Book Review: Aldo's Fantastical Movie Palace by Jonathan Friesen.

Chloe hates the name-calling. She is sick of being taunted. It isn’t her fault she has scars on her face. Instead of facing her insecurity head on, she hides away in her great grandfather’s movie theater, Aldo’s  Movie Palace. When a strange boy comes in, she is immediately curious about his background. In a series of freak accidents, she is accidentally taken into his screenplay, “Retinya.” Once there, she is forced to save the entire underworld from the evil Vapor,  and help the kingdom of Retinya remember.

I liked:

• The character development.  It was definitely among some of the better character development skills I have seen, and the characters background stories were very well rounded.
• The vivid descriptions. Obviously, until you read the book, you won’t understand the importance of the descriptions. They are pretty fantastic. It painted an excellent picture  for the reader.

I disliked:

• The lack of God. I have always known Zondervan to be a Christian company, but you wouldn’t know from reading this book. Although there are veiled references to analogies of God and the devil, there weren’t enough for me to consider this a “Christian” book. That said, if this was , meant to be a secular book, it did a good job of introducing the idea of good and evil to a secular society.
• The sadness. It was really sad. If it were a book for adults, I would understand (kind of) but this is a book for ages 10+. I hate it when people die in books. Especially when they are sick.

Overall, I did not love the book, but I didn't abhor it. Although it had its pros, it also had some cons. I would not recommend this book to anyone under age 13, solely because of the death. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantasy read.

This book was given to me free in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated are completely my own.

Book Review: Inescapable by Nancy Mehl

Lizzy Engle is scared. For the past few weeks, she has been followed. A stalker in a red cap sits outside of her apartment every night.  She has to protect her beloved daughter charity, and with the stalker, threatening notes, and pending charges, she is forced to return to her hometown of Kingdom, Kansas. When she left five years ago, embittered towards her abusive father and the rules of the Mennonite culture, she planned to never return.  In this prodigal-son-like story, you will find yourself entrenched in the suspense, the mystery, and the lighthearted romance.

I liked:

• The story. Oh my goodness, it was fantastic. I absolutely adored it. It was such a unique plot, the likes of which I have never seen before. I liked how suspenseful and mysterious the plot was.
• The romance. It was a very sweet, pure romance, and wasn’t inappropriate at all.
• The character development. I felt like I really knew the characters, and I was surprised by how vivid the descriptions were.

I disliked:

• I actually loved the entire book, and I did not dislike anything.  That said, there was a lot of focus on Lizzy’s illegitimate child, but there was NOTHING graphic, and it really made for an interesting plot line. I would recommend this book to ages 16+, and maybe younger, depending on the person. I absolutely adored this book, and if you need a book to read, pick this one!

This book was given to me by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for this honest review.

Book Review: Greater by Steven Furtick

Do you want a great life? Do you want a great sense of purpose? Anyone could be perfectly happy with a great life. However, why have a GREAT life when you can have a GREATER life? In this lighthearted, truthful and convicting book, Steven Furtick shows what it means to live God’s greater life. By using The prophet Elisha’s story as an example, he digs deeply, searching for God’s vision for your life. He uses his own life stories, as well as those of many Biblical beings, and shows how we can fulfill God’s perfect plan for our greater life.

    I liked:

• His stories. I superbly enjoyed his own tales of how God made his life richer, and more blessed.
• His down to earth-ness. He was so non-judgmental, that was wonderful. I loved how he said that he had lived a lesser loser life too, and not to feel bad if you are stuck in a spiritual rut.
• His biblical examples. Honestly, I have always known who Elisha was, and about the widow’s oil, etc. I never knew what a big deal his story was.

   I disliked:

• I really could not think of anything I hated off the top of my head. I disagreed a little bit with some of the theology in the middle, but it really wasn’t enough to make me dislike the book, the chapter, or even the sentence.

Overall, I think this book is a great read for anyone who wants a life so full of God’s vision, that you are overflowing. I would recommend this book to everyone, but especially those finishing high-school or college.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.