Hyperion Keats
Three modern teens, a 200-year-old diary, a literary mystery to solve.
Twelve-year-old Hyperion Frances Keats, great-great grand niece of poet John Keats, hates tip-toeing around her older sister's “medical diagnosis”. Why is Isabella so determined to turn her back on what makes her unique in a sea of wannabes? Is popularity more important than the truth?
The sisters and boy-next-door Will find themselves in the middle of a mystery after discovering a 200-year-old diary written by the girl who inspired the sonnet “To A Lady Seen For A Moment At Vauxhall.” The teens aren't the only ones after the answers found in the pages from the past, though. The LBT Brotherhood – a secret society dedicated to preserving the Romantic Poets three creeds of love, beauty, and truth – want the secrets contained in the diary to remain lost to time and will stop at nothing to silence Hyperion, Isabella, and Will forever.
My Review
Hyperion Keats has been around poetry her whole life, and even if she wanted to, she can't escape it since it's not just her name 'Hyperion' that screams poetic, it's the fact that she's the great-great grand niece of the poet John Keats. When poetry fanboy Will moves in next door and Hyperion gives him the honour of showing Will the famous 'Keats' house with her 'normal-named' sister Isabella, they stumble upon a mysterious diary written by the girl who inspired the sonnet "To A Lady Seen For A Moment At Vauxhall". Finding out who this girl was is only half of the mystery, especially when a mysterious car seems to be following them, intent on keeping what they've found hidden forever.
Hyperion Keats was a fun and page-turning mystery that definitely keeps the reader guessing until the last page. At times I had to wonder where the story was heading, especially with some actions taking place and then not being mentioned for the next few chapters, but everything came together in a perfectly thrilling conclusion that definitely opens up for more adventures from Hyperion and Isabella.
All of the characters were well-rounded. Hyperion was the perfect character to follow through the story, a mixture of little sister wanting to take the spotlight (and the boy) away from her sister, and young Nancy Drew. Isabella was the perfect addition for an older sister, and the surprise medical condition (which I won't give away as it might spoil some things) was perfectly written and when thinking back through the story it is easy to see some actions that Isabella did that fits in with that condition. And then there's Will, the boy who's got his own dark shadows which are revealed towards the end of the story (again no spoilers here).
Hyperion Keats was a quick and interesting read and I would recommend this to anyone who loves mysteries like Nancy Drew. I look forward to reading more of Hyperion and Isabella's adventures.
Character Interview
- Today we are excited to have the wonderful Hyperion herself joining us on the blog. Okay first question, Hyperion. You're name is quite different, is there a meaning behind it? My full name is Hyperion Frances Keats. Hyperion is a poem by my great-great add a couple more greats uncle John Keats. He's famous now but he wasn't back in the day when he was actually alive. Frances also has a long Keats family connection. My parents got “literary” when picking out baby names so I got saddled with Hyperion instead of something more normal.
- So, if you could pick a normal name what would you choose? I used to want to be called Ashley or Sarah but I've gotten used to my unusual name. It has character which can't be said for a lot of names.
- Is there a reason that you'd want that name? Everyone knows how to pronounce Ashley or Sarah. Not everyone knows how to pronounce Hyperion. I could be a little more anonymous and not stand out so much.
- What about your family? How do you feel about them being connected with John Keats? I grew up around literary and family history so it's not a big deal. People make it a big deal – especially our new neighbor Will – but being related to Keats isn't a big deal to me.
- So having a name connected with the literary icon of Keats, does it affect how people see you at school? Not really. Thankfully, most kids at Polk middle school just think my parents got creative in the baby naming department because you don't study the Romantic Poets till high school. My sister Isabella is in high school and hasn't found any down side to having a famous ancestor either. Maybe I'll get lucky too.
- You seem to be handling things well, but if you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? I wish my parents wouldn't favor Isabella over me. She has a 'medical condition' she doesn't want to talk about. She's not dying or anything, but Mom and Dad are so used to focusing on her that they forget about me. I don't like feeling like an afterthought or “shadow sister” to Isabella.
Thank you Hyperion for taking time out of your busy schedule and letting us all get to know you a little bit more.
About the Author
My Review
Hyperion Keats has been around poetry her whole life, and even if she wanted to, she can't escape it since it's not just her name 'Hyperion' that screams poetic, it's the fact that she's the great-great grand niece of the poet John Keats. When poetry fanboy Will moves in next door and Hyperion gives him the honour of showing Will the famous 'Keats' house with her 'normal-named' sister Isabella, they stumble upon a mysterious diary written by the girl who inspired the sonnet "To A Lady Seen For A Moment At Vauxhall". Finding out who this girl was is only half of the mystery, especially when a mysterious car seems to be following them, intent on keeping what they've found hidden forever.Hyperion Keats was a fun and page-turning mystery that definitely keeps the reader guessing until the last page. At times I had to wonder where the story was heading, especially with some actions taking place and then not being mentioned for the next few chapters, but everything came together in a perfectly thrilling conclusion that definitely opens up for more adventures from Hyperion and Isabella.
All of the characters were well-rounded. Hyperion was the perfect character to follow through the story, a mixture of little sister wanting to take the spotlight (and the boy) away from her sister, and young Nancy Drew. Isabella was the perfect addition for an older sister, and the surprise medical condition (which I won't give away as it might spoil some things) was perfectly written and when thinking back through the story it is easy to see some actions that Isabella did that fits in with that condition. And then there's Will, the boy who's got his own dark shadows which are revealed towards the end of the story (again no spoilers here).
Hyperion Keats was a quick and interesting read and I would recommend this to anyone who loves mysteries like Nancy Drew. I look forward to reading more of Hyperion and Isabella's adventures.
Character Interview
- Today we are excited to have the wonderful Hyperion herself joining us on the blog. Okay first question, Hyperion. You're name is quite different, is there a meaning behind it? My full name is Hyperion Frances Keats. Hyperion is a poem by my great-great add a couple more greats uncle John Keats. He's famous now but he wasn't back in the day when he was actually alive. Frances also has a long Keats family connection. My parents got “literary” when picking out baby names so I got saddled with Hyperion instead of something more normal.
- So, if you could pick a normal name what would you choose? I used to want to be called Ashley or Sarah but I've gotten used to my unusual name. It has character which can't be said for a lot of names.
- Is there a reason that you'd want that name? Everyone knows how to pronounce Ashley or Sarah. Not everyone knows how to pronounce Hyperion. I could be a little more anonymous and not stand out so much.
- What about your family? How do you feel about them being connected with John Keats? I grew up around literary and family history so it's not a big deal. People make it a big deal – especially our new neighbor Will – but being related to Keats isn't a big deal to me.
- So having a name connected with the literary icon of Keats, does it affect how people see you at school? Not really. Thankfully, most kids at Polk middle school just think my parents got creative in the baby naming department because you don't study the Romantic Poets till high school. My sister Isabella is in high school and hasn't found any down side to having a famous ancestor either. Maybe I'll get lucky too.
- You seem to be handling things well, but if you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? I wish my parents wouldn't favor Isabella over me. She has a 'medical condition' she doesn't want to talk about. She's not dying or anything, but Mom and Dad are so used to focusing on her that they forget about me. I don't like feeling like an afterthought or “shadow sister” to Isabella.
Thank you Hyperion for taking time out of your busy schedule and letting us all get to know you a little bit more.
About the Author
Molly Zenk
Molly Zenk was born in Minnesota, grew up in Florida, lived briefly in Tennessee, before finally settling in Colorado. She graduated from Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL with degrees in Secondary Education, English, and Creative Writing. She spent six years using those degrees teaching High School English, Poetry, and Creative Writing before going on “hiatus” to focus on being a stay-at-home/work-at-home Mom. Molly is married to a Mathematician/Software Engineer who complains about there not being enough “math” or info about him in her author bio. They live in Arvada, CO with their young daughters, one dog, and one cat.
Facebook: ://www.facebook.com/AuthorMollyZenk
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1 comments:
Poetry has a dark side. Now that's a unique story. Thumbs up Molly and thanks for having her over Cheree. Hyperion in a true dear and never let a unique name get you down.
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