review

Book Review: January (Conspiracy 365 #1)

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January
January by Gabrielle Lord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On New Year’s Eve, Cal is chased down the street by a staggering, sick man with a deadly warning They killed your father. They’ll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days. Hurled into a life on the run the 15-year-old fugitive is isolated and alone. Hunted by the law and ruthless criminals, Cal must somehow uncover the truth about his father’s mysterious death and a history-changing secret. Who can he turn to, who can he trust, when the whole world seems to want him dead? The clock is ticking. Any second could be his last. -GoodReads

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book, since it is not really the genre I normally read. What drew me into the action and adventure was the puzzle aspect of the story… the mysterious drawings, the enigma of the Ormond Singularity, the bad guys hiding in the shadows. The suspense is high, we don’t know who to trust, and we have to question everything as the plot unfolds! I couldn’t stop reading! Continue reading →

Book Review: Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter

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Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter
Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter by Stacy King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so impressed with this graphic novel! The artwork is beautiful and each panel shows a clear story. The classic story of the Scarlet Letter is condensed but retains its integrity, and the characters are powerfully depicted. The tension and emotion of the story really comes through in the art and dialogue. Even small changes in the coloring or lighting show a change in mood or scene, and as the characters develop and change through the story, their appearance slightly changes to reflect that as well. Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: In Real Life

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In Real Life
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role-playing game where she spends most of her free time. It’s a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It’s a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends.

But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer–a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person’s real livelihood is at stake.”  – GoodReads

 

I love this story! The artwork is so gorgeous, and I love how the colors subtly change between the real and virtual worlds. The story is really compelling and interesting, and I like that in the beginning Anda is a newb in the game, so that we get to discover the virtual reality along with her and learn about the Coarsegold world. Continue reading →

Book Review: A Sherlock Holmes Devotional

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A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God
A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God by Trisha White Priebe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I adore this devotional based on lessons from the works of Sherlock Holmes! Each chapter focuses on a particular quote, or a quality of Holmes and Watson, or one of their adventures, and weaves a similarity between that concept and the Christian life. Although Conan Doyle was not a notable Christian and Holmes is somewhat ambiguous about his beliefs, there are still lessons to be learned from the stories! Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Reviews: 2048 and Echoes of Eden

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2048
2048 by Marvin Olasky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this futuristic graphic novel about half-human genetically-engineered “bumans”. The story centers around one Christian senator who is struggling to find the truth about bumans, whether they have souls or are just animals, and whether they have the ability to function in society. Then he has to make decisions about how his stand for freedom and mercy will affect his political career.

I loved that it’s not just a story about politics, but there is a personal side as Continue reading →

Book Trilogy Review: Giants in the Land

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The Way of Things
The Way of Things by Clark Rich Burbidge
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I liked this book pretty well! In this story, the friendly giants who have always helped the townspeople suddenly disappear, and only one man has the courage to journey into the wilds to locate the giants and find out why they left. The main character, Thomas, grabbed my attention right away, and I liked seeing him deal with each crisis as it comes up in the story, gathering courage and wisdom as he journeys along. He’s a good character!

The writing is blatantly preachy, but still inspiring. I liked how the spiritual message is gradually unfolded, but I wish Continue reading →

Book Review: The Wide Road

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The Wide Road by Kim Balogh
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I was disappointed in this book. I was excited to read a Pilgrim’s Progress type of story told from the sinner’s POV, but there are so many problems with the writing that the story doesn’t come through. It desperately needs an editor. I only read the first 20 pages, and I just couldn’t continue.

The writing is extremely verbose and redundant. There are multiple problems with sentence structure, punctuation, and even word usage. For example, the word “self-perseverance” is used, when I’m pretty sure the author meant “self-preservation”. The word “nowhere” is written as two separate words “no where”. There’s a sentence that talks about the “faucets” on jewels instead of the “facets”, and another says how beautiful the “pedals” on flowers are. I even saw the words “their selves” instead of “themselves.”

I like the idea of retelling Pilgrim’s Progress from another viewpoint, but this book needs some help before it is reader-ready.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a free and honest review. The opinions here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

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Book Review: The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom & the Sea Princess

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The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom & the Sea Princess by Judy Carlson

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

“Prince Lael must prove his strength and loyalty when challenged by an insidious enemy.  Clara and Ian, two kids from Minnesota, will join the adventure to free a captive Sea Princess, battle evil, and overcome lurking temptations. They will meet the legendary White Knight and along the way gain wisdom, love, and friendships.” – GoodReads

I had high expectations from this book since I love fantasy, I was told that it is similar to Narnia, and I had met and liked the author. Plus the cover design is absolutely gorgeous! So when I very quickly began to be disappointed, I tried to lower my expectations and continue on. I tried to reason away the many flaws in the writing. I tried to overlook the lack of structure in the story. I tried and failed. I wanted so badly to like this book! (sigh.) Alas, it was not to be.

I read through page 57, because I always give every book at least 50 pages to prove their worth, but then I just had to stop. I can’t finish this. It grates on my nerves so badly! Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: 2048 by Marvin Olasky

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2048
2048 by Marvin Olasky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this futuristic graphic novel about half-human genetically-engineered “bumans”. The story centers around one Christian senator who is struggling to find the truth about bumans, whether they have souls or are just animals, and whether they have the ability to function in society. Then he has to make decisions about how his stand for freedom and mercy will affect his political career. Continue reading →