SCRIPTURIENT REVIEWS | OPEN

❄ THE LOST REVENGE | GWEN ❄

Creativity/Originality: 10/10

I love how creative the plot is and the way you manage to weave the threads into something engaging and unique. Ren and Ava both have complex lives. It all started when Ren's parents switched her in place of another baby for the sole reason of protection. As both of them came into contact with each other and later on became friends, the truth behind their family along with the strange occurrences have surfaced. And you have perfectly pieced together clues and other missing puzzle pieces to create a complete picture of the truth. I can definitely see a very different plot than the other books I've read that revolves around witches and demons.

Plot flow: 15/20

The storyline follows the narrative of a young girl who, at such a young age, got disowned by her own family. The first chapter titled "Alone" is about the main reason why Ren decides to turn evil. Hence, the reason why she comes up with the idea of revenge. It stems from her family disowning her. And this is one excellent chapter as the emotions successfully reached me. But if Ren does really feel begrudged and alone now that her family left her to live alone, you can do more by adding a more intense scene to even justify her emotions. Aside from her mom and dad, the uncles, aunts, and other people she doesn't know are present at the time. Her hatred can be even more justified if she feels oppressed by everyone as they look at her in disgust because she's different. Or maybe let them tell her some offensive words or insults. You can do this instead of her relatives just sitting there like watching a television drama because obviously, sending Ren away cannot just be her parents' decision. It can be partly because of the tradition that their coven follows for millennia. But unknown to them, she isn't completely magicless. Something more powerful and dark lies deep within her.

A sequence of events then led her to Edinburgh where a revelation of her past and family history hid. But this time, it isn't just all about her but her best friend Ava as well. It turns out that knowing the answer and the truth come at a price and that is the friendship they have built over the years. Everything changes when weird things start to happen and a different feeling blooms inside Ava. A chance to be loved by other people. To seek acceptance not just by Ren but other people too. Specifically, the love of a family. As Ren had said, she wasn't enough for Ava. Not because Ava is enough for her doesn't mean she is to her.

Though you should be careful and mindful of where it is best to put time skips. I cannot say that there's a smooth flow in your transitions. There are random jumps in the timeline or flashbacks. In Chapter 4, I don't think it is necessary to put the flashback of a few hours later (in the future) because it disrupts the smooth flow of the transition. I get that it's kind of a sneak to peek at what may happen in the future but it feels so random. You can just go straight to the scene where Ren goes shopping with Ava and then proceed to the "ouija board" scene.

Sadly, the story ended with Ren sacrificing but we cannot judge a story by how it ends, can we?

Can the perfect revenge really be found? Can you really rejoice in the pain you put someone through? Even if you can, will the universe let you? It's always going to be hidden until one day, finally lost by your side.

I love how you wrapped the story up by this ending line which made light and made even more sense of the title.

Character Development: 9/10

Reading The Lost Revenge, we come to know that most evils are not what they are from the start. The emotional connection Ren has to her family takes a toll on her the moment they decide to send her away. Their twisted views on how their family shall work adds more reason to her future actions and decisions.

"Your grandmother only started doing magic when she was 8 years old. But she is now one of the most powerful witches. We thought it would be the same with you," her dad exclaimed.