Book Review: Conscience by Alana Clarkson (Teen Author)

What does life look like from the point of view of that little voice inside our heads that guides our most personal thoughts and actions? Follow along as Conscience narrates her experiences with human souls, Life, and Death. The choice is yours: overcome or be overcome by your fears and past regrets.


One of my favorite aspects of Conscience is how clearly Alana shows peoples' innermost motivations when placed under pressure. Her exploration of psychology and behavior leads to deep thoughts about what you would do if you were in the characters' shoes. Would you let guilt take over your life? Would you listen to the voice of your conscience, even if your personal desires pointed the opposite direction? And what are the consequences to these decisions? Alana makes it clear that these decisions will affect every aspect of our lives, using many different examples of realistic characters with realistic struggles and passions.

From a stylistic perspective, I was immediately struck by how well Alana portrays Conscience as a being not necessarily visible in our world but still alive, with strong relationships and personality. POV's are clearly established, but not so clearly that we lose the mystery of seeing the human world from the outside. Each character is unique and well-developed and there is a wide variety of different character types, making the story a very interesting read. I definitely recommend this book!


You can find Conscience at Barnes and Noble, or follow Alana Clarkson on Instagram and Twitter.