The Visitation

Summary:  The sleepy, eastern Washington wheat town of Antioch has become a gateway for the supernatural—from sightings of angels and a weeping crucifix to a self-proclaimed prophet with an astounding message.
The national media and the curious all flock to the little town—a great boom for local business but not for Travis Jordan. The burned-out former pastor has been trying to hide his past in Antioch. Now the whole world is headed to his backyard to find the Messiah, and in the process, every spiritual assumption he has ever held will be challenged. The startling secret behind this visitation ultimately pushes one man into a supernatural confrontation that has eternal consequences.

Cons:  The only thing I didn't like about this book was that I didn't agree with all the religous views held by the main character in the book.  That annoyed me to a certain degree.

Pros:  I really enjoyed this book.  It was a page turner and even managed to creep me out just a bit (and, in my opinion, that is a hard thing to do when it comes to books).  I liked how the main character was not a perfect person but was struggling like everyone else.  However, he was a character that I easily came to like.

Overall, I would give this book five stars.

Recommended for ages 17 and up.

This Present Darkness

Summary:
Ashton is just a typical small town. But when a skeptical reporter and a prayerful, hardworking pastor begin to investigate mysterious events, they suddenly find themselves caught up in a hideous New Age plot to enslave the townspeople, and eventually the entire human race. The physical world meets the spiritual realm as the battle rages between forces of good and evil.


Cons:  I can honestly say, that I can't think of anything negative about this book.  However, one must keep in mind that when someone writes about the spiritual realm, they are only speculating.  And that is all that this book (and I think the author) meant to do.  The author is simply throwing out an idea of how it might be. 

Pros:  Frank Peretti does a masterful job of weaving a tale involving the spiritual realm.  The story is fascinating and suspenseful and the writing style is magnificent.  Besides that, the reader is given a glance into the spiritual side of things making the book even more interesting and unique.   

I would give this book five stars.  Recommended for Ages 17 and up. 

House

Summary:
Enter House—where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose . . . and the only way out is in.
The stakes of the game become clear when a tin can is tossed into the house with rules scrawled on it. Rules that only a madman—or worse—could have written. Rules that make no sense yet must be followed.
One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn.




  

Cons:  I enjoyed this book, but not nearly as much as I thought I would.  Perhaps it was built up too much for me and then when I read it I found out it wasn't quite what I was expecting. 

Pros:  First off, it was written by two of my favorite authors (who did a great job writing it).  The plot line was exciting and crazy, and the over all meaning was good.  However, if you get creeped out easily I would not recommend this book to you.  Otherwise, read away!

Overall, I would give this book four or five stars.

Recommended for ages 17 and up.

Nightmare Academy (The Veritas Project)

Summary:
Enter a place where gravity is turned upside down, time runs backward, and nightmares are real.

The Veritas Project is their code name—but only a handful of people know teens Elijah and Elisha Springfield have been covertly commissioned by the President to investigate strange mysteries that delve into the paranormal and supernatural. Their charge is to find out not only what happened, but why—the veritas (Latin for truth) behind the seemingly impossible phenomena.

Welcome to their nightmare case . . .

He was once a normal fifteen-year-old boy. But that teen and that life have become . . . nothing. His whole mind seems to have been erased.

Now he only stares into space and whispers two ominous words . . . Nightmare Academy. And the only way to solve the case is for Elijah and Elisha to step inside his nightmare.


Cons:
  Again, nothing.

Pros:
  I have a lot of the same praise for this book that I had for Hangman's Curse.  Like the other, it is suspenseful and well written, as well as a page turner.  If you read Hangman's Curse, then you most definitively need to read Nightmare Academy.  

  I'd give this book five stars as well.    

  Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Hangman's Curse (The Veritas Project)

Summary:
They could be anyone, anywhere . . . even the person walking by you right now.

The Veritas Project is their code name--but only a handful of people know teens Elijah and Elisha Springfield have been covertly commissioned by the President to investigate strange mysteries that delve into the paranormal and supernatural. Their charge is to find out not only what happened, but why--the veritas (Latin for truth) behind the seemingly impossible phenomena.

Their new assignment: Hangman's Curse

In Baker, Washington, three popular student athletes lie in an incoherent coma, with loss of muscle coordination, severe paranoia, and hallucinations. It's whispered that they're victims of Abel Frye--a curse that's haunted the school since a student died there in the 1930s. Now the curse is spreading, and students are running scared. The Veritas Project must go undercover to find the truth . . . before it's too late.

Cons:
  None that I can think of.

Pros:
  A well written exciting and suspenseful book.  How much better can you get?  Frank Peretti did a wonderful job of making you wonder what is going to happen next.  It is most definitively a page turner.  It's been awhile since my first reading of it, so I can't remember completely remember my first reaction besides that I loved the book.

  This is a five star book.  I absolutely loved it.

  Recommended for ages 14 and up.