Review: Unleashed by Jennifer Hartz

Book Review and Content, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Unleashed (Heroes of the Horde #1)
Jennifer Hartz
Desert Breeze
Published May 20, 2013

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After hearing a legend about a man who conquers demons and receives great power, six teens return to the site of the story and poke around. They flee following an accident, but over the next several hours, each begins to manifest a special ability.

Though the group is at first undecided on what to do with their new gifts, the team quickly realizes having these abilities makes them a target for a host of demons. They work together, using seeing gifts to sense demons and attack abilities to defeat them.

The fighting only gets harder as with each battle the demons seem to learn new ways to attack. Where are they coming from? The team must find out and must stop these demons before they are completely overrun.

Unleashed is a fun superhero team story in which each member takes turns narrating. While the opportunity to be inside each character’s head is great, some of the characters’ emotional landscapes leave few surprises. One fills readers in right away about his anger toward his dad and its sources. The peripheral characters are often one-dimensional as well. Despite this, young readers may find the intense battles against demonic hosts and romantic entanglements between the characters to be enjoyable and entertaining.

Jennifer Hartz has chosen to donate a portion of her royalties for this novel to The A21 Campaign, a group which fights human trafficking and the sex-slave industry. Visit the author’s web site for additional information.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild. Contains some crude language but not profanity.

Sexual Content
One boy fondles a girl he’s dating. References to the fact that characters are having sex without descriptive details.

Spiritual Content
While there are some references to Christian theology on demons and one character uses scripture to fight them, much of the battle strategy is physical, and only one character is described as having a relationship with God. The others do not even seem to question the spiritual implications of demons’ existence or how that might affect personal beliefs.

Violence
Character use superpowers to physically battle demons. Demons defend themselves by biting. Few graphic details.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: Miracle by Phillipa Vincent-Connolly

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

Miracle
Phillipa Vincent-Connolly
Pen Press
Published April 5, 2013

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Despite her mother’s fierce hope for her romantic life, seventeen year-old Orianna is certain she’ll never have a boyfriend. She can barely walk normally thanks to the pain caused by her cerebral palsy. Still, she enjoys the company of good friends and a loving (if romance-obsessed) mother and younger sister.

After seeing the latest movie in the Twilight series, Orianna and her friends gush about handsome Edward Cullen. If only there were men like that in real life, they tell each other. Then, as if he fell right off the silver screen, a rich and handsome new boy named Ashley Mason arrives at school. Though he is totally out of her league and constantly stares at Orianna with a look she can only interpret as disgust, she finds herself drawn to him.

As their tenuous relationship develops, Orianna’s life takes a devastating turn. Out of options, she turns to faith, praying for a miracle to rescue her from the terrible choice she will be forced to make.

In a dreamlike voice, Miracle introduces readers to an intelligent girl longing for true love and independence. Vincent-Connolly bravely tackles the issue of living with cerebral palsy and brings a story familiar to every teen about fitting in and finding love.

While at times the affection between Orianna and Ashley lacks complexity (Why are the two drawn to each other? They just are.), Ashley’s quick temper and emotional highs and lows keep this from being a too-good-to-be-true romance. It is a story of a young man of great passion and a young woman who desires steadiness and normalcy in a world in which not even her body can be counted on to provide them.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate.

Sexual Content – TRIGGER WARNING
Brief rape scene. Some details given during the assault prior to the rape. See below for details and spoiler.

Spiritual Content (Contains spoiler.)
Orianna prays for a miscarriage after she discovers she is pregnant due to rape. When the miscarriage occurs, she believes God has answered her prayers and ended her pregnancy.

Violence
Brief rape scene. References to a fist-fight. No details.

Drug Content
Orianna and Ashley attend a party and participate in under-age drinking. Some people use cocaine. When Ashley sees this, he and Orianna leave the party.

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

SPOILER ALERT
The story’s tension level ratchets up quickly following Orianna’s rape at a party. Desperate, she first attempts suicide and then confesses the truth to her friends: she is pregnant. She reaches out in prayer, pleading with God to end her pregnancy. It’s easy to imagine any girl in Orianna’s position feeling precisely the same way.

When Orianna experiences a miscarriage, she believes this is God coming through for her. She’s new in her faith and lacks any real form of spiritual mentoring, so it doesn’t seem terribly unbelievable that she’d draw such a conclusion. Still, it’s a little hard to swallow the idea that God basically terminated her pregnancy at her request. One can understand the relief a rape victim would feel, but it is tinged with discomfort.

As a plot device, it also seems weak. Because a central theme of the story is Orianna’s questions about her own worthiness for love, it seems like a miscarriage due to medical reasons might be another opportunity to raise the stakes on that struggle.

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Review: Domination by Jon S. Lewis

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

Domination
Jon S. Lewis
Thomas Nelson
Published April 16, 2013

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As the terrible alien Thule prepare to invade earth and destroy its inhabitants, humanity’s hope hangs on sixteen-year-old Colt McAllister and an ancient prophesy. According to the prophesy, a Betrayer will rise and defeat the Thule race. In an attempt to create a super-soldier and give humanity an advantage against the monsters, scientists injected infants with Thule blood. Colt is the only survivor, and the full effects of the experiment are yet unknown.

As Colt prepares to counter the Thule invasion, strange things begin to happen to him physically. Could his Thule blood be taking over? He fights for control of himself, even offering to submit to restraint. His commanding officers need him too desperately, both as a soldier and a messenger of hope to all humanity. Colt struggles to maintain a grueling schedule, and he and his friends frantically search for clues to when and where the Thule invasion will begin. Even if they discover the location of the battle, humans are outmatched by the large, fierce aliens. Colt knows it’s on his shoulders, but does he really have what it takes to save the world?

In the final installment of the C.H.A.O.S. trilogy, Lewis delivers a fast-paced sci-fi tale reminiscent of the Halo game series. Fans of the movie Independence Day may also enjoy this story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
Colt struggles with his feelings of attraction to one of his teammates despite his love for another girl.

Spiritual Content
Colt feels overwhelmed at the idea that humanity’s fate may rest with his ability to fight. Again and again he thinks of a scripture reminding him that God is a refuge and help in time of trouble.

Violence
Battle violence. Some brief details are given.

Drug Content
None.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Review: Sweet Dreams by Carla Stewart

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Sweet Dreams
Carla Stewart
FaithWords
Published May 14, 2013

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When Dusty’s father sends her off to a fancy finishing school instead of the geology program at Miller College, the only consolation for Dusty is the fact that her fun-loving cousin will also be joining her. Paisley was raised on the road by her unmarried mother who still chases dreams of stardom. She’s not exactly any town’s debutante. Though fitting in won’t be easy, Paisley is determined to stick it out for her cousin’s sake.

As the year progresses, Paisley finds making friends easier than she imagined. Things seem to be going well until her mother returns for a surprise visit with a new get-famous-quick scheme she promises will be the big break for both of them. She leaves Paisley torn between her instincts to protect her mother and her desire to pursue her own future.

The pressure is on for Dusty. Her only hope of convincing her Daddy to let her study geology in college is to do well at finishing school. It’s not a good time to push him, but when Dusty discovers that her father and Paisley’s mom have an unresolved quarrel, she can’t seem to leave it alone. Why won’t anyone just tell her the truth about things?

Paisley isn’t sure she knows what happened between her mom and uncle years ago, but she is sure that the man who sends shivers up her spine just by meeting her eyes is someone she has no business falling for. She tries to hide her feelings from Dusty. After all, she’d never act on them. So maybe saying nothing is best. She doesn’t want to lose the closest family member she has, and that’s exactly what would happen if Dusty knew.

Sweet Dreams is like a cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. The story welcomes its readers in like the big-hearted Texans who fill its pages. Stewart again displays a mastery of character in her depiction of the two young southern ladies whose passion and vulnerability make them simply unforgettable.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
Kissing. Paisley remembers an encounter in which a man tried to take advantage of her. She is obviously scarred by the experience, but no details are given.

Spiritual Content
As Dusty struggles to understand the mystery surrounding her mother’s death, she is reminded to quiet her heart and trust God.

Violence
A woman is injured when a bridge collapses. Description is brief.

Drug Content
The girls occasionally smoke cigarettes. Paisley remembers her mother and her mother’s boyfriend smoking marijuana.

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

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Review: Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

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

Moonblood
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Bethany House
Published April 1, 2012

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Prince Lionheart returns to his ruined kingdom and struggles to reclaim the trust of his people. But when the people demand the death of Lionheart’s only loyal friend Rose Red, he banishes her instead to the treacherous Goldstone Wood, filled with deadly magical creatures.

Captured by her father, King Vahe, and imprisoned in the lost kingdom of Arpiar, Rose Red refuses to call for help. She waits for the Night of Moonblood and her father’s vile plans to unfold, a talking statue and lost boy with no memory for her only companions.

Lionheart pursues Rose Red, determined to rescue her and atone for his betrayal, but finding his way through the Wood is more difficult than he could have imagined and strange enemies greet him at every turn. He must defeat them all and find a kingdom no one has been able to enter in more than five hundred years if he is to reach Rose Red before it’s too late.

Author Anne Elisabeth Stengl possesses a masterful sense of story and beautifully incorporates powerful symbols seamlessly into each of her novels. In reading Moonblood one cannot help but become as lost in the story as the desperate prince in his search for his friend. Lionheart’s struggle to accept his failings and the healing of Rose Red’s wounded heart echo the deeper spiritual message that none are forgotten or without hope.

Moonblood is the third book in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series. Starflower, the fourth book in the series is a finalist for the 2013 Christy Award. Book five, Dragonwitch, will be released in the summer of 2013.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No foul language.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Lionheart is haunted by the choices he has made which caused harm to those he cares about, but refuses to accept blame. He wants to believe he has made the only choice possible. He tries to salvage his mistakes by rescuing Rose Red, but in the end, still he cannot atone on his own. He must accept forgiveness and aid from a Higher Source.

Rose Red, still wounded by the prince’s betrayal, refuses to call for aid in her imprisonment. She too believes she can escape on her own, without help. A small bird calls to her, as God’s spirit calls to us, but she doesn’t want to trust him anymore. She learns that God’s plan doesn’t always look the way we expect, or keep us safe in ways that make sense to us.

Violence
 Heroes fight a tiger and dragons. A unicorn’s horn stabs through someone. None of these events are given deeply graphic descriptions.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: The Sight by Erin Hunter

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , ,

The Sight
Erin Hunter
HarperCollins Publishers
Published April 24, 2007

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Jaykit and his siblings can’t wait to be christened as apprentices when they finally reach six moons of age. Until then, though, no one will let them leave the camp, even when a dead fox and its abandoned cubs spell big trouble for the clan. Determined to help, Jaykit and his siblings sneak out of the safety of the camp, hoping to be the first to find the fox cubs and chase them from the ThunderClan territory. When the larger than expected cubs injure Jaykit, all three kittens find themselves in big trouble.

As the apprentice ceremony finally arrives and Jaykit becomes Jaypaw, he seethes under the sympathy of the other clan members. He may be blind, but he can smell much better than any other cat in the clan. He can learn to fight as fiercely as any cat, if only he could have the chance. The clan’s medicine cat, Leafpool, tries to talk Jaypaw into apprenticing as a medicine cat instead of pursuing his dreams as a warrior. With Jaypaw’s knowledge of herbs and his sensitive nose, he would make a great medicine cat. The fact that ThunderClan’s ancestors, members of StarClan, visit Jaypaw in his dreams only seems to further prove Jaypaw’s destiny as a medicine cat.

But Jaypaw’s dream of becoming a warrior does not die easily. When a rival clan invades ThunderClan’s territory, Jaypaw realizes it will be much more difficult than he thought to battle an opponent without the aid of his vision. To make matters more difficult, his litter mate, Hollypaw, has begun training as apprentice to the clan’s medicine cat. As an ancient prophecy about three powerful cats unfolds around them, Jaypaw and his siblings must find the way to harness their gifts and pursue their destinies.

This first book in the Power of Three series draws readers in to the delightful and mysterious world of cats. As the characters interact, cat lovers will recognize various gestures and body language familiar to them from their own furry friends. Jaypaw’s struggle between the glorious life he imagines as a warrior and the disappointment of being left behind to wait for the wounded as a medicine cat is a powerful journey with which readers will easily identify. Hunter’s forest world of cats is fresh and entertaining. One thing this author does not skimp on is in the number of named characters who appear in the story. Keeping track of names and various relationships can be confusing. Thankfully, a glossary of characters is included among the opening pages.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The cats journey to the Moon Pool to commune via dreams with their ancestors, members of the StarClan.

Violence
Some animal violence. Not highly detailed. Two rival clans battle in the woods. A fox chases a kitten and bites its tail. The cats eat small animals like mice, but no eating is described in detail.

Drug Content
Herbs are used as medicine to help cure illnesses and wounds.

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