The Hat

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Pub Date 11 Jan 2018 | Archive Date 16 Feb 2018

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Description

Paranormal Fantasy


Lizzie St. Laurent is dealing with many of the struggles of young life. She lost her grandmother, and her living arrangements. Her new roommate abandoned her, and she's working multiple jobs just to keep her head above water.

She inherits an old hat from her grandmother’s estate, but it belonged to her grandfather. This is no ordinary hat, but a being from an alternate dimension. One with special powers.

Lizzie and the hat don't exactly hit it off right away, but when her best friend's newborn is kidnapped by a ring of baby traffickers, Lizzie turns to the hat for help. This leads her deep into her family history and a world she's never known.

Lizzie gives up everything to rescue the babies. She loses her jobs, and may wind up in jail before it's over. Along the way, she and the hat may have a new way of making ends meet.

Humorous and fun, The Hat is novella length. Wonderful escapism for an afternoon.




Paranormal Fantasy


Lizzie St. Laurent is dealing with many of the struggles of young life. She lost her grandmother, and her living arrangements. Her new roommate abandoned her, and she's working...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9780789780781
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Average rating from 13 members


Featured Reviews

I didn't think I would actually read or like this book but I was wrong! I loved the story and the characters... I would love another book about Lizzie and the hat #TheHat #NetGalley

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The Hat is a novella length (116p.) story by C.S. Boyack. It's quite hard to categorize, with elements of speculative fiction/fantasy, a little dash of noir, and some chick-lit thrown into the mix.

I'm truly not a book snob and I do make an effort to read and review smaller self published books. I'm so glad this one caught my attention. It's a joy for me to be able to give a good review for books which don't fit the mold and aren't mammoth-juggernaut-publishing-wonders™ with gazillion dollar budgets.

After a poke around his blog and having read this novella, I can say with certainty that the author is a gifted and creative storyteller with a sure voice. Most of the characters are well written and the dialogue and plotting are entertainingly readable. One big thing that struck me whilst reading The Hat was how consistently funny it was. Humor is so variable and so difficult to write. This book is really really funny in a lot of places. I was also struck by how sure the author's voice was when writing the female protagonist. She is believable.

There were a few less than stellar moments. Her interaction with her uncle was flat and seemed like exactly what it was (a plot device to get The Hat into her possession). A lot of her interaction with the bad guys was over the top, but then again, she's teamed up with a sentient inanimate object, so the author is owed a lot of suspension of disbelief wiggle room.

Just an all around fun read. It's a couple of hours' diversion and entertainment. I, for one, would love to read more adventures from Lizzie and co. Intergalactic do-goodery with a rockabilly soundtrack?! Count me in!

Four and a half stars, beautifully written and funny.

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The Hat by C.S. Boyack is a new paranormal novella. Elizabeth “Lizzie” St. Laurent has had a rough time since her grandmother became ill and passed away. She was living with her grandmother while attending college. When her grandmother went into assisted living, the house was sold to cover the costs. Lizzie moved into an apartment with a roommate who soon bailed. She is working two jobs to pay her living expenses. Her uncle, Steve is cleaning out her grandmother’s antique store, and Lizzie goes by to get a memento. Her uncle declines her request. On the way to her car, Lizzie feels compelled to grab a box from the back of the moving truck. When Lizzie opens the box, she discovers a brown fedora that looks like it has eyes with eyebrows. She puts it on her head and the hat starts talking to her. Lizzie is not sure what to make of the hat. Then Lizzie receives a call from Dave, the owner of Sandi’s diner where she works. Dave and Sandi’s newborn has been stolen from the hospital and the police do not have any leads. The hat states he can help her find the baby. Lizzie drops everything to take off with the hat to find the baby. Along the way, the hat reveals how he came to be created and his history with her family. Lizzie is in for a wild ride with the hat as they set out to recover Dave and Sandi’s child. Life will never be the same for Lizzie!

The Hat is an entertaining and creative story. I thought the hat was a great character. He can change his form as needed (different types of hats, scrunchies, etc.) and has witty dialogue. He has been put away for the last twenty years and needs to catch up on current events, slang, fashions, technology and so much more. The hat has some interesting characteristics and talents. He can play a three-quarter sized upright bass through Lizzie (you will have to read the book to find out how) as well as use a phone. I liked Lizzie who is a strong female, but I wish the author had fleshed out her character a little more. The story is well-written and fast paced with plenty of action. The duos antics will have you laughing throughout the story. I do wish, though, that the author had eliminated the foul language from the story. It was unnecessary and off-putting (for me). The Hat has a great ending. The author took Lizzie’s character in a new direction. I hope C.S. Boyack will write another story involving Lizzie and the hat (he really needs a name).

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I received a copy of The Hat by C. S. Boyack from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Even though I was unfamiliar with the author, C. S. Boyack, I was intrigued by the summary. I am happy to report that the book did not disappoint as I really enjoyed Lizzie and the Hat's adventure!

This was an enjoyable novel - and a quick read - with entertaining moments and dialogue that made me chuckle out loud more than once. A fun book to unwind with even though I felt it was more Young Adult than (adult) Sci Fi and Fantasy.

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