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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Hillside in Books

Mar 17, 2020  
Hillside
Hillside
Jordan Elizabeth Mierek | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Based on a real place and a real period of history, Jordan Elizabeth imagines fictional characters living in the settlement of Hillside, New York in the 1890s. The main character, Viola, is a young school teacher at a one-roomed school where nothing out of the ordinary happens. That is until she learns her dying Aunt Helen is harbouring a huge secret.

Aunt Helen revealed she abandoned a daughter and Viola decides to surprise her by finding her long lost daughter, Bessie. But in finding Bessie, Viola discovers the reason Aunt Helen ran away from home, putting everyone who lives in Hillside in grave danger.

Although short, Jordan Elizabeth packs in romance, family, murder and historical fiction into her novella Hillside, the second instalment of theEchoes of New York series. The story does not follow on from the previous book, however, it is set in the same area. The amount of research the author has done to create an accurate setting is clear from the authenticity of the story.

A tiny element of the supernatural appears inHillside, although not as much as in the previous book in the series. This is by no means a bad thing, however, since it does not detract from the storyline and historical accuracy.

Personally, I did not think Hillside was one of Jordan Elizabeth's best books but it is a good story to read when you need something to pass a short time.
  
Harry Potter Trading Card Game
Harry Potter Trading Card Game
2001 | Card Game, Collectible Components, Fantasy, Fighting, Book
Gameplay (3 more)
Variety of Characters
Variety of Card
Game Length
Potential costs (0 more)
Great game, but costs could add up.
Firstly, this is a great game, for seasoned gamers or beginners; very quick and easy to play and understand.

The aim of the game is a simple one, to empty your opponents deck. Simple as that. This is done by choosing a character (each with a unique special skill), and playing creature, spell and item cards to attack their deck.

The range of spells are superb, with everything from forgotten spells from the books, to flipendo, best remembered from the 2001 PS1 Philosophers Stone game. The range of beasts could be better, but as this is only based on the first book, the range could be considered excellent, including creatures including Devil's Snare, Fluffy, Fang, Hounds, Boa Constrictors, Wolves, Trolls and anything you can think of when it comes to the first film/book.

The only issue nowadays is potential costs. As this is out-of-print and nearly 20 years old, cards are a bit of a nuisance to find and expensive when you do find them. Small lots of cards can be found on ebay for a reasonable price, but if you're after individual cards, costs could easily mount up with cards starting at 99p and going up to £5 or more for some of the rarer cards.

Overall though, a great game, and well worth getting a starter set and a few extras :)