Review: The Evolution of Thomas Hall By Kieth Merrill

Title: The Evolution of Thomas Hall
Author: Kieth Merrill
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publishing Date: May 9, 2011
Length: 454 Pages
Summary: (From book) Thomas Hall is an artist with astonishing talent-and a vainglorious sense of self. Since his days as a child prodigy he has reveled in recognition and believed in his inevitable destiny. Chosen. Entitled. He presumes his artistic brilliance deserves a lavish life of independence, fast cars and drop-dead gorgeous women. 
Thomas Hall wants it all and more.
Destiny has other plans. When "Cass," the woman from the Healing Place, walks into his life, nothing can ever be the same again. 
Thomas finds himself faced with a challenge he never could have imagined, suspended between the snarling beasts of his fanciful imagination that belie the existence of God and the undaunted faith of a little girl named Christina. What he discovers about the child's harrowing escape from death-and the impossibility of what happened at the bottom of the cliff-brings him face -to-face with the most frightening question of his life.
My Thoughts: This book was brilliant. It reaffirmed my testimony in the Savior and strengthened my resolve to use my talents for good. The author has such a way with words and I found myself swept up in his stunning descriptions as he portrayed the several different points of view. I loved every second of the book and enjoyed all the minor characters that influenced and helped create such a wonderful world. I cried in the middle of the book and then sobbed at the end. (It's been an emotion week. MASH reruns put me in tears) The Spirit was very much present in this story and this is a book I am going to cherish for a long time.
Things To Be Cautious Of: There were a few swear words. Never the Lord's name in vain, but the words, 'heck' 'dang' and 'jack__' were used infrequently.

Review: Midnight in Austenland By Shannon Hale

Title: Midnight in Austenland
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publishing Date: February 2, 2012
Length: 272 pages
Summary: (From book) When Charlotte Kinder decides to treat herself to a vacation, she happily leaves behind all the complications of her life in America and heads to Austenland. The country manor Pembrook Park offers an immersive  Jane Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors to provide just a suggestion of romance.
Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte can't be sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Could that have been a real dead body in the attic? And could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love? 
My Thoughts: I have read a few of Shannon Hale's books and I have thoroughly enjoyed  them. When I heard that she was writing a sequel to her lovely Jane Austen tribute, Austenland, I counted down the days until I could pick up a copy. The setting of the book is the same as the first book, but with a few new characters and a few loved old ones from the first book. The plot for this book was a little darker in the fact that this was a mystery with a few twists.  The story line was clever, but it lacked some of the humor that made the first book so enjoyable. Two parts in the book however made me laugh until I cried so that made up for it.
This is adult fiction, so there are somethings to look out for. I admit, I wish I'd known about it. I am not bothered by a few swearwords (Heck, dang, dastard. All used very little) But the suggestive content at times were a bit nauseating.
All in all it was a cute story, but the first book is by far my favorite.

Review: The Body at the Tower By Y.S. Lee

Title:  The Body at the Tower
Author: Y.S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: August 29, 2011
Series: The Agency # 2
Length: 337 Pages
Summary: (From back of book) Now nearly a full-fledged member of the Agency, the all-female detective unit operating out of the Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, Mary Quinn is back for another action packed adventure. Disguised as a poor apprentice builder and a boy, she must brave the grimy underbelly of Victorian London to unmask the identity of a murderer. Assigned to monitor a building site on the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, Mary earns the confidence of the work crew, inching ever nearer to her suspect. But if an irresistible desire to help the city's needy doesn't distract her and jeopardize her cover, unexpectedly meeting up with an old friend--or flame-- just might.
My thoughts: Ok, did I say I love these books? Because I love these books.    Mary is an easy to like character and I love getting to know her. And James Easton. Oh my goodness, can I just marry him? Please? The plot for this mystery was well laid out and I could never quite figure out who the culprit was until the end. The author took her time with research and I appreciate that. It makes the world of difference in a novel. The ending of the book had me so wrapped in, that I didn't hear my family come home and start talking to me until they were practically shouting.
Again, there were swearwords, and the ending of the book was a little traumatizing, but it contains major spoilers and I don't want to ruin it for you.

Review: The Wednesday Letters By Jason F. Wright

Title: The Wednesday Letters
Author: Jason F. Wright
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publishing Date: August 26, 2008
Length: 280 pages
Summary: (From book) They died in each other's arms. But their secret-the letters-did not die with them. True love keeps no secrets. 
Jack and Laurel have been married for thirty nine years. They've lived a good life and appear to have had the perfect marriage. With his wife cradled in his arms, and before Jack takes his final breath, he scribbles his last, "Wednesday Letter." When their adult children arrive to arrange for the funeral, they discover boxes and boxes full of love letters that their father wrote to their mother each week on Wednesday. As they begin to open and read the letters, the children uncover the shocking truth about their past. In addition, each must deal with present-day challenges. Matthew has a troubled marriage, Samantha is a single mother, and Malcolm is the black sheep of the family who has returned after a mysterious  two-year absence. 
My Thoughts: Um...where do I start? I love epistolary novels and I thought that this book was going to be one, but instead, it focused on the children's lives and then threw a couple of letters in. I found the writing to be choppy and confusing and the family so close knit and sharing so many private jokes, that I got a little lost. Malcolm was my favorite character because was real and relatable and I've always liked that name.
Matthew, the older brother, reminded me of Loki from Thor; but that has nothing to do with anything, nor does he really have any Loki tendencies....it must have been the brother against brother bickering that convinced my nerdy heart that they were similar.
The plot bounced back and forth a lot and again, I got a little lost trying to keep up. The story deals with forgiveness so there is mention of a few hard things that happened during the parent's married lives and how that affected the family.  Over all, it was enjoyable and I enjoyed the message, but it's not one of my favorites because of the dry writing style.
Things To Be Cautious Of:
Warning! Major Spoilers. Highlight to continue reading.
One of the letters hint that the wife has had an affair and is pregnant with a child who she doesn't know who the father is. You later learn that the mother was sexually assaulted by a homeless man and that the child is the product of rape.

Review: A Spy in the House By Y.S. Lee

Title: A Spy in the House
Author: Y. S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: February 8, 2011
Length: 335 Pages
Series: The Agency #1
Summary: Orphan Mary Quinn lives on the edge. Sentenced as a thief at the age of twelve, she’s rescued from the gallows by a woman posing as a prison warden. In her new home, Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls, Mary acquires a singular education, fine manners, and surprising opportunity. The school is a cover for the Agency – an elite, top-secret corps of female investigators with a reputation for results – and at seventeen, Mary’s about to join their ranks.

With London all but paralyzed by a noxious heat wave, Mary must work fast in the guise of lady’s companion to infiltrate a rich merchant’s home with hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the Thorold household is full of dangerous secrets, and people are not what they seem – least of all Mary.

Packed with action and suspense, and evoking the gritty world of Victorian London, this first book in the Agency series debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits.

My Thoughts: I love this book. I have been waiting for a series like this and am so happy my library actually had this book in stock. I'm planning on going to buy the entire series once the snow lets up enough for me to get to the book store.  I was internet browsing and came across this book and was instantly captivated by the cover.  If there's one thing that I am instantly attracted to, it's books that hint at Victorian London and mystery. This book was wonderful. I loved the fluid change between Mary and James's perspectives. Mary is a strong character with a  enigmatic past and I'm hoping to learn more about her as the series progresses. Truth be told, I actually have a little bit of writer's envy for this book. The plot line is so brilliant and the characters are similar to something that I am working on, that I have just a little bit of jealousy.

The other part of me is ecstatic that such a story like this can be pulled off. Kudos to the author! My favorite part is probably the flirtatious partnership between Mary and James Easton. Their banter was witty and intelligent and I laughed out loud several times throughout the course of the story.  The mystery was intriguing, I did not see one part coming, and I enjoyed the writing immensely and finished the book in one sitting. 
Somethings To Be Careful Of:
Language:  We're talking the lovely British swearwords here. I am not as bothered by these as I probably should be, but here you go:  The word 'bloody' was used a few times; including the expression, "Bloody h__"  The word, "Da__" and its ending of, "Able"  The Lord's name was taken in vain about three times. 
Other Content: Mary mentions that her mother had to fall to prostitution to support their family, a character, Mr. Thorold, is rumored to have gotten one of the maids pregnant, Mary is accused of being Mr. Thorold's mistress.

Review: The Running Dream By Wendelin Van Draanen

Title: The Running Dream
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publishing Date: January 11, 2011
Length: 332 pages
Summary: (From back of book) Sixteen-year old Jessica is a runner. It's not just what she does, it's who she is. So when a tragic accident causes her to lose one of her legs, she is shattered-inside and out. Though the doctors say she'll be able to walk with a prosthetic limb, recovery is slow and full of pitfalls. Jessica wonders if the girl who died in the accident didn't get the better end of the deal. But as she struggles to reclaim her life, Jessica gets to know Rosa-a girl with cerebral palsy whom she and her friends had always overlooked. Not only does Rosa come to Jessica's rescue in math, she also helps her reach for a future that is full of unexpected opportunities. And Jessica starts to wonder: Is it possible not only to walk again, but to run? 
This was a wonderful book. The message was positive and I grew to have a greater appreciation for my own body as I learned about Jessica's struggles to start over without her leg. Jessica was a wonderful character and I enjoyed watching her grow from resentment and bitterness to resiliency and hope and finally full circle as she crossed that finish line.
Rosa was a beautiful character; very philosophical and deep and I would love a book just about her.
Things To Be Cautious Of: The Lord's name is taken in vain once somewhere in the middle.

Review: Torrent By Lisa T. Bergren

Title: Torrent
Author: Lisa T. Bergren
Publisher: David Cook
Publishing Date:  June 1, 2011
Length: 388 pages
Series: River of Time #3
Summary: (From back of book)  Gabriella and Evangelia Betarrini are just two normal American teenagers. Normal-except for the fact that they time travel to fourteenth-century Italy, where they've lived in castles, become swept up in historic battles, and fallen in love with handsome knights willing to do anything to keep them alive.
They've returned with their mother to the present to save their father before his tragic death, and now the family travels back to the place that holds the girls' hearts; medieval Italy. Both remaining there means facing great risk as the battle for territory wages on and the Black Plague looms. Will the Betarrinis truly be willing to risk it all? Or in facing death head-on, will they discover life as it was always meant to be?




My Thoughts:  This series was such a wild ride. I enjoyed reading these, but it did have it's down sides. But we'll do the good first.  I loved Gabi's strong willed character and Luca's constant teasing; the characters really came to life in these books and that is something I loved.  The plot was twisting, and kept me guessing, even though some parts were pretty obvious on how it would all turn out. I've never read a book with fighting scenes and must say I found the action in these to be realistic and moving. It didn't feel forced or flat which can be difficult in describing movement. 
The message of the books was a positive one. It taught me to rethink my life and live in the moment and enjoy life because you never know what will happen next. It also made me think about God's hand in my life and to look for His influence in everything.
Now for the negative. I first heard about these books under a clean read site and must say that these books were the most violent, and at times racy pieces of fiction I've ever read. It was disappointing that they would be filed under 'clean fiction' and still have parts in it that were hardly appropriate. There were several acts of violence I found to be unsettling and in the final book, Torrent, towards the end, the villain begins harming innocent people in a very disturbing manner. Maybe I'm just sensitive to things like that. But had these scenes been in a movie, the rating would surely be PG-13 at it's lowest.
The sexual tension in the books was also a little questionable. Gabi is a seventeen year old girl and she falls for Marcello who is just a few years older than her. That's fine by me. They kiss in the first book, more passionately in the second and by the third book, were practically making out.  Spoilers here, mouse over to keep reading: Marcello and her end up getting married, and they justified her being underage by saying she had matured enough and was really ready for such a commitment. There is a scene of kissing where both talk about desire and Gabi hints at not waiting until the wedding to go off and do you know what. They keep it clean, but only after pulling away with much reluctance. The wedding ceremony was cute, and I think it should have been left there. But instead, the story continues to them in the bedroom with Marcello unbuttoning Gabi's dress and says something along, 'growing closer in the hours that followed' so you clearly get the idea of what they were doing. The scene cuts there, but picks up in the morning with him jumping back in without his shirt on and you learn that Gabi is topless. 
I'm sorry, but this girl is seventeen! Do I want to be reading about this in a piece of young adult fiction? Absolutely  not.  I find it offensive and just plain wrong. To tell you the truth, I felt guilty after reading it. No wonder the youth today have such a low sense of purity, it's inescapable! It's everywhere in the media. Magazines, TV, movies, books; even Christian,  proclaimed, 'clean fiction' books. 
I just find that really ironic.
One of the characters I really liked was Lord Greco. He was a character you could never be sure which side he was on and I wish I knew more about him. I understand the author is writing a novella about him; the cover is gorgeous, by the way, but it's only being published as an E-book so I probably won't get to it. 
All in all, I would give these books three out of five. The plot was interesting, the characters compelling, but the several innuendo remarks and violence really turned me off.