One Lovely Blog Award

*Insert wild applause*

"And the winner of the One Lovely Blog Award is........
...The Quest for Good Writing!"

*Insert wilder applause*


Yes, you read right--I have been awarded the "One Lovely Blog Award" by Kelsa from The Amateur Voice of a Could Be Writer, a fellow book-reviewer. I encourage you to take a look at her blog and reviews. And thank you, Kelsa, for this great honor. ;)

*bows*

Or should I curtsy?

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.

The Golden Compass Series (His Dark Materials), by Philip Pullman

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.

A few years ago, American Christians had an uproar about Philip Pullman's series of "Dark Materials" (aka. the Golden Compass series). I've never reacted well to these uproars, partially because there was such a fuss about the Harry Potter series and Harry Potter had been a very positive experience in my childhood. I disliked the negative Christian reviews because I felt that most of the reviewers were biased, over-reactive, and hardly read the novels themselves. So, naturally, when I started seeing "Philip Pullman, evil author!" across the internet, I bought the entire series.

Here's my reasoning:
1) I prefer not dishonor an author by believing negative rumors.
2) Everyone was asking my opinion already so I felt called to form one.
3) I wanted to give this fantasy author the benefit of the doubt.
4) The boxed set was really cheap. ;)

I read the first book of the trilogy (The Golden Compass) and greatly enjoyed it until the  end. The story takes place in an alternate reality where people's souls walk in animal form outside of the human's body, called daemons. Main character, Lyra Belacqua, is a young girl who's daemon, Pan, hasn't settled (it can still change form). She overhears her uncle talking about a bridge to a new world, a bridge accessible by a mysterious substance called Dust. When children start disappearing and Dust becomes a dangerous, whispered word, Lyra releases her curiosity and follows dark clues and guidance from a golden compass (alethiometer) to find and save her best friend, Roger.

The first book is quite thrilling and interesting, but then ended with child sacrifice. As the series went on, I was shocked and disgusted by the twisted depth of some of the characters. In book two, The Subtle Knife, Lyra meets a new friend, a young boy murderer named Will. Lyra's character has become somewhat selfish and a conniving liar. They join together to search for her maniacal uncle as they flee from her child-torturing mother.

I gave the series the benefit of the doubt as long as possible, wading through the confusing worlds, homosexual angels, ventures into Hell, main characters I didn't like, and the goal of ultimately killing God (who's portrayed as a deceptive angel trying to run the world). I made it halfway through the last book before stopping for good after feeling physically ill from the content. I'd completed my goal--I now knew my opinion of the books. Based on my preferences, my morals, and my beliefs, I found the content of the series to be disturbing and inappropriate, and I would never recommend them. Solely out of personal decision and conviction, I ended up burning them so I wouldn't be tempted to read them again or accidentally allow them to fall into the hands of my younger siblings.

Pullman is a good writer with a passion against God. His work is imaginative and well-written, but the content was disheartening. It makes me sad and angry at the same time, knowing he is missing out on such a deep relationship with Christ and that his books might be steering others away from Him.

I end this post with a strong negative opinion concerning the series...and that's all it is: an opinion, but one made with a clear mind and as much logic as I can muster. If you have questions, I'd love to answer them (either in comments or e-mail). I encourage you to form your own stance concerning things you're passionate about, but in the case of Philip Pullman, I pray you take my opinion to heart and pick up the books with caution. For me, they provided no gain--imaginative or spiritually--only loss.

Violence Level: ****

Romance Level: **

Christian Focus: * (if I could rate with negatives...)

Readability Level: **** (see the 6-Point Nutshell for further explanation...)

Story Depth Level: **** (several layers of plot, but I got a bit lost.)

Recommendation: *

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

**note: this post was modified by the author on 7.24.13 for reasons of simplification and tighter subjective content.

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.

A Dull Eye

Ah yes, those long stretches of silence. They usually crop up during exams or the busyness of every-day life. Why? Because all I want to do at those times is blog and read, yet all I'm allowed to do (thanks to my own list of priorities and God's diligent voice) is homework and sleep (if I have time).

All this to say:
I've neglected my lovely blog (surprise, surprise), but rest assured that a book review (*cough* Golden Compass *cough*) is in the making, hoping for release sometime this week. Keep a sharp eye out (or a dull one...I don't mind).

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.

Beastly, by Alex Flinn

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian standpoint. 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.

A meander by the "coming soon to theaters" book-stand is always dangerous. I have a weakness for wanting to read books before I see the movie-version, even if I'd never heard of the book before.
Beastly, by Alex Flinn, had a neat cover (another weakness...clearly). Simple. I didn't plan on sitting and reading it, but two hours later I was 1/3 of the way through and realized it's not for me. Not for anyone, really, if they want a clean book.

Main character, Kyle Kingsbury, is a jerk (to put it mildly). Handsome, spoiled, self-absorbed...he needs to change if he's ever going to really be loved. A witch, masquerading as a student at Kyle's up-town expensive private school, outwardly transforms Kyle into what he already is inside--beastly (hence the name). This might as well be doomsday or Armageddon for Kyle who's lived in a life where being handsome and good-looking is everything (a life he built for himself).
Now, a furry Chewbacca holed up in his own house for safekeeping by his newsreporter dad, Kyle has exactly one year to fall in love and find someone who loves him back. Sound familiar? Pop in Disney's Beauty and the Beast (my favorite Disney movie) and you'll see a similar story. ;)
Beastly is a modern-day Beauty and the Beast, a nice breather from all the modern-day Cinderella movies/books out there. Unfortunately, it's not on my recommend list.

To be honest, I never even finished the book. The writing was simple--fair quality, but not thought provoking--and I found too much crude description. I understand that, being a rich good-looking high-schooler, it's important to Kyle to "get some lovin'" from the hottest girl in school, but the narrator just states some things a bit too bluntly, or maybe I'm just partial to no sexual insinuations or focus whatsoever. I didn't find this book worth pushing through all that (which spattered 1/3 of the book already). So I won't recommend that anyone else try and push through. Some readers are immune to that sort of writing or that topic--"toughened". I'd rather remain reactive. I never want to grow immune to things that displease God. Sometimes it happens without my consent, but if I see a chance to avoid it, I will. Beastly is a chance to avoid. So I give it a wide berth, even if my reaction considered a bit over-sensitive.

I am certain there are many good qualities in the book and in the transformation of the character, but we (as Christians) are already in a constant battle to keep our minds pure for the Lord (and for our own benefit!). Is it really worth reading 1/3 garbage to get to the "good message" in a book? Is it really worth smashing our thumb with a hammer to feel the relief when it heals?
Wouldn't you rather have an uninjured thumb? I would.

Anyone have any other 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, 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.