Book review: "Aquifer" by Jonathan Friesen

“Only He Can Bring What They Need to Survive. In the year 2250, water is scarce, and those who control it control everything. Sixteen-year-old Luca has struggled with this truth, and what it means, his entire life. As the son of the Deliverer, he will one day have to descend to the underground Aquifer each year and negotiate with the reportedly ratlike miners who harvest the world's fresh water. But he has learned the true control rests with the Council aboveground, a group that has people following without hesitation, and which has forbidden all emotion and art in the name of keeping the peace. And this Council has broken his father's spirit, while also forcing Luca to hide every feeling that rules his heart. But when Luca's father goes missing, everything shifts. Luca is forced underground, and discovers secrets, lies, and mysteries that cause him to reevaluate who he is and the world he serves. Together with his friends and a very alluring girl, Luca seeks to free his people and the Rats from the Council's control. But Luca's mission is not without struggle and loss, as his desire to uncover the truth could have greater consequences than he ever imagined.”

“Aquifer,” by Jonathan Friesen, was a fairly predictable future dystopian society fantasy novel. Although there were a couple of things that weren’t predictable from the very beginning, once the hints were there it was easy to see the plot points coming. The beginning of the book was kind of confusing, and I flipped through the first couple of chapters several times trying to figure out who the different characters were and how they were connected. I finally gave up and all the connections were revealed later in the book, but the way it was set up was still confusing.

There was quite a bit of Christian symbolism, which I think is fine for books like this, but then there were other parts where I couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be literal or symbolic. An author should decide if he is going to use religious comparisons or flat out have religion, but it gets weird when both are used.

I also didn’t enjoy the end. It, too, was confusing. In fact, when I set the book down, I even said, “Worst ending ever,” out loud.

The teen love story was sweet, the interconnections of the people were good, and the lessons learned were relatable, but I felt the overall book was too confusing to be enjoyable.

 

disclosure: the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®.

Book Review: Dateline Jerusalem, by Chris Mitchell

“History’s final chapter will be written in Jerusalem. When an Iranian president thunders a murderous threat or an obscure Turkish drunkard has a dream in Mecca or a Jewish couple from Brooklyn lands at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, these events might seem disconnected. But they’re not. In Dateline Jerusalem, CBN News correspondent Chris Mitchell connects the dots and unveils Jerusalem as the epicenter and crossroads of the spiritual, political, and, yes, supernatural worlds. For thousands of years, Jerusalem’s powerful draw has transcended simple economics, military strategy, and religious affiliation. In our own time, as the Arab Spring threatens to become an Islamic Winter, one commentator warns: “The Arab Spring doesn’t lead to democracy, it leads to Jerusalem.” Indeed, the fragile peace of Israel is in new peril as violent Islamic factions vie for control of surrounding nations. Yet Muslims are converting to Christianity in record numbers. Dateline Jerusalem untangles and chronicles all this through the riveting narrative of a Christian reporter in the upheaval of the modern Fertile Crescent. We live in a world where we cannot afford to be ill informed. What happens in the strategic Middle East, Israel, and Jerusalem is critical. It matters to you. Today’s news might focus on Washington, New York, London, or Moscow, but history’s final chapter will be written in Jerusalem.”

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I think the last days is a fascinating topic of study, and the summary of the book sounded really cool. I was looking forward to the dreams and supernatural events, but I actually found the book very dry and unexciting to read. The book was written well, and was very informative, but I was disappointed in the lack of more exciting stories. I feel like if the teaser promises “thunderous murder threats” and “crossroads….of supernatural worlds” it should be more thrilling of a tale. Maybe the teaser should have just said what the book really is: a timeline of happenings in the Middle East, some of which I was aware of from watching the news.

Overall I was disappointed and often bored when reading this book. If I had known it would be less enthralling and more like reading a news report, I probably would have selected a different book to review.

disclosure: the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®.

Book Review: Dark Halo, by Shannon Dittemore

“One halo brought sight to Brielle. Another offers sweet relief from what she sees.

“Brielle can’t help but see the Celestial. Even without the halo, the invisible realm is everywhere she looks. It’s impossibly beautiful—and terrifying, especially now. Because a battle rages above Stratus, Oregon.

“The Terrestrial Veil is ripping, and demons walk the streets past unseeing mortals. Dark, sticky fear drips from every face, and nightmares haunt Brielle’s sleep.

“Worst of all, Jake is gone. The only boy she’s ever loved has been taken by the demon, Damien. When she receives instructions from the Throne Room leading her to Jake, she unknowingly walks into a diabolical and heartbreaking trap.

 “Now she’s stranded in a sulfurous desert with the Prince of Darkness himself, and he’s offering her another halo—a mirrored ring that will destroy her Celestial vision. All she has to do is wear it and she’ll see no more of the invisible world. No more fear. No more nightmares. No more demons. It’s a gift. And best of all: it comes with the promise of a future with Jake, something the Throne Room seems to be taking from her.

“Will Brielle trade the beauty of the Celestial and the truth of the world around her just to feel ordinary again?”

 

The book, Dark Halo, by Shannon Dittemore, is the third in the Angel Eyes trilogy. I really enjoyed the first book in the trilogy, Angel Eyes, but this one, Dark Halo, fell a little flat for me. The story line seemed a little week, like she wrote it just for the sake of having a third book. I think most of the story could have been wrapped up in a slightly longer sequel instead of a trilogy.

The actual dark halo in the book seemed to not play that big of a role. She wasn’t really that torn about it, at least that’s the impression I got. And there were several aspects of the plot line that remained unanswered when all was said and done.

Overall, the book was just okay, but not something I would read again or recommend to others to read.

disclosure: the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®.

Book Review: Pursuing Justice, by Ken Wytsma

“If God designed us to experience true happiness and abundant life, why do so many Christians feel dissatisfied and purposeless? We try to make our lives better by chasing our own dreams, but that only makes the problem worse. Instead, the path to a just life that’s satisfying and permeated with meaning leads us alongside the orphan, the widow, and the powerless. Using clear evangelical theology and compelling narratives drawn from two decades of global ministry and travel, Ken Wytsma, the founder of The Justice Conference, shows God’s unchanging love for all His children. On the way, the author calls us back to a proper understanding of biblical justice, a redeeming glimpse into the true meaning of righteousness and the remarkable connection between our own joy, the joy of others, and the wondrous Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pursuing Justice shows that God isn’t primarily concerned with personal piety but about empowering His children to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their creator. The message is as hopeful as it is fresh: when you discover anew the meaning of the Gospel and give your life away, you will find it…and it will be the best life you can imagine.”

I found Pursuing Justice a difficult book to get in to. It was not a very easy read and I didn’t sit down and read it through like I do most books, even dry ones.  I’m sure it’s a decent book with good ideas in it, but with my busy life style, I like reading more entertaining books. There were illustrations and diagrams to back up the points made in each chapter. With quotes and stories to try to make it easier to read, the author did try to make up for the lack of entertainment in the meat of the book. It felt like he was just trying to make it longer, though.

I will keep this book on my shelf, but am glad I didn’t have to pay for it.

disclosure: the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®.

Thoughts on: Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell

This was another book about animals from an animals point of view. My kids seem to like these ones!

In Black Beauty (which my 6-year-old has named her new black kitten), we read about Black Beauty's experiences throughout his lifetime. A lot of the people were really mean, which led to some good discussions about the proper way to care for and treat animals. And some of the book was quite sad when he was taken away, treated badly, or another horse died.

I'm not sure if any of us really enjoyed this book a whole lot, but I guess I'm glad we read it.

Thoughts on: The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann David Wyss

This book was suggested by my husband. He loves the old Disney movie version of this story, and thought the kids would really enjoy the book. The one we checked out was an illustrated version, and I'm not sure it was really the entire story. I need to check out a non-illustrated version and read it to myself to see if it's any different!

Nonethelss, it was still a fun book to read outloud. My 6-year-old's imagination went wild with thought of being shipwrecked on an island and encountering all the fun animals the Robinson's saw on their island! My 3-year-old had nightmares about some of the animal encounter's, though. And my 6-year-old was a little confused why they killed so many animals that they saw, too. It led to some good discussions and was overall a fun story, despite all the animal killing!

Book Review: Be the People by Carol Swain



image from Amazon.com



As a conservative Christian myself, I was looking forward to sitting down and reading Be the People, by Carol Swain. Its subtitle reads: A call to reclaim America’s faith and promise. That is something I can definitely identify with.



But as I began reading it became clear that Ms. Swain’s opinions and ideas were extreme. She spends pages describing abortion procedures, an entire chapter bashing President Obama as a person- not his politics, and desperately tries to use scripture from the Bible to back her views on immigration.

As someone who believes that America could take a step back from the direction it’s headed, and take a look at many of these issues deeper, I feel like Ms. Swain is alienating those who might share some of her viewpoints. You don’t get people to change their minds on an issue by slamming them, telling them how wrong they are, or trying to disgust them or shame them.

The best way to try to change someone’s opinion about weighty matters, such as abortion, racism, and immigration, are to serve them, love them, and pray for them. You can’t “twist someone’s arm” to make them take your side.



Overall, the underlying ideas in the book are good: try to make America a better place; but the way she attempted to send this message is seriously flawed.

 disclaimer: the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®.