The First Principle - Marissa Shrock

Publisher:        Kregel Publications

Market:            Christian

Genre:             YA; dystopian

Length:            240 pages

Pub. Date:       December 20, 2014

 

Description (from Amazon):

In the not-too-distant future, the United Regions of America has formed. Governors hold territories instead of states, and while Washington, DC, is gone, the government has more control than ever before. For fifteen-year-old Vivica Wilkins, the daughter of a governor, this is life as usual. High school seems pretty much the same--until one day, that controlling power steps right through the door during study hall.

When Vivica speaks out to defend her pregnant friend against the harsh treatment of Population Management Officer Marina Ward, she has no idea she's sowing the seeds of a revolution in her own life. But it isn't long before she discovers her own illegal pregnancy. Now she has to decide whether to get the mandatory abortion--or follow her heart, try to keep the baby, and possibly ruin her mother's chances at becoming president.

A rebel group called the Emancipation Warriors, who are fighting to restore freedoms once held unalienable, offer her asylum. Can Vivica trust these rebels to help her or will they bring everything crashing down around her? Accepting their help may come with consequences she isn't ready to face.

Marissa Shrock's debut novel crafts a chilling story of what may be to come if we allow the economic and moral crises currently facing our country to change the foundations on which we built our independence--and of the difference one person can make when they choose to trust God's lead.

 

My Review:

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.  I requested the book for two reasons.  The first being that futuristic dystopian literature is still such a hot area for young adult fiction.  I like to explore authors’ different takes on the prevalent theme.  However, the bigger draw for me was the author herself, Marissa Shrock.  She is a middle school language arts teacher, as I was once, publishing her first novel.  So my assumption was that she would have a good handle on what appeals to teen readers.  I was not disappointed.

Fifteen-year-old Vivica Wilkins is the daughter of a governor in the not too distant future United Regions of North America.  She has been indoctrinated that government knows best and to toe the line.  Vivica doesn’t question her life until she discovers her illegal pregnancy and begins to wonder about the sanctity of life and if the government is really looking out for the best interest of those it’s meant to serve. 

Vivica is driven by both internal conflict and external events.  She is surrounded by characters who are each true to their own natures and have their own agendas.  This at times creates support for Vivica and her journey and at other times creates a lot of the plot tension that kept me turning pages.

While the idea of a United Regions of North America and the government structures was confusing at times, I think both were adequately explained throughout the story.  It was just such an unfamiliar (yet recognizable) “country” and government system that at times I had to pause in the story and think.  Never a bad thing.  Shrock creates a very believable option of a future society full of government control and the acceptance of any beliefs but those founded on Biblical principles. 

My qualms with the story came in two linked areas.  The first being the relationship between Vivica and the father of her child.  It just seemed a bit too dramatic and forced to me.  It also seemed in place for the sole purpose of pushing Vivica to accept Christ and the Emancipation Warriors beliefs.  The beliefs the Emancipation Warriors are fighting for in the book are unashamedly Christian and biblically based.  Both good things to expose young readers of today too.  However, many times it seemed nothing more than a plot device and will perhaps turn some readers off the book as a whole.

As far as questionable content for the conservative reader, there is both violence (although not graphic) and, as mentioned, teen pregnancy.  However, I believe it is perfectly acceptable for young adult readers.  The book brings a perspective not really found in current YA dystopian novels.  Most are based on the achievement of the individual protagonist.  While Vivica is strong and certainly does her part, it is clear that there is a bigger work at play and that God ultimately helps people succeed.  Additionally, the story world created by Shrock is not as fantastical and fictional as most dystopian worlds tend to be.  She took trends we already see in our current culture and simply magnifies them in her future story world.

Overall, I think this is a worthwhile book for both teens and adults alike.  It made me ponder some of the things I see around me in society and government.  I was rooting for Vivica, which kept me turning pages.  And the book ended in such a way that I wonder if this is the first in a series – an idea that I would fully support as a reader.

Pros:  fast-paced; dynamic protagonist with antagonists I loved to dislike; realistic future worldview

Cons:  some plot jumps; spirituality as plot device

My Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars (Good)

*This review is also posted on The Christian Manifesto website

Seeker - Arwen Elys Dayton

February 9, 2015

Publisher:
  Delacorte Press
Release Date:
  February 10, 2015
Market:
  Secular
Genre:
–Young Adult; Fantasy
Length:
–448 pages

 About This Book (from Amazon)

The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor.
As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world.
And she'll be with the boy she loves--who's also her best friend.
But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes.
Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.
And now it's too late to walk away.

How and Why I Acquired This Book

I acquired this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

My Expectations about This Book

I selected this book because I enjoy young adult, including dystopian and fantasy YA.  The promo copy said the book would appeal to fans of Divergent, which I really enjoyed, and The Hunger Games, which I found okay.

The book’s cover is compelling and mysterious. 

 CRITIQUE

 Were my expectations met?

My expectations for this book were not met.  If I could sum up the story in one word, it would be “confusing.”  I read many genres of books, a lot that have a confusing start.  But the author manages to pull it all together and make sense of it in the end.  Not so here.  I was sorely disappointed in this book.

Prose & Dialogue

The story’s prose is choppy.  The dialogue (even the internal dialogue of the characters) doesn’t seem natural.  It’s all very stilted in its feel.  Additionally, while some of the time jumps in the narrative make sense, others are completely random (For example, the chapter on Maud’s childhood that comes in the middle of things that have no connection.)

There were similes and metaphors that either didn’t make much sense in context or jolted me out of the story to try to rationalize out.

Characters & Points-of-View

I don’t believe any of the main characters were fully developed.  Most are decidedly bad and only bad.  Quinn, the main character, is a bit more complex but still seems to vacillate between being all good or all bad depending on the section of the story we’re in.

Nothing in the story really made me concerned about the characters, their well-being, how they would end up, etc.  It was all very superficial.

Some supporting characters just popped in and out randomly (Shinobu’s mother) without really contributing to the story or main characters at all.

The multiple points of view (which I’m generally good with in a book) just added to the overall tangle.

Story Structure & Pace

I really was lost in this book from the start.  Just as things would start to make sense and I’d feel like I was getting a grasp on the story or characters, something random would be there to confuse me again.

There were also many inconsistencies in the story where the characters were doing one thing but all of a sudden they weren’t.  For example, the Drudges were cleaning and working on their weapons but the text said that “neither moved as they spoke.”  They were cleaning their weapons; that requires movement.

Back story was interspersed throughout.  Sometimes that helped.  Sometimes it just made the reading more confusing.

As far as the ending, I don’t even know what to say about that other than I finished the book wanting it to be so much more than it was.

Conflict & Tension

All of the conflict and tension seemed contrived.  The characters were definitely at the mercy of their situations instead of being decision makers for their own destinies.

Research & Story World

The author’s note indicated that Dayton does extensive research for her books, visiting the various locales mentioned (Hong Kong, London, Scotland).  I don’t know how much of that comes across in the book since the story is set in the future.

Romantic Tension

There is a romantic triangle that is predictable from the start.

Spiritual Connection & Speculative/Supernatural Elements

I don’t believe there were necessarily spiritual connections or supernatural elements in this book.  There was time travel and fantasy. 

Although there is mention at a few points about energy fields around people’s bodies and how the healers can fix anomalies in those.  I guess that would be a bit New Age.

Questionable Content

More conservative readers would want to know there were sexual vibes, and implications between characters.  Many violent descriptions of fights and murder.  Drug use, drug dens and drinking were common in the story line.  Also, one of the characters is involved in prostitution.

Originality & Predictability

I think that the concept Dayton was working with is a good one.  Characters traveling through time and space (although most of the characters in this book it was just from location to location) to change the past/alter the present/affect the future is interesting.  Having teens train their childhoods in order to do so and believing that it is to right wrongs only to discover something different is compelling.

The story was just too confusing to hash out that plot line.  I spent most of the book trying to figure out what was going on and why that I never was able to engage in the bigger picture.

I was guessing all the way to the end…and even at the end.  In this case, that’s not a positive.

Audience Appropriateness & Appeal

The target audience is young adults 14 and older.  And I believe it would appeal to some.  Readers that age don’t necessarily look for depth of character or consistency in story.  However, I would say some of the content is best left to those who are older. What is the target audience?

As a movie, I believe it would be rated PG-13 based on the violence and drugs.

Despite the comparisons made on Amazon, this book has very little in common with Divergent, Hunger Games, and the like.

Engagement, Entertainment & Investment

Seeker was a quick read, as is the nature of most YA books.  I did keep turning the pages in the hopes it would start to make sense and things would fall into place.  It didn’t. 

It is the start of a series.  So perhaps it becomes clear in later books; I have no desire to find out.

This is not a book I would recommend to others.

 CONCLUSION

Pros

·         The concept could have been interesting

Cons

·         Confusing

·         Story has little to no flow

 

***This review will also be posted on The Christian Manifesto review website on 2.26.15

The Christmas Wedding - James Patterson & Richard DiLallo

Synopsis from B&N: The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married—and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day—she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays.

This was pure fluff. Which sometimes (more times than not) I’m okay with. I guess I just expected more from James Patterson.

Gaby is a likeable character but nothing special. Her family all has issues (drug abuse, job loss, major medical issues) but, for some reason, those things are all glossed over. They’re not dealt with in any semblance of a realistic way.

The “mystery” groom was really no surprise.

I do have to say, I read the large print version. And sometimes I like to do that because then I feel like I’m making progress faster.

But can I talk about the cover? The bride on the cover is wearing a traditional wedding gown and doesn’t even look like she is near 50 years old. Gripe.

If you’re looking for a good Christmas read, I’m sure there are better ones out there.

Miles to Go - Richard Paul Evans

Synopsis from Borders.com: Evans presents the second installment in an inspiring new series about an executive who loses everything and embarks on a walk that takes him across America. Alan Christoffersen, a once-successful advertising executive, wakes one morning to find himself injured, alone, and confined to a hospital bed in Spokane, Washington. Sixteen days earlier, reeling from the sudden loss of his wife, his home, and his business, Alan left everything he knew behind and set off on an extraordinary cross-country journey. Carrying only a backpack, he planned to walk to Key West, the farthest destination on his map. But a vicious roadside stabbing has interrupted Alan’s trek and robbed him of his one source of solace: the ability to walk. Homeless and facing months of difficult recovery, Alan has nowhere to turn—until a mysterious woman enters his life and invites him into her home.


The second “journal” in The Walk series was a bit slower of a read than the first and then seemed rushed at the end. Perhaps that is because most of the book takes place during Alan’s recovery. So he is not walking and making progress on his journey.

One of the things that I liked about both books were the nuggets of wisdom you receive from Alan and his journal. For example, one of the overriding themes in Miles to Go is that it is not just what we are able to accomplish ourselves. But it is equally important that we inspire others to do great things.

I think of this in my teaching career. Most days, I don’t feel like I’m doing very great things at all. I believe that education is important, and I love what I do. However, many days I walk away from my classroom in the evening wonder if I accomplished anything at all. Then I think back on all the great teachers (both in and out of school) I had – the ones who inspired me to read and dream and think and write…and to ultimately become a teacher myself. Did they always know what they were planting in me? Or did they have those hum-drum days as well? My guess would be it’s the latter.

So we do what we can. We set goals. And then, ultimately, we set one foot in front of the other and move forward.

The Walk - Richard Paul Evans

Synopsis from Borders.com: What would you do if you lost everything—your job, your home, and the love of your life—all at the same time? When it happens to Seattle ad executive Alan Christoffersen, he’s tempted by his darkest thoughts. A bottle of pills in his hand and nothing left to live for, he plans to end his misery. Instead, he decides to take a walk. But not any ordinary walk. Taking with him only the barest of essentials, Al leaves behind all that he’s known and heads for the farthest point on his map: Key West, Florida. The people he encounters along the way, and the lessons they share with him, will save his life—and inspire yours.


This book was a really quick read. The chapters are short (some just a page), and the narrative really moves along.

I love Al’s determination to just walk away from it all. I don’t know if it’s courage or stupidity on his part. He really doesn’t have anything to stay for. But still, that takes guts.

This first book in the series covers only the first leg of his walk. He doesn’t even move past his home state of Washington. However, he journeys many miles emotionally and learns from others along the way. And the reader gets to learn from him.

It’s written as a personal narrative with some bits of journaling thrown in. I can’t wait to read the second book (which is next up in my stack). Unfortunately, I’ll then need to wait until April 2012 for the third book.

The Gift - Cecelia Ahern

Synopsis from Borders.com: Extremely successful executive, Lou Suffern is always overstretched, immune to the holiday spirit that delights everyone around him. The classic workaholic who never has a moment to spare, he is always multitasking while shortchanging his devoted wife and their adorable children. And ever since he started competing for a big promotion, he has barely seen his family at all.



One frigid morning in an uncharacteristic burst of generosity, he buys a cup of coffee for Gabe, a homeless man huddled outside his office building. Inspired by his own unexpected act of kindness, Lou decides to prolong his charitable streak and contrives to get Gabe a job in his company's mailroom. But when Gabe begins to meddle in Lou's life, the helping hand appears to be a serious mistake. Gabe seems to know more about Lou than Lou does about himself, and, perhaps more disturbingly, Gabe always seems to be in two places at once.


With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can he help him fix what's broken before it's too late?

I really enjoyed Cecelia Ahern’s first book, P.S. I Love You. However, in the ensuing years I haven’t read anything else by her. I ran across this book while browsing the library shelves (never a good pastime for me as I end up walking out with more books than a reasonable person can read) and figured based on the first book I’d give this one a try as well.

I didn’t enjoy it as much. I don’t know if that’s the book’s fault or mine. I had some preconceived notions about what it was about, who Gabe was, etc. And I was trying to figure out how it all works together and such for most of the book. So I couldn’t fully engage in the story as a result.

Additionally, while the moral is really good, I did have a lot of the plot figured out before it happened.

That being said, I still think it’s worth the read. Although I caution about some of the language in the book. It’s enough to be a obnoxious. The underlying message of the book is one that I certainly need a reminder of…frequently. Time is precious. I can choose how to use it, but I will never get more.

Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks does it again. Another look at tragedy and triumph all wrapped up in a picturesque setting.


Katie shows up in a North Carolina town with no past but hoping to build a new future. There she meets Jo, a grief counselor who becomes a friend, and Alex, a widowed single-father who might be ready to move on as well.

Sparks’s character description of the person from Katie’s past was really quite disturbing. Not in a “have to put the book down” kind of way. But in a “Wow. And there really *are* people in the world who think that way” kind of way. It was completely believable.

Some parts of the plot and turns in the story were a bit too “expected” and convenient for my taste.

However, overall, I still absolutely enjoyed the narrative and the way in which it was told.

Then Comes Marriage - Angela Hunt & Bill Myers

Bill Meyers and Angela Hunt team up on this novella exploring the true first years of marriage as two individuals are trying to mesh their lives together to produce something beautiful.


The Stones are celebrating their first anniversary. But it’s not much of a celebration as they have had a huge fight and gone their separate ways for the day. The story moves between highlights (and low points) of the past year and current day as they each try to decide where to go from here.

I enjoyed this book if simply to have affirmation that the rocky first years of marriage isn’t just me or my fault or my marriage. It’s normal and common as two individuals strive to become one. And that of course mine is exacerbated by two step-kids, and ex-wife, etc. As I read about Heather and Kurt Stone, I totally got where they were coming from (Heather more than Kurt, of course) as far as the struggles and changes and compromises they had made in that first year just to get through it and then to wonder occasionally if it was all worth it and will it ever get better. Their love for each other was there all along. But sometimes things can be bigger than that love. That’s when you need to remember the commitment…and walk it out.

Take-away Quote: When Heather’s dad is giving her advice in under the veil of what a car needs and she sums it up by saying: “And if a person makes a promise, he or she should work at keeping that promise every single day.”