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Kristiana Sfirlea knows what it means to get in character. Working at a haunted house attraction, she played a jumping werewolf statue, a goblin in a two-way mirror, and a wall-scratcher — so if she’s standing very still, growling, checking her reflection, or filing her nails on your wall, be alarmed. Those are hard habits to break.
Kristiana is the author of spooky, spunky, funky, fantasy, including her MG/YA series, The Stormwatch Diaries. Book One, Legend of the Storm Sneezer, was a finalist of the international Wishing Shelf Book Awards and two-time finalist of the Realm Awards. Her short stories, featuring clueless zombies, undercover werewolves, grumpy ghosts, and marriage counselors for fairy tale couples, have been included in numerous anthologies.
Inspired by bookmobiles around the world, Kristiana dreams of the day she can run her own mobile bookstore. Or haunted house attraction. Or both. Look out, world — here comes a haunted bookmobile! (And this is precisely why writers should never become Uber drivers.) She loves Jesus, her family, and imaginary life with her characters.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Legend of the Storm Sneezer is an enigmatic and highly enjoyable work of fantasy fiction for children penned by author Kristiana Sfirlea. The opening part of The Stormwatch Diaries book series, this charming tale for middle grade and young adult readers focuses on Rose Skyler, our thirteen-year-old protagonist. Rose sneezed a storm cloud when she was born, but as she gets older this magical cloud becomes less and less stable, resulting in Rose’s residence at Heartstone Asylum. The facility lies at the heart of a haunted forest, but its ghosts are beginning to wander. So begins a paranormal adventure with time travel, spirits, magic, and mayhem aplenty.
This might be one of the best fantasy books for MG readers and younger teens that I’ve ever encountered. Author Kristiana Sfirlea captivates with a concept that is initially simple but expands with complex beauty and metaphysical elements that adult readers will enjoy just as much as the intended audience. Rose is well developed as a precocious but fallible heroine, and I especially loved her figment friend Marek, who was as fascinating in character concept as in the presentation of dialogue and description. The work is lavish and beautifully imagined with cinematic use of descriptive lexis, as well as a solid and exciting plotline that brings core concepts together without confusion or contradiction. Overall, Legend of the Storm Sneezer is both utterly charming and highly accomplished in its formation: a rare find indeed, and one to be treasured.
