Novella. Amusing tale told in Facebook posts of a teen angsting about careers. The voice felt fresh and believable.ebook new-to-me-2018 novella-anthology ...more1 Dimity PowellAuthor 31 books82

I'm comfortably well acquainted with many of the stories set in and around Brisbane here in SE QLD. It's a climate and people and ethos I can relate to being my birth-state. I'm even better acquainted with Rundle Mall's balls, Glenelg's beaches and the quintessence of North Terrace having grown up in Adelaide, which is perhaps why Emily Craven's Madeline Cain Adventures reeled me in in the first place. I was keen to revisit the city of my youth and the breeding ground of a trillion new experiences and life long mind-images; a bit those of maturing teen, Madeline Cain.

In this introductory episode of her adventures (there are three books in total thus far), this almost 18-year-old and her tight ball of buds share their last few fraught post matriculating months with the world at large as Gen Y is wont to do...on the world wide social web. Madeline is stuck in a lime-light saturated spot between the rocks of 'Just because I'm super savvy with school work, the world expects me to go to Uni and love it' and 'I can't commit to a career choice because I have no idea what really rocks my boat'.

This novel trends well thanks to it's entreating format. Now while I'm a fan of fictitious epistolaries and admit I'm more addicted to social media than my Luddite tendencies profess, I did harbour a smidge of reservation about this. Most of me jumped with enthusiasm; surely this was going to be one fun read, the ultimate serve of social media funk. But a small part of me (that obstinate 19th C bit) thought, hang on, I get bored with inane social-media commentary at the best of times. How the heck was Craven going to maintain my voyeuristic verve for the length of an entire novel?

She did it with style and a gangbusters' attitude to keeping it real, that's how. Unless you live off grid, by yourself, with more than one cat and no inclination to boot up anything other than your wellies, you are more than ly to feel at home with the layout of this tale; told in genuine Facebook style through a series of posts and PMs. Never in my wildest moments would I have thought I'd become this engaged and involved with a bunch of teenagers' trials and tribulations on a social media platform, not even when I was one (if they'd been around in those days). The tone is 200% conversational (of course) but rings so true and clear, it's alarming (pardon the pun).

Craven has delineated sharp, winning characters out of virtual drivel. Her intimate knowledge of Madeline's hometown also creates cutting-edge authenticity although you need not be a crow-eater to appreciate the setting in which Madeline first discovers her new passion and potential career path: photography. Madeline's online intercourse between her school mates, family and friends afar is so heavily spiced with wry witticisms, it made my eyes water - with laughter.

Madeline Cain makes the whole internet doctrine somehow more acceptable (for me) and a darn sight funnier. The only trouble with re-living my youth adventures through Maddie is that I want to see how she ends up...must-get-next-book, kind of want. A highly appealing, easy to scroll through, chuckle-worthy read for media savvy tweens, teens, NAs and ex-Adelaidians me.
In short - I LIKE it enough to SHARE. :-)1 Leo McBrideAuthor 21 books112

Some time ago, I reviewed the marvelous E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-Book Success, by Emily Craven. Madeline Cain is the character from her Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain, and this prequel novella is available free from all online retailers.

It serves as a plunge into the fun world of Maddie, as she is challenged by an Irish buddy to take part in her 365 Days of Fun project. After that... adventure awaits!

Style-wise, it reads as something of an experiment, with the author writing the book as if you were reading a series of Facebook posts between friends. There's banter back and forth, and it does make you giggle, with each of the characters on Facebook having their own clear voice and identity. At one point, for example, there's confusion with Maddy misunderstanding the Irish phrase "crack" and thinking her friend has a drug problem. There are longer portions, written as if they were Facebook notes, created by Maddie, and here the author's talent shines through. I found the Facebook chatter fun but they didn't work for me, it was the notes where I really wanted to read more. That's just a preference, though, it's certainly well written throughout.

Still, it's a short, but light and breezy read, a splendid introduction to both Madeline Cain and Emily Craven herself.
1 TarranAuthor 3 books2

This is the first book I've read of Emily Craven and I highly enjoyed it. I love the fact that the writing style is a little different and a bit quirky as it is all set out as if you were reading straight off of Facebook. The characters are engaging and unique and you actually form a bond with them. If you something different and thoroughly engrossing then pick up a copy of this book. If you have a Young Adult in your life, then they would most ly be able to resonate strongly with Madeline.

1 Margaret Anton11 1 follower

The idea of writing a story through facebook posts was intriguing, and I thought the author did an overall good job with it, although it sounded facebook has changed somewhat in the years since the book was written, and she took poetic license with the way people use social media.

The story is about Madeline, a bored high school senior in Australia, whose best friend has just gone to Ireland for an intensive course in fashion design. A girl from Ireland has also come to Australia. The Irish girl persuades Madeline to stop studying her brains out for admission into a university she doesn't really want to go to, and instead have fun by playing harmless pranks on the populace. In the course of this, Madeline discovers that her real passion is photography, but fears she will not be able to convince her straight-laced mother to let her pursue this dream.

Because the book was about photography, it would have been great if some of the actual pictures being discussed were shown in the book...but I understand it is difficult to do that in the e-book format. Also, Madeline's passion for photography was only revealed when she won a new DSLR camera in a contest. It would have been good to set that up a little earlier. The Bouncy Kid5

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