Title: In The Beginning
Author: Daisy Graham
Publisher: XlibrisNZ
Pages: 106
ISBN: 978-1-4990-9862-4
Genre: Young Adult adventure, Spirituality
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
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Pacific Book Review Star
Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit
Author Daisy Graham writes with New Zealand “zest” an adventure novel which morphs into a Biblical story. In The Beginning starts out with a group of teenage girls embarking on a camping trip, and turns into an epic adventure of survival, loss, change and rebirth. Now it is impossible to explain exactly how I support those adjectives without revealing the plot and story’s details – and I don’t wish to be a spoiler; so to those reading this allow me to be a bit vague with details.
The story follows some friends, all teenage girls, who explore a cave on the outskirts of a camping area in New Zealand. While inside the cave an earthquake seals the entrance, and the girls are trapped. This had me anticipating In The Beginning would be a survival book, paralleling the heroic actions of the 2010 Copiapó mining accident where Chilean miners were trapped underground for 69 days. But after 4 days the girls dig their own way out – and a world of apocalyptic disaster and destruction is revealed. What has happened? Are their families ok? Where is everybody? These are the questions which readers discover answers to as the characters embark on finding out what has happened.
Daisy Graham is a master storyteller, as she captives the reader’s interest from the very first page as well as deepens curiosity as facts are uncovered at the pace the characters also learn about what is going on. The reader learns about things as the girls find out, bringing an inclusive feeling within the story; making it feel as if you are a part of the experience. Peppered with vernacular and locations native to New Zealand, this unique nation makes for an ideal setting to those perhaps unfamiliar with the area and people. From the foreshadowing of Biblical overtones, the theme of Christian Bible predictions are strengthened both by the scope of the disaster and the kindness of the survivors teaming up to work together; unlike the killing over resources which is portrayed in post-apocalyptic scenarios such as Mad Max.
Although at first the character development is a bit shallow due to the names of each girl are tossed around for clarity of action yet nothing in the way of their emotions are expanded upon. However the culmination of the actions toward the end of the story does deepen the reader’s understanding of their personality traits. It seems as if they all have a conviction for kindness, generosity, empathy and family; all the types of qualities good people aspire to having. The book can easily be read in one sitting, bringing in fast-paced events and sequences of decisions quickly enough to maintain a page-turning excitement while reading. Once the ending is revealed, all of the events tie together, and I felt as if this would make an ideal starting point for a sequel.
In The Beginning takes the end of the world and makes it a new beginning for those with faith and kindness. With a theme such as this, it is an ideal book for young adults to take on a trip, or share in a faith-based reading group. The credibility of the story makes it ideal for those young enough to ponder their fate of existence which is beyond any human control for preventing, but within full control to how it is handled going forward. I hope to read much more from Daisy Graham in the future.
