Thursday, May 24, 2012

Book Review: Spirit Fighter

Spirit Fighter by Jerel Law is a preteen teen Christian adventure book about Jonah Stone, a sixth grader who is average in every way until he finds out that he is a quarter angel.  Soon after when his mother is kidnapped by evil fallen angels Jonah and his younger sister Eliza are sent on a quest to save their mother.  The entire time they find all the amazing powers “quarterlings” have and how to rely on God for protection and guidance.

All in all in enjoyed this book.  It was a quick read and I think would be great for the intended audience.  I know they tried to compare it to a Christian Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and I think it’s close.  It’s hard sometimes to separate the literary talent from great advertising.  I would say that compared to most Christian authors in similar genres it is very well written.

I do think the author did a good job and mixing faith and scripture verses in a fictional story with adventure.  It didn’t come off as “Hey let’s take a break from this story to throw in a bible verse that kind of relates” like some do.  The idea of fallen angels having children with people does give a lot of interesting characteristic for a story line.

Note: I did receive a copy of this book for free from www.booksneeze.com to read and review.  The opinions above are my own and I was not compensated for a positive review.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Book Review: Garden of Madness

Garden of Madness by Tracy Higley is a fictional telling of King Nebuchadnezzer and his daughter Tiamat. When the king is turned into a mad man because of a prophecy and his pride, Tiamat is left without a father.  Seven years later when her husband dies she is thrown into a twisted plot of power, greed, and secrets.  As she tries to untangle everything going on around her she discovers secrets that change her family history and future. 

Along the way she keeps running into her brother-in-law, Pedaiah.  Pedaiah does not like how the Judean people are slowing mixing their Beliefs with Babylonian gods.  He struggles with keeping himself separate from the Babylon and his feelings for Tiamat.
Together Pedaiah and Tiamat discover God’s amazing plan for both of their lives and their families.  They both lean how submitting to God’s plan can change nations.

I really enjoyed this book.  I was amazed at how hard it was to put down.  The author did an amazing job of mixing fiction with history and faith.  It gave a rich depiction of Babylon appearance of greatness and the hostilities with the Judean slaves.  I would recommend this book to my friends and family and a great entertaining read with a good message and neat insight into a different time and culture.

Note: I was given a copy of this book from free from www.booksneeze.com to read and review. The opinions above are my own and I was not compensated for a positive review.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Book Review: Crazy Dangerous

Crazy Dangerous is a story of a teenage boy, Sam Hopkins, who makes the worst mistake of his life and then has to suffer through the consequences.  He gets into the wrong crowd, beaten up, blamed for murder, and becomes the friend of a strange girl no one else believes.  Through all of this his life is turned upside down and he discovers what a man and how faith effects that.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.  There were a few spots where I struggled getting into it.  I also found when I stopped reading I could go a week until I remembered that I hadn’t finished it.  Not a gripper but good.  Then again I am not the intended audience. 
I would recommend this book to any preteen or teen I knew.  It had a good message.  Although the plot line was a little extreme to what teens today are experiencing, I thought the overall message of bravery and consequences was good.

Note: I did receive a free copy of this book from www.booksneeze.com for review.  The opinions above are my own and I was not compensated for a positive review.