Book Review: The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate (2014, 5 stars)

The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When a mysterious manuscript from the forbidden slush mountain arrives on book editor Jen Gibbs' desk in New York, she knows she should put it right back where it obviously came from. That enormous mountain of paper in the conference room is absolutely forbidden to touch, and here she has a piece of it. A significant piece of it as it turns out because once Jen starts reading the decades old manuscript called The Story Keeper by an unknown writer, she is hooked. Not only because of the poignant tale of Rand and Sarra in the Appalachian mountains as they try to escape the evils of men in the 1880s, but also because she is reminded, strongly, of her own ties to the Appalachians, her painful childhood that she escaped at the tender age of 18 and has done everything possible to forget. With the blessing of George Vida, head of Vida Publishing House, Jen heads back to the place she thought she had left behind forever, Looking Glass Gap, and the memories it contains, in the hopes of tracking down the man she suspects is the author of the story, Evan Hall, who made it big in the publishing world as a teenager and that stopped writing. Evan's style is just like this mysterious manuscript, and the story itself even predates the Time Shifters novels that he wrote and which became a world-wide phenomenon that eventually sent him scurrying into seclusion, the inevitable popularity proving too much for his youth. Jen is forced to face her own memories and fears during this pursuit of a brilliant manuscript, and along the way she might just discover that God is more than the limiting and belittling God her father always preached.

If I were to pick a single word to describe The Story Keeper, it would be . . . fulfilling. I don't say that often, about very many books. I'm actually a hard critic on literature because I hold writers to a very high standard, the same standard I hold up to myself as a would-be-writer. And lately I have been disappointed in Christian literature time and again because these books could be brilliantly compelling and instead are merely so-so. That is not the case with Lisa Wingate. I enjoyed Wildwood Creek when I read it earlier this year, but it is The Story Keeper that grabbed me, kept me reading from one chapter to the next, wishing I didn't have to go to work the next day so I could read into the wee hours of the night, wondering about Rand and Sarra's future as Jen researched them, hoping against hope that Jen would find healing by returning to her hometown. I invested myself in Jennia Beth, in her story, in the story that Even Hall had penned and Jennia Beth had found. I even wished that Evan's hit book/movie series, Time Shifters, was actually real because I am, in fact, a geek and would have loved them, probably gone to the Renaissance Festival dressed as one of the characters, and maybe even made a trek out to Looking Glass Gap for the twice a year festival that fans of the series indulge in.

The Story Keeper caught me and held on tight, refusing to relinquish my imagination or the little ache it created in my heart. Jennia Beth couldn't have escaped her life of spiritual oppression and legalism on her own. It took the intercession of an older woman in the community, Wilda Culp, to show her a new world, to broaden her horizons, and to give her the courage to make a run for it, to create a new life, to make something of herself, and to not be bound by the terrible experiences of the past by growing up in a depraved misrepresentation of Christianity. Wilda Culp set her free, and I love that. I also love how Jennia Beth realizes, albeit slowly, that maybe, just maybe, the god of her childhood church, is not God Almighty. Because God in Heaven loves her, just as she is, and He does not speak and reprimand and whip through the hands of the men in the church, oppressing the women of the congregation into insane heights of submission. Jennia Beth finds healing from her past, and if she can do it, so can anyone else. She realizes the bitterness, the anger, and the fear, and she finds wholeness. It's beautiful and precious to see unfolding, and I cherished every moment of her healing. I also loved how the book didn't revolve around romance. Sure, there is a spark of connection between Jen and Evan, but that's not the focus of the story, and Ms. Wingate never makes it the focus. She has proved to me that excellent Christian literature can be penned and have absolutely nothing to do with the ooey-gooeyness of excessive romantic inclination.

In other words, I can't thank her enough for delivering The Story Keeper to a reader desperate for a new kind of story. I am excited to try some of her other books, but I don't know if they will touch me as deeply as The Story Keeper. This book is a winner in my eyes and in my heart, and so I give her my heartfelt thanks for writing it.

- I received a free copy of The Story Keeper from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review, which I have wholeheartedly given.

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Book Review: Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate (2014)

Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Allie Kirkland's father died in a tragic car accident, he left a void that nothing could fill. Nothing except the idea of continuing in her father's chosen profession, the glitz and glamor of Hollywood film-making. Despite the disappointment of her family, mother, stepfather, and various half-siblings, Allie is determined to make a go of the Hollywood life, not in front of the camera, but behind. So when the opportunity crops up to intern with a company producing a historic reenactment village, she leaps at the chance. Little mysteries pop up here and there about Wildwood Creek, the town they are recreating, and none more mysterious than the story of Bonnie Rose, the school teacher of 1861 that many locals had claimed was a witch. Coinciding with Allie's story is the story of Bonnie Rose, the book altering between the voices of the two women, one a strong survivor, and the other learning that she's stronger than she thinks.

I confess to being a bit doubtful about the variation of characters. It's hard mentally to jump from one era to another within the same book. I've never much enjoyed the multi-generational stories that span over a hundred years. Because of that part of myself, I wish that Wildwood Creek had been told in two different books. Just when I started getting into Bonnie Rose's story, the voice switched over to Allie's life, and just when I invested myself in Allie's life, I was back with Bonnie Rose. The book is excellent, but I'm just not accustomed to that aspect of Ms. Wingate's style.

That issue aside, some books are just plain good. The writing, the characters, the setting, and Wildwood Creek is one of those books. Both Allie and Bonnie Rose are intelligent, relatable heroines. Bonnie Rose had suffered more than any young woman should have suffered, and her voice is ripe with the pain and fear, but also beautiful when she allows herself to hope. Allie is all spunk and twenty-first century heroine who happens to be just klutzy enough to make me laugh. Getting stuck in a window frame, indeed! I think that's something I might do! The downside is that Bonnie Rose's romantic interest is never fully developed, either one of them. The story just didn't have enough time, but it would have if Bonnie Rose had been given her own book. At least Allie had Blake, and he's developed enough, for the most part, that the reader likes him and gets to know him.

My brain clicks along in a logical way most of the time, unless I choose to turn it off, so there were parts of the story I just didn't buy. Like, what girl in her right mind who hasn't shaved her legs in weeks sneaks off in capris with the young man she loves? Umm, no, not going to happen in any civilized western country. And then there's the cell phone call that she should have made to her friend, but didn't. Kim has a cell phone and Allie could easily borrow one to try and find her, but she never even thinks about it. So, there were a couple of little niggly things that snapped me out of the story's pacing, but most books have at least one or two so it didn't bother me too much.

Overall, Ms. Wingate is a very engaging author whose writing voice is solid and intriguing. It could not have been easy writing from the perspectives of two such different women in two such different time periods, but she managed it with flying colors. I loved all of the characters that I was supposed to love, and despised the ones I was supposed to despise. The book is not a typical romance, but has suspenseful elements interwoven in such a way as to make the story that much more intriguing. All in all, Wildwood Creek is a fun, innovative read, and fortunately for me, I wasn't completely lost upon discovering it was 4th in the Moses Creek series when I hadn't read any of the previous books. It stands solidly on its own two feet and speaks to fans of both historic and contemporary Christian fiction.

- I received this book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review which I have given.

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Book Review: Severed Trust by Margaret Daley

Severed Trust by Margaret Daley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



- I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In the small town of Summerton, life is normal. Kids go to school, parents go to work . . . and people pop prescription pills for fun. Kelly discovers the hard way that being accepted into a pill party isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when another attendee ends up dead. But she's too scared to talk, not even to her best friend Lexie, and certainly not to Lexie's Uncle Ethan who just happens to be a Texas Ranger. Secrets and lies pile up and Ethan is desperate to get to the bottom of the mystery, especially before someone he loves gets hurt.

This is one of those books with a plot so true-to-life that it's terrifying. Pill parties are real. Kids don't just take heroine or cocaine to get high. It can just be a combination of pills snitched from their parents. So, in this regard, Margaret Daley addresses a very real issue that tends to get glossed over in literature, even Christian lit. Prescription drug addiction is real and it can ruin your life.

Now, on to the book itself, I couldn't really put it down. I started it sometime early this morning, before church, and just finished it now. Which means that the story was compelling enough to keep me reading. However, I will say that I think Ms. Daley had a few too many main characters. She changes perspective several times to represent these characters and it was hard for me to remember who was related to who and what their connection was to someone else. Also, I think it climaxed too quickly and with too easy of a resolution. I'm not sure what I expected, but not everything tidily wrapped up, well mostly wrapped up since I'm still not sure about one guy's motive in showing up again in his ex-wife's life.

Ultimately, the book would have been better had it been written strictly for teens. Because I read a lot of teen lit, I found Ms. Daley's voice to match teen lit better than adult. I connected with Kelly and Lexie much better than her adult characters. The teen voice just worked. I would like to see what she would do with a book written solely for teens. I think she would wow the Christian market and I hope she considers it someday.

On the whole, Severed Trust was a very compelling read about a terrifying subject, made all the more scary because it's real.



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Book Review: Critical Pursuit by Janice Cantore

Critical Pursuit by Janice Cantore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Two things exist in K-9 Officer Brinna Caruso's world: her scent-trained dog Hero and her hunt for child predators. Photos she's dubbed the Wall of Slime cover one section of her office, the faces of those child predators reminding her to be ever vigilant. Why? Because Brinna Caruso was once a six-year-old child, handcuffed to a post at an abandoned shack in the desert by a child molester, left to die. Except she was rescued, and even though Brinna's faith in God died that day, His compassion and use for her continues on in her calling as a police officer.

When a lawsuit crops up against her involving the death of a minor, Brinna is temporarily busted down to patrol. And her partner is none other than Jack O'Reilly, local basket-case who ended up "five fries short of a happy meal" when his pregnant wife died in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. She must leave Hero at home and work with a man she would really rather not, especially when her first good look at him reveals not just dead eyes, but empty, creepy eyes. Jack O'Reilly is a train wreck, made worse through his loss of faith in a God he once loved. Can these unwilling partners help one another not only heal, but also stop the sudden influx of missing little girls with a suspiciously similar MO as the way Brinna was abducted and restrained?

I judge my Christian thrillers according to two separate authors. If a writer falls somewhere in between Dee Henderson (pretty good) and Brandilyn Collins (the best there is), then they've succeeded. Janice Cantore's Critical Pursuit hits the mark to perfection, falling somewhere right in the middle. It's always hard reading a book where the main character not only struggles with God, but is outright bitter about Him. But I get it. I get sometimes why there is a struggle because it is very human to feel that He lets us down when something doesn't go our way. Brinna's bitterness doesn't make her unlikeable, just as Jack's raging against the Almighty rather makes me feel compassion than frustration. Non-Christians ask the question, "If God is so loving, how could He allow so much evil in the world?" It's a normal question that they ask, especially now in this era of doubt. And I feel that Janice Cantore covered that question very well, and even though not every emotion is wrapped up in a neat little package by the end of Critical Pursuit, I feel it will be by the end of the series.

One of the things I like most is how Ms. Cantore doesn't delve into the nasty details. I'm sure she saw her fair share of ugliness in her years as a cop, but her readers don't need all of that detail, and so she doesn't give it to us. It's hard and angering to read about pedophiles, but Ms. Cantore spares us too much informatino. And I for one, appreciate it! I don't really read much in the way of suspense anymore, but I couldn't put Critical Pursuit down, well, except to go to church. But my entire thought process for two days was finding time to finish her book because it is so fascinating with such realistic and relatable characters. I admit that I guessed what would happen next so the climax wasn't much of a surprise, but it still interested me because I was emotionally invested in the characters. I'm excited to see where she takes the series and the characters, and I hope I get to see more of Jack's old homicide partner, Ben Carney, who never stopped caring about Jack even when Jack stopped believing. The next book can't come soon enough for me!

Please note, I did receive a free advance copy of Critical Pursuit from Tyndale House Publishers in return for an honest and open review, which I have given. I also hope that the occasional misspellings of words/names and the repeating of the same conversation between Brinna and Tony in my Kindle edition is fixed before actual publication.



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Book Review: Trapped: Caught in a Lie by Melody Carlson

Trapped: Caught in a Lie by Melody Carlson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



GraceAnn's parents graduated from USC and are prestigious and wealthy doctors. She's well on her way to an acceptance letter from Stanford by the end of her senior year. But when her boyfriend, Clayton, breaks up with her, accusing her of being too demanding and high maintenance, her grades plummet for one week, a single week, and in only two classes. Unfortunately, the bell curve for grading results in an F for both exams and GraceAnn's dreams of Stanford grow dim. Until she catches a classmate cheating and suddenly a possibility open before her. Ask to retake the test, using the confiscated answers from her classmate, or just accept the bad grades. the good Christian girl is faced with a choice and before she knows it, GraceAnn is caught up in a web of lying.

I don't get the whole pressure to excel in school. Cheating as a homeschooler was impossible since there was no one to cheat off of other than myself. My folks expected me to go to college, but there was never the pressure to attend a higher-end university. They knew I would go to college when it was time, and I would pick the school that worked with my finances because I would be paying for it. No academic pressure from them, ever, which was awesome. So I don't get GraceAnn. I really don't. And the more she lies, the harder it is for me to connect with her. I get making a mistake that first time and feeling guilty. That's when you come clean because you just can't keep the lie inside. So when she's always talking about wanting to turn back the clock and make different choices, I roll my eyes because she could start making different choices now.

Anyway, despite my lack of empathy with GraceAnn, I realize that her issues are issues that plague high school students everywhere. So this is a very real topic of concern and therefore I think Melody Carlson captured it sufficiently. Even though GraceAnn's story didn't move me, it will impact others, and that's what counts.



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Book Review: Damaged: A Violated Trust by Melody Carlson

Damaged: A Violated Trust by Melody Carlson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Just as I was moved to grief by Enticed and Forgotten, Damaged reminds me of how desperately victims of sexual abuse need support and compassion. When Haley petitions the court to live with her dad, she's hoping that this will be the start of new beginnings. Sure, dad has a girlfriend who's closer to her age than his, but it's awesome being able to dress in clothes she likes and have a little freedom from her mother's overprotective nature. Within a few days of being at a new school, it feels like she's finding acceptance amongst the in-crowd. Never mind that they don't know the real Haley, the Haley who can't stand action movies or vinegar on her fish and chips, the Haley who really doesn't like football and listens to Taylor Swift. And that's the first step down a very dangerous road of pretending to be something she's not just so she can fit in. And when Harris Stephens casts his eye her way after a nasty break-up with his girlfriend, she couldn't be happier because he's everything she's ever dreamed. Or is he?

I know that one of the arguments against this book will be Haley's mother. The woman is a legalistic Christian whose focus is on judging instead of forgiveness. She's resentful, bitter, and beats her children and ex-husband over the head with the Bible instead of showing them the love of God. This might just upset a few folk from a legalistic background, but I couldn't agree with Melody's conclusion more. What Haley and her Dad need is a church founded in forgiveness and the love of the Lord. They found it in the arms of a non-denominational church and that can be something of a touchy subject for some Christians too. Since I attend a non-denominational church and find the teaching to be sound, I'm thrilled for Haley and her dad. Others might not agree or like their need for a non-denominational setting.

A few aspects of the story are also a bit contrived, such as the circumstances surrounding Haley's bad experience. I didn't buy into it completely and if you read the book, you'll see why. But, just as with Melody's other books in this series, she addresses a very real topic that is relevant to teen girls today. She braves a topic that most Christian authors give a very, very wide birth, and I applaud her for it. While this book might not be useful to a girl who has had Haley's experiences, it might help a friend of someone who has, give them insight into what their friend is going through, and maybe help them find a way to prove to their friend that they are not damaged beyond repair.



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Book Review: Forgotten: Seventeen and Homeless by Melody Carlson

Forgotten: Seventeen and Homeless by Melody Carlson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Adele's mom is bipolar. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's a genuine illness that can be treated with proper medication, but can still cause disruptions. It's not really the fault of the individual, it's just life. But for Adele, she wishes for the umpteenth time that her mom could be normal and at least hold a job. She has her college education in a solid field, could bring in a good paycheck, but she just can't focus. All of Adele's hopes when her mom relocated them for her new job go flying out the window when her mom disappears on her with a new boyfriend. She literally abandons her daughter and the facade that Adele has created at her new school, reinventing herself as one of the cool kids, is suddenly in jeopardy. She can't pay the rent, but it kills her to think of losing the new friends she's just made, especially Jayden who she can't help but notice resembles Jude Law. So she keeps up the pretense. At least she has a job, albeit not one that pays enough. But the day comes when the eviction notice is hammered on the door to her condo and her key no longer fits in the lock. Forgotten, living out of her mom's boyfriend's equally abandoned van, Adele tries to make the best of a bad situation, being homeless at seventeen. Is God even listening, and if He is, does he care?

I finally got around to reading the 1st book in Melody Carlson's Secrets and I'm impressed with the strong start she made. The only weak link in the series is Deceived, book #5 I think, about the cults. At least so far. Adele is a tough kid and while she might be down and out, there are certain things to which she will not stoop. And just when hopelessness starts to steal her soul, God steps in and gives her a way out. That's the beauty of this series and while some might find it cliche, I do believe God works in the lives of the downhearted and mistreated. He truly cares and Adele finds that when she reaches the end of her rope, there are people, loving people from God, who are there to catch her when she falls. This book teaches young people to care about those around them and not always jump to the worst conclusion about their peers. When someone is down and out, help them instead of trample them further into the mud. Well done, Melody, another winner!



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Book Review: Shattered: A Daughter's Regret by Melody Carlson

Shattered: A Daughter's Regret by Melody Carlson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Seventeen-year-old Cleo loves her mom, but not her mom's overprotective nature. When the chance comes for Cleo and her best friend Lola to attend a concert in the big city, a Christian concert even, her mom refuses to let her drive. And because the date coincides with a party her mom, Karen, must attend, she can't drive the girls to the concert either. Knowing that she and Lola can make it safely into the city and back again, Cleo figures out a way for them to attend the concert without her mom ever knowing. The guilt is sort of a shock, and she can't really concentrate on the music, but at least Lola had a good time. When Cleo wakes up the next morning, her mom is nowhere to be found. At least until a police officer rings the doorbell with the worst news imaginable.

Choices have consequences, and Cleo learns this the hard way. And the way she deals with the guilt of her last choice is making another poor decision in an attempt to erase her pain. Shattered deals with two separate issues: rebellion and substance abuse. What begins as the prospect of a fun evening with only a little deception quickly spirals out of control. Choices have consequences and when you're a teenager, your protective parents aren't out to squash your fun, they only want to keep you safe.

One of the best lessons learned in Shattered is that you can't make other people's choices your own. Don't heap guilt on your head over a choice someone else made, even if it was from an indirect action of your own. We are responsible for our own actions and cannot control the actions or choices of others, no matter how much we want to.

This one was a tough book to read. I understand the decisions Cleo made because I had a little bit of a rebellious streak in me as a teenager, still do even though I'm an adult now. I get wanting to do the exact opposite of my parent's instruction. In my case the consequences were never severe. In Cleo's case, the consequences were devastating. With a lot of guidance and love from her aunt, Cleo learns to accept forgiveness, both from herself and from the Lord. She has a tough road ahead of her, but I think she'll make it.



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Book Review: Deceived: Lured from the Truth by Melody Carlson

Deceived: Lured from the Truth by Melody Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love how this series doesn't need to be read in order. A good thing since my library only owns the final 2 books for some reason. Totally weird.

While I wouldn't say Deceived is as good as Melody Carlson's final book in this series, it still packs quite the punch. Life is unpredictable and nothing is more unpredictable than those raging teenage hormones. Rachel is unsettled. Her parents have just divorced and her mom wants to start dating again. Their church split just like her parents did. Now she's at a summer resort working in an ice cream shop, trying to advance her dreams of owning her own restaurant.

Naturally, she meets a boy. This boy is from Australia with that absolutely to-die-for accent, and Rachel falls head over heels in a matter of days. When Josiah invites her out to visit his church, Rachel is impressed with the teaching and the conservative values of the congregation. It's only when she loses her job and decides to stay with the congregation, who amazingly all live on the pastor's property, that Rachel realizes she may have just gotten herself involved with a cult.

Melody Carlson's Secrets series strives to teach its readers to think for themselves and not be caught off-guard or unawares by the enemy. In Enticed, the heroine gets caught up in a human trafficking ring because she trusted the wrong people. In Deceived, the heroine makes a similar mistake compounded with the fact that she's a weak Christian who lacks knowledge of the Scripture and so is easily lead astray.

I admit that this story is a little harder to swallow than Enticed. No teen girl I know would think wearing long "granny" dresses and living on a ranch with 100 other people is normal for a church congregation. So the concept is a little far-fetched, but hey, I'm assuming this type of deceit happens because the last time I checked, America is still rife with cults. Deceived, despite lacking the emotional wallop of Enticed, still manages to instruct young women, and any reader really, in the way they should go, looking to God's teaching first and foremost and not being lead astray by false prophets.

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Book Review: Enticed: A Dangerous Connection by Melody Carlson

Enticed: A Dangerous Connection by Melody Carlson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked this book up this morning and finally set it down before heading to work tonight, having finished the whole thing in a matter of hours. It's one of those stories where you just can't stop reading because you're terrified of what might happen to the heroine, and you HAVE to know the conclusion before doing anything else!

When young Christian teen Simi dreams of becoming a model, she never imagines getting herself caught in such a vicious trap as human trafficking. But that's precisely what happens. She doesn't take the proper precautions to fulfill her dreams, moves too fast, and before she knows, it she's been kidnapped to be sold to the highest bidder. Simi pleads with God to spare her and rescue her, strengthening her faith throughout the difficult ordeal she experiences. Will God be faithful and send her an ever-present help in trouble?

I have only one complaint, that of an inconsistency where Simi's hands are tied and then in the same scene they're not tied anymore and she accepts a cup of water. That's it, my one complaint, and certainly not enough of a grip to warrant bringing the rating down from a 5. Melody Carlson is renowned for her books that instruct Christian teen girls to utilize wisdom when making their choices. I have always appreciated her for this tendency, but this is the very first book I've read in her Secrets series, and now I'm dying to read more. I love how she doesn't sugar-coat the nastiness of the world, but neither does she describe all of the nastiness with imagery. She goes just far enough to get the point across, and no farther.

Every Christian teen girl needs to read this book. I may not be a teenager anymore, but Enticed made even me more aware of the dangers that lurk in the online scene. The Lord calls His children to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. We can't just leap into anything and everything because it sounds good. If Simi had done her due diligence and researched the so-called "modeling" company she signed up for then she wouldn't have ended up in such a deadly situation. It's a great message to teen girls everywhere to be wary.

But what I love most is Simi's unrelenting faith. She has moments of fear and doubt, but she immediately turns those feelings over to the Lord. And because of her trust in Him, she is strengthened and can stand against the fear she faces.

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