Wow, I'm being worked to the bone here 😮 2 blogs in 2 days  So when I heard one of our Review Team Members was heading down under, I thought I might take a stab at writing my first review for the Review Team. I need to warn you, I usually only copy and paste the amazing work the Team does.  So with @chris191070 in Australia, I thought I would review one of my favourite stories from there. 

Heart of the Tree
by Graeme

Reviewer: Wildone
Status: Complete
Word Count: 192,398

Have you ever read a story where one of the main characters is a tree? Not any tree but a ancient Moreton Fig Tree that took up a large part of a town's park in rural Australia. This story is a amazing tale of the fate of that tree, but a tree that all the locals know has much more significance than any other tree. It is magical in many ways. It is what holds this community together and has done so for years. Yes, there is doubters, probably like you. Give it a read and see if you still doubt it's mystical ways. 

In the beginning we are introduced to a local group of teens, fresh out of Senior High and are making plans to go to university or apprentice or just continue on working for any of the local employers in rural wine growing area of Australia. That is until a stranger comes to town one night and goes under the tree and is found dead there the next morning. Not long after, limbs and branches start to fall from the tree as it is dying as well. A  wonderful Aunt to the whole town, Aunt Cynthia, feels the pain and sorrow as she was once was the Heart of the Tree.  She is there to guide these young adults to search out and find the new Heart of the Tree as she approaches her latter years. Will she find the new Heart before it is too late?

This tree is kept alive by love and bestows love on anyone who wants to be united by love under the tree. It is a mystery though on what can heal the tree.

If you haven't had the chance to read Graeme, his characters are amazing to say the least. From first meeting them to new ones being introduced, your imagination is alight with images and profiles that Graeme hasn't outright described, but they're mannerisms and traits help cement their images in the readers mind. 

Graeme is a bit of a trickster too. You might have preconceived notions of what kind of people are in the story. Be prepared to finish a chapter and look back and wonder how did I get it all so wrong! I know he only used Drama, General Fiction and Romance as genres, but you could add in Mystery easily too! Graeme gives you just enough rope, to either save yourself or to, well we won't say that. The lovable cast of characters makes reading chapter after chapter a delight. You may hate some of them only to love them later. The mystery comes in as you never really know what is going to happen next.

This story was also written I believe over 20 years ago but it could easily have taken place yesterday. The story has a unique way of standing the test of time. 

Don't let the size of this story scare you away. Once you are done the prologue and Chapter 1, I think you will find it hard not to click on the next chapter. 

One of my all time favourites here at GA and where it was originally hosted at AD, I hope you give it a try and it will become one of yours too!

Category: Fiction  Genres: General Fiction, Romance  Sub-genres:  Drama, Romance Tags: young adult, australia, no sex, coming out, friendship  Rating: Teen