Fix By Force is a story of loss and addiction, but it also speaks to forgiveness, redemption and new life. The themes are strong throughout the book, and a Christian emphasis can be seen at some points but is not blatant or a focus of the book.
Shane, a senior in high school, has lost his father in a car accident and his mother to a drug addiction. Feeling alone and insecure has lead to issues throughout his life, but many of his problems stem from bullying at school. One boy in particular, named Zack, consistently attacks him (physically, emotionally and verbally). Shane's relationship with his mom is tenuous, and often results in fights. And he is struggling to continue work at the grocery store where he is employed.
After a long fight with his mom he discovers some things that his dad left behind. Unsure what the glass bottles contains he runs from his house with them and takes them to school the next day. When he is ratted out by one of his "friends" Shane gets expelled from school for bringing drugs with him to school.
If being expelled was not enough, his mom is arrested on drug charges and he has to go live with an uncle that he hardly knows. He is also given the ability to attend an "expelled school" where his life drastically begins to change.
An addiction to steroids, a relationship with a girl and the death of a dog lead Shane to the climax of the story, where he must make some decisions about who he wants to be and who (or what) he is going to let control his life.
The story was novel for me, and I enjoyed the first person style the book was written in. I thought the portrayal of the steroid addiction was well written. I also felt like the relationships and the people throughout the story were given emotion and connection to Shane, making them an intricate part of the story. Overall I would give the story a 4 out of 5, and it would be highly recommended.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The River
The River is a very well written book by Michael Neale. The oopening chapter catches the readers attention hook, line and sinker. THrough a tragic accident a boy loses his father and is left with a lifetime of fears and worries. The story of Gabriel Clarke and his battle with fear, fitting in and a desire to know his father follows in the next chapters. There are stories of his childhood, and we see him conquer many of his fears and find a way to live with the loss of his father. When Gabriel is around 20 years old he is invited to go on a spring break trip with oen of his steadfast friends. He accepts the invitation, but is nervous about what the trip will hold for him. On this trip he meets a girl named Tabitha who is adventerous and spunky, and begins to develop feelings for her. Little did gabriel know that this trip would change his life forever. The last chapters include a story of redemption and forgiveness when Gabriel is introduced to the man responsible for the death of his father.
The River was a beautiful story of pain, struggle and heartache; but it also told a wonderful story of redemption, forgiveness and happiness. I would recommend this book to anyone. An engaging story that Neale wrote in a way that made you feel like you were connected with Gabriel. The emotion of the story felt as if they were my own. I would rate The River 5 out of 5.
The River was a beautiful story of pain, struggle and heartache; but it also told a wonderful story of redemption, forgiveness and happiness. I would recommend this book to anyone. An engaging story that Neale wrote in a way that made you feel like you were connected with Gabriel. The emotion of the story felt as if they were my own. I would rate The River 5 out of 5.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Garden of Madness By:Tracy L. Higley
Garden of Madness is a story of the life of Tiamat, the daughter of Nebuchadnezzer. The kings daughter desires to make change in the world, she wants to impact something. Throughout the story we see the struggle for truth, even when the truth is not something nice. In the opening chapters we find Tiamat being given away in marriage, and her father going mad. The story then picks up almost seven years later. Tiamat's husband is now dead, and there is talk of her being given in marriage to a Mede in order to make an alliance. Wanting her freedom, and desiring to stay with her father in Babylon Tiamat engines to search for a way out of the marriage. But her quest for freedom continually leads to more questions.
Throughout the story the readers see Tiamat growing in maturity as she begins to e concerned for more than just herself. She grows wiser as well, understanding that people are not always who they seem. And finally she grows in her faith in God, and begins to turn away from her polytheistic heritage.
The story was well written. I found some parts to be dry, but most were scenes were engaging. If you love Biblical historical novels then I would highly recommend this book, however if that genre is not your favorite then you might find the book a little slow. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the plot. Overall garden of madness was a good story.
Throughout the story the readers see Tiamat growing in maturity as she begins to e concerned for more than just herself. She grows wiser as well, understanding that people are not always who they seem. And finally she grows in her faith in God, and begins to turn away from her polytheistic heritage.
The story was well written. I found some parts to be dry, but most were scenes were engaging. If you love Biblical historical novels then I would highly recommend this book, however if that genre is not your favorite then you might find the book a little slow. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the plot. Overall garden of madness was a good story.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
The Tallest Watchtower
I got this "book" with the understanding that it was only a twelve page document with two stories contained in its pages. I thought that if it got through publishing that the stories inside would be well written and thought provoking. However I was disappointed, the grammar was poor and the sentence structure was less than admirable. The stories themselves were not entertaining, they were simple and random.
The first story is called "Lucy" and is a story about a family who adopts a little girl, and the girl then dies of leukemia. The family then decides to adopt another child.
The second story is if a man who works at the trade towers on the day that they are attacked. The man gets out of the building and runs home to his family, but his family doesn't even know he is there. He travels with a friend back to the towers and realizes he is dead.
The stories both have a good premise, and could make for interesting stories, but because of the poor grammar and ideas that are not completely thought out they seem simple, and almost silly. They would be good works to use in a classroom for practicing grammar, but otherwise are not the best stories ever.
The first story is called "Lucy" and is a story about a family who adopts a little girl, and the girl then dies of leukemia. The family then decides to adopt another child.
The second story is if a man who works at the trade towers on the day that they are attacked. The man gets out of the building and runs home to his family, but his family doesn't even know he is there. He travels with a friend back to the towers and realizes he is dead.
The stories both have a good premise, and could make for interesting stories, but because of the poor grammar and ideas that are not completely thought out they seem simple, and almost silly. They would be good works to use in a classroom for practicing grammar, but otherwise are not the best stories ever.
Babylons Falling
Babylons falling is a novel about the life of Daniel after Jerusalem was invaded and the people taken captive. The story begins on the road from Jerusalem to Babylon. It tells of the struggles and worries of the people on their journey, and moe directly tells the story of Daniel, Mishael, Hananiah and Azariah. The story continues as they are brought before the king as seers and asked to explain his dream. Daniel and his three friends become well known in the eyes of the king for being able to give meaning to his dream. The story of the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lions den are also told in this story.
I would give the book a the out of five stars if I were rating it. The writing was well done, but the book was not as engaging as I would have hoped. Seem places seemed slow and difficult to read, and some of the more exciting parts of the story lacked detail to keep the reader engaged. I thought the love story part of the book was very well written. The author speaks of Daniels wife and the love he has for her, but does not make it inappropriate or inaccurate. I thought he wrote the affections and love of marriage very well.
I would give the book a the out of five stars if I were rating it. The writing was well done, but the book was not as engaging as I would have hoped. Seem places seemed slow and difficult to read, and some of the more exciting parts of the story lacked detail to keep the reader engaged. I thought the love story part of the book was very well written. The author speaks of Daniels wife and the love he has for her, but does not make it inappropriate or inaccurate. I thought he wrote the affections and love of marriage very well.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
The Choice (by: Robert Whitlow)
I found this story to be inspiring, captivating and exciting. Throughout the story there are examples of trust, love and passion. Selflessness is shown in a way that many other books fail to capture. I would highly recommend this book as a must read.
The story begins with a young girl going to the doctors office in 1974 and finding out that she is pregnant. The question then becomes, what is the expecting mother going to do with the baby. Whitlow does an excellent job portraying emotions and situations that the Sandy (the mother) has to face. In the story Roe vs. Wade has recently been ruled on legalizing abortion. Sandy struggles with advice from many different people and all their varying perspectives, but in the end decides to not terminate the pregnancy and give the babies up for adoption. As her pregnancy progresses she finds out that she is having twins, and decides to send them to separate families.
The second section in the book is about Sandy a sixteen year old girl named Maria, who comes to Sandy fearful of her own pregnancy. In her desire to help Sandy has the joy of being reunited with her two sons in an interesting, and exciting way.
I was surprised and pleased with the way Whitlow wrote his female characters and portrayed their struggles. The author also made things interesting and engaging without making outlandish. I will be reading more of Whitlow's books in the near future. I would highly recommend The Choice, as and entertaining and thought provoking read.
The story begins with a young girl going to the doctors office in 1974 and finding out that she is pregnant. The question then becomes, what is the expecting mother going to do with the baby. Whitlow does an excellent job portraying emotions and situations that the Sandy (the mother) has to face. In the story Roe vs. Wade has recently been ruled on legalizing abortion. Sandy struggles with advice from many different people and all their varying perspectives, but in the end decides to not terminate the pregnancy and give the babies up for adoption. As her pregnancy progresses she finds out that she is having twins, and decides to send them to separate families.
The second section in the book is about Sandy a sixteen year old girl named Maria, who comes to Sandy fearful of her own pregnancy. In her desire to help Sandy has the joy of being reunited with her two sons in an interesting, and exciting way.
I was surprised and pleased with the way Whitlow wrote his female characters and portrayed their struggles. The author also made things interesting and engaging without making outlandish. I will be reading more of Whitlow's books in the near future. I would highly recommend The Choice, as and entertaining and thought provoking read.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
The House On The Corner
The House on the Corner is a story about a young boy who travels to his uncle's house (on the corner) and is whisked away from danger and into a life of confusion and secrets. This book by Michael Rains was written for youth, and the story has great potential, however I was sorely dissappointed with the writing. When I was reading the book I felt like the writing was sub-par.
The book contained many sections that where the writing was redundant and elementary. The story was told from a young boys point of view so I understand wanting to simplify thoughts, vocabulary, etc. However I do not think quality discription needs to be forgone because of this simplification.
The story was also difficult to follow, and I felt very confused through the whole story. Pieces of the story, such as a corrupt government, hiding from the police, and being on the run from danger have potential of making a great story, however I think vital details were not given, and the story became confusing. I found myself completing this book for the sake of reviewing it, and not for the story itself.
Although the book contained many threads that would make an interesting story, the writing did not develop the story in a way that kept it interesting and understandable. Overall this book had great potential, but poor application.
The book contained many sections that where the writing was redundant and elementary. The story was told from a young boys point of view so I understand wanting to simplify thoughts, vocabulary, etc. However I do not think quality discription needs to be forgone because of this simplification.
The story was also difficult to follow, and I felt very confused through the whole story. Pieces of the story, such as a corrupt government, hiding from the police, and being on the run from danger have potential of making a great story, however I think vital details were not given, and the story became confusing. I found myself completing this book for the sake of reviewing it, and not for the story itself.
Although the book contained many threads that would make an interesting story, the writing did not develop the story in a way that kept it interesting and understandable. Overall this book had great potential, but poor application.
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