The Correction is a novel for the ages. John Hazen pens a realistic fantasy that makes you believe magic really exists. The entire premise puts you in an excited state of mind that makes you want to pick this book up and read it in one sitting.
- Title: The Correction
- Author: John Hazen
- Publisher: Black Rose Writing on June 3, 2021
- Genre: Fantasy
- Pages: 239
- Formats Available: Paperback & Digital
- Rating: 5/5
Trigger Warnings: Slavery, Stillborn, Rape
Many thanks to John Hazen for providing me with a paperback copy of The Correction with a request for an honest review.
About The Correction
It’s human nature to make mistakes. We learn and grow because of them. What we can’t do is go back in time to correct a mistake—that is unless we meet Joseph Vance or his family. When Joe performs Corrections—a gift passed down generation to generation over eight hundred years—people are transported back for a do-over of a wrong decision they made. As a result, lives are changed, usually for the better. But after one Correction goes terribly wrong, Joseph loses what is most dear to him. He must then make a choice, one which will determine whether he will be redeemed or consigned to a life of despair.
Blurb Provided By the Author
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My Review
Joseph Vance is one man following an 800-year long line of first-born children with the magic to deliver Corrections. With one touch, Joe can grant the wish of anyone who wants to redo one event that changed the entire course of their life. However, the recipient of this magic has no idea that anything has changed. But, this magic also has the power to do evil, as Joe painfully finds out. Can the pain and devastation of a vile Correction ever resolve, or will Joe live his life in misery?
Joe is one of my favorite characters from this year. He is kind, considerate, and wants to bring good into the world. I love his early passion for life and the excitement he feels when his gift comes to him. Unfortunately, Joe’s father is incredibly appalling. He uses his gift for personal gain causing major ripples in history, not just once but several times, leaving catastrophe in his wake.
Olivia, Sally, and Hallie are also fantastic characters. All three have tragic stories, but their addition to the story makes it come alive. I adore the way John wrote them and how their presence made a huge difference in the lives of those around them. My soul is so happy to have met them and felt they became my friends.
The way this story comes about is a bit strange.
Our initial meeting is with Joe, but he begins with the history of his family. Each family member had their own connection to the gift, and how they each used the Corrections in their own way was fascinating. Each Correction left me wanting to know more and more about this gift and what would come next. It isn’t until about halfway through the book that we finally get to learn Joe’s story. But, I didn’t feel I missed his story with the rich prose that came before with the other histories. The scenes played out perfectly.
The drama and tragedy that fell upon the characters broke my heart. But there was so much more to it than that. The hope and love that weave through the novel keep it from being overly tragic. I lived for the moments of happiness that came with the Corrections and the joy that engulfed the characters as they performed the gift.
I award The Correction 5 out of 5 stars. This novel is truly like no other fantasy I’ve read. The magic is unique in that it doesn’t always have a happy outcome yet can be absolutely joyous at other times. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a little magic interspersed with tragedy and goodness. I think anyone who reads this novel will love it.
About the Author – John Hazen
John Hazen came to writing novels relatively late in life, but once he started he hasn’t looked back. Degrees from Rutgers, The New School, and New York and NYU buttress a lifelong passion for learning and a love of history. Inspired by Lynn, his wife of over thirty years, he pursued the dream of becoming an established author and is now working on his fifth book. John and Lynn love to travel, and the experiences of those travels find their way into his writing. John’s reading tastes are eclectic, ranging from histories to classic novels to an occasional piece of modern trash. His absolute “must-reads” are Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, and Doris Kearns Goodwin’s No Ordinary Time.