It is not fair that I, a girl who never cries, should have to cry so much. Between alpha reading A Question of Courage and reading this book, these laIt is not fair that I, a girl who never cries, should have to cry so much. Between alpha reading A Question of Courage and reading this book, these last few days have given me wet eyes and a broken heart.
It's not that I mind books that give me lots of emotions. I love them, in fact. They're my favorite kind. But ... but ... it's simply not fair. I'm emotional exhausted, mmkay, Miss Wheaton!? No more! Write about ponies and rainbows; I can't handle this anymore.
Really, though, Jesseca, don't you ever stop writing stories like this.
A more serious review:
A Place Called Lonesome is a heartbreaking, but still inspirational, story that, among other things, humanizes the enemy, shows the true sacrifice that many soldiers make every day to protect their country, and makes you cry ... or at least hide in a closet for a couple hours pondering the terrors of war. And yet ... it's hopeful. It's beautiful. It's definitely well-written.
This ten-minute-read short story (yes, you heard me; she packed all this into maybe 2,000 words) is definitely worth finding and reading. I definitely recommend it.
That was a short but delightful read! I wasn’t expecting too much from it (short stories aren’t always my favoritOriginally posted on Reveries Reviews
That was a short but delightful read! I wasn’t expecting too much from it (short stories aren’t always my favorite, especially prequel short stories), but this was really a cool story.
I liked Nyssa, although as this was a short story, there wasn’t a lot of time for tons of character development. But she still seems like an interesting character – and she was definitely a good person, even though her circumstances forced her to do some bad things.
Mr. Calloway was also very sweet. I really enjoyed reading about him, and I’m excited to see more of him (I think?) in the rest of the series.
There wasn’t time for a lot of world building, so I won’t comment on that. The ending was also a little bit rushed – perhaps even a little hard to understand – but I think we can attribute that to a shortage of space.
As far as content, there was some violence (which any teen should be able to handle; more sensitive middle-graders might not want to read this or to read this with their parents), but no language or sexual content.
Overall, this was an intriguing prequel. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series – and especially to see how the author fits all the backstory revealed in this novel in without plot-dumping (if she does).
I feel like there was only meant to be one or two of these books and Janette Oke just kept stringing them out ’cause they were popular. I didn’t reallI feel like there was only meant to be one or two of these books and Janette Oke just kept stringing them out ’cause they were popular. I didn’t really enjoy this book very much. I liked Elizabeth and Wynn still, yes, but I guess I just got sick of them. It’s the same Elizabeth and Wynn of the last three books, and I guess some people really want that, but I just can’t take it anymore.
I guess I just ended up being kinda disappointed with this series as a whole. I did love the first book, but after that they got steadily worse and worse. Yes, there’s a lot of sweet Christian content, but I never absolutely loved Elizabeth. Then, in this book, the ending seemed so random and just there. Not worth the rest, in my opinion.
The third book in the Canadian West series did not disappoint! True, it was a little draggy at points, but I still enjoy Elizabeth and Wynn and all the people at Beaver Creek. I think I’m just about done with this series; I’ll probably read the next book and then stop.
SPOILERS! I guess I’m just disappointed that Elizabeth and Wynn didn’t have a child … and in all likelihood won’t, from what I can tell. END OF SPOILERS!
Genre: Christian Historical Adventure (with light romance)
Era: World War Two
Setting: Kansas and the South Pacific
Publisher: Jesseca Wheaton
Source: from author (in exchange for honest review)
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars
If you’ve read my review of A Question of Honor, you’re probably moaning and thinking, “This is gonna be such a long review.” Well, it … ended up being pretty long, yes. I’m really excited about this book, okay? It’s simply the best!
Also, I’ve been waiting so long to tell you about it, so if anything, I’m showing restraint. *is literally dying of excitement* *okay, not literally* *but imploding, at least*
ALSO, my #1 Christmas Present this year is going to be A Question of Honor and A Question of Courage in paperback. I need them desperately. (Make a note, Mom. :P )
Just a disclaimer: I’m kind of looking at this book through semi-rose-tinted glasses because I love these characters so much. Also, I’ve read it twice: I alpha-read once and then I read it again this last month.
PLOT: 4/5 ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.
Okay, never did I imagine when I began this book that it could be so heartbreaking and amazing and just good. I loved the first book, and I was thinking I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as A Question of Honor. Honestly … I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t be as good.
Well … it was just as good.
The plot was absolutely grabbing.
There were a couple loose ends that needed wrapping up (mostly Art and Derek), but I think the author intends to touch on them in Book 4 (which she has now confirmed will exist! I’M GOING TO DIE!). (Also, I’m so excited for Book 3!) (Did I see a subtle Micah/Ann possibility?) (Because that would be so amazing!) (AND ENGLAND AGAIN YAY!) (AND MICAH!) (AND ERICH!) (I’ll stop now …)
I did have a tiny problem with the plot – I felt at times it seemed to go on a bit. I wondered if some of the scenes really moved it forward or if they were just fillers. It felt like that sometimes, at least. But … that was probably just me.
Some of my favorite scenes were the ones with Lily. The bookshelf … and then that letter … oh, my gosh. The letter was the best part of the whole book. (If you’ve read it, you know which letter I’m talking about.) I loved the Oz Gang, and Rafe’s adventures were all interesting, but Lily just gets me here. *places hand over heart*
The only other thing I have to talk about before I move on is the message. WOW. That was incredibly powerful. You know, I really believe God inspires Jesseca’s books. Especially this series. He is in them in such a big way! It’s quite impressive. We all knew the theme was going to be ‘courage,’ but … it was so well-done! Not “in your face,” but integrated into the story in a beautiful way. Well done!
CHARACTERS: 5/5 Oh, the awesomeness! In most books I love (or all, rather), there’s a character I really adore, but in this one, it was pretty much all the characters! And so … I’m going to go through many of the characters and the individual things I liked about them (AND EXCUSE ME IF IT’S LONG, BUT I CAN’T HELP MYSELF).
Rafe
HE IS AWESOME. Okay, so, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Rafe. I mean, I knew he was David’s brother so he had to be at least decent, but … I admit I felt he was going to replace A Certain Character I Loved in Book One.
But … Rafe was awesome. I came to love him. He was interesting, his arc was well-developed and just lovely, and he was a great guy overall. I loved how caring he was despite his jokestering. He was just a really sweet, loving guy!
Lily
I asked Jesseca to write about Lily in my review of aQoH, and … and … SHE DID. I mean, it wasn’t probably entirely influenced by me, but … I don’t know, it makes me so happy!
And it was totally everything I’d hoped for. Lily is simply an amazing woman. She is the kind of “strong female character” that girls should look up to. I just can’t believe her strength! And yes, she has faults (because it would be boring and unrealistic if she didn’t), but she is a fighter. An overcomer.
Art
I wasn’t sure what to think about him at first. I was like, “Who is this random character? Why do I like him?”
Well … he turned out to be a great character. I honestly adored him! He reminds me a little of myself, but also of my best friend, so it made me very happy. I honestly want to read this book again focusing on Art. (Yes, I read books focusing on one aspect of them sometimes … don’t look at me like I’m weird!)
Elaine
I couldn’t help mentioning her just ’cause SHE’S SO SWEET. I honestly didn’t understand the differences between her and Lily until just now. But now I do. *nods*
David
MY DARLING. I really love David. I mean, he’s not Gil, but he is simply an amazing man. I would marry David. I mean, I want to marry a more extroverted guy, but I want him to be gentle, caring, and wise like David. Gil would be a better fit for me, but David is still awesome. And even the little we got to see of him was amazing!
Little Gil
What? Doesn’t this little bundle of cuteness deserve a spot? He’s awesome. (And the way Lily handled his behavior was awesome, too. Good for her! Parents need to be stern with their children.)
And … that’s about it. I’m not going to list any of the others (Derrek, Mrs. Sullivan, and Joyanna all get honorable mentions, just so you know!), but let me just say they were awesome!
SETTING: 5/5 I feel like the setting was even better than last time! It was quite amazing, in my opinion. I loved all the little peeks “back at home” best. The diner and the music and … it was all just amazing.
Honestly, I wish there was something negative so I could make this section longer, but I thought it was extremely well done.
WRITING: 5/5 I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I love Jesseca’s writing style.
That is all.
CONTENT: 1/5 Language: n/a
Violence: there’s a war going on. So planes are being shot down, ships are being sunk, etc. Death and near death. And a man is injured and has his arm amputated, no details except the emotions of the man. Never graphic or scary.
Sexual: romantic feelings. The men on the ship with Rafe don’t respect women and boast about their conquests – no details.
Other: SCARY HOSPITALS. *shudders*
I honestly can’t think of anything else. Super clean. Okay for anyone 12+, younger if you’re not sensitive to war stuff.
OVERALL: 5/5 I just can’t express to you how much I loved this book! It was absolutely lovely. Just … the perfect sequel to a book I really adored. But now I can’t decide which is my favorite. They’re both awesome in their own individual ways.
So … if you love WW2, amazing characters, amazing plots, amazing writing, an amazing message, or basically books, you should read this story! DO IT NOW IT’S AWESOME. (But start with Book 1, haha.)
Read this when I was eight or nine. I thought it was a little slow and boring, but kind of interesting. I felt like Mary was kind of passive, and so sRead this when I was eight or nine. I thought it was a little slow and boring, but kind of interesting. I felt like Mary was kind of passive, and so she irritated my somewhat....more
Okay, to be honest … I found this one a little dull. It was just a lot of Richard Hannay rambling through ScotlanOriginally posted on Reveries Reviews
Okay, to be honest … I found this one a little dull. It was just a lot of Richard Hannay rambling through Scotland meeting random people, most of whom had thick accents I couldn’t decipher. And occasionally he’d almost get caught by the bad guys in an attempt to liven things up.
Just not my thing. The prose was unnecessarily lengthy, and it worked too hard to be funny. In a conceited way. It was hard to understand and hard to barrel through. I had to skim several times because I just couldn’t take it any longer.
Series: Tales of Faith, #2 (can function as stand-alone)
Genre: Christian Fairytale Retelling
Setting: non-magical fantasy world
Publisher: Amanda Tero
Source: from author (in exchange for honest review)
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars
The Review:
Just as with Befriending the Beast, I loved this book. It was definitely a five-star read, and, as with BtB (what? I like acronyms!), it was special. I love the idea of retelling fairytales with father/daughter relationships. It’s sweet and an amazingly creative twist.
(Note: all the blog tour stuff is at the bottom of this post, including a giveaway, info about the other tour stops, etc. Be sure to check it out!)
PLOT: 5/5 I tried so hard to come up with something to say here other than the fact that it was amazing, and I did manage to come up wit the fact that a twist at the end seemed a little out-of-nowhere. But, then, that’s kind of the point of a plot twist, right?
Basically, it was a sweet story – and at times a heartbreaking story – that was amazingly original. I especially like the whole thing with Lia’s crippled foot. That has got to be the best take on the slipper story ever!
CHARACTERS: 4/5 I had trouble keeping a few of them separated in my head, but, overall, they were great.
Lia was such a sweetie, and I really felt for her! I just wanted to give her a hug. And tell her about Jesus. Because she really needed Him, poor baby!
Raoul‘s character arc was really impressive. I felt bad for him, although I don’t think I really identified with him that much.
Dumphey and Noel were awesome. I love how they took care of Lia, especially Dumphey!
Jolin has got to be the best supporting character ever.
Bioti was awful. Some of her motivations didn’t make sense to me, but I guess she’s just a disturbed lady …
SETTING: 4/5 I feel like this could have been done a little better, but it was pretty good. The descriptions of the village, the forest, and such were great. I would have liked to understand the feudal system in this imaginary world a little better, but we can’t have everything, especially in a novella.
WRITING: 5/5 I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I really like Amanda Tero’s writing style. It’s really neat and minimalistic, but it’s also somewhat flowery and old-fashioned. It just gives me a happy feeling.
THEME: 5/5 After reading another of Miss Tero’s books, Journey to Love, I remember emailing the author and saying that she had really inspired me … and that was true!
CONTENT: 1.5/5 Language: n/a
Violence: mentions of dying/death, Bioti strikes Lia once or twice.
Sexual: n/a
Other: mentions of people dying in a plague, a scene in a jail, someone almost gets hung for thievery, a child was kidnapped in the past, Lia has club-foot.
Okay for all teens. More sensitive younger children may be a little disturbed by the idea of being kidnapped, hangings, etc. However, almost anyone should be able to read this book; it was very clean.
OVERALL: 4.5/5 The Secret Slipper by Amanda Tero is a fantastic book (that I have simply got to buy in paperback soon). I’d recommend it to any middle-grader or teenager who loves Christian fairytale retellings.
I don't really know what to think about this book. I mean, it was interesting in some ways, but I felt that it was just too short to support the "chooI don't really know what to think about this book. I mean, it was interesting in some ways, but I felt that it was just too short to support the "choose your own ending" format. It ended up confusing. Especially since I'm the kind of girl who has to explore every possible variant. I wasn't sure what message I was supposed to come away with, and a couple of the endings seemed anti-climatic.
However, it was an interesting story, and it was interesting to see how one little choice can affect your life so dramatically. The writing and setting were both well done, and I liked the baseball theme. It felt very '40s-ish, which was cool.
Well, that was a waste of several perfectly good days.
Honestly, all the plot was great. The characters were good. The writing was decent. The setting Well, that was a waste of several perfectly good days.
Honestly, all the plot was great. The characters were good. The writing was decent. The setting was my favorite place on earth. But several things ruined this little collection for me.
The author tried to cram too many storylines, too much time, and too many characters into the stories. I was able to survive through the first book without getting too confused. However, in the second book, I could barely keep track of all the characters and the epilogue was terrible, with major info-dumping and random plot lines introduced (which were never mentioned again).
In the third? Don’t get me started on the huge time difference between it and the first two, the characters and plotlines I couldn’t keep track of, and the inconsistencies.
Then the ending of the third book was terrible. It just didn’t end how it was supposed to. This is no ‘personal preference’ thing. The ending was horrible, and it gave the wrong message.
As far as content, I’d say PG or PG-13. There are many mentions of prostitutes (called saloon girls) and one of the characters is the daughter of one and has to deal with the shame of her parentage. A character was raped (no details). Mentions of miscarriages, pregnancy, etc. No language, very little violence.
I was excited to read this book because I really enjoyed Horse Haven Book 1, No Pizza Delivery? The second book in the series did not disappoint. It was just as funny. The author’s writing has also improved a great deal; there aren’t so many typos, grammatical mistakes, etc.
Plot: 3/5
I admit that the plot isn’t extremely strong. There is no real arc, no main theme. It’s mostly about Ruth’s adventures, often hilarious, around the horse ranch, her meeting new people, etc.
This is all fairly believable, interesting, and entertaining (especially for a horse-lover like me), except for one thing. Every boy who comes to the ranch seems to be attracted to Ruth. I find this unbelievable! I mean, she’s a younger teen – I think she was like fourteen, right? Thirteen? Maybe fifteen at the most? – and it’s ridiculous that all these teenage boys would be so attracted to her.
Aside from that, it was a good plot.
Characters: 4/5
The characters were all well-developed and fun. I especially like Ruth (of course!). Her narration is very clever.
I didn’t see as much of her brother as I’d have liked to, but the couple scenes in which he was were great. Her dad and grandpa are standup characters, especially her grandpa. He’s hilarious!
It was interesting to meet all the people who come and go at the ranch – whether to get lessons or board their horses.
But, of course, the best character was Amerigo. ;)
Setting: 5/5
I know, I know. This is partially ’cause I’m a sucker for horses, the south, and anything related to those two subjects. But I felt that it was well-portrayed. I could feel the hot days (even though I’m much more heat-tolerant than Ruth, I think) and see the meadows and … it was just well-done. I commend the author.
Writing: 4/5
This book was well-edited, much better than the last one. I really enjoyed Ruth’s sarcastic narration. It’s really a great writing style.
Content: 2/5
Language: n/a
Violence: Ruth gets thrown from a horse, suffers from heatstroke, etc.
Sexual: a boy says he’d be willing to have sex with Ruth (Ruth is frustrated and angry at this). A couple boys ogle Ruth. One boy tries to kiss Ruth (but she’s saved just in the nick of time).
Other: some rude humor, though it’s never raunchy.
Good for young adult audiences. Young teens may need some parental guidance because of the way the boys act around Ruth.
Overall: 4/5
This was a great story, although I hold that it could have been a little better in the plot area. I loved the characters and the clever narration. I’d probably not recommend reading this book before you read the first book in the series, though.
(I wrote this for school in the format of a five-paragraph essay.)
Some books start out good, but just fade away towards the end. Carry On, Mr. Bowditc(I wrote this for school in the format of a five-paragraph essay.)
Some books start out good, but just fade away towards the end. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham is one of those books. This novel, first published in 1955, is about Nathaniel Bowditch, a mathematician, navigator, linguistic specialist, and all-around scholar of the early nineteenth century. By looking at the characters, plot, and historical accuracy, we can determine if Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is a worthwhile read.
This book featured many characters. It was sometimes hard to keep them from flowing together in my mind, especially as one after another seemed to die. Sometimes I forgot who was still alive, and the moment a new person became important to Nat, my brothers and I started betting on how and when he or she would die. However, many of the characters were interesting and a few were memorable.
This is primarily the story of Nat’s life from the age of six to an important accomplishment which he made, probably in his late thirties. Although historical fiction, it is also semi-biographical, so a lot of the story is true. It was a fairly exciting story, and my brothers really enjoyed it. I, of course, was more interested in Nat’s personal life than his sailing exploits, but that’s just me. However, the end was sudden. I would have liked to know more about Nat’s future.
As far as historical accuracy goes, I can only conclude that this book was meticulously researched. I don’t know a lot about Nat Bowditch, but I believe this to be a fairly accurate representation of his life. I was also impressed with the attention to detail on all of Nat’s research and on navigation.
We can now determine that Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is a fairly worthwhile read having looked at the characters, plot, and historical accuracy. The characters are many and varied, but sometimes it was hard to remember them all. The plot was quite interesting and even exciting; however, the end was sudden and unsatisfying. The author’s research was plainly thorough, and the historical details added a special layer of realism to the novel. Overall, this is a fairly good book if you want to learn more about Nat Bowditch, but otherwise, it’s not really worth the read.
I really enjoyed this when I was ten or eleven. It's a really neat idea.I really enjoyed this when I was ten or eleven. It's a really neat idea....more
I read this book with my family for school. It was really good, although the ending was bittersweet and there were a few loose ends I felt needed tyinI read this book with my family for school. It was really good, although the ending was bittersweet and there were a few loose ends I felt needed tying up.
I loved the little backstory/mystery with the Lytes (I think I'm spelling that right!). Cilla and Rab were my favorite characters, although I liked Johnny despite his imperfections. It was great to see him grow. Also, I loved Goblin (no, it's not silly to have a horse as your favorite character).
It was cool how some of the British were portrayed as normal people instead of devils. It felt more realistic. I mean, they're English. One or two of the soldiers have to be gentlemen, right? ;) Seriously, though, it was nice to see both sides portrayed as having faults.
There were also some characters I hated ... Isina and Mr. Lyte. I hated Miss Lyte for most of the book, only to be pleased with her in the end. I was like, "Okay, you've semi-redeemed yourself ..."
Overall, this was a great story I'd recommend to anyone 8+ (my nine- and twelve-year-old brothers loved it!) who enjoys historical adventures.
This was a great book, but I didn’t really care for the main character, Joshua. The way he wasn’t able to handle hanging out with the bad guys for a couple weeks without losing grip on his faith doesn’t speak well for Christianity. Even though he had to act like a bad guy, his faith should have carried him through it. And I know “bad company corrupts good people,” but … still.
Other than that, it was an amazing book. It did have some heavier themes (a young lady recovering from rape and a prostitute with a child are both main-ish characters), but they were handled really well.
I wasn’t sure what to think of this novel when I first began it. The author doesn’t really even offer us a synopsOriginally Posted on Reveries Reviews
I wasn’t sure what to think of this novel when I first began it. The author doesn’t really even offer us a synopsis to go off of! However, I read it in an afternoon. It wasn’t the best story I’ve ever read, but it was really good.
Plot: 4.5/5
This is the tale of a young couple who must recover from an Indian massacre during which most of their loved ones were killed. Jacob, the husband, leaves Annie in the care of some military men to go preach salvation to the Indians.
The plot does seem to rush or slow down unnecessarily in a couple places, but I really did enjoy it. It was both sweet and heartbreaking. There were times when I was close to tears, which is rare for me.
Characters: 4.5/5
Jacob: I was really skeptical of his choices from start to end. I knew it was the right thing to do, but like Annie, I just wanted him to stay!
Annie: *breaks out the tissues and comfort food* My heart is broken. I may never recover. *sobs* Also, Annie and Jacob were so cute together. Just sayin’.
Akando: his development happened too fast, but he was a great character nonetheless. I just wish a little more time could have been spent on his development.
Obadiah Clark: oooh, I could kill this man! I really wish I could. Except that would be wrong. But he’s a fictional character, so … *considers the jail fines for killing a fictional character* *realizes I have killed several fictional characters* *shrugs*
There were several other characters, but I won’t mention them because I don’t want to write an overwhelmingly long review. They all seemed well-developed to me, however.
Setting: 3/5
This is the real failing-place of the book, in my opinion. There just wasn’t enough focus on where we were. It made no impression on my brain if the time or place were ever mentioned.
It might have been nice to see dates at the beginning of the chapter or something similar. Just so my mind would know where it was supposed to be.
Writing: 5/5
I really enjoy Willowy Whisper’s writing style, and this was no exception.
Theme: 4/5
I really did enjoy the themes of forgiveness and spreading the Good News (even to your enemies), but occasionally it seemed like the Christian content was a little bit forced. Still, great themes. I wish I was as brave as Jacob!
Content: 3/5
Language: n/a
Violence: a massacre and Indian torture methods are described in some details, people die or almost die, murder (apart from the massacre) is attempted
Sexual: kisses between a married couple, mentions of pregnancy and childbirth (few to no details), a man pushes himself on a woman repeatedly (not as in rape or anything like that, but as in persistent courtship which is almost inappropriate)
Also some drunkenness, few details. Rated PG-13 for violence.
Overall: 4/5
This is a great book, and I’d recommend it to any lover of Christian historical adventures. There were a few short-comings, but they weren’t overwhelming and in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
This is a sweet story that I loved when I read it as a small child and loved again when I read it a year or two ago. It's really simple and easy to unThis is a sweet story that I loved when I read it as a small child and loved again when I read it a year or two ago. It's really simple and easy to understand, but there are subtle things that I didn't catch when I was little that I caught when I read it more recently ... so I think it's good for all ages, not just children. :)...more
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