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Left to Die by Ivy Rose

Left to Die by Ivy Rose

Posted on by J.C.

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Title: Left to Die

Author: Ivy Rose

Published By: Lakeside Publications (2017)

Synopsis: Lindy Greene’s life is perfect. Too perfect. But living as a missionary nurse, serving in a rural hospital in China, soon brings the disaster she fearfully anticipates. All of her well-thought-out plans for the future disintegrate after pulling a fatally ill, disfigured, abandoned child from a pile of trash. She doesn’t even like babies.

Nathan Thomas can’t find balance. College suited him just fine until his cash ran out, forcing him to the Chinese mission field with his parents. The chaotic atmosphere in China does little to relax his agitated mind, and the pretty blonde nurse at the clinic does nothing to help him focus.

The Chinese mission field isn’t for the faint of heart. Nathan wonders how he can survive his remaining time there, while Lindy struggles to help everyone she can. With different ideals pulling them in separate directions, there is one thing drawing them together: a tiny, sickly, crippled orphan who relies on them to stay alive. (Taken from Goodreads.)

Review:

A concise, cleverly written, beautiful story about the beauty of motherhood, the value of human life, and following God’s plan…Left to Die was a wonderfully constructed story full of elaborate character arcs and deep themes, and I enjoyed it from page one. I felt it was a perfect length—I’m not sure whether or not this is officially considered a novella but it felt around that length and anyway it was just a perfect length for this story.

The story focuses around Lindy, a young woman living as a missionary in China. Lindy’s whole life is shaped around God’s plan for her—to be a missionary. But is that really all to God’s plan?

The idea of just that—God’s plan—is explored inside the pages of this book which deals with topics such as pride and humility. I also loved the strong and powerful message about the value of life! The character arcs were beautiful and it was awesome to watch as the characters changed.

The only downside I have is the beginning, which was confusing to me. I could not for the life of me figure out what was going on in the first chapter, or why it was important. It didn’t really end up contributing to the story, and by the time the second chapter came along I had a grasp on who the characters were, but to me, a first chapter that seemed to supposedly set the scene just added confusion. However, once I got past that, the story was riveting and full of depth.

Negative Content/Notes:

No negative content, but the concept and themes of this book are pretty heavy and would probably be best suited for an older audience (14+ would be my suggestion, but younger readers with more maturity may be able to handle it.)

Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

Recommended to: 14+ (see above.)

** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

A Question of Honor by Jesseca Wheaton

A Question of Honor by Jesseca Wheaton

Posted on by J.C.

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Title: A Question of Honor (Questions for War, #1)

Author: Jesseca Wheaton

Published: 2017

Synopsis: A man. A child. A war.

When German soldiers invade France during World War II, young Joyanna’s perfect world is shattered. In the hands of those who hate her, she battles to comprehend why people can be so ruthless and cold toward those whom they have never met.

David Sullivan, pilot in the Royal Air Force, was certain he would never hate, but a painful loss forces him to either reconsider or do the inconceivable—forgive. He is suddenly challenged by the realization that doing God’s will is not easy, but most important. With the lives of freedom-fighters relying on him, he must learn the difficult lesson that he is not in control, but merely one who must surrender his heart of obedience to One greater.

A sudden turn of events lands Joyanna and David in the same country—but for far different reasons. When their paths cross, David finds he must make a decision that will affect them both for the rest of their lives.

Will he choose vengeance, or will he let his life be ruled by a higher standard? A standard of Honor. (Taken from Goodreads)

Review:

Thrilling? Check.

Well-plotted with twists, suspense and concisity, bringing together two unique stories into one unforgettable one? Check.

Complex characters with intriguing personalities and struggles? Check.

An tangible, relatable historical feel, producing an unique story about a common historical period? Check.

All in all, A Question of Honor intrigued, took hold, and satisfied me. I was impressed by the author’s ability to take a historical novel setting—WWII—and bring it alive in her own way, writing a story that’s undoubtedly the first of its kind. The author dove into the depths of this time period and explored the small details, bringing to life an amazing story about characters full of complexity and depth. The way this story tied together awed me; the structure was impressive.

Characters. I loved Erich’s character. Some may say that he was too contradictory, but I think that added to the whole plot. The author did an amazing job highlighting and embellishing on the internal struggles in not just Erich, but many of the others as well. David was complex and full of relatability, Lily was alive and off the page, and Gil was fantastic as well.

While all that I’ve listed thus far is all accurate, there were also, unfortunately, elements to this book that I did not like. First of all, I found Joyanna to be a little one-dimensional. She was too naive and innocent, and I had a hard time truly feeling her pain. She was adorable, don’t get me wrong—but I also found her a little unbelievable.

Secondly…and I hate critiquing things like this. For most of the book, David’s faith in God was portrayed excellently. However, there came a point where the whole faith aspect just became really cheesy. I love the author’s heart, and there wasn’t anything said that I didn’t agree with; that’s not the problem. I’m not wanting to attack anything about this because I think it was done with the right heart—and I am nobody to judge the ways God works in writing so I could be totally off here. The Christian message in fiction is one that is very hard to pull off, and unfortunately while in many areas of this book it was done right, at the end of the day I cringed more than once at the developing cheesiness.

Negative Content:

None.

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Recommended to: 

 I’d highly recommend it for anyone who likes historical fiction! It’s different, unique, and filfulling.

** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

The Reinvention of Skylar Holt by Stephanie Morrill

The Reinvention of Skylar Holt by Stephanie Morrill

Posted on by J.C.

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Titles:
Me, Just Different (#1)

Out With the In Crowd (#2)

So Over It (#3)

Author: Stephanie Morrill

Published By: Fleming H. Revell Company (2009-2010)

Synopsis:

Skylar Hoyt, a high school senior whose exotic Hawaiian looks have propelled her to the height of the ‘in’ crowd, but who’s no longer sure that’s where she really fits. New friends, old friends, a reluctant romance, and a family crisis swirl around Skylar as she tries to keep it together and figure out who she really wants to be. (Taken from Goodreads)

Review:

While reading this series I neglected to review out each one as I finished, and now having finished, all three books have merged together in my mind and it would be nearly impossible to try to distuinguish them again for the point of three separate reviews. So instead I have decided to review all three in one review of the whole series. *Note: As expected, there will be spoilers here for the first book when I discuss books 2 and 3.*

Book One. It drew me in, so it gets points for that, if for nothing else. The opener was inciting and the characters immediately intriguing. I really liked the way the series started on Skylar’s life change, rather before; it gave it a slightly different feel than other Christian YA I’ve read. I liked the way Skylar was ready to change. Though at times it felt drawn-out, for the most part it was concise.

Book Two. Book two was probably the most boring of the three. Nothing really happens that couldn’t have been condensed between books 2 and 3, much like almost every other trilogy ever. So that was a downside. Yes, she goes to Hawaii and has a life change. Yes, Owen is born. But those two events don’t need their entirely own book. And the extra drama around Eli/Connor was unnecessary, too.

Book Three. Also as typical with trilogies, it was the best in the series. For the first time, I actually really liked Skylar and Connor (more on this below). I really liked Abbie and Owen and Jodi and all the others. They became my real friends. Eli is finally told off and Skylar finally gets the memo she should avoid her other friends and that Connor is indeed the one for her. After page after annoying page of annoying Skylar, it felt very refreshing to see her finally see things. Is the delay in these situations true to real life? Absolutely. Is it always the best course of action to draw out upon when writing a book series? No.

Book summaries over, here we go.

Characters. I loved Skylar, but she also drove me absolutely crazy. I loved her, but I also couldn’t stand her. Consequently, I read this book in breaks. I couldn’t do too much at one time, haha. Like I’ve mentioned, I finally really liked Skylar in book three, but before that she was just so annoying. Her relationship with Connor was the main part that irked me. She was so blind, but the problem isn’t with that as much as it is with the fact we were given example upon example upon example upon example of her blindness. It drove me crazy! The seventieth time she ditched Connor I was ready to throw the book across the room. We get the point!

And I also disliked the fact she couldn’t seem to grasp the idea that she had to stop hanging out with the bad influences. She spoke as if seeing them was absolutely inevitable, but how small of a town do they live in that she’s seriously running into them at every corner? Ditch them and move on—they’re bad infleunces! Do you not get it, Skylar!?  You’re trying to turn your life around, yet you can’t let go of all former influences. Can you still be a light to them? Yes—once you’re distant and stable enough! UGHH. Now Jodi eventually ended up being great, but that wasn’t until the last few chapters. And don’t even get me started on Eli. UGHUGH I have not hated a character with this much passion in a while. But I guess it was more of Skylar’s inability to let him go. So I guess I hated Skylar’s actions more than Eli himself, who I thought was kinda wimpy and pathetic when it came down to it.

Abbie I adored! I absolutely loved her. When the book started I hardly expected her to be developed much, as siblings usually aren’t in these type of books, but she surprised me by being one of the most developed characters in the series. I loved her heart. Similarly Skylar’s parents were fantastic and real, too.

Connor was … Connor. Sometimes I hated him, sometimes I didn’t. I was so mad at Skylar because they’re so obviously meant to be together. Girl, when you find a loyal, honest, Christian guy who loves you, you can’t just ditch him. Yes, it possible he’s not the one, but when you find a guy like that you gotta give him at least a chance. I felt sometimes his character didn’t line up with who he was—like the author was trying too hard to make him fictional-crush material—but other than that he was cool. Not too much a goody-two-shoes-perfectly-righteous-Christian guy, but not a “bad boy” either.

The writing wasn’t anything incredible. It was a lot of dialogue and little description, so it was solely the characters and nothing else pulling me through the story. I still don’t know what Jodi or Connor or Eli looks like, but I know what they’re like. That sort of thing. Some of the emotion at times was a little unreal or not deep enough, but for the most part it was good.

Overall:

Soooo…yeah. It was a little stereotypical, a typical girl-finds-Jesus-and-her-life-change type series, but it was pretty unique. Not cheesy for the most part, and simply a journey of following Christ.

Rating: 3.0 /  5.0

Recommended to: YA readers, I suppose.

 

 

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

Posted on by J.C.

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Title: The Choosing (Seer, #1)

Author: Rachelle Dekker

Published By: Tyndale House Publishers (2015)

Synopsis: 

“Not to be Chosen would yield a cruel fate of my own making.”
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. (Taken from Goodreads)

Review:

Ah, a breath of fresh air—it’s been forever since I read a good Christian dystopian, and this one fit the bill. It was clean and sweet and written beautifully, with solid characters and a strong plotline.

However, having said these things, I also am confused as to how I feel about this book. First of all, Isaac Knight? I HATED HIM WITH PASSION. I DESPISED HIM. He played such a crucial role in the plot, too, that I had a good time hating him.

Going off this: the Christian themes. Alright, so when I started reading this book and got into Mr. Knight’s first sections, my thought process became: okay, so either this is going to be a complete heresy against Christianity, or it’s going to turn around and blow my mind.

Unfortunately, it did neither. While I assert that the Christian themes were strong, to a nonbeliever they will still be unnoticeable. I wish there had been a stronger message! I’m still not sure who Aaron’s supposed to be, I’m still not sure what the basic message or takeaway is, and I’m still not sure what Isaac Knight is supposed to represent.

*catches breath*. Having said this, I read a review that suggested the idea that this is an interpretation of the Old Testament times—with the church that turned away and the prophets that called them back. I wish this theory fit better, because then it would most definitely blow my mind. But a lot still doesn’t match up. I don’t know. Maybe it’ll be more clear when I finish the trilogy.

Okay, done with that tangent. The setting was real and alive, and unique, too. Nothing absolutely spectacular but it’s a lot better than its fellow YA dystopian books. It was very descriptive and full of life. The characters were real, full of emotion and tangibility, and it was easy to get to know them, care for them, relate to them, want to keep reading about them (all except Isaac Knight of course). Carrington was such a great lead for this; you don’t find a lot of strong characters like her in this genre and that was fantastic. Larkin was a little harder to get to know, and Remko, I feel, didn’t get his launch till the end, but once he did launch I loved his character. Aaron is confusing, but he has potential.

The romance. OKAY. **Spoiler alert!!** I’m very, very pleased with Rachelle Dekker because there’s no love triangle and the love between her and Remko is legit and real and heading to marriage *sly grin* I’m also incredibly pleased because I started the second book, and her and Remko are MARRIED. And have a KID. Props to Dekker! Almost NO YA authors will do that. Why would you when you can drag out their love story into a three-book series full of drawn-out scenes and pointless suspense detailing in equal quantity both how unsure they are of one another and how much they want to be together? Dekker let the romance be apart of the story, but didn’t let it take over. And that, I LOVED. **SPOILER OVER**

Negative Content/Notes:

Mentioned above (the Christian thematics thing would be something I’d note.)

Overall: 

Anyhow, I’m very intrigued to see where the story goes in the next few books. I’d love to hear opinions on the Christian aspects portrayed-or-not-portrayed in the Choosing if you have any thoughts.

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Recommended to: Fans of the dystopian genre.

 

 

 

 

The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill

The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill

Posted on by J.C.

** This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.** 

Title: The Lost Girl of Astor Street

Author: Stephanie Morrill

Published By: Blink (2017)

Synopsis: Lydia has vanished.
Lydia, who’s never broken any rules, except falling in love with the wrong boy. Lydia, who’s been Piper’s best friend since they were children. Lydia, who never even said good-bye.
Convinced the police are looking in all the wrong places, eighteen-year-old Piper Sail begins her own investigation in an attempt to solve the mystery of Lydia’s disappearance. With the reluctant help of a handsome young detective, Piper goes searching for answers in the dark underbelly of 1924 Chicago, determined to find Lydia at any cost.
When Piper discovers those answers might stem from the corruption strangling the city—and quite possibly lead back to the doors of her affluent neighborhood—she must decide how deep she’s willing to dig, how much she should reveal, and if she’s willing to risk her life of privilege for the sake of the truth.

Review: ( ** Spoilers ***) 

I’ve had a while to think about this book and have spent a lot of time trying to discern whether or not I liked it. On one hand, it was incredibly compelling, strongly plotlined, had amazing characters and an unique storyworld…but on the other hand…UMM, the whole synopsis is about her finding her missing friend…it would be great if she actually found her!!

Basically…the synopsis was incredibly misleading, which led to, ultimately, my disappointment in the book. It was a fantastic book, but it was set up with the wrong expectations. To me, this is the worst thing you can do to a book: destroy its beauty by misleading the reader to think it’s a different type of beautiful. The reader misses out on its beauty and leaves feeling disappointed.

It was a great book. But it was a huge letdown. The entire synopsis revolves around Lydia. There’s so much hype on Lydia, that when Mariano tells Piper Lydia is dead, I didn’t even blink an eye. I did not believe it. Not out of denial or love for characters; I simply just did not think it was possible with the type of story it was presented to be. I suspected Lydia would show up at the end. It’s what all the readers are rooting for!

Now this is not me saying “You killed my favorite character!! WHY!!”  That isn’t what’s going on here. This is me saying You promised me a story about a heroic rescue of Piper’s best friend, so obviously I’m not going to believe it when said friend is “killed”. That’s not what you told me the story was about!

I wanted to read about the power of friendship saving a friend. Not a friend fighting justice in the name of her dead best friend. If that’s the deal, then just tell me from page one. Don’t trick me and mislead me to believe I’m getting something I’m not.

Just my scatterbrained, weird opinions…

Giving it four stars because it was a quality book.

Negative Content:

None.

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

 

Only Children Chase Sawdust by Willowy Whisper

Only Children Chase Sawdust by Willowy Whisper

Posted on by J.C.

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Title: Only Children Chase Sawdust

Author: Willowy Whisper

Published: 2017

Synopsis: Their whole life turned to sawdust and blew away . . .

Please don’t leave me, Jacob. I need you. I know you’re grieving. Maybe we all are. But you’re chasing something you’ll never catch . . . and we both know you won’t come back alive. (Taken from Goodreads)

Review:

This was quite a read, and certainly unlike anything else I’ve read before. Willowy Whisper’s unique writing style came through as always, while still retaining a fresh feel. The storyline was captivating, and descriptive writing pulled me right into the action. I was enthralled by the characters and the plot alike.

It was a very cute story in a lot of ways, yet in a lot of ways, it was as far from “cute” as you can get—I don’t exactly think of violent massacres as cute—but still, the romance and the ending tied together in a sweet way, tying into the title of course.

Annie and her struggle are so delicate, so raw, so real. She was easily my favorite character. I liked the way the preacher’s subplot found its way in. I hated Obadiah Clark with passion.

I thought the thematic elements, at their heart, were good for the most part. For a while, I wasn’t sure exactly what point the author was trying to make when Jacob is off trying to save souls at the expense of losing his relationship with his wife—whether he was ridiculous or if he was spot-on. (In the end it was determined that he was spot-on, something I’m not sure I agree with completely.)

Unfortunately…to be honest, I would have to say that I am a little disappointed. I understand the story concept and I love the heart behind it…a missionary to the Indians…I absolutely love the heart behind it, don’t get me wrong. However, the way it was delivered was, in my opinion, very cringeworthy at times. I wish we could have spent more time with Akando and understood him, loved him, before witnessing his sudden conversion to Christianity. Same with the rest of the clan. And Obadiah’s deathbed…don’t even get me started.

I love my God. I love spreading His words. It’s my passion and my desire in life. But I’m also a firm believer in the fact that you don’t need a gospel presentation in a book for it to be Christian and to be powerful. I actually think the opposite: except for few exceptions, for the most part, a book laced with conversion stories and salvation is going to drive the unbeliever away. Especially in the case of a short book like this; there simply isn’t enough time in 100 pages to truly develop that, to make it feel real. That said, with the 100 pages the author was ‘given’, so to speak, she did a good job with; it just felt way too rushed. As realistic or as probable as some of these experiences may be, there were too rushed and as a result just seemed really cheesy to me. Due to this, I was disappointed. Willowy’s other books are so beautifully subtle in their Christian themes, creating powerful stories, and I was let down that this one wasn’t as much.

I also disliked the portrayal that it was necessary for him to leave Annie in order to do this. I think some people will read that as Christianity means you let down those closest to you for the sake of souls, which is a glaring misconception. I don’t think that was the author’s intent in any way—I think she meant to instead demonstrate the power of our faith—but I was dismayed at the prospect that it had the potential to come off that way.

Yet, besides this, there was still a lot I liked; I appreciated the heart behind it and I did love the characters. The book as a whole, with its whole Indian-murder thing and romance tied in, was unique and different, as a typical Willowy novel is. Her style is so clearly apparent from page one it’d be imposible to deny, from the writing to the murder-mystery-feel to the intriguing romance, that she penned this book. And don’t get me wrong: aside from some negatives, it was not a bad book by any stretch.

Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 

** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**