By Darkness Hid, by Jill Williamson (re-review)

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

 
Summary:

Intended Age-Group: 16+
Issues of Violence: appropriate for teens and up. Battles, wars, sparring matches, life-threatening situations, yet all descriptively clean.
Intimacy Level: Kiss on the cheek (so harmless!) none!
Swearing: none!
Recommendation: 5 out of 5 stars

I can't help it. When I love a book, I re-read it, which only reminds me why I loved it in the first place, which only makes me want to talk about it more.

Initial Reaction: *****
By Darkness Hid, the first of Jill Williamson's Blood of Kings trilogy leaves me astounded once more. I am re-reading the series because I recently received the third and final book from Jill Williamson herself. It was just as good as the first time (though slightly less shocking since I already knew all the answers). I noticed a lot more the second round through. Now, I'm finally back on the bandwagon, but I've started the series over again. It's been over a year since I read the first two and I want to flow through all three books in one swoop. Yes, they're that amazing (hence the re-review of book one. Click to read the full review of books one and two).

Plot: *****
The book doesn't start with an explosion or secret plot to destroy the world--it begins with the main character milking goats. It took a little push through the first couple chapters, but I don't regret a single moment of it. Jill Williamson beautifully weaves in-depth characters that come to life in the reader's imagination and dreams. She spends the majority of this first book establishing who Achan and Vrell are and why you should care about them.

Writing: *****
The novel is extremely well-written and understandable. The idea of "bloodvoicing" was explained so thoroughly I even dreamed I could bloodvoice at one point (and tried to bloodvoice my fiance to tell him I was sick and needed him to come take care of me...it didn't work. Then I woke up. My fiance found it very amusing).

Spiritual Aspects: *****
This entire series is filled with focus on God in a very natural way. I especially love reading a novel that's Christian based, yet not a typical romance novel. I found myself thinking more often about why I believe in God and mentally answering different questions that the main characters were asking. Very refreshing!

Overall Recommendation:
I highly recommend this book. For my full review written after my first reading, please go here.

I encourage you to support Jill Williamson---a daring and imaginative Christian author---by reading her books, requesting them in libraries, and sharing your thoughts

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, released September 2014 from Enclave Publishing. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

NaNoWriMo?

Welcome to November! A time of hot cider, pumpkin pies, red maple leaves, and crisp weather. Cloudy days with the temptation of words falling like raindrops and pre-Thanksgiving Christmas celebrators secretly blasting Christmas music. It's glorious. Normal people call it November. The writing world calls it NaNoWriMo.

Sound it out: Na-No-Wri-Mo

Sounds kind of dorky, doesn't it? Makes me think of Rhino's and noses. Still, this year I shall embrace the dork (only because it's the first year I've actually known what NaNoWriMo stood for). NaNoWriMo is the shortened version of National Novel Writing Month. I previously knew it as a weird name for a time when all authors-to-be freak out and try to write 50,000 words in a month.

Once I knew the true name for NaNoWriMo, my writer-starved brain instantly conjured a set schedule and a glorious excuse to write for 30 days straight. 

"You don't have to reach 50,000 words," it said to me with a crazed look. "Just engage in National Novel Writing Month and try and write more. That's all."

"But it sounds silly," I argued.

"YOU NEED TO WRITE! Your high horse is collapsing anyway."

It's true. I've been dying to write. I fall asleep thinking about writing, I count down the days until I have that extra hour on Thursday to sit before my novel. *sigh* NaNoWriMo is an excellent excuse to work myself even more to the bone (and like it!). So I chose to humor my twitching, anxious, writer-desperate brain. I handed it a cookie jar of words and started scratching out a schedule and a strategy for the month of November. 

The plan: Write every day (even if it's for 5 minutes for 5 words).

The goal: REACH 50,000 words with my current novel, A Time to Die. (I wasn't going to have a goal, but it's no fun entering a challenge without one, right?)

Starting word count: 39,182 (10,818 words to go). To put you in perspective, I've written 10,000 words over the past 5 months. *shame*

Have you ever heard of NaNoWriMo?

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo?

Are you doing it this year?

Trivia: Did you know that the recent NY Bestseller, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, was written during a NaNoWriMo?

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Not Forgotten

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I know it's hard to believe a blogger when she says that she always wants to blog, yet she doesn't do it. But that's where I am right now. If God decided to multiply my time, I would spend every extra second writing and reading.

I'm always encountering new and exciting visions for my reading or my blog--goals to try and reach, book series to tackle, pages to update...but my time to do that lies on the horizon of "soon" and "tomorrow". Yet soon and tomorrow never arrive.

So where am I in this whole reading thing? Have I forgotten my blog readers? Have I forgotten books? Have I forgotten providing Christian reviews?

The answer is a fearsome shriek from a mountain top with my fists above my head... "NEVER!!!!"

I am acutely (and painfully) aware of every week that passes without a new book review. I am still reading, but it's slowed to about a chapter a night (if I'm lucky). Amidst trying to feed my craving for good literature and entering worlds created by words, I honestly believe my life has settled into the unpleasant state of...."swamped" again. You can read about what "swamped" feels like here.

I'm in my last year of graduate school (you thought college was hard?).
I'm getting married in December (planning...planning...planning.....awesome...awesome...awesome...)
I'm trying to finish my 100,000 word novel by May (it's at 40,000 words)
I recently started a new job.

It's actually been pretty amazing. I'm just limited by a mere 24-hour-timeline per day. You are not neglected. Books are not neglected. They're just stuck in a little river of molasses--still moving, but just a lot slower than before.
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Just out of curiosity...what are you currently reading? It could be anything from textbooks to children's adventure.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Haringey Children's Literature Festival

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A wonderful opportunity for younger readers has been brought to my attention and I'm thrilled to share it with you all.

The Haringey Children's Literature Festival is a FREE festival in Haringey, London. It's goal is to promote literacy in children and young adults through this interactive and fun environment. Both authors and illustrators are attending this event. You can find a list of their names at the Festival's Facebook Page!
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Though I don't live in England, those who do and are near the London area, hop on the train and zip to Haringey between September 10-17th! The festival is completely free and has all sorts of exciting literacy-related activities (a giant floor word search is just one among many!). Games like Pictionary, Boggle (my favorite), and Hangman will be available as well as opportunities to meet authors and get some signatures (hoping they sell for hundreds of dollars/pounds someday in the far future).

Take a look at the website for the Haringey Children's Literature Festival. I think it's a wonderful opportunity and I might just hop on the next plane across the Atlantic (or just stay home and study for exams....boo....).

If you do choose to attend on one or all of the days, I'd love to hear your thoughts about the festival! Cheers!


Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Summary:

Intended Age-Group: Adult
Issues of Violence: some graphic images (murder, physical abuse)
Intimacy Level: Some kissing. Hint at sleeping together
Swearing: d***, s***, n****r, h***, b*****d
Recommendation: 4 out of 5 stars

I've always had a personal rule:

If I hear a book mentioned (positively) by three or more different people, I need to read it. This rule brought me to Kathryn Stockett's debut novel, The Help.

I know it's not teen. I know it's not fantasy. I know it's not Christian. BUT: it's good.

Summary:

The story follows the point-of-view of three women in the early 1960's--two black women who work as "help" for white families and one white woman, Skeeter Phelan, who's eyes are opened more than any other respectable lady's about the state of the Help. She also stands a good 4 inches taller than any other lady in Jackson, Mississippi. Skeeter's dream is to be a writer and finds herself with a novel idea filled with passion--write about the point of view of the Help. She wants to hear the real opinions of women like Aibileen and Minny who've grown up serving white families, raising white babies, cooking for helpless white women. What's it like doing all the work, but acting invisible?

When black women finally start opening up, Skeeter and her "anonymous" Help ladies find themselves facing dangers they never thought would touch their lives. One day, a black boy is beaten until he's blind for using a white person's toilet. The next could be Skeeter for even conversing with black women. What started out as a simple book idea turns into a life-threatening stand. Will Skeeter keep standing to spread this eye-opening view to white families? Will she stand to give the Help a voice? Can they stand the pressure and threats?

My Reaction: *****
I loved The Help. Stockett has unmarked skill in writing each character's voice in a clear and distinct manner. I can read one sentence and know who's talking. I've never been to the south, I never lived in the 60's, and I don't know much history (despite the endless years of school I've attended). Some people say that Stockett's information is inaccurate with the time line or her characters aren't believable. Well, I learned more about black culture, southern culture, and 60's culture than I ever dreamed I could through a novel.

Mature Content:
The Help stole my hours of sleep and I stayed up until 2am reading it more nights in a row than I care to admit. It's an excellent read and a real read. That being said, it's certainly geared toward and appropriate for adults. Adult situations/topics like violent racism, murder, miscarriages, rape, sex outside of marriage, physical abuse, etc. are touched upon and, in some cases, addressed in detail. Language like d***, s***, h***, and racial slurs like n*gg*r are used often.

Sexual Content is remarkably low on the romance front, but there is a situation partway through the book of a naked man trying to break and enter a house. There is description of him touching himself and other forms of flaunting his clothe-less state. It's not a pleasant picture and I encourage the readers to take caution.

Overall Recommendation:
I recommend this book for adults. It's extremely well-written, heart-warming, heart-wrenching, and eye-opening. I can't say enough good things about it and I hope that you find yourself determined to live life with the right view and mindset of life, love, and people.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Enclave, by Ann Aguirre

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Summary:
Intended Age-Group: Intended for 13+ (I recommend age 16+)
Issues of Violence:  graphic images (fighting, killing, war, mentions of rape)
Intimacy Level: kissing, intimate "sounds"
Swearing: None
Recommendation: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I’ve been waiting for weeks to get my hand on Ann Aguirre’s Enclave. I’m a sucker for good first-person, young adult, dystopian speculative fiction, but aren’t we all? (Sarcasm)

Summary:
Main character, Deuce (I would have read the book just because of her cool name), is part of College Enclave—an underground city of people who eat rats, follow rules to the T, and die at (or before) the age of 25. Since Deuce survived to age 15, she’s given a name and a job—a Huntress. As long as she’s remembered, she’s wanted to be a Huntress, which means finding meat, setting traps, and killing Freaks (a feral race of humans with endless appetites for the dead or the living…raw). When she’s paired with Fade—a boy who came from the outside and frightens everyone else with his strange ways—her ideas of grandeur and honor are dashed thanks to his habits of rule breaking and knack for entering unusual situations.

Fade and Deuce are sent on a death-mission as punishment for a particularly unusual stretching of the enclave’s rules. What they discover on this mission is enough to cause Deuce to question the elders of her enclave, the purpose of her life, and the limited knowledge of her world. She and Fade fight starving, manic Freaks, discover hidden tribes, and ultimately face the mysteries and danger of Topside if they don’t keep their acts together in front of the elders.

Initial Reaction: *****
I found the book well written, enticing, and finished it in a single day. The futuristic America with underground tribes is fascinating and spellbinding.

Characters: *****
I enjoyed the interaction between Deuce and Fade. It was realistic and remained appropriate (even when a little love interest started to form). The characters were believable, though there were still a few cookie-cutter bad-guys (with no hearts and only want to show all those under them “who’s boss.”) The book really pulls you into Deuce’s mindset and why she is set on following rules and why honor as a Huntress is so important to her. You understand why she believes what she does, which makes it easier to understand her reactions when her world starts to crumble as Freaks grow more cunning and the naivety of the elders becomes more evident. 

Mature Content:

A few setbacks in this novel include violence and adult sexual issues. The violence is fairly graphic during fights with Freaks, there are injuries and several instances of bloodshed. The enclave consists of Breeders, Builders, and Hunters. The description of the Breeders certainly brings the human race down to an animal level with “breeding” and having “mates”. There’s no love (or mention of marriage) involved with breeding, it’s solely for the preservation of the dwindling population. There is some mention of the "sounds" of breeding one night as Deuce tries to sleep. Later, when Deuce is in a different environment where gangs are present, there is constant threat of rape and comments by the characters concerning the topic. No mention is explicit and, for the world that Deuce lives in, it's just a dangerous factor that she learns to be wary of; however, her reaction to this is distasteful.

First, she and Fade join up with a girl who was raped and the gang-member who raped her. Second, Deuce considers the girl as "weak" for letting herself be raped. I can understand this to an extent because of Deuce's upbringing--she thrives off of strength and rape isn't necessarily a horrible thing in her culture because the idea of "intimacy" is reduced to an animal level. Next, though, Deuce considers "falling for" the rapist! Like I said above, that's not as big a deal to her as it is to us because of her upbringing, but still...for a girl of her wit and sharpness, I would have hoped she'd recognize a an abusive jerk for what he is.

The violence in this book is fairly graphic during fights, entering detail and what and where Deuce stabs, the sounds of fighting, and other details. A character dies with slit wrists, alluding to suicide (though in the end, it was caused by an outside source).

Overall Recommendation:
Though the book is meant for 13 and up, I think it's more appropriate for 16 and up due to the violence and mature themes. There are no spiritual elements to these books and the benefit of the read would solely be a sense of adventure and entering the mindset of a different (albeit fictional) culture. I found it fascinating, but a little frightening and dark. I recommend it with caution and reservations. Just because I enjoyed it doesn't mean it's for everyone. I don't think it is. Everyone has a different tolerance level.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Summary:
Intended Age-Group: 16+
Issues of Violence: some fighting and killing via knives/machetes
Intimacy Level: Low: one kiss
Swearing: Excessive (sh**, b*st*rd, d***, SOB)
Recommendation: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Blurb:
Nailer's job is to strip the inside of abandoned ships and oil tankers for what metal, copper, or worthwhile materials can be salvaged before other scavenger groups get it. He's small and lithe, but not for long. In the futuristic dystopian America, scavenging is a common job that anyone would give their left lung for (and often do thanks to the fumes). He and his crew live every day hoping for a "Lucky Strike"--a precious find of oil or materials that will pay their way to a new and better life....or just a guarantee of food every day (which might as well be a new and better life). When Nailer's "Lucky Strike" finally comes in the form of a beautiful shipwrecked , it's not as easy as he hoped to just cash in the chips. Tests of character and morals threaten to deprive him of any profit at all.

Initial Reaction: *****

I've never nearly drowned in oil and, after reading the first few chapters of Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker, I decided I'd rather melt like a wicked witch a hundred times instead. My lungs burned, my eyes stung, and I felt exhausted after fighting a pool of oil for freedom alongside the ship scavenger, Nailer.

I enjoyed this novel more than I expected to. Bacigalupi did an excellent job pulling the reader into Nailer's culture and time period without bogging down the story with too many details.

Characters: *****
I felt Nailer's desire to be free of this ship-breaking life he's trapped in. When he had a chance for an out, I cheered right beside him, urging him on.

Spiritual Content: *****

Nailer's culture focuses a lot on luck and the "Luck God". There are dark spiritual rituals with some of the "religions" mentioned, alluding to things like cutting off body parts and/or human sacrifices. The author doesn't go in-depth, but I think it was interesting insight into what may happen to our culture in the future.

Cautions:
The only downside to this novel for a reader might be the excessive swearing. Another reviewer actually counted--203 swear words over the course of 352 pages. That's a lot. Depending on your background or comfort-level, it will affect you differently. For those wishing to steer clear of foul language, I wouldn't recommend this book. It also has some other adult themes such as drug-use, intoxication, and mentions of prostitution.  The violence covers all planes--knife killing, physical abuse, bombs, guns, murder, getting ground up in ship gears...it gets a teensy graphic.

Overall Recommendation:
Despite the swearing and mature content, I really enjoyed this book. Though there is a sequel to Ship Breaker being released in 2012 (The Drowned Cities), I thought that Ship Breaker ended well as a single novel. It tied all loose ends and I closed the back cover with a content sigh.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Movie-First or Book-First?

I love books.

I also love movies (though not as much as books).

But I especially love movies based on books.

I have friends who swear by a movie-first mentality--watch the movie and then read the book because, chances are, the book is better than the movie so this way you are pleasantly surprised by both (instead of being disappointed by a movie based on your favorite book).

I understand the movie-first mentality, though I still follow a book-first mentality. If I see a movie coming out that's based on a book, I run to the library (or Amazon) and read that book in a snap before buying a movie ticket. My reasoning? I like to establish my own mental view of the story/characters/setting/etc. before letting someone else insert theirs into my head. You see, if I watch a movie first, then those actors are what I see when I read it. I'd rather let the author paint the picture.

It's a tricky choice. I've perfected a technique on how to control any seething that may arise from a bad movie of my favorite book. I guess you could say I pride myself on my open-mindedness, so I am capable of maintaining a book-first mentality, but still enjoy the movies.

These thoughts are spurred by some recent re-obsession with The Hunger Games. The movie is rumored to be released next spring and I've been drooling and stalking every new update leaked (purposefully) through the media.

I've rarely found movies that are better than the books, but there are the special few. In my opinion, the following movies are far superior to their novel-forms:

Stardust

The Golden Compass

Harry Potter 6 (The Half Blood Prince)

A Walk to Remember

Ella Enchanted

Questions for the audience:

1. Do you consider yourself movie-first or book-first?

2. What are some movies that you like better than books (or vice versa?)




Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Summary:
Intended Age-Group:  16+
Issues of Violence: some graphic images (stabbing/shooting, torture, assault)
Intimacy Level: kissing/making-out, sleeping in same bed (but no further)
Swearing: None
Recommendation: 4 out of 5 stars

Blurb:

"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives.

For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves or it might destroy her."

Initial Reaction: *****
From the start, the cover and description of Divergent, by Veronica Roth caught my attention. I loved the concept of choosing factions and the fact the character was torn over where she belonged.

Plot: *****
Tris's chosen faction demands as much guts and gall from the reader as it does from Tris and her comrades. They undergo tests of bravery, strength, and endurance while being forced to discover who they really are.

The plot is intricate with multiple layers. I appreciate the depth to which Veronica Roth went to develop each faction and how they might cope with a desire for power. Overall, very well done.

Characters:  *****

When I first read the book, I felt very connected with Tris's character and liked Four a lot (though I wasn't a fan of his real name...) But the more I read the series and re-read the first book I grew less and less connected to Tris. She wasn't very likeable to me, but I could understand some of her inner struggles.

Guilty confession: I loved the characters in the movie much more than how they're portrayed in the book.

Spiritual Content: *****
There are a few mentions of God throughout the book, the first being among Tris's family when they thank Him for their meal. Later on, phrases like "Fear God alone" are seen an Tris thinks about her infant baptism and other issues of God. Nothing gets in-depth, but the novel certainly portrayed a teenager's questioning thoughts on God accurately. I hope to see Tris grow in this area in the next novel.

Likes:

The trials and struggles (both internal and external) that Tris is forced to face are realistic carry a theme of camaraderie. The novel shows that bravery and strength can be found in good things like teamwork and friendship.

Mature Content:
Issues of violence, intoxication, revenge, and pride are addressed through character experiences. Roth shows how these can damage the unity of a faction and they are not encouraged. There are other specific adult matters in this novel--the topic of sex and intimacy, suicide, and forced physical contact. These are realistic issues and I believe Roth addresses them very well from the 16-year-old Tris's point of view, but she raises a lot of questions that don't necessarily receive answers.

Overall Recommendation:
Certainly the best dystopian I've read since Hunger Games, but I can't say the same for the continuing books in this series.
 

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, released September 2014 from Enclave Publishing. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

The Long Walk, by Stephen King

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding..

I've never been a fan of walking, jogging, running, or any sort of knee-torturing activity. Just the title "The Long Walk" sounded like everything unpleasant and bad (dystopia) to me. Stephen King wrote the novel under the pen-name Richard Bachman in 1979. It's over 300 pages of walking. Ray Garraty joins a throng of 100 teenage boys on a walk to the death--a competition invented by the government with rules more strict than bootcamp. Goal: walk until you drop. If a Walker drops below 4mph and gathers three warnings, he receives his "ticket". A bullet to the head. The last boy walking at the end receives whatever he wants for the rest of his life.

Everyday annoyances like blisters, hunger, using the restroom, tripping, sleepiness, leg-cramps, and headaches suddenly become death-threats to the boys forcing their bodies into a state of mental and physical insanity. Garraty struggles with the possibility of, not only his own death, but the death of his new Walker friends. There's no backing out and he doesn't know if he can make it.

Recommended to me by a fellow dystopian-fan, I picked it up hesitantly but with curiosity. I've never read a Stephen King book before. Even though he's famous and a brilliant writer, I'm not a fan of his genre. This book, though not a horror novel, followed the same lines of the horror genre. The plot is unique and extremely well-written. I found myself constantly wondering how the boys were doing when I wasn't reading the novel (even though they're fictitious). Twice, I almost stopped reading because of language and other content, but I just had to know how it turned out.

The ending was disappointing. So disappointing, that I actually dreamed that there was another chapter that I'd miss that might hold the real conclusion. Many of my questions were left unanswered, like, "Why did Garraty decide to join the Walk?" and "What happens to his girl and his mother?"
King included a lot of swearing, sexual content (non-romantic, but very crude), and horrific descriptions--appropriate for the dark, negative feel of the story. If it were a movie, it'd be rated "R" and I would not be inclined to watch it. The characters made a lot of confusing references to God, both in context of His authority and out of authority-context through swearing and random statements.

I would not recommend this book. There is no hope in the story, which is why it falls perfectly under the harshest form of "dystopian"--acceptable and rightly labeled, but not a recommended read. From a Christian point of view, I would never recommend it to anyone, but in an overall point of view I would hold my stance. I don't encourage anyone to read spiritually or emotionally oppressive literature. There is little truth or benefit from it, especially if you understand the hope that is in Christ.

Dystopian novel number 2, down and defeated. On to the next!

Violence Level: ***** (very graphic)

Romance Level: ***** (this is on a "sexual content" level, not necessarily "romantic")

Christian Focus: *

Readability Level: ***

Story Depth Level: ***

Recommendation: *

For a more detailed explanation of the above ratings, visit the 6-Point Nutshell post.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Just the word "maze" incites an instant mental picture of adventure, mystery, danger, and bravery. James Dashner's, The Maze Runner, has screamed at me from bookshelves for the past six months. At last, when I found an extra $9.99 in my pocket, I purchased it.


The story follows a teenage boy named Thomas who wakes up in what seems to be a never-ending pitch-black elevator that deposits him into the center of a maze--a maze that's kept over 50 boys prisoner for several years. With a faulty memory and determination to find answers, Thomas seeks knowledge in every nook and cranny of the hundred-foot walls surrounding the only safe square to live in--the Glade.
He has a rough entry into the created Glade-culture, where boys take little pity on newcomers and everyone has accepted the fate of what seems to be an unsolvable maze. Every Glader has a duty--farming, cooking, healing, etc. Thomas wants to be a Runner--an explorer of the maze who spends all day seeking answers.
Instead of welcoming him with open arms, the Gladers suspect him when things start to change. Boys remember him, but they don't know why. A girl shows up in the elevator-box (the first one ever). A message is received from the Creators. And Thomas somehow has bravery and answers no one else has seen before.

When the "end" is triggered, the boys are forced to fight for their lives, their friends, and their sanity against the dreaded enemies called "The Grievers". Time is running out and escape options dwindle like a trickling waterfall.

This book was a quick read--took me less than a week, which is saying a lot in my busy schedule. The plot was intriguing and many of the character emotions were deep and believable. I felt confused with Thomas and frustrated with his fleeting memories. The adventure is constant and page-turning, but a little on the darker side. Many children die over the course of the book and there are other things like sacrifices and torturing sickness.

The end was rather dark and a little depressing. Not a lot of hope is left or achieved. The "last battle" of sorts is graphic, sad, and slightly disturbing with the knowledge that all the screams and deaths are those of teenage children. Throughout the novel, I found Thomas's lack of compassion in certain situations disturbing, like when a boy is sacrificed to the Maze. My siblings and I were all disappointed in his character...to an extent.

The plot had a lot of potential. It built and built and built to something I hoped would be great, but turned out to be cliche, drawn-out, predictable, and repetitive. Once I discovered the answers behind the existence and purpose of the maze, I was sorely disappointed. It wasn't believable. It kept the imagination-cogs turning through the novel, but in the end weakened the story.

The characters were sadly bland. One dimensional and inconsistent. Thomas in particular seemed lacking in emotions and somehow manages to succeed at absolutely everything he does. While the reader wants to see the character eventually succeed, there needs to be more conflict--both inner and outer. Thomas just had a lot of outer conflict that was "conquered" with just a little average thinking.

There are made-up words in the novel like "shuck", "slinthead", and "shank", which are used in replacement of swear-words. The character, Newt, who appears to be British, uses British "swear words" that may be acceptable for the American culture to read, but if you're British they're on the line and used quite often.

On a Christian level, there are a few flippant mentions of God, but more as a passing note of jest or random comment referring to a generic deity. The "culture" created in the Maze is lacking a lot of hope and compassion and the only clear theme running throughout the novel is "never give up", but once we reach the end, no hope is reached.
 
The book had so much potential--cool title, catching first chapter, and who doesn't like the idea of a giant creepy maze? But Dashner took a good idea and delivered it like a bad video game. Overall, I found the read interesting, but mediocre. It's doubtful I'd read it again.

Violence Level: ***

Romance Level: *

Christian Focus: *

Readability Level: **

Story Depth Level: ***

Recommendation: **

For a more detailed explanation of the above ratings, visit the 6-Point Nutshell post.


Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Dystopian Dare

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I've recently been obsessed with dystopian fiction. The only reason I know the term "dystopian " is because of my recent obsession...and because my current novel project falls under this sub-genre.

Dystopia. n. "An imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one."

In other words, books like The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), We (Yevgeny Zamyatin), 1984 (George Orwell), Matched (Ally Condie), and movies like Equilibrium and The City of Ember.

Dystopian fiction is popping out of authors and publishing houses like vampire books after Twilight (Stephanie Meyers). To cope with the rising tide of excellent books (or at least hopes of excellent books), I am embarking upon a dystopian marathon. The next series of books I will consume are pulled solely from that sub-genre. My current list of hopeful reads is as follows:

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner
The Long Walk, by Stephen King (pen name: Richard Bachman)
Divergent, by Veronica Roth
Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi
Enclave, by Anne Aguirre

There's no guarantee that I'll last through all five of these books without wanting to switch genres, but I promise to get through all five of them before the summer is out. Dystopian fans, keep your eyes out for a new favorite novel and cross your fingers for the authors succumbed to my scrutiny.



(Question for my readers: If you could choose your favorite dystopian novel of all times and demand that I read it before any of these other ones, what would it be?)

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven, 4), by Brandon Mull

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

The feeling of picking up a book that is not a textbook is almost as uplifting as the start of summer break. Over the course of graduate school, trying to survive classes, enduring ever-changing weather, and watching God turn my life like a kaleidoscope, I have not had the chance to read a single page in a novel, but fear not!

I have passed my classes, I'm still somewhat sane (though I did put the pretzels in the freezer the other day), and now it is break-time (at least for the next three days). This, of course, means I got to finish reading Brandon Mull's Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven 4).

I forgot how much I enjoy the characters of Seth and Kendra. A book should never be subjected to having a bookmark on the same page for over a month (unless it's a really crummy book).


Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary was just as enjoyable as the first three Fablehaven books. It ties knots and turns through invisible mazes with the speed and precision of a mole in a carrot patch.
Brandon Mull takes the mysteries of the magical world to new levels in this book, introducing the characters to shape-imitating stingbulbs, the history and etiquette of dragons, old pacts with centaurs, and revelations of traitors and villains.

Kendra and Seth return to Fablehaven for much more serious reasons than a holiday visit--escape, safety, and trouble. Another artifact must be retrieved before the suspected leading villain (the Sphinx) steals it first. His collection is growing and the possibility of the demon prison, Zyzzx, being opened is growing more precarious. The artifact they seek this time lies hidden in the dragon sanctuary. Not only are dragons one of the most dangerous beasts in the magical world, but they are protective, unable to be defeated, smart, selfish, and numerous. They are also the welcoming committee for Kendra, Seth, and the others that enter the sanctuary through stealth. Will they succeed? Will they perish? What hope will be left at the end?

Delivered with as much excellence as books one, two, and three, I had difficulty putting it down when duty called. The action is on the more intense side and fighting lathers every page once the quest to the dragon sanctuary begins. The focus on family and friendship is strong and creates deep bonds in the reader and characters. I enjoyed the development of that part of the characters. The Fablehaven series has been awaiting some more emotional and family bonding.

In regards to plot, the book is clean and filled with constant action. A few characters die, but nothing is gruesome or inappropriate for the young reader. Brandon Mull could have improved his character development a little bit, or at least made some emotions in Seth and Kendra a bit deeper and more believable. Even with the battles, cliffhangers, and a few bruises, this book is perfectly appropriate for its intended age-group (and above). I enjoyed it on a fairly neutral level and for the sake of furthering the plot.

Violence Level: ***

Romance Level: **

Christian Focus: *

Readability Level: ****

Story Depth Level: ***

Recommendation: ***

For a more detailed explanation of the above ratings, visit the 6-Point Nutshell post.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.