Fantasy Book Review: Doon

Doon

Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon

Synopsis:
Veronica doesn’t think she’s going crazy. But why can’t anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months. But the Scottish countryside holds other plans. Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna’s great aunt—and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation. Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica’s daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they’ve longed for… or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.

Review:
Veronica and Mackenna are magically transported to Doon, a hidden kingdom from the outside world. Being a fan of Brigadoon is what convinced me to pick this one up. For more conflict though, the book adds an evil witch that for some reason is trying to destroy Doon. Veronica and Mackenna are both very likable and typical teens who both have tragedy in their lives, but are still very different. Veronica is the dreamer who longs for Doon and the boy she’s been having visions of. Whereas, Mackenna has dreams of being an actress back in America and tries to keep a rational look at everything at all times.

While the main theme of the story is like Brigadoon, Doon is its own story – written for a young adult, Christian crowd. There is plenty of drama and romance, with a bit of danger and suspense as well. The build-up to the big show-down with the witch seemed to be over a bit too quickly and didn’t make a lot of sense. But we have to suspend disbelief as this is a fantasy anyway. I liked the ending, though it ends on a bit of a mild cliffhanger to prepare for the upcoming sequel.