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Brand: Imogen Rose

Portal (Portal Chronicles)

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Customer Reviews

Should I be here or there?Imagine waking up not knowing who you are. I am not sure what the real life I'm living is, the one I appear to be in now or the other life I seem to remember from the past. In this life I have an older brother, younger sister and a different dad, in the other I only have the younger sister and the dad I remember. Which is the right life for me, I want help finding out which I need the most. 4Take a leap of faith with me . . .Although this is ultimately a story about the Portal it has an ensemble cast. Mother/daughter relationships are often hard ones. Olivia seems to me to be one of those highly intelligent people who don't have a lot of common sense. She wants to make her little world perfect no matter how it affects everyone else. I didn't like her much; she came off as a weak personality, very selfish and egotistical.Who exactly is Rupert? He is much more than the love of Olivia's life! When he whispers in her ear "I'm your Rupert, take a leap of faith with me. Come find me two years ago", you know something more is up. But what? I am counting on this being explained further into the series.Arizona's life has turned into a nightmare because she remembers both lifes from alternate dimensions. She is confused and often afraid. The Darley part of her personality seems to have tempered the Stevens part of her personality. Arizona was pretty much a loner as a Stevens and has been thrown into a `Stepford' type community in Mountain View.This is a thoroughly captivating read about time travel and alternate dimensions. The story is a bit contrived, at times as the characters drive the story. This is absolutely the `Stepford effect' of the story. These teenagers seem to have a lot of freedom with very little adult supervision. I think YA readers will really enjoy that bit of escapism. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this very unique and creative fantasy, I can't wait to see where it takes us.edited: effect and affect, crappin grammer! :( 4Pleasant Surprise!I was in the mood to try a Sci-Fi type book and at $.99 I didn't have much to lose. Well, after reading Portal I nearly feel like I owe Imogen Rose money! This is more fantasy than science fiction as there is very little science involved. Portal is a time travel story about teenager Arizona Darley, who is transported from one reality to another. It's actually a YA book but I found it enjoyable. When I first realized that the story was going to follow Arizona rather than her mother I worried that this would be a book of teen angst. However, the "come find me two years ago" line from chapter 1 ensured I was going to finish the book! I am glad to report that I was completely wrong, Arizona isn't that kind of annoying teenage girl; she's tough and determined and she goes after what she wants. I was amazed to find that I genuinely liked the character.I really liked the ending. At first, the author wraps it up for you. Arizona's decision is made. I'm happy with it. Then comes the epilogue... cliff hanger! I thought that was a great way to have a cliff hanger - finish the story I've been reading and start another one. I think I read this book in 2 hours and then I immediately downloaded Equilibrium. Imogen Rose is a true storyteller and I can not wait for the third installment. When is it due out? 4PortalI really wanted to like this book. And parts of it were enjoyable. I certainly wouldn't characterize the book as a complete waste of money. But there were several problems that kept me from rating this above three stars.First, the good. The premise of this novel is highly imaginative and has great potential. The author is obviously writing to her intended audience- teens. Which is, of course, a good thing if you are a teen. Not so much if you are an adult.Now for the bad. As several reviews have already mentioned- there is a lot of product placement in this book. Almost to the point that it is distracting. The author also gets bogged down in the mundane. I don't know how many times I read the line "I got out of the shower, threw on a hoodie and jeans, and my Uggs." Hoodies are referenced at least 15 times throughout the book. Clothing references and descriptions of every day activities were just unnecessary and resulted in a sluggish feel at times.Another annoying aspect of the book was the relationship between the main character, Arizona, and her love interest, Kellan. Arizona is supposed to be this strong, independent tom-boyish figure, but whenever Kellan is around she seems to become frail and needy. For instance there are several scenes where he has to physically pick her up and carry her. One instance is in a hotel lobby where he "picked me up and carried me over to the seats where he held me silently while I composed myself." It was just kind of weird picturing this scene. It's fine to be upset and need a hug, but to be carried around like an invalid? It just seemed to suggest an unhealthy attachment.The science fiction/fantasy aspects of this novel had great potential, but they just weren't fleshed out very well. It definitely seemed like more of a romance/teen drama than a science fiction or fantasy novel. Which can be a good or bad thing, depending on the reader.My last negative comment involves the characterization in this novel. Everyone is amazing and talented and beautiful. Arizona's mom is beautiful and intelligent and has a highly lucrative and esteemed job. Arizona's "step" dad is a musician, rides a motorcycle, and is, of course, good looking. Arizona's brother is intelligent, also rides a motorcycle, is a talented athlete, and is good looking. Arizona's friends are all beautiful and talented. Arizona's little sister is an up and coming Hollywood starlet. Arizona is smart, great at hockey, and- you guessed it- beautiful. It just got a little boring and made it hard to identify with these characters who seemed just a little too perfect to be believable.Objectionable content: This book was fairly clean, although there were a few things parents might want to consider. There were a few mild profanities interspersed throughout the book. There is a scene that involves fake i.d.'s and a club- underage drinking included. Nothing explicit in terms of sexual situations. The most Arizona and her boyfriend do is kiss. The parents all seem to bend over backwards to appease their children. They seem to worry more about being their kids' friends than authority figures.All in all, I just can't glowingly endorse this book as a highly enjoyable read. The book had a lot of potential, and I think the author has raw talent. Hopefully her second book in this series will improve and she will be able to overcome some of the problems that plagued this first installment. 3What a surprise!I started this read, not really knowing what I was getting myself into.I had seen Imogen Rose on the Kindle forums, being ever helpful, and also noticed that people were saying some pretty nice things about her book. Ever in the search for a new good writer, I took a peak at the books description and thought to my self: "Hmm.. why not?"Why not indeed!Now, I read a lot... well compared to many people I've met in here, though, I barely read at all... but I mostly read a lot of Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels. I do, however, like to periodically delve into the young adult genre. So this book, as a premise, seems to fit my bill exactly. A Sci-Fi book for young adults.. good combo, no?Well, it must be said right up front that this is not a Science Fiction book... not by any stretch of the imagination. It's a young adult romance novel with a different, yet tasty flavor. If you're a Sci-Fi nut (much as I am) and come to this book wanting good Sci-Fi, you will be disappointed. Come to it looking for some teenage romance, and you will get much more than you asked for.This book definitely could have been better, and I agree with some of the points the negative reviews have mentioned (for instance, I had started really hating all the label-name-dropping near the end), but I think perhaps I brought the correct attitude to the table when I started reading it; namely, I wasn't expecting anything at all so I couldn't be disappointed. Quite on the contrary, I was just happily surprised at how good this first effort is. I started the book last night and had to sleep a third of the way through, then picked it up this morning again and couldn't put it down until I finished. I don't know what it is, but I was completely hooked. Above all, it was an enjoyable and absorbing read, and for me that is the hallmark of a great book and a great writer, so despite it's faults I give it 4/5.Imogen Rose will no doubt mature in her writing, and I'm off to buy the second installment right now. You should buy this one if you haven't already ;) 4Not Sure About This BookI am really not sure how I feel about the book.The narration is not that good. The narrator tries to do these different accents and voices; they are pretty awful. Not only that, but there are times her attempts at accents are given to another person. Example, a California Valley girl voice for character A but later it is now character B. The way she read the boy parts made the characters seem a little slow as in unintelligent or even, I am not even sure how to describe it, like they have no backbone. Some men are usually strong characters, but these men are a little wimpy.The nicknames for Arizona where horrible. I get the brother calling her shrimp but who allows their boyfriend to call you shrimp. Doesn't seem even remotely cute. Shrimp has a meaning of being an insignificant person. Arizona tells Kellan not to call her that anymore towards the beginning but feels guilty and allows him to continue.The book briefly touches on the science as in you know there should be something scientific about this portal but nothing is really developed in regards to the portal. Just touch and go on anything portal. It was really never explained. It was like the book was written and then an idea was thought of so the author went back through and a few hints here and there to say it was sci-fi.I had a hard time trying to figure out Ella, the younger sister. It was difficult to tell her age when you are being told she is 8. Arizona is this tomboy in one dimension but a "Barbie" (as she refers to herself) in another. She can remember parts of both lives, so why does she need to rely on her 8 year old sister to pick out her clothes and suggest how to act. In the beginning of the book, Arizona hates her sister but in a few paragraphs she adores her. Ella was a difficult character to believe and 8 year old's do not speak the way she does or is so insightful, even up and coming actresses.Then there are the way the kids all act and talk. The way they spoke was so formal and nice. Even during the fight scenes (if you can really call them that) they were so pleasant to each other. In addition, they grew up in America. Yes, Olivia (the mom) is British, but there is a lot of British wording/slang used by these teens in high school, even teens not from the same household as Arizona. What normal American teenager would refer to the parking lot as car parks.Of course, they are all rich with huge houses, credit cards, Harleys and Porsches. They were middle class in one dimension but when they are moved to another, they are filthy rich but yet they go to public school. Some of the conversations and actions of the kids just don't seem to fit. The father she left behind is a drunk and now she has landed in this perfect family, a few more kids and they would have been the Brady Bunch. She only had trouble adjusting at times and other times she seemed fine with everything.The other thing I had issues with was all the name brands. Every time she changed or got dressed it was this designer or that one. That "designer name" purse. Those "designer name" shoes. It was throughout the book. There was a lot of brand names in the book. It sometimes felt like it was a commercial, catalog or magazine ads there was so much. Some description is OK, but I am trying to read a book and connect with a character, not worry about her iPhone, her jean brand, or shoes.Olivia, the mom, is supposed to be so smart that she create this portal to bring her to another dimension so she can be with someone else, yet she can't even have a conversation with her daughter. The end of the book, when the "talk" finally happened, Olivia had to have Rupert, her boss, and Arizona's boyfriend in order to attempt to explain what happened but even then, there wasn't so much explanation. Olivia seemed rather self-centered and selfish. At the beginning of the book, Arizona is going on and on about the conflict and anger she has towards her mom, but after a few paragraphs, it fizzled and everything is good. There was no real confrontation between Arizona and her mom.I think the book has great potential and maybe since I listened to parts and read parts, it was a little more aggravating because of the narration. I had a really hard to connecting with any of the characters but the idea behind the book is good, just under developed. I am not sure if I will get the next book or not. The book has me on the fence on liking it or not. Even though there were good parts, they seemed to be overshadowed but the not so good parts. 3Portal by Imogen RoseI loved this first book in the Portal Chronicles. It wasn't your typical time travel story. There were only a few characters involved in traveling across dimensions with the rest of the people unaware of the portals concept or existence. Arizona, the main character. somehow changes, setting up the plot. The epilogue sets up the next book, pulling you in. You will not be able to resist the urge to start it immediately so I'd suggest you have it shipped or the e-book loaded before you come to the end of book one.This book was well written & edited. The characters, time, setting, etc. were well developed. Everything about it seemed plausible. You won't be sorry you purchased it. 5A Plot with Great PotentialThe plot of this book, the first of a trilogy, is a very creative concept, and the author does a pretty good job of developing it. The main character, Arizona, is a stereotypically bratty teenage girl with a peculiar talent for full-contact ice hockey. Then, suddenly, she finds herself someone else, ALMOST entirely. Her mother, a physicist, works on a top-secret project involving a dimensional portal, and she has recreated a new life for her family with it. This could be the stuff of some people's dreams.My problems with the book--aside from the occasional typo/capitalization/punctuation error--might be resolved in the two sequels, which I haven't yet read, since I generally like to read series in order. But, here are my main issues, nonetheless:1. Mom--Olivia--is dissatisfied with her first husband, so develops and uses the portal to give him the toss and hook up with a more interesting lover, essentially re-writing history in a new dimension to accommodate her own selfish desires, without regard as to how everyone else's lives will be affected. It seems like an awful lot of work to go to to dump someone, though, especially since the new love interest already exists in her original time/dimension.2. The "good" life that Olivia has brought her children to is curiously plush. Family members and their friends/co-workers routinely drive high-end vehicles; ALL of the teenagers not only have the best laptops and mp3 players, but also have cars, motorbikes, designer clothes, and CREDIT CARDS of their own, yet they inexplicably attend the local public high school; everyone takes expensive, cross-country flights on the spur of the moment. Teenagers--because they have their own transportation--just take off for parts unknown to their parents, since the kids don't bother to tell anyone where they're going, nor do they seem to be expected to. The girls have even been bleaching their hair since elementary school, for Pete's sake! (What conscientious parent would allow such a shallow focus on physical appearance at that young age?) My husband is a physicist/electrical engineer, too, and I can attest that we do NOT have that kind of money to throw around on such ostentatious crap. What the heck are these parents trying to teach their kids with this sort of indulgence? Another reviewer commented that Olivia and Rupert need parenting classes; I agree.3. Olivia's research laboratory, Ames, has a disturbing lack of security for a top-secret facility. (It doesn't appear to be a government one, however.) Family members seem to wander in and out without challenge. Who else might?As I noted, these matters might be addressed in the sequels, and redeem the story by making it a constructive parable. I certainly hope so! 3time travelFirst, I love the concept of this book. I thought the author did a great job portraying the confusion and adjustments Arizona goes through as she finds her world turned upside-down. Arizona Stevens, a tough high-school girl, who is the only girl on a boys' ice-hockey team, suddenly finds herself living Arizona Darley's life, who is a more polished, popular cheerleader. It's interesting to see how Arizona fumbles along with her new life, which include a new dad, brother, and a new love interest. At times I feel you need a scorecard trying to keep up with Arizona's friends. There are three characters: Simla, Justin and Ariele that existed in Arizona Steven's life in NJ and pop up in her life in Mountainview, CA. While Ariele and Arizona can remember their past life, Simla and Justin act like they don't know them from NJ or remember that life. Also, there seems to be an explanation for the whole Arizona transformation, which involves the mother traveling through the portal to retrieve their beloved dog, Gertrude. The story never explains how Ariele and her family have managed to wake up in a different dimension, as well as in the past. I like the developing romance between Kellan and Arizona. I thought there was a lot of misplaced anger between Arizona and her mother, Olivia. Most of the story is told from Arizona's point of view. Occasionally, the story is from Olivia's point of view. During Arizona's hospital scene, the book became choppy as the author replayed the whole scene from Olivia's POV. I think the characters in this book are the driving force. On numerous occasions, there were "important" discussions that needed to happen between characters and these conversations were always delayed. I also think Portal left a lot of unanswered questions and hope the remaining books will help explain more. 4PortalWith all the involvement I have had in this book and with the author, it is a surprise I hadn't read Portal sooner. I don't know why I didn't, and now I am regretting holding off for so long. It was a refreshingly unique young adult debut and had me engaged the entire time I was reading.Arizona was a really great protagonist. Though she had no idea who she was, she was strong and was able to maintain a much calmer attitude towards the whole situation than I would have, surely. Her countless friends and enemies all had their unique and entertaining personalities that I couldn't resist adoring. Kellan, though somewhat allusive, was a great love interest and even made me swoon from time to time.The writing style is great. Rose is a gifted writer and her talent shines in this book. I cannot wait to read her other works, especially the continuation of this series, because her entrancing writing style will no doubt continue to mesmerize me.Portal is a very unique story. Though some aspects were confusing, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of this book. I haven't read much about time travel or anything like it, so it was so fresh and enjoyable to read this book. The science fiction-esque subplots take a backseat to Arizona and the other characters, making this a very character driven book. I enjoyed this, as I am not a big fan of science fiction, but I would definitely recommend Portal if you are a scifi addict or don't like it at all. Either way, you're gonna enjoy this book.I am dying to read the next books in this series. The moment they are in my reach, I will be gobbling them down. I was barely able to stop reading Portal and didn't want it to end when it was finally over. Thank goodness there are more books to fulfill my craving. 4

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