Friday, December 28, 2012

Christy Miller Collection

Christy Miller Collection
Robin Jones Gunn
December 28th, 2012
   Okay, obviously I haven't written a post recently. However the first book I'm reviewing after my brief sabbatical is the Christy Miller Collection. This is actually a group of three books in one copy. The first book Summer Promise, the second book A whisper and a wish, and the third book Yours forever.
First of all my general opinion about the writing is although there technically isn't anything wrong with the writing style that was employed I felt it was a little dry and boring. I also thought it was a bit more dramatic than it had to be. 

First Book Summer Promise
    Christy Miller is fourteen years old and is staying in sunny California for the summer. Her Aunt Marti loves to shop, and the surfer boys are everywhere. She develops a crush on surfer Todd. Todd and his 'god-lover' friends are befriending Christy and teaching her.

   Like I said I thought the writing was a little dry, but it was rather touching. It tends to touch on religion quite a bit. Christy's reactions to the challenges she faces are definitely interesting. And a lot of the situations she faces are challenges that a lot of high schoolers have to face. Over-all I think this book is probably a good choice for anyone who likes real-life drama.

Second Book: A Whisper and a Wish
   Christy's immediate family moved to California just in time for Christy's Sophomore year of high school. However, this time she's an hour and a half away from her Aunts house where she stayed the summer so now she has to start all over making friends and trying to fit in. 

   Over-all everything is working out well until an overzealous activity during some midnight fun leads to a stay at the police station. Christy starts to question her newfound faith in god asking questions. Does God really hear every whisper, and why does he make it so difficult to know who your friends really are.

   Again I felt the same problem in the second book. The writing was a bit trite and boring, but it shows that your actions have consequences. It also admirably shows the importance of choosing your friends carefully, and making wise decisions despite pressure from so-called friends.

Third Book: Yours Forever
   Christy is back at her Aunt Marti and Uncle Bob's house for a whole week between Christmas and New Years. The good news is Todd is there too. The bad news is her Aunt Marti and all of her friends from the summer seem to be mad at her. 

   She's becoming increasingly confused because she wants to know. Is Todd hers or isn't he? She finds herself questioning God again. Why would he let everything get so tangled.

   This book focuses more on her relationships and how difficult they can be for a teenager. You're never quite sure where you stand, and how to go about confronting a person you're interested in.


   Again I think Robin Jones Gunn, the author of the books, could use a little work on how to make a story show an image better, but it was still a good read. 

   Over-all I think the Christy Miller series is a good book to read for a teenager facing difficult decisions.

   A free copy of this book was provided by Multinomah publishing for review purposes.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Adrian: Shubhi Singh

Adrian
Authored by:
Shubhi Singh
December 1st, 2012
   Okay, first of all I should mention that this book was written by a middle-schooler so obviously there will be a lot of errors. Now on to the review-
Adrian is about a orphan, Adrian,who is adopted by the Wildes. Although Mr. Wildes does not participate in any abuse toward Adrian, he knows that it happens at the hands of his wife and son, so I don't believe he is a completely innocent party.
   I had a few problems with this book. First of all the idea revolving around a group of supernatural creatures was just kind of thrown in there. I didn't think there was really any reason for making it a group like that.
   Also he was put into an orphanage at the age of eight, but he supposedly had a girlfriend and was leader of a group of these supernaturals before the age of eight. Like I said a lot of things didn't really make sense in this book.
   Over-all I think she could be a good writer if she were a little older, and had a lot more practice, but right now I think she should postpone publishing anymore books, and wait until she's a little older.
   I received a  free copy of this book compliments of Dorrance Publishing Company.

If interested in a copy of this book follow the link below-
http://www.dorrancebookstore.com/adrian.html

The Unnamed:Jennifer L. Oliver

December 4th, 2012
   The Unnamed is a short novella, a prequel to Haedyn. The first chapter of The Unnamed is about a Demon Azazel who is bound and determined to corrupt souls. Willing to go so far as to create his own predestined evil souls. By demons having sex with humans he hopes to create souls that he can turn evil.
   The second chapter of The Unnamed is about a blind orphan, Haedyn, who never quite fit in with the other children. However when she's confronted with pure evil she must make a choice. To allow this demon to train her, to make her evil, or try to find peace with the humans.

   Both chapters have their strong points. I thought the first chapter was more entertaining, however; the second did a better job of painting an image. The first chapter, although the idea was captivating, could've done a better job of using descriptive words to make a better image of what was going on.
 
   Over-all I thought it was an interesting start to a larger storyline and I can't wait to read more.

   This book was provided, in an e-book format, for free by the author for review purposes.