Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin

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.

Mini-Summary:
Intended Age-Group: 12+ (I recommend 15+)
Issues of Violence: none
Intimacy Level: kissing, thoughts of sex, observation of sex
Swearing: b**t**d, mention of the F-word, what the h**l, usage of Lord, Jesus Christ, and God as exclamations of surprise/anger/disgust/etc.
Recommendation: 2 out of 5 stars

Blurb:

Welcome to Elsewhere. It is warm, with a breeze, and the beaches are marvelous. It’s quiet and peaceful. You can’t get sick or any older. Curious to see new paintings by Picasso? Swing by one of Elsewhere’s museums. Need to talk to someone about your problems? Stop by Marilyn Monroe’s psychiatric practice.

     Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver’s license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she’s dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn’t want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

Initial Reaction: *****

I found this book  also on the to-read list for a public school's 8th graders. Wanting to put out a christian-based review, especially because the premise deals with "life-after-death", I picked it up. The book started off good: a humorous prologue from the point of view of a dog, a mysterious cruise ship, and a teenage girl asking all the deep questions about life. Then we meet another recently deceased person who died from heroine overdose--the marks on his arm are a little grotesque and the concept may (or may not) be a little serious for younger readers.

Plot/Writing: *****
The book lost steam as it went, sinking into drab writing and a lot of incomplete scenes. The writing in general was emotionless most of the time, not following-up on character's reactions to something shocking or emotionally disrupting. Dialogue felt unrealistic and the reader was told a lot of information instead of being drawn into the story through showing.

A lot of situations had gaps in it (like, why couldn't Liz get her driver's license in Elsewhere just because she's 15 when 7-year-olds are driving?) or just simple roll-your-eyes surprises (like messages in bottles arriving in Elsewhere with a wedding invitation).

Characters: *****
Liz's reaction to finding out she's dead is a disappointing plop. She doesn't seem fazed and gets bored watching her funeral after only a few minutes. Granted, later on she gets obsessed watching them from afar, mostly to see how her best friend is coping with her death and whether or not people are still mentioning her.

The romance in the book was, unfortunately, utterly unbelievable. Owen, an eighteen-year-old with a 34-year-old-brain falls in love with fifteen-year-old angsty, whiny, Liz. Even after he's watched his wife every single week of his death and a surprise situation forces him to choose between the two. Not only that, but the book calls it "love" and they say "I love you", yet Liz doesn't want to get married and remains living with her grandmother.

Dislikes:

This book has a bit of language in it (listed at top of post.) Also, Liz observes the act of sex twice through the observation decks set at random points in Elsewhere.  The first one, she watches her parents have sex, which took me by surprise and I certainly didn't want to know. Nothing really comes from this action--no further thoughts or reactions. Why was it necessary? She also watches her best friend lose her virginity on prom night--a step which is, unfortunately, frequently encouraged in high-schoolers.

Spiritual Content: *****

The main issue in this book for a reader who believes in a single, sovereign, loving, God is that Elsewhere "answers" the question of "life-after-death". The answer to that question is that everyone dies and then lives their lives backward until they're babies again, then sent back to earth. Not only does this support the view of reincarnation, but it sounds exhausting! Why would anyone want to live and live and live and live, reliving all the learning processes and never finally resting in God's peace?

The author, Zevin, doesn't deliver this viewpoint as her own solid afterlife beliefs. It's just a "what if" type of answer to the question, but, inevitably the topic of God rises briefly during Liz's early days on Elsewhere. The answer?

"God's there in the same way He, She, or It was before to you. Nothing has changed."

This makes God completely unattached from His creation. It also leaves Him up to any one person's translation of "God". This is incredibly saddening because it reminds me how many people don't understand or accept how deeply He desires relationship for us with Him. He wants to give us peace and rest. 

The only other issue is that everyone on Elsewhere chooses an "avocation" (a job matching their likes and loves), which is supposed to "complete their soul". I don't really know what that was supposed to mean (and the author doesn't go any further in explanation), but this implies one's soul is incomplete when on earth. It also implies that a soul can find full satisfaction in a job. No thank you.  

Overall Recommendation:

Aside from profanities, the skewed view of afterlife and God, and the visions of sex, this book was mostly boring and slow moving. I don't recommend it from many point-of views:

• As a reader: I don't recommend it because it's slow-moving and not as thought-provoking or developed as the premise could be. Emotion and characters are shallow and disappointing, and the plot is mostly reactive and inconclusive.
• As a daughter of Christ: I don't recommend it because it minimizes the relationship and power of my all-loving and merciful God. It also turns the afterlife into an exhausting repeat-life absent of all established relationships. It takes away the hope for something greater, satisfying, restful, and permanent. It also takes away the threat of Hell (I know this can be a touchy subject), but if we start telling people it doesn't really matter what you do in life or what you believe, no one will understand the importance of fully surrendering, following, and knowing God. No one will understand the danger wanting to pull their soul into darkness.

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.

Shark Girl, by Kelly Bingham

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: 12+ (recommended 15+)
Issues of Violence: none
Intimacy Level: none
Swearing: Oh my G*d, d**n, b***h, b**t**d, s**t, and what the h**l.
Recommendation: 3 out of 5 stars  (see end of entry)

Blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Jane Arrowood is in the unlucky percentage of shark victims. The story begins with a blurry memory of her family going to the beach. Now they're in a hospital and she's missing her dominant arm. Soon, we re-enter her previously normal life of art, high-school, and cooking with new challenges of depression, hindrances, and stares from classmates.

Shark Girl, by Kelly Bingham, does not fall under my usual "speculative fiction" review genre. Actually, it's a simple fiction novel for early teens. After being contacted from a concerned parent with a list of mysterious books, I took it upon myself to check some out from the library. Shark Girl is one of them.

Initial Reaction: *****
This debut novel was interesting. As a reader, I followed the thought process of a fifteen-year-old struggling with self-identity and teenage desires. Her inner battle between clinging to her hold life and being forced into the new one-armed life did, at times, tug on my heart strings. The rest of the time, however, I found myself fighting the urge to skim.

Plot: *****
The story had very little plot until the very end when a guy-interest enters the scene and drama arises between friends. Almost the entire book is devoted to Jane's reaction to her shark attack--a decent life-changing event, but not enough to drive a story, mainly because a shark-attacked teen is not relatable for most of us. Pushing past the struggle to relate, a reader can enter into empathy with Jane, but for a younger reader I see this as difficult.

Writing: *****
Most of the novel is well-written, though in a unique style, which looks like poetry, but isn't. It's a mixture of journal entries, personal thoughts, letters, newspaper clippings, and dialogue-streams all from Jane's eyes. Her growing process through the year of upheaval is very realistic and eye-opening to those not often exposed to lives touched by tragedy or disability.  Some of the newspaper clippings didn't read as if a professional journalist wrote them.

Positives:
Shark Girl was very good at addressing teenage issues with girls, like sibling and parent relationships--learning to appreciate what they do and how they see the teenage. Another is friend relationships--dealing with that one friend who's a little snotty and mean, but means well. It also delves into the first vestiges of deciding what she really wants to be when she goes to college--looking into the mixture of her talents and her interests.

Negatives: 

A disappointment in this book is the language. I was raised in a profanity-free family and hope to raise my children in the same. Even though reading negative language doesn't really faze me and I know it's often realistic, I question its place in young teen literature. I know language is frequently used in schools and out of schools by all ages, but it's not something to which I would willingly expose my child, especially as "every-day language". God's name was often used as an exclamation along with d**n, b***h, b**t**d, s**t, and what the h**l.

Spiritual Content: *****

Jane receives a letter from a stranger sharing how God can comfort her and all she needs is to turn to Him. The letter holds an air of genuine concern and hope for Jane. Unfortunately, as with the entire novel, we don't see Jane's response to most of the letters she receives. They don't seem to impact her at all (except one) or enter her thought process again unless it's with an angry, "I didn't ask for letters." I don't know if this is something that will appear in the continuation book, Formerly Shark Girl.

Overall Recommendation:

Aside from swearing, this book was a clean read. A little slow moving, but I finished it very quickly and gained a new (albeit limited) perspective. From a Christian point of view, I think the content can be educational and a little eye-opening to a world with disabilities. The rest of the decision depends on your personal standards with swearing.

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.

Defiance, by C. J. Redwine

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: 13+
Issues of Violence: action violence, torture, murder, burning.
Intimacy Level: moderate attraction: kissing, sleeping together (in a non-sexual way), talk about breasts.
Swearing: very little

Recommendation: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Blurb: 

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan--the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Initial Reaction: *****

Even a poorly plotted book can be delivered well with decent writing. Defiance first impressed me with the quality of writing. Descriptions were like oil paintings. Another strong positive came from the premise of the book. I loved digging into the created culture of women with protectors and tracking cuffs on their arms.

Characters: *****
The main girl character, Rachel, was the typical beautiful, headstrong, I-never-cry, sword-wielding daughter who knows how to survive in the wild and kills on instinct. Everyone appreciates the independent woman, but sometimes it's overdone. I, personally, grow tired of the man-woman who's only soft when she's with the man she loves.

The chapters switch point-of-views between Rachel and the love interest (and the man in charge of keeping her safe), Logan. This felt a little jilted in first person. The voices sounded fairly similar, though Logan's chapters had a little more wit and humor. Often times I had to double check who's point of view I was in.

I did like how Logan was an inventor, though. He created weighted weapons, bombs, and shields from the enemy's tech-devices. Very cool.

The basis of Logan's and Rachel's motives becomes a mixture of desperate survival and revenge. Rachel becomes a killer almost out of natural instinct. It's animal-like and...disturbing to me, but eventually she comes to a moment where her bloodlust leaves her filled with guilt and regret. This doesn't quench her driving pursuit of revenge; in fact, it fuels it.

Plot: *****

The book became less and less believable as it progressed with the Cursed One popping out of the ground with every stomp of the foot and a character "tree-leaping" for miles with a broken rib. Unless the people of Defiance inherited some squirrel talent, it's hard to believe anyone can leap from tree to tree through a forest silently, no matter how cool they are.

Other:

There is a moment when Rachel is suspected of being violated. The thoughts of Logan have moments of strong male essence. The first time he sees Rachel in a fancy gown, he grows acutely attentive to the fact she has breasts. Almost a full page is dedicated to his observations and his attempts to avoid looking at her when she bends over. There's really not much filter, though I admit it was rather humorous.

The book has mentions of "swearing" and a few mild words that honestly didn't stick with me enough to remember them for this review (oops.)

Overall Recommendation:

Overall, the book was entertaining, but turned boring for me.  I don't have must interest in reading the second book. The story remained fairly clean and appropriate (as much as a war-torn dystopian premise with a love-hungry couple can be.) It's solely a matter of preference with this book, but I found it disappointing (even though the cover is awesome and the author's name is very cool.) The biggest let down was learning about the Cursed One. When I finally read what it was, I thought, "Really?" and that's where the story started losing its believability.

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.