Tag Archives: Zondervan

Review: For Love and Honor by Jody Hedlund

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

For Love and Honor by Jody HedlundFor Love and Honor (An Uncertain Choice #3)
Jody Hedlund
Zondervan
Published on March 7, 2017

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About For Love and Honor
Lady Sabine is harboring a skin blemish, one, that if revealed, could cause her to be branded as a witch, put her life in danger, and damage her chances of making a good marriage. After all, what nobleman would want to marry a woman so flawed?

Sir Bennet is returning home to protect his family from an imminent attack by neighboring lords who seek repayment of debts. Without fortune or means to pay those debts, Sir Bennet realizes his only option is to make a marriage match with a wealthy noblewoman. As a man of honor, he loathes the idea of courting a woman for her money, but with time running out for his family’s safety, what other choice does he have?

As Lady Sabine and Sir Bennet are thrust together under dangerous circumstances, will they both be able to learn to trust each other enough to share their deepest secrets? Or will those secrets ultimately lead to their demise?

My Review
Confession: this is totally not my preferred genre, but I’ve ended up reading this series because it’s the type of book my daughter enjoys.

As with An Uncertain Choice, the story follows characters who must marry but dread it. I liked Sabine’s character and the way her interest in art drives her and Sir Bennet together. The scenes from Sir Bennet’s perspective weren’t my favorite. He spent a lot of time agonizing over Sabine’s feelings and his own, which felt a little overly girly to me (not that men can’t be sensitive) and seemed similar to the voice in scenes from Sabine’s point-of-view.

While the characters are young—I think Sabine is seventeen—I would describe the story more as an adult romance with young adult crossover appeal. (As I mentioned, my daughter loves this kind of story right now.) It does make a great romance for younger readers who want that happily-ever-after story without the sexual tension or graphic descriptions.

On the whole, I enjoyed reading the story of Sabine and Sir Bennet in For Love and Honor (though I’m still team Derrick!) and think it will appeal to early young adult or late middle grade readers looking for a light, clean medieval romance.

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Cultural Elements
All characters appear to be white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a man and woman. Some descriptions of wanting to kiss.

Spiritual Content
References to prayer. Bennet values Christian artifacts and artwork as holy things because of his faith and what they represent.

Violent Content
A couple battle scenes in which soldiers become injured. Men attempt to burn a woman at the stake after accusing her of being a witch. A man throws a woman into a lake to prove she’s a witch.

Drug Content
Bennett and Sabine occasionally drink ale or wine, usually with a meal.

Review: Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen

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

Unfolding
Jonathan Friesen
Blink
Published January 31, 2017

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About Unfolding

Jonah’s been in love with Stormi pretty much since the day the twister plucked her up from her home and set her down unhurt in his neighbor’s yard. Mysterious, beautiful, and a gifted mechanic, Stormi often senses things before they come to pass. When one of her premonitions results in a girl’s death, the town rallies against her. Jonah follows her, determined to clear Stormi’s name. In the process, he uncovers a dark secret the town has kept for most of his life.

My Review

Friesen has this ability in his writing to craft guys you can’t help but root for. His heroes have all the odds stacked against them, huge obstacles to overcome and of course hope for impossible love with the most beautiful girl. Which pretty much means I love his novels. Unfolding was no different. It’s a quick read, too—I think I tore through it one evening in just a few hours. So much happens in the story that I kept turning pages and barely noticed anything else.

One of my favorite things about the story was the way the more whimsical/supernatural elements intersected with the reality-based parts of the tale. It gave the story kind of an otherworldly vibe but still left it in a largely contemporary setting. I don’t know if that makes sense. I liked that blend. Sort of like Twister meets The Village, if I can use movie references.

If you like contemporary stories with a paranormal edge to them, you should definitely check out Unfolding. Fans of the Beautiful Creatures series The Raven Boys should add Unfolding to their reading lists.

Content Notes for Unfolding

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The story takes place in a small Midwest town. Jonah has scoliosis. At times this seems pretty debilitating, but he doesn’t let it stop him from doing much of anything he wants to do. He also has seizures. See spoiler section for more on this. One of Jonah’s friends seems like maybe he could be on the autism spectrum, but it’s never clarified.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Jonah believes rumors about Stormi having sex with other boys. Stormi’s adopted brother repeatedly makes advances and comments to her which she dodges and ignores. Jonah feels some intense attraction toward her, and a couple of times references feeling a heightened physical response to his desire to be with her. The comment is about as oblique as I’m being here.

Spiritual Content
Like a prophetess, Stormi knows things she couldn’t possibly know and warns the town about events to come. Sometimes they heed her warnings and other times blame her for things she predicted.

See spoiler section.

Violent Content
Reference to murder and rape. A man recollects that it was horrible listening to the sound of his daughter being murdered and not being able to stop it. Two people die in an accident. A cult-like group of men threaten to kill one of their own after he betrays them.

Drug Content
None.

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

SPOILER

Jonah learns that his town is under a curse. Years ago, innocent teens were murdered. The townspeople covered it up, and now it seems this curse will punish them for refusing to acknowledge the lives lost.

Resolving the curse stops Jonah’s seizures. I wouldn’t think much about this except that I recently read an article about the representation of epilepsy in literature, so it made me consider this character and plot in a different way. One of the things the article discusses is the way that having seizures equated to a curse or something like that is it sort of draws a connection between seizures and evil, which perhaps perpetuates a stigma about epilepsy (which people once used to believe meant demon possession).

While I don’t in any way think this was the author’s heart or intent, it did strike me that, for someone reading this book who has epilepsy, this could be a disappointing component to the story.

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Review: One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank

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

One Paris Summer
Denise Grover Swank
Blink / Zondervan

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Anyone would be thrilled to spend the summer in Paris, but Sophie dreads it. Meeting her dad’s new wife and stepdaughter? Leaving her friends behind in the States? Not fun at all. When Sophie arrives, things only get worse. Her dad promised her a piano but never follows through. Her stepsister Camille torments her constantly, and even recruits her friends to help make Sophie miserable. Then one of Camille’s friends reaches out to Sophie. His charm and sweetness are the lifeline Sophie needs to get her through the difficult summer. The two grow closer, but if Camille finds out, she’ll do everything within her power to ruin Sophie’s happiness.

The French setting definitely won me over in this book. I loved the way Swank described different places and streets, cafes and apartments. The relationship between Sophie and her brother Eric added a lot to the story, too. I liked that while at home they were more like rivals, once they arrived in Paris, they became each other’s number one ally. It was sweet and definitely felt real to me.

For the most part, I liked the plot. There were a couple of moments that made me pause. One was when a stranger approaches Sophie outside a restaurant. For a girl who panicked about being alone in a foreign country earlier, she is remarkably unguarded when a strange man strikes up a conversation with her. Later on, a boy lies about his relationship with Sophie, and I just didn’t buy the idea that he’d tell such a farfetched story. I didn’t feel like he had enough motivation to do it, so I didn’t buy in. Which made the ending sort of unravel for me.

I loved the scenes in which Sophie plays the piano. Her music definitely felt like a real, emotional part of her life. I often found myself pulled into her playing and wanting to look up the composers and pieces she practiced.

Cultural Elements
Culture clash occurs between Americans Sophie and her brother and their French step-sister and her friends in Paris. Most of the story takes place in Paris.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
References to swearing, but no cursing appears in the text.

Romance/Sexual Content
Sophie and a boyfriend exchange kisses. She learns about her stepsister sleeping with boys, but doesn’t personally witness any of her behavior other than kissing. At one point she discusses the difference between American dating and French relationships, and mentions that the French are more free about sex. Her French companion disagrees, pointing out that in France, there may be less judgement or shame about sex, but most people only engage when they love each other.

Spiritual Content
Sophie’s parents have a civil ceremony to legally wed and then a separate church ceremony. She’s told that many Catholics prefer the religious ceremony.

Blink is an imprint of Zondervan in which stories do not contain overt Christian themes.

Violent Content
An unknown thief pickpockets Sophie on a subway. A boy handles her roughly, leaving a bruise on her wrist. A boy kisses her when she didn’t expect, and she doesn’t want him to. She’s able to stop him pretty quickly. A boy claims he’s been having sex with her every day, which isn’t true.

Drug Content
At Sophie’s Dad and stepmom’s wedding, all guests except the youngest children share in a champagne toast to the couple. At a Bastille day picnic, Sophie and her friends drink alcohol. She only sips a tiny amount and doesn’t like it. Later, her brother drinks a bottle of cheap wine and ends up sick.

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.”

Review: A Daring Sacrifice by Jody Hedlund

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

A Daring Sacrifice
Jody Hedlund
Zondervan

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The mysterious Cloaked Bandit lives in the forest of Wessex, robbing its nobility to feed peasants displaced when the current Lord usurped the lands. Now he combs the forest seeking the identity of the Bandit, unaware that in fact, she is the rightful heir to Wessex.

When the Cloaked Bandit robs a neighboring noble, Lord Collin recognizes the girl as his childhood friend. Concerned for her safety, he convinces her to stay a week in his home, far away from Lord Wessex’s soldiers. As he learns the terrible truths that led to Juliana’s impoverished circumstances, he vows to do something to help her. Her compassion for the poor moves him, and the injustice of her father’s death stirs him to outrage. But before Collin can enact a plan to right the wrongs in Juliana’s life, she slips away, her feelings for him suddenly more than she can bear. Collin pursues her, but if Lord Wessex finds her before Collin does, his love will be lost forever.

I liked the Robin Hood-ish element of the Cloaked Bandit, and the way Juliana’s band of thieves operates like a family. Fans of the series will remember Lord Collin as one of the three knights who competed for Lady Rosemarie’s hand in marriage. I enjoyed the fact that this story followed him, but I found it difficult to connect with his character. He spent a lot of time obsessing about Juliana’s or his sister’s feelings. I wanted to feel more of the warrior-knight in him, and that stronger side didn’t show until very late in the story. I also found his flippant attitude about his wealth to be a bit strange. It was okay that he started out feeling that way, but I guess I wanted to see more maturity emerge on that front? I don’t know.

Romance dominates this medieval tale. I lost track of how many times Collin or Juliana experienced butterflies in their bellies over being near each other. I had a hard time really buying into exactly why they felt this powerful attraction toward each other. It seemed like the physical attraction overshadowed the development of their relationship. It’s definitely one of those swoony, sweet stories, which is great. I think I just wanted a little more bite or something to balance out that sweetness.

If you like Melanie Dickerson’s medieval fairy tale novels, you’ll want to check out this series by Jody Hedlund. Though A Daring Sacrifice isn’t a true retelling of the story of Robin Hood, it definitely has some similarities. If you’ve already read and enjoyed A Daring Sacrifice, and you’re looking for another story with a bit of a feminist spin on Robin Hood, try Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley.

Cultural Elements
None.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Lots of description of tingling hands and fluttering tummies when Juliana and Collin are in close proximity to each other. A few kisses. At a midnight picnic (with a chaperone) a man places his head in a lady’s lap.

Spiritual Content
Juliana wrestles with the morality of her life as a thief. She knows her father raised her to do right, and that stealing is wrong. She looks for the courage to find another way to stand against her uncle. She prays in times of need. One young woman ends the story shaken and disillusioned about love and marriage. She joins a convent.

Violent Content
Juliana recalls finding pieces of her father’s body after her uncle tortured him to death. Not a lot of gory detail, but even the straight descriptions are pretty harsh. Something about a young girl finding her father’s body in pieces just can’t be anything other than disturbing to me, no matter how few details there are beyond that. Juliana’s uncle captures a young thief and tortures him in an attempt to find the location of the Cloaked Bandit. The boy suffers broken bones and having his nails removed. The torture itself isn’t described, only his injuries afterward.

Juliana’s uncle arranges to have a young woman burned to death. Later, he arranges to have a man tortured to death.

Juliana describes the servant uprising that led to her father’s death. Collin describes another battle in which soldiers and civilians are injured or killed.

Drug Content
Servants give ale and wine to guests at a dinner party. Collin and Juliana both drink ale.

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: An Uncertain Choice by Jodi Hedlund

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

An Uncertain Choice
Jodi Hedlund
Zondervan

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

As Rosemarie’s eighteenth birthday nears, she prepares to fulfill the sacred vow her parents made and become a nun. She struggles to accept this role even as her kingdom is in turmoil at the hands of a sheriff who enforces cruel punishment and unexplained plagues that ravage the poorest citizens. Then, one month before her birthday, an old family friend rides into her kingdom with news: Rosemarie may have another option. If she can find and marry her true love before midnight on her eighteenth birthday, she will not have to enter the convent. Three knights accompany Rosemarie’s advisor. She must find out if one of them is her true love.

I felt like this story was kind of like the Ever After retelling of Cinderella, but with the Prince and Cinderella’s character kind of reversed? I really liked the concept of having this really short timeline to find out which man is Rosemarie’s true love and what is love and that sort of thing, with the clock counting down in the background.

One of the things I always struggle with in reading medieval stories is the way the writing, especially in dialogue, can be extremely stilted. I shall see what may be done about this unfortunate circumstance, etc. I tend not to enjoy that sort of thing because it’s just not how I imagine the characters talking and it sounds really forced to me. But that’s a personal preference. If you prefer that style, this is definitely a book to check out.

There were a couple of plot issues that I kind of hiccuped over, too. The largest was the idea that Rosemarie would become a nun and still also rule her kingdom. I guess I thought that you had to forsake worldly goods when you join a convent. I’m not sure if that’s a faulty perception on my part, or if I was supposed to willingly suspend my disbelief in the reading of this story. Either way, I understand why the stakes were set up that way, but it confused me. I kept wanting someone in the story to be like, yeah, but remember how King What’s-His-Beard was a monk and still ruled? Something to kind of let me off the hook for wondering. But alas.

The romance element of the story was very sweet. I liked that she had to kind of work out what was important to her in terms of choosing a husband and that her chosen knight shared her values. There were definitely some things that happened I didn’t expect, so that was good, too. The plot definitely wasn’t as simple as I expected it to be. I liked that.

The cover art and some of the way the story is told reminded me a bit of Melanie Dickerson’s novels. I’ve reviewed The Princess Spy here if you want to check it out.

Because of some brief graphic description of torture, this might not be a great pick for tweens, though the other parts of the story are certainly light enough. See below for more information on content.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
There’s some sexual tension between Rosemarie and the three knights. She wonders repeatedly what it will be like to kiss them. There is one kiss in the book.

Spiritual Content
Rosemarie has grown up believing that when she turns eighteen, she’ll have to become a nun because of a vow her parents made when they received help from a holy artifact to conceive her. When Rosemarie feels troubled, she spends time in prayer and seeks council from a trusted advisor within the church.

Violent Content
Rosemarie is passionately opposed to the use of torture to punish her people for even serious crimes. The local sheriff disregards her wishes and tortures several criminals by various methods which are described briefly. Torture comes up several more times throughout the story. The most graphic description, I thought was when a woman’s head is placed in some kind of restraining device so that her tongue can be removed. That scene lasts a bit longer than the others, and had more painful descriptions.

Drug Content
A goblet of ale is poisoned at a feast.

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Review: Game Over by Andrew Klavan

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

Game Over
Andrew Klavan
Zondervan

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Rick awakes from a nightmare with scratches on his arm, scratches he knows came from the nightmare itself. A nightmare in which he’s trapped in The Realm, a video game world created by a terrorist that Rick has been tasked with destroying from the inside. Only now it seems Kurodar, the creator of The Realm, has Rick in his sights and is using his mind to further his plan for destruction. Rick must find a way to destroy The Realm before Kurodar overtakes him.

I was a little nervous about reading this book since it’s the third and final tale in a series I hadn’t read before. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. Not only did I have no trouble following the story, I liked it enough that I’d probably go back and read the earlier books.

The characters were different from each other and interesting. Their relationships were complex and felt real and compelling, from minor characters like Miss Ferris all the way to Rick and Molly. There were some moments where things were summarized and we’re told this or that about a character, for instance, about Kurodar’s relationship with his father. In a story less intriguing, I might have minded that, because it can be kind of jarring to be pulled out of the story for a little here’s-what’s-going-on spiel. But honestly, I didn’t mind it here because I really wanted to know what would happen.

If you liked Ready Player One or Nirvana (or read my reviews of them and though the concept of a video game arena affecting reality sounded awesome) then you should definitely read this book. The Christian themes are strong and at moments possibly a bit cheesy, but again, I’ll be honest and say I found the frankness of the spiritual theme kind of refreshing as I’ve read several Christian novels by Christian publishers lately with only the barest whisper of faith in them.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A few brief kisses.

Spiritual Content
Rick continues to wrestle with his feelings about his father’s previous disappearance. He realizes his dad’s faith in God is real and his own desperate circumstances rekindle his own faith.

Violent Content
Monsters cross from The Realm into the real world, attacking a military base and killing some soldiers. When the monsters are killed, they evaporate. Rick has to face a fearsome monster in The Realm.

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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