Minotaur by J.A. Rock
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thera Ballard is an orphan, her elderly aunt can't handle her so she drops her off at Rock Point, a home for unwanted girls. Thera Ballard is a drug user, a thief, and a bully. Thera Ballard is a liar, she tells anyone who will listen that her mother killed her father with an ax, or was it father killed the
mother? Thera Ballard is really just a girl, like any other girl her age, trying to find out where she fits in. But then, Thera Ballard wants more than anything to be a warrior so she can slay the Minotaur and win acclaim and fortune.

The Minotaur, besides being a creature out of Greek legend, is a very real fear in Thera's hometown. She is an actual monster, confined to a maze high up in the cliffs on the outskirts of town. They send her human tribute and pray she never escapes. Thera embarks on a quest to slay the Minotaur and in the process she finds herself.

This was a difficult review to write. I enjoyed the underlying story, but found it difficult to connect with the characters. Perhaps this is because instead of an angsty teen I'm a middle-aged woman. I'm sure that the intended audience, a young female who is still fresh to feelings of love and loss, who thinks that one day she will save the world will find it more amenable. More often than not I'd stop and think "now why would she do that, it's so stupid" and have to put myself into the character's shoes to realize that she wouldn't know any better. I'm not the right audience for this book. Having said all of that, the writing was clean and crisp, with excellent descriptions. Technically everything is in the right place, and the flow and pace of the story moves along well. It's my fault I didn't enjoy it more than I did.

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