The Choosing - Rachelle Dekker

Publisher:        Tyndale House Publishers

Market:            Christian

Genre:             YA, Fiction, Dystopian

Length:            464 pages

Pub. Date:       May 19, 2015

 

Description (from Amazon):

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—would end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. The whispers contradict everything she’s been told; yet they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

 

My Review:

I received this book as an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

I have been reading Ted Dekker’s books for years and have read most of them.  They are intriguing.  So when I came across a book written by his daughter on Edelweiss, I knew I wanted to read it.  Regardless of what it was about, I wanted to see how her writing compared to her father’s.  

While there were some similarities between the two, Rachelle shows in this book that she is more than capable of standing on her own and writing a story worth reading.  I was very pleasantly surprised with the story telling, character development, and overall message targeting her Young Adult audience.

The book jumps right into the action of a Choosing Ceremony.  While it was puzzling to jump right into the middle of a scene and a character’s thoughts, it certainly made me want to keep reading.  I wanted to follow Carrington as she is questioning all that is occurring as well; I was putting the pieces together to understand what was happening.  This book was definitely a page turner from start to finish.

I will say the text was full of typos, and that is probably the main negative I have to say about the book.  However, since I was reading an ARC, I imagine those have all been fixed in the final copy.  Additionally, the story was so engaging that I was able to overlook the annoyances, even as a former English teacher.  That is rare for me.

The story is very smooth flowing between dialogue, character interaction, character introspection, and description.  I would say the only thing that broke the flow was when the first few chapters each ended with retellings of the society’s history.  While this was necessary for an understanding of the story world, it was jarring at times.  I was glad when those history lessons dropped off early in the book.

Carrington was a very dynamic character.  She has a very visceral struggle between all she’s been taught to believe as truth versus what her heart tells her truth really is.  What is her worth?  Where does her value come from?  How do you navigate what your life is to be?  What do you do when you work so hard but don’t get the results you expect? 

Her challenges were portrayed in a very realistic way.  The other characters were equally as realistic and their motivations as believable.  I could feel Carrington’s father’s emotion for her and her pain.  I understood Larkin’s feelings of loneliness at her ostracism.  The whole set up of The Authority and its cast system was troubling to its very core.  The growing feelings between various characters (including Carrington’s own conflicting emotions) were handled in a manner appropriate to the intended audience and in a true-life manner.  All of it together drew me in to the story world and kept me captured. 

While I did find parts of the story line predictable, like the mystery behind the murdered Lint girls and the budding romance, that didn’t detract from the overall story for me nor did the predictability detract from the well-developed characters and plot.  The much needed message of value and worth just because of whom we are and WHOSE we are (children of God) more than compensated for the predictability. 

Scriptures are quoted throughout the book.  At times, members of The Authority twisted them for self-serving purposes or to justify actions.  This showed that if you don’t know the Word for yourself you can be easily led away from the truth by those in leadership. 

There is some violence in the book.  It is not gratuitous in any way. 

I look forward to having both my tween and teen daughters read it and discussing the book with them.  I think the book definitely reaches its target audience of young adult girls and can be an opening to important conversations.

I did feel the book wrapped up too quickly.  It left several threads loose.  I am hoping there will be a second book to carry on the characters and their story.

Pros:  an important message packaged in a story that is intriguing and focused; kept me up late nights turning pages

Cons:  I want a sequel  J

 

My Rating:  5 out of 5 stars (near perfect)

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

I Was Here - Gayle Forman

Publisher:
  Viking Juvenile
Release Date:
  January 27, 2015
Market:
  Secular
Genre:
–Young Adult
Length:
–270 pages
My Rating:
   4/5

 

 

 About This Book (from Amazon)

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

How and Why I Acquired This Book

I have previously read two other Gayle Forman books (If I Stay and Where She Went).  This one showed up in my Goodreads YA newsletter.  The synopsis sounded intriguing, so I requested it from my library.

My Expectations about This Book

I have read books by Gayle Forman previously.  They were okay.  The premise of this one was more interesting to me than the other two.  Additionally, I like to keep my finger on what is new in YA literature due to my previous work as a junior high English teacher and having a teen and tween of my own..  As her book If I Stay was made into a movie and thus had increased exposure to teens and tweens recently, I figure many young adults will be reading her latest.

CRITIQUE

 Were my expectations met?

While the book didn’t end up quite how I thought it would, it is my favorite of her books so far. 

Prose & Dialogue

I have no qualms with the grammar or paragraphing in this book.  The chapters are short, which is great for young students reading a bit here and there as free time allows (or for mommies of toddlers). 

The story does flow with a good balance of introspection and dialogue.  There wasn’t really a lot of description, but I don’t feel that much description was necessary to tell this story.

Characters & Points-of-View

The main characters are well-developed.  I found the supporting characters to be more cookie cutter.  While never having experienced what Cody is dealing with in the novel, I felt like I could understand her feelings, her motivations, and the actions as a result.

Romantic Tension

There is some romance – or at least boy/girl relationship – in the book.  It wasn’t very romantic, but pretty real for what some teenagers and young adults do.  Definitely more of a side story than the focus of the novel.

Questionable Content

There is quite a bit of strong language in the book.  This was disappointing as I feel it did nothing to enhance the characters or the story.  It was just there because that’s how it’s assumed most teens talk. 

Also, there is smoking, drinking, and sex.  Not to mention the sensitive topic of suicide running throughout the book

Originality & Predictability
I think the novel is a fresh look at suicide and those who deal with it.  Like I said at the start, the story didn’t pan out exactly how I thought it would.  But it was much more believable this way. 

Audience Appropriateness & Appeal

The target audience is teens.  I would say the more appropriate audience would be older teens and young adults.  I would not be on board with my 12 or 14 year olds reading it at this point in their lives.  Probably when they were older and with a lot of discussion as they read.

I think this book would be acceptable to some conservative readers.  But most would read it to be able to have the discussions necessary with teens who are reading it.

Engagement, Entertainment & Investment

I did lose sleep over this book.  The short chapters made it possible to justify reading “just one more.”  In fact, I read the book in a 24 hour time frame.

 

Pros

·         Real characters dealing realistically with hard situations
·         Addresses suicide and the reasons behind it head on

Cons

·         Language, smoking, drinking, and sex
·         Some hypocrisy among some of the identifying Christian characters

***My full review will be posted on The Christian Manifesto website at a future date. 

Between the Lines - Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

Publisher:
  Simon Pulse/Emily Bestler Books/Atira
Release Date:
  June 25, 2013
Market:
  Secular
Genre:
–Young Adult, Fantasy
Length:
–352 pages
My Rating: 
   3.5/5

BEFORE READING

 About This Book (from Amazon)

In this delightful companion novel to Off the Page, #1 New York Times bestselling authors Jodi Picoult and her daughter and cowriter, Samantha van Leer, present the YA novel that started it all! Filled with romance, adventure, and humor, the magic jumps off the page (literally) in a story you’ll never forget.

What happens when happily ever after…isn’t?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.


CRITIQUE

 I don’t clearly recall where or how I discovered that Jodi Picoult had written a YA book. But I was intrigued and immediately requested the book from my library. 

Picoult wrote this book with her daughter, Samantha van  Leer.  Samantha, at just 16-years-old, was the originator of the book concept.  I do think it’s good to keep this fact in mind.  Picoult and van Leer managed to collaborate on something that made it to the #1 spot on the NY Times  bestseller list. 

I don’t know that I would say the book is quite that good.  I think Picoult’s name carried it to a certain degree.  You can certainly feel the two authors’ different voices at times.  However, overall, I think the book was well executed. 

I started out reading an e-book version and quickly switched to the paperback copy.  I wanted to make sure to fully experience all of the amazing drawings and text changes (both font and colors).  I do think those added to the overall book experience.

I loved the first four pages of the book.  They did hook me as a reader and draw me in.  From there on through, I was at times deeply engaged in the story line and at other times less enthralled.  But throughout I wanted to know what Delilah and Oliver would try next, how it would work out, etc.

Even though the book jumps between modern life with Delilah and the storybook world of Oliver, I was never lost or confused as far as what was going on.  I think the transitions were well done and clearly noted at chapter breaks.

Delilah, I believe, is more fully developed that the other characters.  She is a very realistic high school girl struggling with fitting in, friendships, and home life.  I was rooting for her the whole time.

This book is great for its target audience:  7^th grade and up.  I even think it would be okay for readers a bit younger.  There is some kissing but really nothing concerning or offensive in the text. 

I didn’t realize until writing this review that a sequel is due out this summer.  I will definitely be picking that one up to read as well.

Pros

·         Cute, creative story concept ideal for the target audience

·         Beautiful illustrations and type

·         Engaging characters

Cons

·         At times, the author voice seemed to shift

Dauntless (Valiant Hearts, Book 1) - Dina L. Sleiman

Publisher:
  Baker Publishing Group
Release Date:
  March 3, 2015
Market:
  Christian
Genre:
–Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Length:
–368 pages
My Rating:
   3.5/5

BEFORE READING

 About This Book (from Goodreads)

Though once a baron's daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is willing to go to any lengths to protect the orphaned children of her former village. Dubbed "The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest," her band of followers soon become enemies of the throne when they hijack ill-gotten gold meant for the king.

Timothy Grey, ninth child of the Baron of Greyham, longs to perform some feat so legendary that he will rise from obscurity and earn a title of his own. When the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest are spotted in Wyndeshire, where he serves as assistant to the local earl, he might have found his chance. But when he comes face-to-face with the leader of the thieves, will he choose fame or love?

How and Why I Acquired This Book

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My Expectations about This Book

A female Robin Hood…what wasn’t there to love about the premise?  I like the cover art of a brave woman with a bow and arrow.  I also was drawn into the heart of the author by the “Reader’s Note” at the start of the story.

CRITIQUE

Were my expectations met?

My expectations were somewhat met.  By the cover, I didn’t realize that Merry was actually a teenager.  So I didn’t go into it expecting a YA read.  I expected a lot of drama and action.  Instead, I got more description, introspection, and love triangulation.  I wanted to love the book; I ended up merely liking it. 

Prose & Dialogue

There was *a lot* of description in this book – clothes, features, landscape.  If it could be described, it was.  Repeatedly.  Some of it was overkill.  I’ve got it…Merry’s gorgeous and Timothy has really, really blonde hair.

While I found the prose dragging with description, I found the dialogue choppy and jumpy.  There were long (whole paragraphs worth) of introspection between sentences in an ongoing dialogue between characters.  It was confusing at times.

Characters & Points-of-View

For being so independent, Merry is pretty preoccupied with thoughts of marriage.  I felt like all of the main characters could have been more dynamic.

I did have a hard time keeping track of all of the orphan children and their various roles in the band.  But I did want to understand all the characters and did care about their outcomes.

Story Structure & Pace

I think the structure and pace of the story was fine.  As mentioned, there was a lot of repeated back story and repeated description.  But other than that, I have no complaints about the structure.

Conflict & Tension

The conflict and tension felt very one-dimensional.  The outcomes pretty predictable. 

I will say that while I guessed the relationship of the villain to the Lord of Wyndeshire, I didn’t know who he was and how he was connected to Timothy until it was revealed.  So that was a nice surprise.

Research & Story World

The story was set in the 1100’s – 1200’s Medieval England.  The setting was important to the story as you needed the conflict of King John and the rebels as the background to many other story pieces.

 

Romantic Tension

This is probably where my biggest disappointment was.  Even though Merry and Timothy both flip-flopped in their emotions quite a bit on the surface, they really didn’t.  It was pretty predictable, even with the attempted love triangle. 

I would have liked it to be more.  Not more of the story as it was already the majority of the main story line.  More realistic, maybe.

Spiritual Connection & Speculative/Supernatural Elements

Timothy is a believer in the Divine Right of Kings and God.  Allen has more of a personal relationship and knowledge of Scriptures.  Merry has been disappointed by God and figures she can do it all on her own. 

I struggled in believing some of the spiritual elements of the story while others were wholly believable.

Questionable Content

This book was pretty squeaky clean.  There is a touch of violence but nothing graphic or incredibly descriptive.

Originality & Predictability

I think the premise of a woman (girl) who robs from the rich to provide for a poor band of orphans is an interesting addition to the genre of YA and historical fiction in general. 

It was pretty predictable but still a pleasant read.

Audience Appropriateness & Appeal

I would say the target audience is young to middle teen girls.  I think it would appeal to non-Christian readers who like predictable, clean romances.

Engagement, Entertainment & Investment

I did stay engaged in the book throughout.  It was a nice read even though I knew what was coming. 

It is the first book in a series.  I can’t imagine where the other books in the series will take it.  Dauntless seemed to wrap up very neatly with no loose ends to carry into a second book.

CONCLUSION

I expected more adventure and less introspection/love.  However, I don’t begrudge the time I spent reading it.

Pros

·         Sweet

·         Interesting concept of a female Robin Hood-esque character

Cons

·         Too predictable in many ways

·         A lot of description, introspection, and repetition

 

**My full review will be published on The Christian Manifesto website on 3.12.15.

 

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