30 July 2014

Kaleidoscope Tour Stop!

 The sequel to STIM...an Aspie new adult contemporary novel set in an earthquake zone. 
Chloe is different. She has Asperger's Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder and probably a few other inconvenient conditions as well. She's a quirky, resourceful and clever psychology student, but her world is literally about to be shaken apart. A devastating earthquake sparks a chain of events that spiral her life out of control. She's off her meds. Her oddly-named cat is missing. She doesn't know what she wants out of life any more. Misfortune and uncertainty don't mix well with bundles of energy and Chloe's tendency to ignore consequences. It's as if mayhem and trouble are her constant companions.  
Will Chloe be able to cope with the earth-shaking events that rock her world? Share her journey.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20432559-kaleidoscope?ac=1

I recently read Stim, which is the story of Robert and found Kaleidoscope, the story of Chloe a much smoother and faster read.  Her story focused on her Asperger’s and bi polar and how she dealt with the aftermath of a major earthquake.  For her normal routine she must have things organized and structured in her own fashion or it will throw her off balance.  When her house was destroyed and she found herself with only the clothes on her back, it sent her into a tail spin that was not easy to recover from. 
With the medicine that she was taking for her mental issues, she felt balanced, yet dead.  Her intense emotions and creativity was gone, but her ability to function as society expected was good.  When her medicine was trapped in the destroyed house, her change of routine and the loss of a friend she finds that life it too difficult to manage and slips back into her dark place waiting for the manic to approach.    
Along with the issues I have already mentioned, Chloe has to deal with her father ignoring her during a month long visit and her mother being in the hospital.  She comes back to Robert after the visit and finds that she is going to be living in a new house because they were forced to move during her month long vacation.  We get to see how detailed she is about some things and when Robert wants to unpack her books, she has some anxiety over it because it needs to be done her way. 
What I love about Chloe and Robert’s relationship is the acceptance and patience they have with each other.  During Chloe’s “breakdowns” I was amazed at how calm Robert was in his matter of fact responses and how she accepted it and used that as a reminder to get control over her anxiety.  They were a great fit in the first book and proved to be even more perfect in this one. 
Of course there were more funny moments like when they decided to try and make out in a tree only to land in the river and when she tried speed therapy.  Her responses were laugh out loud funny.  I think the author did a great job in giving us a glimpse in the lives of people with Asperger’s and doing it in not only an entertaining way but a realistic view point that most of us would never understand.  I would highly recommend Stim and Kaleidoscope to readers who enjoy watching the abnormal make their own way in society that wasn’t made for them.   
Kevin Berry is an indie author. His particular niche is writing Aspie New Adult contemporary novels set in an earthquake zone. The first of these is STIM, published in October 2013.

His first novels, co-written with Diane Berry, are Dragons Away!, Growing Disenchantments and Fountain of Forever (humorous fantasy). These are available as paperbacks and ebooks at Amazon and elsewhere.

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4 comments:

  1. Great review! I like the sounds of this series. Chloe sounds like a character I could easily connect with, and the relationship with Roberts seems to be very well written! Glad you liked it, Tbird!

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  2. Chloe sounds like an interesting character.

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  3. Awesome review! Thanks for the chance! :)

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