The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

This is a spur of the moment book/series review, but this is my favorite series of all time. I figured I need to somehow spread the word about these wonderful books. Andrew Peterson is a talented story teller. His books are full of humor, lovable characters, and frightening never-before heard of creatures such as toothy cows and thwaps. The books are not just all fun and humor, but offer a beautiful and sacrificial story about growing up and assuming the responsibilities we've been given in life. Janner, Tink, and Leeli have much to learn, but will teach readers much more in the end.

There are four books all total, and although the first book starts out slow, the story only climbs from there. This may be the only series I've read where each book is better than the one before it. The books are extremely clean and are appropriate and enjoyable for almost any age. I personally hope to read them out loud to my kids someday.

Five Stars!

If you want to read more about each book, here's a link to the website: http://wingfeathersaga.com/books-2/

The Next Evangelicalism

It's true I haven't had a whole lot of to write for enjoyment at college, but I have been doing a lot of reading. (and a lot of writing about reading)

Here's a little bit from a book review on The Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan Rah:

Content:

Soong-Chan Rah addresses a rather sensitive topic about how to free the Church from western cultural captivity. He tears the veil off of the white church, revealing exactly what is, has been, and how it is affecting other churches and cultures across the world. Rah contends that the next big evangelicalism will be the rise of multi-ethnic churches as immigrants flood the United States and Churches grow in other countries. As the white church conforms with society, it shrinks, becoming less and less like the Church God intended it to be. The question is whether or not the white-church will wake up and embrace this new change.

My Reaction:

I greatly appreciated the above points that Rah made, especially about materialism, consumerism, and individualism. It is so prevalent in our society, yet we are so blind to how it affects our churches. I also greatly appreciated that when Rah speaks of western cultural captivity, he is not just speaking about racism, but a much broader range of problems. My eyes were opened to just how culturally trapped we are in our churches in so many aspects, even in the content of our songs and the architecture of our buildings. It was also very convicting how he pointed out that we try to reach for multi-ethnicity in our churches, but we do not change our leaderships. 

 Near the middle of the book, I began to get a little bogged down. Rah began to get a little repetitive, and I began to feel like he was attacking the white church, and fitting all white churches into this category. However, in all honesty, I think I was just being convicted. I appreciated that at the end he drew lessons we could learn from multi-ethnic and immigrant churches. It does appear that we have a lot to learn from them, even in attitudes of more joy and praise in our music instead of self-focus. In summary, I felt like this book was well-thought out and convicting despite the difficulty I had in getting through it.

Four Stars, Ages 16 and up (based on difficulty of read)

Chasing Jupiter

Scarlett Blaine's life in 1960s Georgia isn't always easy, especially given her parents' financial struggles and the fights surrounding her sister Juli's hippie lifestyle. Then there's her brother, Cliff. While Scarlett loves him more than anything, there's no denying his unique behavior leaves Cliff misunderstood and left out. So when he wishes for a rocket to Jupiter, Scarlett agrees to make it happen, no matter how crazy the idea might be. Raising the rocket money means baking pies, and the farmer's son, Frank, agrees to provide the peaches if Scarlett will help him talk to Juli. The problem is, Scarlett really enjoys her time with Frank, and finds herself wondering if, someday, they could be more than friends. Just as she thinks everything might be going her way, Cliff suffers an accident that not only affects the rocket plans, but shakes Scarlett's view of God. As the summer comes to an end, Scarlett must find a way to regain what she's lost, but also fulfill a promise to launch her brother's dream. (from Amazon.com)

Pros: I absolutely loved this book! Such a sweet story line! However, it will not end exactly how you want it to. The author does a good job of making this story seem real. It's the most hear-warming, heart-breaking story all at once, and you will not be able to predict the end. This is actually the first teen book in which I've related to the main character. She doesn't want to grow up, and the funny thing is, she's actually one of the most grown up people in her family.

Cons: It may have just been me, but it took the first chapter or two to get used to the writing style. Also, at one point the preacher's wife gives the main character some advice I didn't exactly agree with. I mean, telling a teen girl who is not old enough to consider marriage to tell this older young man her feelings, I'm just not sure it's wise.


Ages 13 and up. 5 stars

The Peleg Chronicles

The Peleg Chronicles - Matthew Christian Harding

Overview from Amazon.com: 

The Northern realms. Circa 2000 B.C.

It was in the days of Peleg when the world was divided. After the flood of Noah, after the Tower of Babel and the dispersion ... when beasts were more numerous than men.

Two orphans, Thiery and Suzie.

The Lady Mercy without a protector.

Priests of the dragon, Baal, and the Queen of Heaven are seeking sacrifices for their false gods.

The Death Hunt!

In a land of giants and dragons, and men running from the knowledge of their Creator, wickedness spreads as a plague, but a remnant of faithful souls shine in the darkness.

Pros: I loved the overall idea for the book, set in the days of Peleg. The characters, such as Fergus Leatherhead and Lord McDougal were unique and sometimes hilarious. The themes of forgiveness, keeping faith when times are hard, and God's hope for all men to come to repentance, were woven well into the story. The book is clean and appropriate for all ages. 

Cons: There were certain places where the style of writing made it a little hard to understand exactly what happened. I read and reread a couple parts and still didn't grasp exactly what happened - but perhaps this was done on purpose or maybe I was just reading too fast. I do have a terrible habit of scanning in some books :) Overall, though, I still love the author's style. Another thing that sometimes bothered be was that the characters were always paraphrasing scripture that hadn't even been written yet. I can overlook this though because God's Word is eternal. His truth will always stand, no matter what time period. Moving on, the book still didn't feel very true to the time period. It felt more like a fantasy world or a mix between medieval and ancient Rome. Of course, I don't know what it was like after the flood, but I just don't imagine it with lords, castles, and an arena much like the Colosseum. A couple more things: even though I loved the story, sometimes it was confusing because it was always switching perspectives. Often you would jump from Lord Fergus's head to Thiery, then a dwarf, and a couple times to a badger. Lastly, when reading a single book out of the series, it's hard to find a climax. You'll be reading along and then the book ends. The book would end right in the middle of what appeared to be the climax. This series definitely needs to be read in order, and make sure you buy all the books at once!

I recommend this book to anyone who desires a clean story with a fantasy/medieval feel. Over all, I give this book four stars. It would be a fun book to read out loud to kids!

Replication - The Jason Experiment

Replication - The Jason Experiment - by Jill Williamson

Yes, I know, this is the third book I have reviewed by this author. Her books are so addicting! I've read about all of hers.

Summary from Amazon: What if everything you knew was a lie? Martyr---otherwise known as Jason 3:3---is one of hundreds of clones kept in a remote facility called Jason Farms. Told that he has been created to save humanity, Martyr has just one wish before he is scheduled to 'expire' in less than a month. To see the sky. Abby Goyer may have just moved to Alaska, but she has a feeling something strange is going on at the farm where her father works. But even this smart, confident girl could never have imagined what lies beneath a simple barn. Or what would happen when a mysterious boy shows up at her door, asking about the stars. As the reality of the Jason Experiment comes to light, Martyr is caught between two futures---the one for which he was produced and the one Abby believes God created him to have. Time is running out, and Martyr must decide if a life with Abby is worth leaving everything he's ever known.

Cons: I don't have much to say that is negative about this book.There were just a couple little things like the way Martyr and his friends tried to escape. Some of the things they did weren't right, and they weren't rebuked in the way I thought they should have been.

Pros:  I loved this book, and it was hard to put down, as usual with Jill Williamson's books. The idea for the book was intriguing, and I loved the point about how we are all special creations of God with a purpose. I would give this book four and a half stars. Ages 14 & up.

Captives

Captives - by Jill Williamson


Summary:

Loosely based on the story of Daniel and his friends, comes Jill Williamson's newest book, Captives. Set in a Dystopian world, the story is mainly about three brothers: Levi, Mason, and Omar. Intensely jealous of his oldest brother and anxious to get attention from his father, Omar betrays his small village of Glenrock to The Safe Lands in return for a position as an enforcer. Absent at the time of the ordeal, Levi is the only one not dead or captured. It's up to him to save his people. But will he be able to find a way to enter the city? Will his friends and family resist the urge to join in the sinful pleasures of the Safe Lands?

Pros:

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. My family can testify - I was dead to the world for the majority of one day. The main characters were deep and seemed real. Their struggles and feelings are very common things that teens battle today - jealousy, anger, peer pressure, feeling ugly or useless, sex, drugs, drinking - you name it, it's probably in there. The book also had wonderful themes. Forgiveness was one of the main ones, but it also touched on things such as self worth, revenge, standing up for what is right, and trusting in the Lord.

Cons:

Despite finding the book exciting and having an excellent point, I still have a few problems with it. I understand the importance of giving your characters flaws, but I thought in some places in the book, the flaws were lingered on a little too long. Mainly I'm talking about the drugs and sexual immorality. I don't mind brief scenes where the author suggests that something not-so-good happened. However, I get uncomfortable with the longer descriptions and repeated scenes of the drugs and suggestive dancing. These things are presented in a way it disgusts you, but I just wish the author would have clipped them shorter so that readers can keep their thoughts clean. I have one more caution for those interested in reading it. It is not really a con, but it affects the audience range. Just know that the people of the Safe Lands have a disease that doesn't allow the women to carry a child full term. They captured the people of Glenrock to reproduce for them, so the book does deal with surrogacy.

Four Stars, Caution, Ages 16 & up

Precisely Terminated (#1 Cantral Chronicles)

Precisely Terminated - Amanda L. Davis (Teen author, yay!)

My Summary: In the bleak future of this world, microchips are implanted in the skulls of every human in order to "keep order." In reality, however, the chips only serve to unjustly enslave mankind. The only hope for the Cillinese is Monica, a teen who escaped without a chip. Since the computers can't detect her presence, it's up to her to save her city.

Cons: If I have to come up with a con, the only thing I have to say is that sometimes the large number of characters was hard to keep track of. I would run across a name I knew I was supposed to have remembered from earlier, but I'd have no clue who they were and what they had done earlier that was so important. I lost them somewhere between other newly introduced characters. This wasn't a huge problem though, and since Monica was doing a lot of traveling, she had to meet a lot of different people. (Oh and I guess there were a few places where the description of some of Monica's wounds grossed me out, but that's just me. I just get light headed when people talk about blood. I don't think I would make a good doctor...)

Pros: I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Despite being a dystopian book and being very depressing at times, there is always a ray of hope around the corner. I would consider the theme of the book very Christian: sacrificing your own desires and comfort, in order to bring relief to others. This book was amazing! Don't underestimate young writers! I give this book five stars and would suggest this to teens and up, and perhaps a little younger too. I mean, I think my almost 10 year-old sister could handle it; but sometimes it just depends on the kid. The cruel way the slaves are treated in the book can be disturbing, but this book was very encouraging compared to the Hunger Games.

Please read this book!!!

By Darkness Hid

By Darkness Hid - Jill Williamson

Summary from Amazon.com (Sorry, I'm lazy today): Given the chance to train as a squire, kitchen servant Achan Cham hopes to pull himself out of his pitiful life and become a Kingsguard Knight. When Achan's owner learns of his training, he forces Achan to spar with the Crown Prince--more of a death sentence than an honor. Meanwhile, strange voices in Achan's head cause him to fear he's going mad. While escorting the prince to a council presentation, their convoy is attacked. Achan is wounded and arrested, but escapes from prison--only to discover a secret about himself he never believed possible.

Cons: 
I can't think of any at the moment...

Pros:
Jill Williamson's writing is beautiful, and the Christian messages are strong. I encourage all who love knights and castles to read this book and the following two. It's packed with action, fun characters, and life lessons for everyone. The first book will leave you dying to read the next two. I actually listened to this whole book and the second book on Jill Williamson's website. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but buy the third one after listening to the others. So, be warned. :) My siblings have all enjoyed listening to and reading these books. We still talk about them and laugh about all the funny parts and characters. You don't easily forget the characters. They stick in your memory like real people. The author did a wonderful job at making them like real people, with flaws, senses of humor, longings, and dreams. I would suggest this book to readers ages 12 & up.

Angel Eyes

Angel Eyes - Shannon Dittemore

After chasing her dreams in the city, the world falls apart for Brielle. Now she's home, but she's cold, always cold. Then a new boy comes to school, Jake, but there's something different about him. He's hot, in more way than one. His hand's are warm, very warm. Brielle discovers she too has a gift – and she's not sure she likes it.

The Bad:

I truly don't have much to say that is bad about this book. I'm trying not to get book one and two mashed together in my head, but there was one thing I disagreed with. The author described hell or the abyss, as a holy fire. Basically, it's supposed to be God's goodness multiplied so much that it burns those who followed darkness. I don't necessarily agree with the author on this. From what I understand in the Bible, hell is the absence of God, thus, nothing good is there. (I'm going to look this up for sure and try to post some Bible references).

The Good:

I love so much about this book it's hard to know where to start. The story starts out a little depressing, but I love the mysteriousness of it. There is the battle between good and bad, angels and demons. I love how the author describes the celestial, that is, the spiritual world. Yes, there is a bit of romance, but the relationship is so sweet. Jake is definitely one of my favorite characters. He's funny, caring, and full of faith, just what Brielle needs at the time in her life. I could talk on and on about the book but I'd hate to give anything away just in case you read it. (Sorry if I sound a little scatter brained right now. Music is playing and people are talking in the same room I'm writing.) I would probably say this would be a good read for ages 14 & up.

Update: Dad helped me finally find the verse I was looking for. Check out: 2 Thess. 1:8-10a