Copy received for review.
Okay, I don't know how to rate this. At all. I did not love this book. I'm not even positive I liked this book.
Here's what I said on GoodReads, (you know, in case you didn't see it there):
Sigh.
Struggling with how to rate this one because:
A)I do not care for the writing style. Doesn't matter how well or poorly it's done, it just doesn't work for me.
B)Miriam drove me nuts for 2/3 of the book.
C)I so beyond all do not understand the Amish. I do not understand how you can just drive people away when they aren't perfect and think that that's what a loving God expects you to do. I respect their beliefs, I just cannot fathom them.
And so, as a result of these things, I didn't really enjoy the book. It's probably just me, though.
(Though I will say, on A, there were several contradictions and poor word choice things that drove me nutty.)
And yeah. That's where I'm left.
I kind of want to give the book only 1 or 2 stars, but that doesn't feel fair. I'm positive I will be in the minority.
(For one thing, the kinds of contradictions and poor word choices/editing problems that I saw and harp on most people [read normal, non-ocd crazy people] probably wouldn't notice. Or at least wouldn't be so bothered by....)
Anyway, if you like Christian fiction/Amish fiction/etc give this one a try. Certainly the Amish point of view during WWII is an interesting take on it.
(In some ways it's terrifying-- they spoke German (well, a form of German) while we were at war with Germany. That can't have gone over well.)
Showing posts with label christian fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christian fiction. Show all posts
Friday, October 11, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney
3 stars
R- 0
Copy received for review.
So... yeah.
This really wasn't my style so much.
It was okay, but I think the summary does it an injustice in playing up the mystery aspect.
It's really not a mystery. Yes there is a mystery in it, but that's not really the point.
It's a romance. It's a "what would you do if..." Christian romance.
Very clean, very Christian. Lots of prayer and such.
Which is totally fine, but sometimes it felt like there was a lot of praying without any actual plot development.
Do not read this as a mystery. It doesn't work.
Overall, for me it was just okay, but if you like Christian romance with a dash of mystery, this is probably a good bet.
R- 0
Copy received for review.
So... yeah.
This really wasn't my style so much.
It was okay, but I think the summary does it an injustice in playing up the mystery aspect.
It's really not a mystery. Yes there is a mystery in it, but that's not really the point.
It's a romance. It's a "what would you do if..." Christian romance.
Very clean, very Christian. Lots of prayer and such.
Which is totally fine, but sometimes it felt like there was a lot of praying without any actual plot development.
Do not read this as a mystery. It doesn't work.
Overall, for me it was just okay, but if you like Christian romance with a dash of mystery, this is probably a good bet.
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Rivers Run Dry by Sibella Giorello
3 Stars
R- 1
Part mystery, part thriller, part Christian fiction.
Raleigh Harmon is an FBI agent/geologist, which makes for an interesting premise. The mystery's not bad, and it stands alone, but I could tell that a lot of backstory was missing.
Sure enough, there's an earlier book-- The Stones Cry Out.
There were some editing problems (apparently Oct. 17th now comes a few days after Oct. 20th) but the writing wasn't bad.
Overall, for me, it was just okay.... and I can't put my finger on why. I think not having read the first book first was a lot of it. It drove me crazy to realize that so much backstory had to be in another book. It's hard to understand exactly where Raleigh's coming from.
Anyway, I'd recommend starting with the first one. Then read this one. :)
Counts for the Reader's Choice and Support Your Local Library challenges.
R- 1
Part mystery, part thriller, part Christian fiction.
Raleigh Harmon is an FBI agent/geologist, which makes for an interesting premise. The mystery's not bad, and it stands alone, but I could tell that a lot of backstory was missing.
Sure enough, there's an earlier book-- The Stones Cry Out.
There were some editing problems (apparently Oct. 17th now comes a few days after Oct. 20th) but the writing wasn't bad.
Overall, for me, it was just okay.... and I can't put my finger on why. I think not having read the first book first was a lot of it. It drove me crazy to realize that so much backstory had to be in another book. It's hard to understand exactly where Raleigh's coming from.
Anyway, I'd recommend starting with the first one. Then read this one. :)
Counts for the Reader's Choice and Support Your Local Library challenges.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Guest Post-- Rolf Hitzer
I'm so pleased to welcome Rolf Hitzer to the blog today! (See my review of his book Hoodoo Sea.) I asked Rolf Hitzer to tell us a bit about genre classification and his inspiration for his totally unforseen ending!
The inspiration to pen Hoodoo Sea evolved from a documentary I had watched on the Discovery Channel. The program was about how technologies were advancing to achieve speed-of-light travel. My novel starts with this capability existing now in the plot and the story assumes it is science fiction.
However, just as the plot takes a twist during the test-flight through the Bermuda Triangle, the genre also moves from one place to another. As a new author this decision was taking a risk as publishers recommend against this writing style. To be honest, at the time I wasn’t conscious of the genre shift from science fiction to horror/thriller, my thoughts were consumed with the progress of the story.
Upon completion, I never read the book until late this spring when I had received the Galleys. Looking back when I was seeking representation for my manuscript, I had listed the novel in my query letters as science fiction because that’s what the first chapters were in my submissions.
Between the agent, proofreaders and editors, each had a different opinion on the novels genre. In the end it was decided to submit the book as science fiction to the range of publishers as opposed to horror, or the third label as a religious story, which had caught me by surprise. In my heart Hoodoo Sea is a horror story because good is battling over evil with the stakes being deadly. Britt, when you had posed the question as to what genre I thought the book really was, I had mentioned to you that I wasn’t entirely sure? I still feel that way.
As I was reaching the end of the novel I had mixed emotions on how the story would eventually play out. Like yourself, I don’t wish to give the ending away and I will select my words carefully. My original intention with the two characters, Scott and Deedee, would have made a feel good and predictable ending in the book. I had some anguish with the direction I ended up taking with these characters in order to have a unique story. Even now I second-guess this decision, but my desire to throw the reader off track and have them scratching their head had made my mind up on how I ended the novel. I knew it would be another risk.
My fears were put at ease when I had received an email from a reader. He is a criminal investigator and one of the things he takes pride in is his ability to successfully predict the outcome of a novel. When he had read Hoodoo Sea, he didn’t see what was coming and he was thoroughly entertained by it. That being said, I have also had the opposite opinion. Mission accomplished, I think?
The inspiration to pen Hoodoo Sea evolved from a documentary I had watched on the Discovery Channel. The program was about how technologies were advancing to achieve speed-of-light travel. My novel starts with this capability existing now in the plot and the story assumes it is science fiction.
However, just as the plot takes a twist during the test-flight through the Bermuda Triangle, the genre also moves from one place to another. As a new author this decision was taking a risk as publishers recommend against this writing style. To be honest, at the time I wasn’t conscious of the genre shift from science fiction to horror/thriller, my thoughts were consumed with the progress of the story.
Upon completion, I never read the book until late this spring when I had received the Galleys. Looking back when I was seeking representation for my manuscript, I had listed the novel in my query letters as science fiction because that’s what the first chapters were in my submissions.
Between the agent, proofreaders and editors, each had a different opinion on the novels genre. In the end it was decided to submit the book as science fiction to the range of publishers as opposed to horror, or the third label as a religious story, which had caught me by surprise. In my heart Hoodoo Sea is a horror story because good is battling over evil with the stakes being deadly. Britt, when you had posed the question as to what genre I thought the book really was, I had mentioned to you that I wasn’t entirely sure? I still feel that way.
As I was reaching the end of the novel I had mixed emotions on how the story would eventually play out. Like yourself, I don’t wish to give the ending away and I will select my words carefully. My original intention with the two characters, Scott and Deedee, would have made a feel good and predictable ending in the book. I had some anguish with the direction I ended up taking with these characters in order to have a unique story. Even now I second-guess this decision, but my desire to throw the reader off track and have them scratching their head had made my mind up on how I ended the novel. I knew it would be another risk.
My fears were put at ease when I had received an email from a reader. He is a criminal investigator and one of the things he takes pride in is his ability to successfully predict the outcome of a novel. When he had read Hoodoo Sea, he didn’t see what was coming and he was thoroughly entertained by it. That being said, I have also had the opposite opinion. Mission accomplished, I think?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Hoodoo Sea by Rolf Hitzer
(Amazon has gone insane. If you can't see the cover, I apologize.)
4 Stars
R-2 (refreshingly clean!)
Very very little language for this type of book!
Source- received copy as part of a Virtual Book Tour
So not what I thought it was going to be. Like really really not.
How to classify it? I'm not sure. It's a bit Sci-Fi, which I expected.... a bit paranormal, okay that's cool.... and very Christian, which I didn't see coming. I absolutely cannot decide where on my shelves to put this!
And for the type of book, shockingly clean. Which I'm sure is the Christian influence, though it took me most of the book to fully make the connection. There is a little sex, but it's not in the least bit graphic. AND it reconfirms for the character why casual sex is a bad thing! Not a lot of that in books today.
It starts out as your typical sci-fi. A four person crew about to test out a brand new ship for NASA. One with light speed technology. Very hush, hush. No one knows about the test flight that doesn't happen.
All is going pretty well, until they enter freaky fog over the Hoodoo Sea-- that's the Bermuda Triangle, in case you were wondering. Then all sorts of crazy things happen. Like flying through a blue tunnel and landing in the Stone Age.... or some alien equivalent.... or something. (And through it all, second-in-command James continues to be an absolute jerk... not quite dumb or loveable enough to be the village idiot, but seriously... what a moron.)
Now, I'll be totally brutally honest here-- this is a first novel and you can tell. The writing could have used more polishing and the editing wasn't fabulous (though my copy might be a galley or ARC, not sure). And I really wish some things had been filled out more, like the tension between the US and Canada. Some of the dialogue was a bit stilted or awkward.
But hey, it's a first novel. First novels tend to be rougher around the edges. I'm curious to see what Rolf Hitzer will do in the future.
Now the ending (nope, not going to tell you) was abrupt. And utterly bizarre. And sooooooooooooo not something I saw coming.
Holy cow.
In fact, I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it, and given how much I read that's nigh unto miraculous.
And it's really sticking with me. Can't seem to get it out of my head.
Which is why I am now DYING to hear what you all think of it! So go read it. It's short, I'll wait.
:D
4 Stars
R-2 (refreshingly clean!)
Very very little language for this type of book!
Source- received copy as part of a Virtual Book Tour
So not what I thought it was going to be. Like really really not.
How to classify it? I'm not sure. It's a bit Sci-Fi, which I expected.... a bit paranormal, okay that's cool.... and very Christian, which I didn't see coming. I absolutely cannot decide where on my shelves to put this!
And for the type of book, shockingly clean. Which I'm sure is the Christian influence, though it took me most of the book to fully make the connection. There is a little sex, but it's not in the least bit graphic. AND it reconfirms for the character why casual sex is a bad thing! Not a lot of that in books today.
It starts out as your typical sci-fi. A four person crew about to test out a brand new ship for NASA. One with light speed technology. Very hush, hush. No one knows about the test flight that doesn't happen.
All is going pretty well, until they enter freaky fog over the Hoodoo Sea-- that's the Bermuda Triangle, in case you were wondering. Then all sorts of crazy things happen. Like flying through a blue tunnel and landing in the Stone Age.... or some alien equivalent.... or something. (And through it all, second-in-command James continues to be an absolute jerk... not quite dumb or loveable enough to be the village idiot, but seriously... what a moron.)
Now, I'll be totally brutally honest here-- this is a first novel and you can tell. The writing could have used more polishing and the editing wasn't fabulous (though my copy might be a galley or ARC, not sure). And I really wish some things had been filled out more, like the tension between the US and Canada. Some of the dialogue was a bit stilted or awkward.
But hey, it's a first novel. First novels tend to be rougher around the edges. I'm curious to see what Rolf Hitzer will do in the future.
Now the ending (nope, not going to tell you) was abrupt. And utterly bizarre. And sooooooooooooo not something I saw coming.
Holy cow.
In fact, I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it, and given how much I read that's nigh unto miraculous.
And it's really sticking with me. Can't seem to get it out of my head.
Which is why I am now DYING to hear what you all think of it! So go read it. It's short, I'll wait.
:D
Monday, May 25, 2009
Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner
5 stars
R-1-2
A really fitting read for Memorial Day.
Lucy is a 19-year-old senior in college who is making her first friends. Needless to say, she's lived a fairly sheltered life. But now she is determined to break out of the shell she feels kept in by her grandmother's secrets... and hopefully she can remember her mother in the process.
Lucy's story was touching. Her side/love story is sweet and naive, in rather sharp contrast to the tangled web of secrets and misunderstandings (and a few outright lies) that make up her mother's and grandmother's stories.
But maybe time really can heal all wounds, and as Lucy makes Kitty open up about the past, maybe she can finally heal too. And maybe Lucy can find family.
I really enjoyed this one. And it went a lot quicker than I expected. Yes, at times you want to strangle Kitty for the ridiculously tangled mess, but you can't entirely blame her, either. There's also an element of Christian fiction as Lucy struggles to decide whether or not she has faith. The story does leave you wanting more. Lucy's love story is VERY secondary. But sometimes it's nice to finish a book and have a whole world of possibillities open to the characters. :D
There is (apparently) a companion novel! (Amazing what you learn poking around on Amazon...)
R-1-2
A really fitting read for Memorial Day.
Lucy is a 19-year-old senior in college who is making her first friends. Needless to say, she's lived a fairly sheltered life. But now she is determined to break out of the shell she feels kept in by her grandmother's secrets... and hopefully she can remember her mother in the process.
Lucy's story was touching. Her side/love story is sweet and naive, in rather sharp contrast to the tangled web of secrets and misunderstandings (and a few outright lies) that make up her mother's and grandmother's stories.
But maybe time really can heal all wounds, and as Lucy makes Kitty open up about the past, maybe she can finally heal too. And maybe Lucy can find family.
I really enjoyed this one. And it went a lot quicker than I expected. Yes, at times you want to strangle Kitty for the ridiculously tangled mess, but you can't entirely blame her, either. There's also an element of Christian fiction as Lucy struggles to decide whether or not she has faith. The story does leave you wanting more. Lucy's love story is VERY secondary. But sometimes it's nice to finish a book and have a whole world of possibillities open to the characters. :D
There is (apparently) a companion novel! (Amazing what you learn poking around on Amazon...)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)