s too late?
Readers will be very impressed with the world that Mr. Prosek created. It was a fine line with creating an “alternate universe” that looks like ours but feels very different, and the author executed that aspect of the book beautifully. I was quite amused by the references to Amelia Earhart and the Bermuda Triangle, and how were incorporated into the story. The book reminded me of a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Tron. Serenity has a “falling down the rabbit hole experience”, but one that’s facilitated by science and technology rather than fantastical elements. There are also specific requirements that have to be met for her to return to her own world, like how Sam Flynn must journey to return from the world of Tron.
This book was written well before February 2022 and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, but it’s interesting learning about the alternate world that Serenity finds herself in and how the US Russia, and China somehow find themselves working together there. I can’t ever see Russia and the US working together in the present day, so that definitely helped reinforce the whole “alternate universe” aspect of the book.
I wanted to touch on the fact that the main character, Serenity, is neurodivergent. It's so important for people who aren't neurotypical to see themselves represented in books, so it was heartening to see the representation that her character offered.
The audiobook narrator Suzanne Elise Freeman did a great job with her performance. I think she captured the essence of Serenity’s character well. If you are a fan of sci-fi audiobooks, I would recommend you give A Measure of Serenity a chance.
Overall, this was a great read perfect for fans of young adult sci-fi. If a mix between Tron and Alice in Wonderland sounds like a great read to you, then pick up A Measure of Serenity today. I look forward to checking out Bryan Prosek’s other books in the future.
Thank you to the author, CamCat Books and Jaime at Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with a complimentary audiobook review copy. I appreciate the opportunity to listen to and review the audiobook of A Measure of Serenity immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed A Measure of Serenity. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.
About Bryan Prosek:
Bryan Prosek
is a young adult writer and business attorney. Along with his first two novels,
The Brighter the Stars and A Measure of Serenity, he has published books and
articles in legal trade journals and magazines. When he isn’t writing or
practicing law, you can probably find him watching dystopian and science
fiction movies or television shows. He loves the big screen and the small
screen. There’s a good chance that he’ll be watching one of the numerous Star
Trek movies or series, but he could be watching anything from Guardians of the
Galaxy to The Conjuring.
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Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a finished copy of A MEASURE OF SERENITY & swag, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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3/14/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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3/14/2022 |
Excerpt |
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3/15/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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3/15/2022 |
Excerpt |
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3/16/2022 |
IG Post |
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3/16/2022 |
Excerpt |
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3/17/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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3/17/2022 |
Review |
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3/18/2022 |
Excerpt |
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3/18/2022 |
Excerpt |
Week Two:
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3/21/2022 |
Excerpt |
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3/21/2022 |
Review |
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3/22/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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3/22/2022 |
Review |
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3/23/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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3/23/2022 |
Review |
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3/24/2022 |
Review |
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3/24/2022 |
Review |
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3/25/2022 |
Review |
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3/25/2022 |
Review |
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