Book Review: The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker (5 stars, 2015)

The Choosing (A Seer Novel)
Rachelle Dekker
Tyndale House Publishers
Released May 19, 2015

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Official Backpage Synopsis:

They told her being Chosen was all that mattered. That it would secure her future. Her worth. That not being Chosen would yield a cruel fate.

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she's spent a lifetime preparing for - the Choosing Ceremony - to end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she'll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society, because she knows it's her duty to follow the way of the Authority.

As Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. Though the whispers contradict everything she's been told, they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she's always dreamed of. It's an opportunity to be chosen at last, but she can't shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. Does the Authority truly know what's best for society? And how can it let a killer run free while Lints are dying? Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

My Personal Thoughts:

Am I allowed to scream with joy that a Christian author has finally written teen dystopian fiction? Well, too bad, because I'm screaming anyway! I'm a dystopian lover by nature. When I took my creative writing courses, one of the stories I wrote was dystopian. One of my favorite book is Fahrenheit 451 and I am a HUGE Hunger Games fan . . . like, before the books were being made into movies, I loved them. So I always felt the void, the lack if you will, of dystopian fiction for Christian teens. Because let's admit it, many Christian parents are not comfortable letting their teens read secular fiction. That's fine. But there needs to be something for them to point their teens towards since dystopian fiction is so popular right now. That gap in Christian fiction needs to be filled, especially if we're talking teen fiction, and I'm glad to see Rachelle Dekker taking a stab at it out right out of the chute. And yes, she is indeed Ted Dekker's oldest daughter, but I'm sure most of you guessed that already.

I refuse to lower my rating for this book, but I am going to mention something. To be honest, I did feel the story could have been slightly more. I'm watching A.D. The Bible Continues on Sunday nights with my family (which everyone needs to watch because it's AMAZING), and when I first started reading The Choosing, I was thinking it might run parallel with the idea of the early Christian church and the conflict between the early Christians and the Jewish community, particularly between Saul and Peter. In other words, I was hoping for an unforeseen redemption for one of the characters. That didn't happen. Oh well. I'm not actually disappointed per se. Ms. Dekker had plenty of incredible ideas that she brought to fruition within this book's pages. So just because my vision and hope didn't actually happen doesn't mean her book isn't excellent, because it is. And because The Choosing is her first book, I am only remarking upon this as a mention rather than a judgement.

As for the characters and the plot, yes, I can see where Ms. Dekker was inspired by many other dystopian novels that have already been published. She drew on them for some inspiration, but that's okay because there is really no such thing as an original idea and every dystopian book inevitably draws from Fahrenheit 451. It's normal and to be expected. However, with that being said, Ms. Dekker's notion of the Choosing Ceremony and having a Legalistic Religious sect rise to power after near total annihilation of the human race was more unique than most. Like I said, it felt like I had fallen into the times of the unforgiving Sanhedrin and the Pharisees with their harsh judgements and calculating superiority. I like that aspect of Ms. Dekker's imaginary world very much.

What I did struggle with was the complete and total lack of worth given to women. We've come so far as a society to give worth and value to women that the idea we could simply slide back into that type of oppression troubles me. But then it's still hard for me to imagine that I live in a world where countless unborn are slaughtered every single day because of a woman's freedom of choice. So, yes, if we can reach this level of depravity regarding abortion, then we could very easily slip back into a legalistic society of women being dominated.

Carrington Hale is a very gentle spirit, content to go along to get along, until her destiny diverges from the path she was raised to expect, that of her Choosing Ceremony, and then marriage and children. It is her sole purpose in life, so when that doesn't happen, a new purpose must be found. Her second chance at happiness comes in an unprecedented way, but suddenly she's forced to consider that maybe she doesn't want this life after all. Why can't she have more? Why should have entire identity be determined over when a man chooses her as a mate or not? Isn't she worth something, anything, apart from doing her duty as a wife and mother? These are the questions that Ms. Dekker raises in The Choosing and they're an excellent reminder that everyone has worth. Everyone has value. And that everyone is loved unconditionally by a Father.

If you love dystopian literature, please give The Choosing a try. It doesn't have to be The Hunger Games or Divergent or The Maze Runner nor should it be. The message within these pages is one of hope and worth and value. It's not a story of revenge and hate, but of love and forgiveness and redemption. I can only see positive thoughts come out of this book. Teenagers and young people are searching for value in a world that acts as though it has no place for them. Jobs grow scarce, education is expensive, and that bright future is a scary place. Why not offer them the belief and the conviction that no matter what happens or how many twists their life might take, that they are valued by God the Father? It's a beautiful and enduring sentiment, yet somehow, it gets lost in the day to day struggles, and we forget. I pray that The Choosing teaches you to remember how very much you are loved.

Q&A with Rachelle Dekker by Tyndale House

Do you think women tend to struggle with identity more than men?
I don’t think women struggle with identity more then men. Not at all. I just think we struggle differently. As a woman I understand the identity struggle from a female perspective more, but I think most men wonder if they’re enough just as much as women do. We are all the same at our core,really. We are on this earth for a short time, trying to figure out our purpose and worth. Searching for recognition, usually in all the wrong places. The truth I am discovering is that there is no need for searching. The truth already resides inside of us. The Father has already marked us as chosen, worth it; He has already given us a purpose. It’s only a matter of looking inward to the soul and to the Creator of that soul to find our worth.

One of the story’s most significant lines is, “Life is a journey of remembering and forgetting.” What do you mean by this?
It means exactly what you probably think. We have these flashes of clarity where we see so clearly who we are — and our connection to the Father — but then, in a single moment, something pulls our attention away and we forget who we are. This is the journey of life, remembering and forgetting. But I believe the more we remember, the more we set our gaze on the Father, the less often we forget.

What is it like being Ted Dekker’s daughter? Did your father help you with the writing process?
Being Ted’s daughter is wonderful! He’s the best, but then I hope many daughters feel that way about their fathers. He is a bit of a mystery, though. Sometimes, even sitting at the dinner table, I can tell he’s lost in thought, and I wonder what it might be like to have his mind.

It’s been a blessing to watch him write and struggle with writing, so that now when I struggle I have an understanding ear to talk off. He is always willing to talk me through the emotional and mental side of writing (which is where the biggest battles lie in wait) but as far as story, for the most part he lets me fend for myself. It’s always been important to me to write through my challenges on my own. To figure out scenes alone. In fact, he didn’t even read The Choosing until I was already in conversations with Tyndale about publication. I think that’s because he wanted me to believe I could do it on my own.

But when I doubt my ability as a writer, and when I forget who I am, he is the one I call. And he reminds me that life is a journey of remembering and forgetting, and helps me in remembering once again.

NOTE: Thanks to Tyndale for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review and I'm excited to be an oh, so small part of Ms. Dekker's book release!

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Gallant Knights and Fair Ladies - An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund (2015, 4 stars)

An Uncertain Choice
Jody Hedlund
Zondervan
2015

* This book officially releases to the public on March 3rd, 2015. I received an advanced reader's copy, free of charge, from Zondervan in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

Official Back Cover Synopsis:

Due to her parents' promise at her birth, Lady Rosemarie has been prepared to become a nun on the day she turns eighteen. Then, a month before her birthday, a friend of her father's enters the kingdom and proclaims her parents' will left a second choice. If Rosemarie can marry before the eve of her eighteenth year, she will be exempt from the ancient vow.

Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the cloister is the best place after all. If only one of the knights the one who appears the most guilty had not already captured her heart.

If you get a chance, hop on over to Jody's BLOG and get to know her better. Would-be writers are fortunate in that she's willing and happy to share tips from her years of experience as a published author!

My Personal Thoughts:

I was very careful while reading An Uncertain Choice to bear in mind the audience for which it is really intended, that is, teenage girls. I was one myself and so it wasn't too far of a stretch to remember that period in my life when my little heart went pitter-pat over the romanticism of knights, kings, queens, and fair ladies. To be honest, my heart still does that every time I think of Ivanhoe.

It's rare, at least it feels rare, to find a Christian historic YA series. At least not one set during the Middle Ages. So I am delighted to find Ms. Hedlund branching out with her writing into other areas of history that are not based on American soil. She's trying something new and I'm pretty sure it's going to pay off. Why? Because I found An Uncertain Choice to be absolutely charming!


The heroine, Lady Rosemarie, has been protected from the influence of romance for the last four years of her life, ever since the death of her parents, because she knows she must go to the church upon her eighteenth birthday. Can you even imagine resigning yourself to celibacy like that? Before you even know what not being celibate means? But an old friend of the family discovers a loophole for her, one he hopes desperately that she will take, and so he brings three of his best and most valiant knights to attempt to win her hand. If she can fall in love and marry before her eighteenth birthday, she is released from the vow her parents made upon her birth.

Now comes the issue of choosing a knight. Sir Bennet, Sir Collin, and Sir Derrick are the noblest of knights, all with strengths and weaknesses. Having no skill or experience with men, Rosemarie finds herself growing fond of all of them, but she can only marry one, and so she must choose, all while in a turmoil over the illness plaguing the people of her land, and the cruelty and torture methods exhibited by her sheriff who neither respects her nor adheres to her wishes.

Rosemarie is a delightful character, fresh and lovely with a strong and steady faith, having already dedicated so much of her young life to the service of God and to the caring of the people in her small kingdom. She truly wants to put the good of her people ahead of herself, and that makes me admire her all the more, especially considering her youth. All the knights have different skills, talents, and personalities that would each endear themselves to a certain type of young woman. But for Rosemarie there really is only one choice, who I will not name, but who I'm sure the readers will guess almost immediately.

And there's where my one minor hint of frustration arises. There was no point in having three knights. The reader could literally guess everything that was going to happen, right down to the dastardly villain who crops up near the end of the story. But I knew who Rosemarie would pick, and I certainly knew which of the knights was the one at the very beginning who rode to the rescue when Rosemarie attempted to stop public torture in her village square. I knew who he was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, and so for her to spent 40 or so pages trying to figure out which knight he was, made the going a little bit slow for me because it was obvious.

However, this is not a book necessarily meant for my generation, but for a generation younger, and so I refuse to judge too harshly. This is teen fiction, and as such, it is excellently written. I do, however, wish there had been less talk of public torture and less description of torture devices and their resulting effects. My stomach is a little squeamish, and that almost felt too much for me to handle, particularly near the end. It made me want to shoom into the Doctor's Tardis, go back in time, and beat a few choice torture device inventors over the head with a mace. But that's just me.

An Uncertain Choice is a charming little book set in an era that doesn't get enough attention right now. I love the Middle Ages, sans torture devices, and I absolutely adore knights. So Ms. Hedlund really wrote a delightful winner. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that maybe she'll write a few adult novels in this same era now that she's given it a try in YA fiction! Also, I'm pretty sure that is meant to be a series judging by how the novel ends, so I'm expecting a sequel at some point!

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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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