Beauty by Nancy Ohlin

With all of the things that women (and men) do to themselves to accomplish a certain "beauty," this book is entirely appropriate and needed for young readers. Dark skinned people bleach their skin, while light skinned people tan excessively. Beauty by Nancy Ohlin is short, but powerful. It shows the quest for beauty as an ugly process full of jealousy and an obsession that can not be fulfilled.

I loved Ana. She is smart and resourceful. But even when she is attempting to make herself ugly she is obsessed with looks. She works very hard to make sure she is not beautiful. I think what Ohlin is saying is that one should not be so obsessed with beauty that it becomes work. We are all beautiful in our own way. It is a message that is important for all of us, but especially for those teens years where they are questing to find a meaning and purpose to their lives.




There was no sex, violence or language in this book.  In fact, there was no romance at all which is very refreshing.

I really enjoyed this book, and I am very much looking forward to reading Thorn Abbey.

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrell

The whole concept of time travel makes my brain go wobbly. This book does a great job of not getting too complicated, but also writing details in to make it believable.

How many of us could kill a loved one? Even if he/she has done unspeakable things? The tension between good for the many versus the destruction of a few is written with a perfect edge that slices through all preconceived ideas of what is right and wrong. I don't think many people would hesitate to go back in time and kill Hitler as a young man before his rise to power, but what if it was someone precious to you? I'm not sure I could do it. Because of her struggle, Em is the perfect protagonist. She is tough, but also has a weak side that we as readers get to see.

 There were a few instances of bad language - one f bomb.  There also was some kissing, but nothing more than that.  Violence was in the book, but nothing graphic. 

Every scene was beautifully written, and the ending was anguishing to read. Each character written perfectly - flaws and all. I recommend this book to any reader who is looking for a great story that has all of the elements well done - romance, action and adventure, mystery... This book will release on September 3, 2013.

Anomaly by Krista McGee

 The cover is extremely intriguing and very well designed. It was what drew me in. I typically do not have good luck with Christian fiction, but the cover kept beckoning to me. Unfortunately, this book reinforced my past experiences. This book could have used more editing. The sentences were choppy in parts, and the characters thought process was at the most basic level. At times, Thalli had thoughts that were very child-like and not the product of someone who had spent time learning a higher order of thinking. Thalli is shown to spend a good deal of time on lesson plans so she clearly should have a more mature voice.

The plot was an intricate mesh of mystery. You never knew from one second to the next what actually was going on. It will keep you guessing right up until the last page, and, of course, sets itself up for a sequel.

But my biggest problem with the book...
Why must science and faith be on opposite sides - like they are black and white? Christians perpetuate this and then wonder why scientists are always leaving God out of the equation. This chasm between the two is huge and makes it seem that one will disprove the other. "They wanted to eradicate faith from society." It is statements like that inflame the debate. Scientists retort with a statement like Christians are trying to inhibit progress and scientific thought. What could we accomplish if we worked together and didn't bicker all the time? Each side has some valid arguments. On the one hand, if you believe in God, then you should also believe that He is big enough to handle questions and doubts. And, if you believe in science, then faith should not threaten the test results. This book continues the antagonism between faith and science so I could not give it a good rating. Now that my rant is over....

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

I know that this book will probably get a lot of comparisons to The Hunger Games and Ender's Game, but when you really think about it, most stories are borrowed, similar to or adapted from older tales. Elements of a story can resonate with us from a previous reading of a different story and still be a pretty good read. I taught my daughter early on to make text to text connections, and she is pretty savvy reader now that she is a teenager. Her mind makes connections easily and readily. I feel that is the point of literature - to remind us of our past experiences, and to compare texts is a great way to develop new strategies.

The Testing talked a lot about being able to learn from our mistakes and be able to adapt and grow into a good and capable leader. While the government takes extreme measures (just like in Ender's Game) to ensure that the next generation is capable of leading, the results are leaders who have hopefully learned from their experiences. However, the experiences are erased from their memories so that is lost. So bad government who uses its young basically as test subjects (think Hunger Games).

And the similarities don't end there - Cia could be Katniss in another life. Perhaps, that is why I loved her character. She was tough, capable and compassionate. Cia did not kill indiscriminately, and was quick (sometimes too quick) to trust. Unlike Katniss she has had a great family structure with a caring mother and father. I know that breaks the mold of most children's literature - most of the time the protagonists are orphans. Cia really drew on her upbringing when she interacted with people - she treated others with respect and dignity because that is what she had been taught.

So many questions left unanswered at the end - aargh! I know we live in a land of sequels and trilogies, but just once I would like to see everything wrapped up neatly in a pretty package with a pretty bow. I know that is not how to sell books, but it's all I want for Christmas.

There were many similarities to other novels in this one, but it did not stop it from being a great read. I look forward to (really want right this minute) the sequel and have already downloaded the short story companion. This was well written, perfectly paced with great characters.

Coming soon...

I am currently reading Anomaly by Krista McGee.  This is shaping up to be a polarizing dystopian.

Then, I will get started on All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrell.  I cannot wait to dive into this one!

The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

What more is there to say when you put the Amish community and a vampire apocalypse together? It was a great read with some tense moments and edge of your seat action scenes. But it was much more than that too. It examined religion on a deep level asking tough questions about the validity of a religious leaders right to rule the lives of others.

It also examines the evil that resides in humankind. We have seen it rear its ugly head in situations like Darfur and the Holocaust. But we comfort ourselves that we have evolved into higher beings. This book punches you in the face with the possibility that evil can once again take hold of a society. And in spite of religious leaders who take advantage of their positions, perhaps faith offers us a safe haven from evil or vampires or whatever is stalking us.

This books delves into places that will prompt discussion, but it is also quite entertaining. The plot is tight and fast paced. The first person narrator is well done showing the reader a glimpse into the mind of a young girl on the verge of maturity. She is likeable and spunky, and you immediately are drawn into her problems.

There are a few curse words sprinkled throughout, and there is a sex scene that is not described in detail but rather a fade to black scene.  There are gruesome descriptions of the vampire's victims, and one violent scene at the end.

I am happy to say that I have the next book, and I will be starting it soon because I am dying to know what happens next.

Taking Back Forever by Karen Amanda Hooper

There were so many things I loved about this book. The strong characters who know who they are and what they want from life. Even the secondary characters served a purpose and had a sense of purpose. You get to choose at the end whether you want to read on for a cliffhanger ending. I chose to go on and read. I couldn't stop myself - boy was that a cliffhanger. Take my advice and stop. Don't read on unless you fully intend to read book three. I don't have book three - don't even know when it is coming out. Sigh.

There is a lot more intimate moments in this book. I felt like a voyeur. It was really uncomfortable for me. I don't typically read books that have a lot of sex or near sex. I found myself skimming over those parts. I will have to say that I did appreciate Nathan's approach to sex. He basically subscribes to the theory that easing into sex makes the experience better. I also really appreciate his self-control and restraint. That is how a man should treat a woman with respect and a little dash of worship.

The balance between Mary and Maryah is portrayed very well. They are the same person, but different somehow. It is almost like watching Maryah become Mary but with a twist. Karen Amanda Hooper does such an excellent job with her character that you keep reading just to see her progress. Maryah is strong and tough just as Mary was. In fact, all of the female characters were assertive and strong minded. I really appreciated that Maryah doesn't act like a scared heroine who cannot help herself. And she isn't commenting on Nathan's physical features every other sentence. (Although it does seem like they are making out every other sentence).

More explanations were forthcoming in this book which I enjoyed. I always am wanting to understand more the worlds that authors create. It was also interesting to see their skills grow and develop.



There was a good amount of making out scenes that were pretty explicit, but there was also frank discussion about why waiting until marriage is good.  Every once and while there would be a curse word, but it was not prevalent.  The violence was really narrowed into one scene and was not graphic in any way.

I really enjoyed this book and am eagerly awaiting the third one (and the fourth...). I hope that Karen Amanda Hooper writes quickly!