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I read One Second After by Forstchen several years ago, and when I read that VanDerSys was inspired (at least in part) by that book I had high hopes for this title. Unfortunately I didn't find it nearly as interesting, as well written or as well researched.
The premise is simple. a 16 year old girl has traveled several miles from home (a home she had recently moved to) to break up with her long distance boyfriend so she could pursue a guy where she now lived that she found attractive after seeing him a few times but didn't really know. While at a gathering with friends, where she chose to dump her boyfriend, an EMP goes off killing all electronics. She then decides to make the journey home alone and that is the story that is told.
While we do encounter the expected "bad" elements - they are all portrayed as being drug addicts, as if the people we consider law abiding citizens under normal circumstances would not possibly turn to a life of self-interest and bad behavior. The only other "bad" character is portrayed as a fat and creepy neighbor prior to the EMP. Everyone else was either someone willing to help, or they just locked themselves inside.
I also have a hard time believing that a 16 year old with very little experience, an old map and a gun that she had never shot before would have fared as well as this one did - surviving on granola bars, jerky, and a canteen with a water filter that was all given to her by adults that appear to have no issue with sending her off on her own.
I found myself skipping quite a bit of repetitive description (especially towards the end when the characters are retelling their story over and over to others) to get to the end only we never really get to the end. Yep, that is right. Our main character doesn't actually arrive home at the end of the book. We end with her on the road to her home after she was told that there was word of several break-ins and possible nefarious deeds in the area...
I will read the next book because I already own it and I hope the writing and story has improved in it....
The
Wanderer is a man shrouded in legend. Moving from place to place in the
land of Nod, he is known primarily for the curse that hangs over his
life. When that curse is invoked during the celebration of a murderous
rampage, The Wanderer is summoned to tell his story.
Few know the
truth of the tale encompassing life, death, love, hate, faith and
doubt, for it has been obscured by centuries of rumour. Now, it will be
told by the one who lived it—the man who became The Wanderer.
A
story you know as you've never heard it before, The Wanderer Series
presents the ancient tale of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4, reimagined in
gripping new fiction.
My Review:
Honestly, when the author sent out a request for advanced readers for The Wanderer Scorned, I knew I had to read this one. It has been quite a while since I have reviewed for a publisher or an author, but the story really intrigued me.
Woodcraft covers the events from the Fall of Man to shortly after Cain killing Abel and connects it all to Lamech's bold statement that, "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold," after he killed a man. This statement brings about the telling of Cain's (or Kayin as it is spelled in the book) story to those who are present.
I'll say upfront, I had a difficult time at the beginning of this book. Woodcraft makes every effort to transliterate names from Hebrew to English, often choosing to use a phonetic spelling, which varies from spellings we are accustomed to: Chavah for Eve, Kayin for Cain, Havel for Abel etc. I appreciate that she explains this at the end of the book, but at the beginning it takes a bit to become accustomed to it.
It was also obvious that this is Woodcraft's first novel. It doesn't immediately draw the reader in, BUT hang in there because it is well worth sticking it out. She seems to find her writing "groove" a little later in the story, and when she does you will really begin to identify with Kayin.
As a work of Biblical fiction, this novel does a great job of filling in the blanks left by the sparse details of Kayin's life. You see family drama unfold, you recognize how hurts and misunderstandings can damage relationships, and how those can lead to a moment that can never be undone.
I love that we get a peek into the mind of Kayin throughout the book, and how relatable he is. He asks questions that many of us have asked ourselves, such as:
"He (Havel) said he had followed Yahweh's voice. What did he even mean by that? Had he heard the voice alone, or had others heard it? Had it een like the wind by the river or a voice inside his head? I longed to know what it felt like to hear the voice of Yahweh. Perhaps if He just spoke to me, I would get the answers I needed."
or
"Oh, I knew I could never have the same relationship with Yahweh that Havel had; I wasn't born with that easy connection to Him. Yet if I worked hard enough, kept my feelings in check - even prayed regularly- perhaps something might change."
If you have been a disciple of Christ for any length of time, one or the other ( or maybe even both!) of these thoughts have probably crossed your mind. Who hasn't longed for a closer relationship?
I won't spoil the story by telling you what caused Kayin to take the life of his brother, but I will say that by the time you get there, you will be able to relate to him.
One of the great things about this book is that it gives life to people other than Kayin and Havel. Woodcraft takes the time to create backstories and personalities for several siblings. And by the conclusion you too are going to be anticipating the next installment in what looks to be a great series!
One final thing, Woodcraft is not just a Biblical Fiction author, but a songwriter as well, and that gift appears several times throughout the book. Worship, including worship through song, is woven throughout the lives of the first family on Earth. And the lyrics that are included in the novel are beautiful. Don't believe me? Check this out!
"On the twins’ first birthday, we were sitting together outside the
hut. In a rare moment, Havel was not in my mother’s arms but was
crawling on the floor with Avan. They had invented a new game, climbing
over the top of each other and then giggling furiously when one of them
tumbled. I shifted my weight to my hands and knees and crawled towards
them. Havel looked at me wide-eyed, but Avan chortled and came crawling
forward. I swept my arm under her belly and tickled her until she rolled
over on to her back, legs in the air and holding her toes.
Havel decided to join in. When he crawled forward, I tickled him in
the same way. However, he resisted rolling over and continued towards
me, grabbing hold of my arm. I swung him up and around onto my shoulder,
where he grasped my ear and started chewing it. I laughed aloud as he’d
found my single ticklish spot. Then, he fell into my arms and I blew on
his stomach, reducing him to fits of giggles. When I looked up, Ima was
watching us, her face radiant.
Then Abba began to sing, his low voice rumbling through the valley:
Give to Elohim all praise,
He is our source; by His breath, we were made.
Formed from the dust to subdue the land,
Taken from my side, she was placed at my hand.
*
Then blessed to procreate, producing more
Offspring to fill the earth and adore
Yahveh, for in His name is might,
All power and goodness are His right.
*
We fell, alas we listened
To the lying tongue that glistened,
In the light of the fading day.
Only darkness evermore would reign.
*
Or so we thought.
*
Yet Yahweh has blessed us again,
For we followed His command, when
We multiplied! And blessed we have been
With three to bring glory to Elohim.
*
Yahweh – my rock – forgive our iniquity;
Set us free, provide sanctuary.
Cleanse us, make us new once more.
May we fulfil all you have designed us for.
*
We sat silently afterwards for many moments.
Even the babies were still. Then a gentle wind whipped around us and
caressed our hearts. "
Even better, Woodcraft created a video of the song as well!
All that to say, this book is well worth the read! You can pre-order it on Amazon here.
Let's start with what I liked. The main character is a middle aged, happily married stay at home mom. She isn't some SUPER mom that has perfect hair and make up, making gourmet meals for her kids while working at a high powered job and still keeping it sexy for her hubby. She wears sweatpants, is concerned about the mega sexy young lawyer her husband works with, occasionally gets side tracked and forgets to do something for her kids and has real life struggles. I love that about this book.
What I didn't like was all of the "I" statements throughout the book. It is written in first person, so there are repeated sentences that include:
"I sat...", "I took...", "I pulled...", "I thought...", I passed...", "I went...", "I think...", "I've still...", "I need...", "I hadn't...", "I decided...", "I'd lost....", "I'd deal...", "I concentrated...", "I still....", "I haven't...", "I think....", "I had....", "I realized...", "I managed...", "I really...", "I haven't...", "I guess..."
All of those are from ONE page (273) of the book. I like Shelby (the main character) but I didn't like reading "I" ALL THE TIME!
The story is interesting, if a bit far fetched for me. Shelby witnesses a bank robbery at her local grocery store and receives a head injury during the robbery. As a result she suddenly is able to hear the thoughts of the people around her. This inadvertently leads to her becoming involved with a local crime boss. Not a bad summer read, but I was able to read it through Amazon's Prime lending library. I didn't like it enough to purchase the next book in the series.
Lots of quotes from this book were added to my commonplace book. Lots of poignant thoughts and meaningful paragraphs. However, the flowery writing and (overly) poetic sentences made it difficult to fall into every time I picked it up. It would take several pages to adjust to Ann's writing style before the words could penetrate my soul and speak to me. Once I fell into the language, though, it was nourishment and a reminder of God's love for each of us. Voskamp issues a call to return His love through gratitude and shows us how doing so inevitably draws us into a deeper, fuller relationship with Him.
What do an ex-con, a former drug addict, a real estate broker, a college student and a married mother of two have in common?
Nothing,
or so I thought. Who would have imagined that God would make a prayer
group as mismatched as ours the closest of friends? I almost didn’t even
go to the Chicago Women’s Conference—after all, being thrown together
with five hundred strangers wasn’t exactly my “comfort zone.” But
something happened that weekend to make us realize we had to hang
together, and the Yada Yada Prayer Group” was born! When I faced the
biggest crisis of my life, God used my newfound Sisters to show me what
it means to be just a sinner saved by grace.
My Review:
Why has no one told me about this book yet?!?! Originally published eight years ago and reprinted in 2013, I would have thought someone I know would have read this and shared it with me by now. Since it wasn't shared with me, let me share it with you....
Jodi is the middle class, middle aged, married mom of teens. Avis is her boss and church acquaintance that convinces her to attend a local women's conference. While there, they are grouped with 10 other women for a breakout prayer session. Before the conference is over their faith in the power of prayer is challenged and they decide to rise to the occasion and continue the prayer group.
I won't give away too much of the plot, but I will say that you will probably identify with aspects of at least one of the Yada Prayer sisters. Whether you find yourself facing what appear to be impossible odds, fighting to recover from past mistakes, trying to decide if the whole "God thing" is real, dealing with the pain of lost relationships, or struggling with feeling far from God this story helps you to realize that you are not alone.
There are those that have reviewed this book as being too "preachy" or "churchy". I say they missed the point. For me the point was that we are all in a different place on our journey to know Jesus, but that doesn't mean we don't each have something to offer those around us, and that we don't each have something still to learn. Were parts of the book "churchy" or "preachy"? Maybe, but couldn't we all use a reminder that life is more than just our circumstances? Or that life was not meant to be walked alone? I think so!
The Yada Yada Prayer Group is an easy read, it is well written and moves along at a decent pace. I did feel that it wrapped up a little too quickly and a little too neatly, but I hope that the second book, The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down, continues where this one left off and delves into things a little deeper. Still, this was well worth the few hours invested in reading it and I have already begun book 2.
A mother's love for her unborn child and a struggle to save what remains of her love for her husband is our introduction to this fascinating book. To the emotional appeal add a dash of science fiction and you have The Dream Daughter.
This is a well-written page-turner that I couldn't put down! So glad I had the opportunity to review it thanks to #SheSpeaks and #StMartinsPress. My heart broke for Carly when she received the news that her unborn baby suffered from a heart defect that meant certain death. And yet it is that tragic news that began an adventure that Carly, nor the reader, could ever have expected. Chamberlain does a phenomenal job weaving the storylines together and drawing us into the characters lives. I recommend you #ReadTheDream and see how it turns out! You won't regret it.
Publisher's Description of The Lying King:Can warthogs fly? Do tigers eat broccoli?
For answers, follow along as Warthog lies his way to the throne in this timeless, yet most timely, Tale from the Watering Hole.
Will the Truth catch up with the king?
Find
out as Alex Beard’s whimsical animals come to life to illuminate real
world truths for children of all ages. With a nod to Aesop and Kipling,
this funny and pointed parable has lessons for everyone, from the
playground to the boardroom and beyond!
My Review: Politics and children's books, not two things that I would expect to go together. Yet Alex Beard, in The Lying King, weaves a story of a warthog that rises to power through a series lies and the (supposed) inevitable outcome of such actions.
While this tales is definitely a nod to Aesop and/or Kipling in its style, I found it a bit disturbing. While I can't lay my finger on what exactly unnerves me about the story, I can say that the plot seems to be written more for adults than children. While the illustrations are engaging and the rhyming prose keeps us turning the pages, the story just feels off to me.
I will say that Beard's tale is a cautionary tale of choosing to look the other way when faced with overt lies. Children may be able to glean the notion that lying is bad from this fable, but in the end, it isn't one I would put on our bookshelf.
75 MILES by Robyn VanDerSys
Publisher's Description of