Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

WARNING: This book contained mature scenes and language.  There is a disturbing rape scene and a lot of disturbing violence.

 

This took awhile to get going, but once it did I could not put it down. There were some chapters that could have been eliminated in the middle or condensed, but overall it was a fantastic book. This book had so many angles to it. I can really see it being used in a book club for older teens or for victims of abuse. There is a lot of mature content that is disturbing - needed for the story, but disturbing. But this books tackles abuse, psychological trauma, and bullying in a real and honest way. Sarah's reactions and feelings were fully fleshed out and struck a cord. It was no surprise to see that the author had experienced a similar situation because the emotions conveyed seemed so genuine.

I found the writing to be solid, the plot made me sit on the edge of my seat. You know when you have a good book, and you can't turn the pages fast enough to see how it is all gonna end? Yeah, this was that book.

One of favorite parts was the portrayal of Charlene turning on Sarah just to fit in. Sometimes we all get caught up in trying to be cool (I know I did in high school) that we forget who are the real people in our lives versus the fake ones. I think that is an important lesson to learn, and not just for teens, but for adults too.

But Nick was, by far, the best part of this book. His unflagging devotion to Sarah and her family was heart wrenching. I hope he gets his happy ending because he certainly earned it.

All in all, a very good book - extremely well written, exciting and great characters. I will be looking for more books by this author. 

 

This book will be released October 1, 2013.

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.