Jogger's Trail by Donna Fox In Review

So gather round, friends, for a review of another Vocal writer's self-published book. This time, we are focusing on The Queen of Acrostics (as assigned by me), Donna Fox (HKB), and her rather excellent YA supernatural tale Jogger's Trail.

Born and raised in Alberta, Canada, Donna has been writing and engaging people on Vocal since 2021. During the time since then, I am honoured to say she has become both a keen supporter and encourager of my own work as well as a friend.

It has also been a privilege to watch her develop as a writer and poet. If you are unfamiliar with this young Canadian's storytelling or penchant for sublime poetry (especially acrostics, hence her title), then you should take a look at her profile. Not before you've read this review, though.

The Actual Damn Review

Like so many good self-published books produced by Vocal creators, Donna's Jogger's Trail started as a challenge entry on this very platform. It was entered into the Microfiction Magic challenge and was met with many encouraging voices from fellow writers who thought she ought to flesh it out into a full story.

To which she did.

The version I bought and read of Jogger's Trail was the second edition, as Donna is a well-known perfectionist who, upon realising there were issues with the original version, showed the mark of a good writer and rewrote, reedited the book, and made it better.

Although I can't compare and contrast, as this is the only version I read, I do know from personal experience how much humility and passion it takes to put in that extra effort.

I will tell everyone and anyone who listens that YA is not really my cup of tea. I guess I find it harder to connect with characters? Who knows? I might just be talking out of my arse.

Anyway, I loved Jogger's Trail.

I loved the protagonist, Tesha. She is feisty, cynical, and questioning, and has heart. Upon finding herself in an impossible position, she doesn't shrink back; no, she hurls herself headfirst into a dangerous situation.

The book is very much a novella, which is great for light and casual reading. That is not a dismissive comment by any stretch of the imagination. One of the things I loved about the story is that it was easy to read and get sucked into the action.

That's thanks to Donna's sense of brevity. She never overexplains; she gives us all we need to know exactly what's going on and how the characters are feeling. That's the most impressive thing for me. It's one thing to write a snappy, short, and gripping tale, but it's one to do so without sacrificing character development.

None of the main characters—Tesha, the family of Relliks, and the various people whose lives they become involved in during the trials feel one-dimensional.

The Relliks feel especially fleshed out, with Nakos the wizened world-weary elder, Madra the fallen angel with a feminine touch, Alaric the bad boy (who is not quite as bad as we believe), and Mendel the youngest, who takes a shine to Tesha.

To help lift a curse, Tesha needs to work together with the Relliks, fallen guardian angels, by completing The Perils of Efil, based on the concept of the seven deadly sins. Donna has well thought out each Peril and shows her clear understanding of what it is like to be a flawed human.

My Final Verdict

All in all, for a short read, Jogger's Trail is a very immersive experience, one I would highly recommend to fans of YA supernatural books and Ms Fox herself. The characters are likable and well-fleshed out, the story had me intrigued and gripped from the start, and there are enough thought-provoking philosophical musings throughout to leave you pondering things.

Please take a look at the links below for Donna's Vocal profile and the Amazon listing for the book.

If you do buy it, you should review it, as the reviews make a lot of difference. Not just for the author but for Amazon and other online retailers, it may make all the difference between someone deciding to click Buy Now and not. It doesn't need to be much, but even a small review can have a big impact.

Thanks for reading!