Blackbird Books Review & Giveaway – 2 WINNERS! – US Only

Blackbird Books is the literary work of R. Blackbird McKinsey.

Blackbird McKinsey is a young American author who began writing as a teenager, for other teenagers. That drive progressed into writing even more of the stories that she wanted to read, to be able to give to other people just what she was looking for in the world of books. Gaining more experience in a wild variety of stories and readers alike, Blackbird Books was born out of both the positive and negative aspects of that professional development. This site’s mission is to give people more access to books and other entertainment they can trust in terms of content, quality, and message.

Rebecca Blackbird McKinsey has written 3 books. 2 of the books are geared towards preteens and younger teenagers. The 3rd book is geared towards a slightly older audience based on a college town setting.

The Storytellers Series books “Anterria” and “Atlantis”, written by 20 yr old Rebecca McKinsey, weave a fantasy tale that follows 16 yr old Hannah Merchant. Hannah is what the author describes as a “storyteller”, just learning about her creative abilities. Hannah loves books and has amassed many notebooks which she has filled with her own stories, poems and pictures. Hannah once bought new notebooks and pin-back buttons instead of the beige stilettos her mother had loaned her the car to get. While attending a rather fancy formal party with her parent’s, Hannah escapes to spend time writing once again in her newest notebook. When times like these came, the journal was her lifeline. It was one of the few links to her personal world. It is while writing in her notebook, that the Author leads us into a fantasy tale where Hannah meets the mysterious Aaron McKay (another “storyteller”). Together, Hannah and Aaron, take a train in the first book, through the multicolored stars to the tree top village of Anterria.

In her second book, Atlantis, Rebecca weaves another tale for Hannah and Aaron in which they take the train to the underwater city of Atlantis. Throughout both books these young “storytellers” search for the Keys to open the Door of Exile, so that the counselors of the ancient realm can be released, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the “Shadow” who is also looking for the keys.

I have to admit that these books are not books I would choose to read. They weave in and out of fantasy. There is definitely a lot of creativity and imagination in these books. I would recommend both of these books for children 14 and older, or adults. Parents may want to peruse the books before purchasing. I know many people love these types of books, so please be sure you check them out for yourself.

Rebecca’s third book is Sydney West. (It is not part of The Storytellers series.) This book starts with Sydney West meeting a tall, dark stranger in a coffee shop in the middle of a busy college town. Within an hour the stranger was in the hospital. He awakes as an amnesiac but has impressive observation and memory skills, with an eccentricity to match. Inconsistencies build around him as he tries to piece together his history, teaching others about the real world in the process. Sydney West is a tale of mystery and suspicion. This book would definitely be for an older audience (15+), especially because of the college setting. However, it has also been enjoyed by younger readers that prefer mystery books. Sydney West would be a great for high schoolers or college students.