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House of Transformation
Ananda is a bigger-than-life pop star, but the paparazzi won't leave her alone and she's tired of being smeared on the Enquirer every month for her drug addiction. After a mental breakdown, she goes home to her old friend Mag, and demands to be fixed.
Knowing how many pop stars die young, Mag will do anything to help Ananda, including losing her dignity, facing her greatest fears, and uncovering the truth about what happened at the House of Transformation.
A dual storyline portrays the women at their coming of age, when they lived together at a place called the House of Transformation -- a place of art, love, and a terrible tragedy that still haunts them. No one escaped the House of Transformation without scars, some of them worse than others.
Mag does her best to help Ananda get clean, but twists and turns keep wellness outside of arm's reach. With the clock ticking until a contractually obligated Grammy performance, will Ananda have another break down or a breakthrough?
Note: this book features profanity, drug use, and fluid sexuality.
Knowing how many pop stars die young, Mag will do anything to help Ananda, including losing her dignity, facing her greatest fears, and uncovering the truth about what happened at the House of Transformation.
A dual storyline portrays the women at their coming of age, when they lived together at a place called the House of Transformation -- a place of art, love, and a terrible tragedy that still haunts them. No one escaped the House of Transformation without scars, some of them worse than others.
Mag does her best to help Ananda get clean, but twists and turns keep wellness outside of arm's reach. With the clock ticking until a contractually obligated Grammy performance, will Ananda have another break down or a breakthrough?
Note: this book features profanity, drug use, and fluid sexuality.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2016
3 people are currently reading
1097 people want to read
About the author
Astrea Taylor
18 books178 followersAstrea Taylor is the author of Intuitive Witchcraft, Inspiring Creativity Through Magick, Air Magic, Modern Witchcraft with the Greek Gods, and The Magic Bell.
She's an eclectic/intuitive pagan witch whose life goals include empowering other witches and encouraging them to use intuition in their witchcraft.
She has also published passages in Mastering Magick, The Witches' Companion, Witchology, Green Egg, The Witches' Calendar, The Witch's Almanac, and several other periodicals and books. Sometimes, she blogs as Starlight Witch on Patheos.
When she's not co-leading the Aurora Fire dance group, she presents workshops and rituals at festivals across the country.
Learn more at AstreaTaylor.com.
She's an eclectic/intuitive pagan witch whose life goals include empowering other witches and encouraging them to use intuition in their witchcraft.
She has also published passages in Mastering Magick, The Witches' Companion, Witchology, Green Egg, The Witches' Calendar, The Witch's Almanac, and several other periodicals and books. Sometimes, she blogs as Starlight Witch on Patheos.
When she's not co-leading the Aurora Fire dance group, she presents workshops and rituals at festivals across the country.
Learn more at AstreaTaylor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 29, 2016
Holy crap, that was SO GOOOOOOD!!! I'm completely stunned that was your first book, you have to have like 50 books you've written before this one, right? I mean, I've read a lot of good books, but I absolutely could not put down HoT once I started!! All the important parts of a best seller were there, not only was it captivating, but it made me feel as though I was living it. Great job! Please keep writing!! If you ever need someone to pre-read anything, I'm yours.
June 6, 2017
"House of Transformation" was a look about a fictionalized pop-star, Ananda Dawn, and all the ups and downs of her fame as she prepares to recollect herself before she is set to perform at The Grammys. Constantly hounded by the paparazzi for her gossip-worthy antics, Ananda suddenly reemerges in the life of struggling psychologist and former best friend, Mag Woods, who has written something of a tell-all book about her prior relationship with the troubled starlet. What ensues next is a detailed look at the history between these two women--from their turbulent friendship over the years as they attempted to make a living as young artists, to the drugs and addiction that would ultimately ruin so many lives and relationships between them.
Author Astrea Taylor expertly navigates between the past and present throughout this novel, and even includes a couple intriguing excerpts of Mag's tell-all book, "Analyzing Ananda." With excellent writing, this novel reads like literary fiction that focuses on very contemporary issues, which is something I personally haven't read much of. Society has a preoccupation with watching the biggest stars fall from grace. With "House of Transformation", Taylor gives us a peek at what such a downfall looks like from behind the eyes of the star going through it. Although I felt this book occasionally had a meandering plot, and the story lost steam in the end for me--becoming a bit cliché in moments--I still appreciated the story Taylor set out to tell, and character-driven nature of it.
Furthermore, not only did Taylor set out to create a dialogue on how society treats troubled celebrities, but the profits of this book are being used to support a shelter for homeless youth and runaways called Daybreak. So kudos to Astrea Taylor!
Author Astrea Taylor expertly navigates between the past and present throughout this novel, and even includes a couple intriguing excerpts of Mag's tell-all book, "Analyzing Ananda." With excellent writing, this novel reads like literary fiction that focuses on very contemporary issues, which is something I personally haven't read much of. Society has a preoccupation with watching the biggest stars fall from grace. With "House of Transformation", Taylor gives us a peek at what such a downfall looks like from behind the eyes of the star going through it. Although I felt this book occasionally had a meandering plot, and the story lost steam in the end for me--becoming a bit cliché in moments--I still appreciated the story Taylor set out to tell, and character-driven nature of it.
Furthermore, not only did Taylor set out to create a dialogue on how society treats troubled celebrities, but the profits of this book are being used to support a shelter for homeless youth and runaways called Daybreak. So kudos to Astrea Taylor!
June 25, 2016
House of Transformation by Astrea Taylor is a phenomenal work on so many levels. The characters are very well drawn, the plot(s) are compelling while also giving one pause to think and there are other aspects I have yet to put a word with. I am about three quarters of the way through and have found that I am perplexed; I both want to hurry through the book but I also want to savor many of the scenes and insights from these scenes. That is why I am posting a review now (I will likely update later but I have no doubt it will be more of the same types of comments) rather than later, the book as well as Taylor deserves a review so others might find this book.
The story moves effortlessly between two points in time with the transitions shedding additional insight in both directions. The characters all resemble people we have likely known or, at times, like various masks each of us wear when the mood or the need strikes us. There is one motif I find particularly compelling but want to finish the book before commenting on it.
Added: Upon finishing the book I find nothing I want to change in my review. The last couple of chapters tied up loose ends and gave us some sense of how things ended, and continued. As for what I wanted to mention before, I am hesitant to get into a drawn out discussion because it would entail mentioning specifics and could turn into spoilers, so I will make brief mention in the form of a suggestion to readers. Early in the book Ananda and Mag start making collages. As you read, keep in mind collages and photomontages and what, in essence they are, how they take parts or pieces of other, often unrelated, things and make a new complete whole from them. Play with the many variations on that idea while reading this book.
This is one of those rare books that I can't narrow down who to recommend it to. While I know there will be people who don't care for it I don't think there is a type of reader in general for whom this shouldn't be recommended. So: if you like to read, I recommend this book.
Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
The story moves effortlessly between two points in time with the transitions shedding additional insight in both directions. The characters all resemble people we have likely known or, at times, like various masks each of us wear when the mood or the need strikes us. There is one motif I find particularly compelling but want to finish the book before commenting on it.
Added: Upon finishing the book I find nothing I want to change in my review. The last couple of chapters tied up loose ends and gave us some sense of how things ended, and continued. As for what I wanted to mention before, I am hesitant to get into a drawn out discussion because it would entail mentioning specifics and could turn into spoilers, so I will make brief mention in the form of a suggestion to readers. Early in the book Ananda and Mag start making collages. As you read, keep in mind collages and photomontages and what, in essence they are, how they take parts or pieces of other, often unrelated, things and make a new complete whole from them. Play with the many variations on that idea while reading this book.
This is one of those rare books that I can't narrow down who to recommend it to. While I know there will be people who don't care for it I don't think there is a type of reader in general for whom this shouldn't be recommended. So: if you like to read, I recommend this book.
Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
March 9, 2016
I received this book from the publisher through Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you for the signed copy and the extras that came with it.
I loved this book! Who could not love Ananda Dawn and want to cheer for her. Who could not feel for Mag, who allowed her life to be consumed by Ananda Dawn and all her antics, behaviours, dreams and desire to hide out from the paparazzi.
Once in a while a totally amazing person comes into your life and rocks your world! Some times it is a man or sometimes it could be a woman. In Mag's life, her world was totally rocked by Ananda Dawn in a way no one could have expected, especially Mag. Through all the adventures or misadventures the two woman shared, it was evident that Ananda was like a drug to Mag. In this book, The House of Transformation, explores the relationships between various characters.
As you read through the book being immersed into Mag's and Ananda's lives, you don't really realize there is a message, until you are finishing the book and even after. Do we really know the people in our lives......
Looking forward to another book from Astrea Taylor. This was an amazing first novel! I guess some of the book is still with me, because I feel so honored to be given the opportunity of receiving an ARC and giving an honest review.
I loved this book! Who could not love Ananda Dawn and want to cheer for her. Who could not feel for Mag, who allowed her life to be consumed by Ananda Dawn and all her antics, behaviours, dreams and desire to hide out from the paparazzi.
Once in a while a totally amazing person comes into your life and rocks your world! Some times it is a man or sometimes it could be a woman. In Mag's life, her world was totally rocked by Ananda Dawn in a way no one could have expected, especially Mag. Through all the adventures or misadventures the two woman shared, it was evident that Ananda was like a drug to Mag. In this book, The House of Transformation, explores the relationships between various characters.
As you read through the book being immersed into Mag's and Ananda's lives, you don't really realize there is a message, until you are finishing the book and even after. Do we really know the people in our lives......
Looking forward to another book from Astrea Taylor. This was an amazing first novel! I guess some of the book is still with me, because I feel so honored to be given the opportunity of receiving an ARC and giving an honest review.
May 31, 2016
I was completely blown away by this book. It sucked me in and wouldn't let me put it down until I was finished.
When I first starting reading this book, I thought it was going to be a typical book about a celebrity who goes downhill then decides to get sober and blah blah blah but this was SO much more than that. I felt like I was living in Mag and Ananda's world. It was impossible to hate Ananda but it was so hard to love her too. I was thrown off at first about Rosie and what her purpose was in the story but towards the end of the book, Astrea found a way to make Rosie's purpose known. I think it really helped tie in the whole disaster that happened at the House of Transformation. I also loved the two different story lines and how it jumped from the future to the past. It kept the book interesting and I couldn't wait for the next chapter to find out about Ananda and Mags past.
I will 100% be recommending this book to friends/colleagues. Amazing first book and I will definitely be looking for more books by Astrea Taylor!
When I first starting reading this book, I thought it was going to be a typical book about a celebrity who goes downhill then decides to get sober and blah blah blah but this was SO much more than that. I felt like I was living in Mag and Ananda's world. It was impossible to hate Ananda but it was so hard to love her too. I was thrown off at first about Rosie and what her purpose was in the story but towards the end of the book, Astrea found a way to make Rosie's purpose known. I think it really helped tie in the whole disaster that happened at the House of Transformation. I also loved the two different story lines and how it jumped from the future to the past. It kept the book interesting and I couldn't wait for the next chapter to find out about Ananda and Mags past.
I will 100% be recommending this book to friends/colleagues. Amazing first book and I will definitely be looking for more books by Astrea Taylor!
February 9, 2016
I read for entertainment purposes only and this book totally did exactly that!
I loved all of the characters. Most everyone has an Ananda in their lives. You sometimes love her, sometimes hate her and even though you can see right through her you can’t let her go.
This was a really fun and well written book. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
I loved all of the characters. Most everyone has an Ananda in their lives. You sometimes love her, sometimes hate her and even though you can see right through her you can’t let her go.
This was a really fun and well written book. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
March 15, 2016
I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaways for free. Once I started reading it, I had trouble putting it down. Even though there were two story threads, the book was well-written, and it was easy to move from past to present when the story did. A very enjoyable read - - I recommend it!
May 6, 2016
Very different characters than any book I've ever read with complicated relationships. in a world of the artistic and popping pills full reality eludes the characters until slammed with sobering reality that is difficult to take.
August 15, 2016
An interesting story. Sometimes the lesson comes across as heavy handed. The worst problem is trying to figure out at the beginning of a chapter if it was current time or a flash back in the story.
April 6, 2017
Loved it. Wonderful story. Definitely a re-read.....
Received as a Gr giveaway.
Received as a Gr giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews