I received this book for free from Italy Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Cadence of Gypsies by Barbara Casey
Published by Hungry Goat Press
Publication Date December 31, 2010
Source: Italy Book Tours
Genres: General Fiction
Goodreads
On her 18th birthday Carolina Lovel learned that she was adopted and was given a letter written by her birth mother in an unknown language. After years of research she travels to Italy on a mission to find the truth about her past. Carolina is accompanied by three extremely gifted but mischievous students the FIGs from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women. In an effort to help their favorite teacher, the FIGs will have to use their special abilities to decipher the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world, and the one thing that is strangely similar to what Carolina was given. Their search will take them into the mystical world of gypsy tradition and magic, more exciting and dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
First Impressions:
When I began The Cadence of Gypsies by Barbara Casey I was reminded of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. Dara, Jennifer and Mackenzie tested the boarding school/orphanage’s boundaries and appeared a bit skanky at first look with their unbutton blouses and lack of undergarments. Between their apparent disregard for rules and state of dress I could totally see one of them knocking a classmate off. One thing I learned from this is that first impressions can be deceiving.
What originally drew me to the novel was the mention of Carolina’s adoption and attempt to find her biological family. As I have several members of my family who are adopted and my own mother’s search to find her biological parents it was a plotline that interested me.
Impressions While Reading
After the three student’s true intellect was revealed and the mission for the Voynich Manuscript began my ABC Family comparison changed to a Da Vinci Code but a lot less confusing. By this time I was deeply invested in the girl’s journey and eagerly read on.
I cannot forget about Carolina, the real reason I picked up The Cadence of Gypsies which was a search for the truth. I very much enjoyed her discovery to her past and how the magic of gypsies fit into this majestic puzzle. I found this exploration to be intense with a satisfying or fitting end to the breadcrumbs that tantalized the reader.
Also, novels with two sub-plots can have a tendency to diverge and never meet again; I did not find this to be true of Barbara Casey’s novel. The two complemented each other and with the beautiful backdrop of Italy created a rich narration.
Final Impressions
Overall, The Cadence of Gypsies by Barbara Casey was a beautifully written story that was served on a silver platter for the reader to indulge.
Buy the Book: Amazon
Author’s Bio:
In 2014 Barbara became a partner in Strategic Media Books Publishing, an independent publishing house that specializes in true crime and other cutting-edge adult nonfiction.
Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her husband and three dogs who adopted her: Benton, a hound-mix, Fitz, a miniature dachshund, and Gert, a Jack Russel terrier of sorts.
Connect with Barbara Casey: Website
Tour Schedule:
April 25 – Amie’s Book Reviews – review / giveaway
April 25 – Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine – review
April 26 – #redhead.with.book – review / giveaway
April 26 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – guest post
April 27 – Working Mommy Journal – review / author interview / giveaway
April 27 – Bookishly Devoted – review / guest post / giveaway
April 27 – Confessions Of The Perfect Mom – review
April 28 – Cassidy Salem Reads & Writes – review / giveaway
April 28 – Bound 4 Escape – review / giveaway
April 29 – The Autistic Gamer – review
April 29 – Library of Clean Reads – review / giveaway
April 29 – Jayne’s Books – review
May 2 – Bookroom Reviews – review / guest post
May 2 – The Bookish & The Romantic – review / author interview / giveaway
May 2 – Svetlana’s Reads and Views – review
May 3 – JBronder Book Reviews – review / guest post
May 3 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – review / author interview / giveaway
May 4 – Discovering/Writing Life – review / guest post / giveaway
May 4 – Il Mio Tesoro – review / author interview
May 5 – Corinne Rodrigues – review / guest post / giveaway
May 5 – Readers Muse – review / guest post
May 5 – Sahar’s Blog – review
May 6 – Anglers Rest – review
May 6 – First Impressions Reviews – review
Oh my goodness–you have really made my day with your wonderful review of THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES–made even more special because of your own personal experience to adoption. Thank you for taking the time to host me and for letting me share Carolina and the FIGs with you and your bloggers. This is the first book in The F.I.G. Mystery Series. My publisher has just informed me that the second book–THE WISH RIDER–will be available in e-Book and hard copy this Monday, May 9. I wish you and your bloggers all the best.
Barbara
It was pleasure and, congrats on having the second book in the series published!
This sounds quite good, I like the mysterious angle with the special abilities and the manuscript, and the search for her true heritage in Italy. I’ll have to look for this one and give it a try.
Please do, it is a very unique read.