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I Thirst

I Thirst

by
$12.99 - $12.99
$12.99
$12.99
$12.99 - $12.99
$12.99
Publisher: Rivershore Books
Publication Date:
Format: Paperback
Pages: 298
Availability: In Stock
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Beautifully woven through poetic prose, charmingly witty descriptions, and the extraordinary journey shared by the two main characters, Rebecca Veritas and Peter Asturian, readers are thrust into unparalleled vistas full of whimsical wonder and poignancy. There is no doubt that Gina Marinello-Sweeney's striking debut will remain with you long after the last page.

When Rebecca receives a mysterious note from an unknown source, she has no idea how it will change her life.

Twenty-year-old Rebecca Veritas is used to being different, but has never felt extraordinary. She is a Dreamer, living in a world of poetry intermixed with the antics of her unique family and eccentric best friend Adriana. When she meets Peter, a young student from Canada who seems somehow to understand her from the start, her perception changes. With "Intermission", the single word in that mysterious note, as inspiration, the two writers embark on an incredible journey to a new world in the form of a story that will ultimately parallel their own lives. Yet, as the story progresses, events remain ever more shrouded in mystery. When unexpected circumstances in the real world throw their lives in disarray, it will be up to Rebecca to find the true meaning of "Intermission" before the curtain closes on the final act.

I Thirst received the 2013 YATR Literary Award for Best Prologue.

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Sexuality: None Violence & Gore: None Profanity: None Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: None

“But I was caught in an hourglass of colliding dreams.”

“As for clichés, they’re an illusion. When you think about it, anything could be considered a cliché. It’s when you really bring truth to something that it becomes original…which may," he smiled wryly, "itself be considered a cliché.”

“I sat down, turning the pages of my notebook in search of a blank page, in the dim light of my room. The arrival of nightfall had invited leafy shadows to play hide and seek in the glass reflection of the window. I smiled as one of these mischievous shadows crept across the page in a midnight dance.”

“And, as I had gazed at my surroundings, at the muted, yet triumphant, colors splashed in joyful serenity over the immaculate stone floor, at the profiles of my fellow parishioners bent in prayer, and finally, up above, at the flickering lights held in a soft gray ceiling like chandeliers in an ancient palace, I realized that my thoughts had been transferred to Someone Else.”

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Gina Marinello-Sweeney:

Gina Marinello-Sweeney is the author of The Veritas Chronicles, a YA trilogy. The first book in the series, I Thirst, received the 2013 YATR Literary Award for Best Prologue from Young Adult Teen Readers. Gina has been writing ever since she was a little girl and turned her bedroom into a “library,” complete with due date slips and a check-out stamp. As her own stories were “checked out” by family and friends, she dreamed of a day in which her stories would be available in public libraries worldwide. Her dream of publication came true in 2013. Gina is also an avid poet in both the English and Spanish languages. In 2009, she was asked to present some original Spanish poems at an international literature conference in Costa Rica. Although unable to attend this event, a presentation of the poems was well-received at another scholarly event that same year. Graduating summa cum laude, Gina holds credentials in both elementary education and Spanish. In her spare time, she enjoys producing videos, going to the beach, reading, and traveling. Gina lives in southern California, where she is at work on the next volume in The Veritas Chronicles, as well as a short story collection.

Editorial Reviews

"Inspiring read!"
- Josh Baker, Award-Winning Author
 
"The pages are rich with inner meaning to be pulled apart like the petals of the rose."
- Karen Kelly Boyce, Award-Winning Author

 "I Thirst is a masterfully told story about life, friendships, and being yourself."
- E.D. Phillips, Author
 
 "A literary gem . . . Gina's style of writing makes this a work of literature in the truest sense of the word . . .  similar to reading G.K. Chesterton, if you just keep on reading, her writing takes you somewhere beautiful."
 - Donna Bishop, Goodreads Librarian and Blogger

Customer Reviews

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T
Theresa Linden
A mystical blend of poetry and prose

With a mystical blend of poetry and prose, Gina Marinello-Sweeney’s I THIRST is a one-of-a-kind contemporary story. Rebecca, the young and upbeat main character, filters the world and events of her life through a poetic screen that helps her appreciate, enjoy, bear, and grapple with the deeper meaning of things. I enjoyed the natural way this character lived and grew in her faith and the distinctly Catholic elements of the story.

As the story advances, readers are taken into a play within a play within a story. I found myself pondering the deeper meaning of poems and scenes, trying to find all the pieces to a puzzle, tie things together, and search for the value of the moments in between, the intermissions.
While the style might not be for everyone, I recommend I THIRST to lovers of poetry and the arts. In addition to having inspired poetry sprinkled throughout, the story is filled with beautiful imagery and poetic prose that paints mental pictures and stirs emotions: “It was a song, a dance. The triumphant red, the immaculate white, and the gentle pink swirled together to form a maze of mazes, a hope of hopes.”

L
Leslea Wahl
Wonderfully Engaging Characters

I Thirst is the story of college student Rebecca and the young man she meets who deeply affects her life. The story is set during Lent and I enjoyed seeing their friendship grow during those 40 days. There is a lot to enjoy in this unique Catholic Young Adult novel from the delightfully quirky Rebecca, the easy-going banter she enjoys with her best friend, the kind and slightly mysterious Peter to the story within a story and the beautiful prose. Marinello-Sweeney has written a sequel to his novel which will hopefully curb my curiosity as to what will happen next between these wonderfully engaging characters.