A Chameleon, A Boy and A Quest Book Review

SUMMARY:  The Adventure of a Lifetime
     Journey through Africa with ten-year-old Mu and discover how one simple encounter can change everything.  J.A. Myhre's new adventure fiction series for kids and young adults blends magical realism, page-turning action, and subtle gospel themes.
     Orphaned ten-year-old Mu's drudgery-filled life changes forever when he meets a talking chameleon and the pair embark on an adventurous quest in the ever-changing landscape of Africa.

REVIEW:  This was an intriguing story of a boy trying to find out where he belongs.  Mu's companion is a chameleon who directs him where he needs to go, helps him communicate with other animals for help and food, and gives him advice about life.  The journey he takes is dangerous, fraught with men who want to kidnap him, animals that could kill or maim him, and paths across the savanna and up high mountain passes.  Along the way, Mu learns more about his birth parents, the uncle he lived with and what he is made of.  He makes some very difficult choices, the consequences of one he will have to live with for the rest of his life.
     This novel was written for families and young adults.  There were a couple of places I wouldn't want my younger child to read because it was difficult for me.  But, all in all, it was a great story of God's faithfulness and leading us along life's highways.  Check it out and see what you think.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group and New Growth Press 

for review without compensation.

J.A. Myhre, MD, serves as a doctor with Serge in East Africa where she has worked for over two decades.  She is passionate about health care for the poor, training local doctors and nurses, promoting childhood nutrition and development, and being the hands of Jesus in the hardest places.  She is married to her best friend and colleague Scott, and together they have raised four children for whom these stories were written as Christmas presents.

Unbound Book Review

The Omega Trilogy

Book One

SUMMARY:  He must be released for a little while but the one who sees doesn't believe.

     Elijah Goldsmith has nightmares he needs to ignore.  Why would a rich kid from Manhattan dream three straight nights about a dragon and the destruction of St. Peter's Basilica?  He's never even been to Rome.

     It's bad timing, too.  He's graduation soon and applying to be a spy in the International Security Agency.  That's where he meets Naomi.  She's the kind of girl who makes boys like Elijah want to share their secrets.  Were they brought together to learn what his secrets mean?  There's more to their sparks than they think.

This is 2066.  The year the world ends.

REVIEW:  I don't read many book about the Apocalypse.  The imagery of this setting/time period alone is difficult to grasp many times, much less the "technology of the future" that is referred to in this genre.  Fascinated by the summary, I wanted to see if this book would be any easier to understand.  The author takes a different view of the symbolism by making it literal, different from anything else I've read.  The idea and concept is unique and sometimes very intriguing but most of the time I had to make myself pick up the book because it did not hold my interest.  

     Elijah is not your typical Christian hero-type.  His background is of the Jewish faith but he does not practice it, nor is he a Christian.  In fact, true Christianity has gone underground.  The government now controls what is preached in the pulpits.  All Elijah is concerned with is getting into the ISA (an spy agency controlled by the United Nations, which pretty much controls the world, except for a few hold-outs) and getting Naomi to be his girlfriend.  Everyone is so secretive it's hard to figure out who to trust and who to be wary of.  There were a few characters that I pegged correctly but some I didn't.  The story starts out slow but once the action picks up, it takes off.

     I am interested in reading the next book, which comes out today, to see how the story continues but it is not one I am going to run out and grab.

This book was provided by Believers Media for review without compensation.

J.B. Simmons writes thrillers with an apocalyptic twist, and political philosophy clothed in fantasy. He lives outside Washington, DC, with his wife, two toddlers, and an intriguing day job.  Well-educated and highly articulate, the emerging author has learned to combine his love of fiction with his own creativity.  J.B. went to law school with the main goal of becoming a better writer. Years of practice in the professional legal world have honed his skills - because in law and in fiction, every word must have a purpose, chosen with care. J.B. writes smart fiction. Picking up what he can from his favorite novelists, he strikes a chord between the crispness of Hemingway, the complexity of Faulkner, and the accessibility of CS Lewis. Learn more at jbsimmons.com.

Worth the Time Book Review

Waltham Academy Book Two

SUMMARY:  Lindsey always wondered why her Dad never felt she was Worth the Time.

     Doesn't anyone feel she's worth their time?

     Routinely ignored by her single mother, high school senior Lindsey Hamilton hides her loneliness behind a mask of flirtatious self-confidence that has many boys wrapped around her finger.  However, during community service required for graduation, she meets a shy guy with a haunted past who barely gives her the time of day.

     Why doesn't he like her?

     Then the father she thought had abandoned her before birth wants to meet, and she discovers everything she believed about him is a lie.

     How will Lindsey learn to trust so she can realize that she has been loved all along?

REVIEW:  Ever heard the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover?"  This book is a perfect example when applied to Lindsey.  She comes across as a girl with everything you could ever want, a flirt who's out to get every guy she can to like her then dump them, and someone who is not so nice to people who aren't her friends.  But, when you look behind the scenes, you see someone who is lonely, hurt, and looking for something meaningful in her life after being hurt horribly in Ninth grade, even though she won't admit it to herself.  My heart broke for her when I read how she was humiliated and used in Ninth grade by a boy at her old school.  I love how, once the truth comes out about Lindsey's dad, the author has him wanting to become very active in her life, flying her to visit him and his family every few weeks, keeping in touch with her on social media, and doing what he can to make up for all the years he missed.  I love how her grandmother, one who was so instrumental in the lie about what Lindsey knew and didn't know, makes things right with Lindsey and her father.  Most of all, I loved how Lindsey started changing from a self-centered brat to a young woman with a heart for others.
     This is my favorite of the two books in this series, so far.  You don't necessarily need to read the first one to comprehend everything in this book, but it does help fill in the blanks when it comes to Ellie and Dylan. 

This book was provided by the author for review without compensation.

Laura Jackson loves books - reading and writing them.  A life-long reader, Laura studied English in college and taught 7th grade language arts before earning her Master's degree and becoming a school librarian.  Now, she spends her days sharing great books with kids and her evenings writing books about teenage girls discovering God and his plan for their lives.

Worth the Wait Book Review

Waltham Academy

Book One

SUMMARY:  If God really loves her, how can things go so wrong?

     Ellie Lansing has a picture-perfect life with a close-knit family and the perfect boyfriend.  But her world is suddenly knocked off center when her drool-worthy boyfriend cheats, and her always-has-it-together mother is diagnosed with cancer.  Ellie doesn't get it.  She always does the right thing - doesn't God owe her a happy life?

     Through her heartache, Ellie learns that sometimes what seems like the end is really just the beginning and that what God has for us is always worth the wait.

REVIEW:  Worth the Wait is Laura Jackson's debut novel.  She does a great job making her reader feel like they are part of Ellie's story, showing you how Ellie deals with all the disappointment and changes that occur in her life without going overboard.  I like how Ellie doesn't just jump into another relationship after she and Dylan break up, especially when another young man makes his interest known, but learns to be her own person and not part of a couple.  Now, she doesn't always make the right decisions but she does learn from her mistakes and to trust the LORD to direct her path.  I can't wait to give this to my teenage daughter to read.  I'm looking forward to other books in this series and by this author.

This book was provided by the author for review without compensation.

Laura Jackson loves books - reading and writing them.  A life-long reader, Laura studied English in college and taught 7th grade language arts before earning her Master's degree and becoming a school librarian.  Now, she spends her days sharing great books with kids and her evenings writing books about teenage girls discovering God and His plan for their lives.