Category Archives: Clean Fiction

Review: Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianniEscape from Sudan
Amanda DiCianni
CreateSpace Independent Platform
Published April 24, 2014

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When soldiers attack his village, fifteen year-old Elijah Bwoko and his best friend become separated from family members. They receive word that Elijah’s sisters have been taken as slaves to a village several days’ journey away. In order to reach the girls, the boys must sneak past the soldiers who enslaved them and find a way to set them free. Then the group will have to escape across the border of Uganda. If they can get to the refugee camp there, they can apply for passage to America for freedom and safety.

In straightforward prose, DiCianni relates the story of a young boy in a war torn nation. Elijah is easy to relate to through descriptions of his love for soccer, his friendship with Thomas, and his love for his missing sisters. Though it addresses a heavy topic, the story doesn’t go into a lot of graphic detail in scenes depicting soldiers and child slavery. The content is mild enough for older elementary readers. It’s a relatively short novel at 122 pages, and would make a great resource for the classroom as part of a world cultures or current events study.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
As Christians, Elijah and Thomas pray when scary or dangerous situations arise. Earlier in the story, Elijah reminds his friend that the trouble in Sudan began when Muslims from the north of the country tried to take valuable resources from the south and force the people to denounce Christianity.

Violence
Soldiers destroy a village and capture children to be used for slave labor. The boys run, so they don’t really witness this firsthand. They see the destruction left behind, though.  A village boy is missing a leg from an incident with a land mine. Gunfire alerts the boys that soldiers approach. Some scary situations, but few descriptions of violence.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends

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When Princess Levana’s parents are brutally murdered by an assassin, the empire falls to her cruel elder sister Channery to rule. But Channery isn’t interested in the politics of ruling her kingdom. She’s more interested in ridiculing her younger sister, berating her for her unrequieted love and the ugly scars Levana hides behind a glamour. As Levana steps forward to manage the country’s affairs, she finds she has a talent for being in charge. When Channery’s sudden death leaves Levana to rule as regent, her thirst for power only intensifies. If only she didn’t have to step aside when Channery’s daughter Seline came of age…

Fans of Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles will not want to miss this look into what turned a shy, intelligent young girl into the ruthless queen intent on ruling the earth. The plot chugs forward, building momentum and gaining more and more complexity and intensity as it grows. While Levana isn’t the most sympathetic protagonist, we can’t help identifying with her resentment toward her self-centered parents and the terror she feels toward her sister. But it’s not just Levana’s younger self that readers see in Fairest. Many Lunar characters who make an appearance in The Lunar Chronicles are featured in this story. Readers will recognize the Thaumaterge who kept Cress captive on the satellite and the pilot who helped her escape. We also get a sneak peek at Winter, the heroine in the next book in the series.

If you’re new to this series, I would definitely not start with this book, even though it comes first chronologically. I’d definitely start with Cinder so that you understand the significance of events in Fairest. Series fans should definitely give this one a go. I have a feeling even more things from this story will feel significant when reading Winter.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Levana uses her Lunar gift to seduce a man. There’s a brief reference to him waking in her bed and seeing blood on the sheets and being horrified at what he’s done. That’s about the only reference to them having had sex. She later briefly thinks about having a baby with her husband.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Levana bears scars from a vicious attack in which her sister pushes her into a fire. Later, she tries to murder a political rival by having her burned alive. Her parents were murdered by an assassin with a knife. Some brief details – less about the murder and more about the condition of the room afterward. Levana approves some pretty controversial policies allowing experimentation on certain citizens. Not a lot of details given there. Brief reference to torture being used to extract information from a prisoner. No details about any methods used. An assassin shoots a man in the chest. He is shot as well.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Summer by Summer by Heather Burch

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Summer by Summer by Heather Burch
Blink YA/Zondervan

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After tragedy turns Summer’s life upside down, a summer in Belize caring for a charming young boy seems like the perfect escape. Then she meets her charge’s older brother, Bray. His smooth talk and good looks only remind her of everything she wanted to leave behind.

Bray doesn’t get Summer. He doesn’t understand why she hides herself beneath miles of ugly flower print dresses and avoids fun like it will bite. He resents her assumptions about him, even if some of them may be true.

When a boat tour and a terrible storm leave the two stranded on an uninhabited island, they have only each other to lean on for survival. Summer must learn to trust Bray and depend on his strength. As they grow closer, Bray must decide the kind of man he wants to be. When hope for rescue fades, the island give up a dangerous secret. Summer and Bray risk their lives to find a way home.

This book is every bit a romantic fantasy. A handsome guy and a heart-wounded girl trapped alone on an island. Let the romantic tension begin! While Summer and Bray keep boundaries on the physical part of their relationship, the struggle is pretty plain, especially for Bray. Despite the romance being decidedly in the forefront, some unexpected twists in the plot keep the pages turning.

The emotional journeys of the characters are a bit juvenile, which is probably okay since it’s YA… still, I wanted more depth from the characters. Sometimes it seemed as if I was getting the prettied up version of things rather than a deeper, realistic expression. I tend to enjoy grittier stories, so it could just be that personal preference rather than any flaw in the story. Either way it’s a great, light, summer read. Perfect for the beach, reading poolside or curled up next to a sunny window.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Bray has a history of hooking up with girls at parties, but he doesn’t mention details other than not being a virgin. Things between him and Summer get pretty steamy. There’s a lot of tension between them, but they commit to waiting until they are married to have sex.

Spiritual Content
Summer wrestles with some major doubts about her faith since the death of her best friend. Bray doesn’t seem to have a spiritual background but they do discuss what she believes and how important it is to her.

Violence
A man is shot, and it appears a woman may be held against her will.

Drug Content
Bray and his friends drink alcohol at a party. The legal drinking age in Belize is 18. Summer reflects on how drinking alcohol destroyed the life of someone she loved.

Review: Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Storm Siren (Storm Siren #1)
Mary Weber
Thomas Nelson
Published August 19, 2014

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About Storm Siren

Since her parents’ deaths, Nym has lived as a slave with one unusual problem. An inexplicable ability erupts from her when she’s terrified or furious. Storms and lightning explode from the sky and take out her oppressors as well as any innocent bystanders. Nym carries memories of their deaths marked into her arms: the owners as rings on one arm, the innocent as an intricate mural on the other.

When a new owner purchases Nym and reveals that she’ll be trained to use her ability as a weapon to save her kingdom, Nym balks. Then she meets the handsome trainer whose skill and ability make her feel safe for the first time. Gradually he draws her out, builds her trust, and captures her heart. With the advancing army drawing ever nearer, Nym doesn’t have time for romance. A powerful foe threatens civilians. Nym can’t stand the thought of more innocent lives lost. She rushes into battle as a treacherous plot unfolds, one which could destroy her people before she even has a chance to save them.

My Review

Throughout the story Nym remains a complex character. It’s so easy to root for her, to want her to give in to her love for Eogan, her trainer, and to trust her new friends Rasha, Colin, and Breck. The whole cast of characters is well-balanced and interesting. From the cheerful blind servant girl, Breck, to Nym’s highly volatile new owner Adora, each character has a distinct personality and contributes something essential to the story.

The story may begin with gentle pacing, but it doesn’t take long for things to begin to rocket forward, growing more and more intense. Other reviewers commented on wishing for more world building. It’s true that there isn’t a lot of time pausing and going into the politics and history of the story world, but I enjoyed the fact that it kept the pace quick and allowed for more focus on the characters. There are things I would have wanted to know more about, but I’m hoping they will be revealed in subsequent books. I have a feeling there are reasons we weren’t told certain things… yet.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I’d requested the second book, Siren’s Fury from NetGalley to review it and had started reading it before I realized I was just too interested in the characters and backstory to start with book two. I definitely recommend starting with Storm Siren if you’re new to the series.

Content Notes

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. One very brief reference to Nym’s past in which she was forced to work in the “Favor House.”

Spiritual Content
Nym’s people (Elementals) possess powers, things like controlling water, wind, earth, etc. One very powerful man can shape shift and take over someone else’s body.

Violence
Nym trains for battle in a war her people are currently losing. Her powers have accidentally killed several people in the past, including her parents. She bears a lot of guilt for these deaths.

A terrible monster attacks Nym and her ally in the woods on their way to battle. Nym and another warrior battle an army. Descriptions are brief and not gory.

Drug Content
None.

Extra Goodies
Read an interview with author Mary Weber on the blog Love is Not a Triangle.

Check out the book trailer from You Tube:

Review: Draven’s Light by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, ,

Draven’s Light by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Rooglewood Press

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When the chief’s son comes of age, the tribe presents him with a prisoner. He is to kill this man and take up a new name as a man. He refuses and instead earns the name Draven, or “fainthearted.” Draven lives as a recluse, a shadow among his people with only his fierce sister Ita as a companion. The drums of war take the men of the tribe to battle, but Draven stays behind. A strange plague follows the warriors home, and when it strikes the one Draven loves most, he vows he will find a way to save her.

This short (less than 200 pages) tale is framed as a story repeated to a little girl as she battles her own fears. Before the end the author ties both the present and past together neatly. Stengl brings her usual powerful story-weaving ability and packs action, danger and romance into this tale, keeping it both moving and exciting. Perhaps the most beautiful part of the story is the relationship between brother and sister, Draven and Ita. Ita seems to understand instinctively when to push her brother, and he knows equally well when to respect her independence. While Draven’s Light isn’t saturated with the story world fans of the Tales of Goldstone Wood books have grown to love so well, they will recognize the mysterious Wood itself as well as two brothers from myth – Akilun and Etanun – and the little wood thrush who often leads heroes seeking aid.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
A couple brief references to “the airy gods.”

Violence
In Draven’s tribe, young men must kill an enemy prisoner in order to be recognized and honored as men. A fatal plague causes its victims to foam at the mouth and writhe on the ground.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Siren’s Fury by Mary Weber

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Siren’s Fury (Storm Siren #2)
Mary Weber
Thomas Nelson
Published June 2, 2015

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About Siren’s Fury

Nym’s power saved her people, but it wasn’t enough to save those she loved most. While there’s still hope, she vows rescue and revenge. But to have even a chance, she’ll have to risk harnessing herself to a darkness that may destroy rather than save. As Draewulf rallies his armies to march into surrounding kingdoms, Nym and her friends scramble to keep ahead of his plot. To understand Draewulf’s plan, Nym must uncover truths about who she really is, facts she may not be ready to face. She and her friends must face an even more terrifying question: what if every move they make simply brings the dark wolf one step closer to his ultimate victory?

My Review

Weber’s second novel begins with the same intensity with which its predecessor ended. It’s a wild ride from page one all the way to the ending. I thought the plot had good layering. I’d start thinking I had things figured out only to discover that there was another layer I hadn’t accounted for which altered everything.

As with the first book, the characters really make this novel shine. I loved the development of relationship between Nym and Rasha. Even some minor characters, like Kel, the boy Nym meets on the airship, really added to the story. I found myself wishing he’d been more of a part in the tale’s resolution, but that was a small disappointment.

Honestly, I do recommend beginning this series with the first book. I started reading this one first and quickly found myself so intrigued I had to go back and read the first one. If you do start with book two, it’s not impossible to piece together the important bits of what you missed in book one. I did find myself scrambling to figure out what was going on several times before I went back for Storm Siren.

Some of the questions readers had about the relationships between kingdoms and politics will be answered in this novel. Still, many things are just hinted at as important clues preparing readers for the final installment of the trilogy.

Content Notes

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. When Nym goes to Myles’s room in the middle of the night, she reluctantly allows guards to think she’s visiting him as a lover.

Spiritual Content
Nym’s people (Elementals) possess powers, things like controlling water, wind, earth, etc. One very powerful man can shape shift and take over someone else’s body. A woman uses her ability to kill men by internal injuries and control an army of dead. They’re pretty creepy. A witch offers powers to the right buyer.

Violence
Nym and her allies fight an advancing army from behind the lines. Descriptions are brief and not gory.

Drug Content
None.