Title: The Safekeeper
Author: Esther Archer Lakhani
Publisher: R.R. Bowker
Release Date: October 1, 2020
Pages: 188
Her job is to keep their secrets safe.
A secluded Retreat Center full of preternatural clientele. A talking crow who thinks she knows everything. A new boy in town asking a lot of nosy questions. Sound like a lot to handle? Not for fifteen-year-old Macy Steward, who lives at the Center and helps her parents run the highly unusual retreats.
For Macy, this is simply normal routine. And it’s all going exactly as expected, that is until the guests become dangerously unpredictable, the talking crow goes suspiciously missing, and the new boy turns out to be so much more than he first appeared.
“Here comes trouble.” That’s the last thing the crow says before disappearing.
Even though she doesn’t scare easily, Macy has to admit the crow was right. Because soon enough, she finds herself trying to keep a lot more things safe than just secrets...
**Thank you so much to the author for sending me an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!**
Fifteen-year-old Macy Steward works at the Greenmont Grith Retreat Center with her parents but there's a catch. It's not just a normal retreat. It's organized by the Orbit Center Council Order for exchangers to enjoy three days of life on Earth. They spend vacation at the center and get to do all sorts of activities including yoga and going to the beach.
Nick is new in town and he's been asking Macy a bunch of questions about the Retreat Center making her a little suspicious of him. But then again, it's a small town so everyone knows about each other's business, right?
Because while Las Aves was a teeny, tiny town where everybody was always in everybody else's business and it wasn't surprising that Nick knew both my name and where I lived, it was all sorts of suspicious to hear him say exchanger—not a term to be used lightly.
However, things prove to be wrong when Clio, the talking crow, disappears suddenly and no one can seem to find him. Then Nick shows up at the wrong place at the wrong time and the exchangers are behaving weirdly. What could possibly be happening?
I peered out of the corner of my eye, trying to catch a glimpse of what could be causing the uncomfortable jab in my shoulder. That's when I noticed a flicker of shadowed movement beyond the windowpane. Trouble!
Star Rating: ★★★★☆ (4)
The plot and characters weren't hard to understand which made this book a lighter read. I enjoyed having Clio as a character because he made me laugh a lot. Though it was easier to read, it didn't take away from anything that was going on. I was immersed in the book and finished it pretty quickly.
This book is a great debut novel and I liked the author's writing style. The book was a fun, easy read which I definitely found relaxing. It was nice to sit on the couch and just read the entire afternoon. I was curious to find out what was happening to Macy up until the very end.
About the Author
Esther Archer Lakhani lives in California near the wondrous redwoods of the Pacific Coast. A writer, musician, and avid nature enthusiast, Esther spends her time either working on her next book, teaching music at the local community college, or hiking in the forest with her husband and two nearly-grown sons.
Esther has a fascination for all things concerning wildlife, and regularly daydreams about all the possible types of both known and yet-to-be known fantastical life forms. Her husband confirms she is very good at making things up. The Safekeeper is her debut novel.
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