Book Review: Pool of Echoes

Title: Pool of Echoes

Author: David G. Allen

Publish Date: October 19, 2014

Genre: Adult Christian Suspense Thriller

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review.

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

In this Inspirational Thriller, Nothing Is Certain But The Truth 
Jordan Mitchfield is heir to a media empire worth billions. He also sees and hears things that aren’t there. 
Then someone close puts him in an insane asylum against his will. 
When it looks like there is no way out but to take his own life, he is stopped. Is it a vision? Is what he’s seeing actually real? Is it even part of this dimension? 
Whatever it is, it opens his cell door and throws him into a dangerous time-travel adventure through his memories. 
As he goes deeper into the Pool of Echoes, he is forced to confront everything he has ever known, reconstruct his own mental health, and play a role in something much larger than himself. 
Fans of Contemporary Science fiction, Action, Espionage, Christian fiction, and Fantasy with a Psychological edge will dive through each exciting moment. 
If you or anyone you know has ever questioned their own self worth, get on board this life-changing thrill-ride. You will never be the same.

Review

When I received this book for review, the author informed me that the book was an inspirational thriller and that he was inspired by Ted Dekker. I love Ted Dekker's fantasy/scifi novels (The Circle Trilogy and the Lost Books series) and I enjoyed the books that I have read from him that are thriller novels. Before I read Pool of Echoes, I had certain expectations knowing that the author was inspired by Ted Dekker.

Ted Dekker's novels often make you wonder "What in the world is going on?" and you usually don't fully understand the novel until you are finished with the series.  It is always a crazy ride. This is also true of Pools of Echoes.


Pools of Echoes stars a main character who is in the mental ward. The whole book I was asking myself "Is any of this really happening in the 'real world' or is it all just a figment of the main characters imagination?". I was expecting crazy twists in the plot and everything that seemed to be real to not be real. This excitement and curiosity made this novel incredibly interesting.

The ending was surprising and interesting.  I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, clean thriller novel.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 12+ for intense action scenes and some foul language

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review: The Lost Boy by Greg Ruth

Book Title: The Lost Boy

Author: Greg Ruth

Publish Date: August 27, 2013

Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel

Plot (from Goodreads):  

Some mysteries are too dangerous to leave alone . . .

Nate's not happy about his family moving to a new house in a new town. After all, nobody asked him if he wanted to move in the first place. But when he discovers a tape recorder and note addressed to him under the floorboards of his bedroom, Nate is thrust into a dark mystery about a boy who went missing many, many years ago. Now, as strange happenings and weird creatures begin to track Nate, he must partner with Tabitha, a local girl, to find out what they want with him. But time is running out, for a powerful force is gathering strength in the woods at the edge of town, and before long Nate and Tabitha will be forced to confront a terrifying foe, and uncover the truth about the Lost Boy.

Why I Read this Book: I loaned this book from the library.  I have seen positive reviews about the book around the blog-o-sphere.

 

Review

Overall, this book was decent and worth the read.  The book was not really my cup of tea, but others may really enjoy this book.  I got this book from the library because I was looking online for clean graphic novels that others have loved.  I found a lot of positive reviews of this book, so I decided to read it myself.

My main complaint about this book was that it was hard to follow the storyline.  I loved the illustrations of the book, but I felt like the story line needed a little more work.  It was difficult to tell when the story was a flashback or not.

The Lost Boy did have a unique and exciting storyline.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes ghost stories.
 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any Age, some "scary" content

Overall Rating: 3/5

Book Review: Fourmile by Watt Key

Book Title: Fourmile

Author: Watt Key

Publish Date: September 18, 2012

Genre: Middle Grade/YA, Coming of Age

Plot (from Goodreads):  

Twelve-year-old Foster knows in his gut that Dax Ganey, the man dating his widowed mother, is a bad seed. Then a mysterious stranger arrives at their Alabama farm, a former Army Ranger in Iraq rambling across the country, and Foster believes he has found an ally against Dax. The stranger proves a fascinating mentor, full of wisdom and secrets. And Dax soon has reason to resent not just him and Foster but also Foster’s mother. A spurned Dax will be a dangerous enemy, but Foster is increasingly aware that the stranger is just as dangerous, if not more so.

From the author of one of the most highly acclaimed children's survival adventures of the last decade comes this tautly wound new novel reminiscent of classic westerns, about a boy caught in the middle of a clash that may turn out to be his own battle to fight.

Why I Read this Book: My library just got this book and I wanted to check it out.

 

Review

This is a wonderful coming of age novel about a boy dealing with the grief of his deceased father while also dealing with Dax, the wretched man whom his mother is dating.  Foster does not like the way that Dax treats his mother, but his mother is too frightened to get rid of him.  Everything changes when a mysterious man comes to town.

This book was an emotional roller coaster.  I was moved by the troubles that Foster was having in his life.  I was hoping that things would get better for Foster.  The writing style of Fourmile was amazing.  I was gripped by the story and I fell in love with the characters (all except Dax and his friends of course).  The story was realistic and believable.  I cannot wait to read more from Watt Key.
 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for some violence and foul language

Overall Rating: 5/5

Book Review: Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker (Outlaw Series #1)

Book Title: Eyes Wide Open

Author: Ted Dekker

Publish Date: Febuary 4, 2013

Genre: Christian Adult Thriller

Plot (from Goodreads):  

Who am I?

My name is Christy Snow. I’m seventeen and I’m about to die. I’m buried in a coffin under tons of concrete. No one knows where I am. My heart sounds like a monster with clobber feet, running straight toward me. I’m lying on my back, soaked with sweat from the hair on my head to the soles of my feet. My hands and feet won’t stop shaking.

Some will say that I’m not really here. Some will say I’m delusional. Some will say that I don’t even exist. But who are they? I’m the one buried in a grave.

My name is Christy Snow. I’m seventeen. I’m about to die.

So who are you?

In a return to the kind of storytelling that made Showdown and Three unforgettable, Ted Dekker drags that question into the light with this modern day parable about how we see ourselves.

Humming with intensity and blindsided twists, Eyes Wide Open is raw adrenaline from the first page to the last pure escapism packed with inescapable truth. Not all is as it seems. Or is it? Strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Literally.

Why I Read this Book: I have wanted to read this book for a while now.   I have love all of the books that I have read by Ted Dekker.  I picked this one up now because I have received the second book in this series for review from Netgalley and I wanted to read the first book before I started that book.  I checked out this book from my local library.

 

Review 

This book was a wild rollar coaster ride.  I loved parts of it and I was really bored in other parts.  I usually do not read thriller books, but I have been wanting to read some of Ted Dekker's adult thriller books.  Ted Dekker is overtly Christian and his believes are often seen in his books.  I was not sure how this would come out in a thriller, but I am so glad that I read this book.

The first half of the book was really slow paced and not much action occurred.  The thing that got me to continue reading was some advice that I have seen recently in a Booktube video (book review and discussion on Youtube).  This video suggested that when you are not really enjoying a book but really want to finish it to go look up 5 star reviews about the book.  I did this and saw that there was a Christian message at the end of the book.  This encouraged me to stick with it and I am so glad that I did.

As a thriller book, half the ride is reading the book for yourself and finding out what happens.  As such, I cannot tell you too much about this book.  It is better to go into it blind.  I really enjoyed the Christian message behind the book.  It was really inspirational.  If you have read this book, I would love to talk about that with you!

Although it was quite frustrating at times, I also really enjoyed the suspense of finding out what in the world was going on in the book.  It was really confusing at times, but once you read the ending you begin to appreciate the suspense.

I would suggest this to anyone who loves Christian thrillers and who love suspense.  Some scenes in the book were a little gory, so I do not recommend this book to anyone who has a weak stomach.
 
 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for intense action scene and some gore

Overall Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Book Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publish Date: January 3, 2012

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fairy Tale Retelling

Plot (from Goodreads):  

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Why I Read this Book: I have been wanting to read this book FOREVER, so I picked it up at my library.

 

Review 

Wow!  This book is fantastic!  It does not stick much to the original Cinderella story, but it does not disappoint!  This mix of fairy tale and science fiction is perfect.  Full of action and intense plot shifts, this book leaves you intrigued and wanting more.  I do not want to spoil the intense action, so I will just leave it at this.

This book is incredibly unique and I cannot wait to find out what happens in the rest of the series.  I already have the second book in the series on hold.

There are only a few negative points about this book.  Firstly, the first 100 pages or so of the book were slow, filled with world and character building.  It was interesting, but difficult to get through.  The last 200+ pages were intense and I would give it a 5.5/5!  Secondly, part of the plot was easily predictable and it was frustrating that the main character did not realize it.  For more on this, check out my Goodreads review where I use the spoiler tag to discuss this more in depth.

 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for intense action scenes

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Book Review: Deception by Stacy Claflin

Book Title: Deception

Author: Stacy Claflin

Publish Date: November 21, 2011

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Series Name: The Transformed (#1)

Plot (from Goodreads):  

Alexis is not the average person because she's exceptionally brilliant. When mysterious things start happening to her, she pursues the truth and learns is that she's been lied to her entire life. She runs into deception at every turn.

What she finds on her own terrifies her and she questions whether she really wants to know the truth about herself...

Until she meets a stranger and they experience an instant connection. She feels that she's known him her entire life, but she has never seen him before. At their first meeting, he knows more about her than she knows about herself. She begins to seek the truth about herself again and what she discovers turns her world completely upside down.

Everything that she believed to be false is suddenly her new reality.

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  This in no way influenced my review.

 

Review 

I was really torn on how to rate this book in terms of stars.  There were some really great qualities in the book and some things that really bothered me.

The writing style is incredible!  My favorite aspect of the writing style was the way that the world is developed.  The story is told by someone who does not know much about the world; therefore, the world is developed slowly and this made the book a lot more interesting than if all the information was thrown at you all at once.  If it had been given to you all in one chapter, it may have seemed quite overwhelming.

The characters where really complex and dynamic.  I really enjoyed this aspect, but some of the characters really got on my nerves.  I cannot go into details, because this is a spoiler free review.  If you want more details, visit my Goodreads review where I have all the details hidden in a spoiler.

The overall plot was very interesting.  It was filled with action and suspense and also a love triangle.  The romance aspect of this book is one thing that really bothered me.  Once again, I cannot go into details because of spoilers, but feel free to see my Goodreads review if you don't mind spoilers.

 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for intense action scenes

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Epic Recs Reviews (March and May)

I started Epic Recs in March, but I have not posted about my progress yet because of business on the part of me and my Epic Recs partner.  If you do not know what Epic Recs is, here is a blurb from one of the creators (Paper Riot):

Epic Recs started out as a feature in which Amber and I force each other to read books. Like an impromptu book club, consisting of just the two of us. Or a game of truth or dare without the truth. It’s awesome. Our friendship depends on these books, so there’s no pressure whatsoever. We both like to force people to read books, so it was an excellent excuse to test our book pushing. Because of enthusiastic and rather threatening comments, we decided to open it up for everyone to join. So do you like book pushing or do you just want a fun book club-ish feature to participate in? Hi!

What are the rules? 1) Find a friend you want to recommend books to (or two friends, or three friends, etc.) OR sign up here and we’ll assign you to a partner. 2) Link up your Epic Recs post at the beginning of each month (stating what you are planning to read, who Epic Rec’d it and what they are reading in return). You are welcome to request a new partner every month. But if you partnership doesn’t work out, you are responsible for telling your partner this. We are not a dating service that breaks up for you. It’s your party! You are welcome to participate every month or just once. It’s totally up to you. You are allowed to deny recs, as long as you and your partner are okay with it. This is totally up to you. Amber and I like forcing books on each other, so we don’t really deny them, but hey, whatever you want!

In March, I recommended Black by Ted Dekker for Brianna @ For the Love of Books and Brianna recommended Pivot Point by Kasie West to me.

Here is my review of Pivot Point:

Book Title: Pivot Point

Author: Kasie West

Publish Date: February 12, 2013

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal, Science Fiction

Series: Pivot Point (#1)

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Review 

I am so glad that I read this book.  The writing style is amazing.  Each chapter alternates between if Addie chose to live with her mom or her dad.  This is so unique and so intense.  This seems as if it would be confusing, but the author wrote this incredibly well and it was not confusing at all. Not only is the point of view unique, but the story is so action packed and enjoyable.  The ending was not at all predictable which was incredibly gratifying. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book in this series. 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any Age

Overall Rating: 5/5

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In May, I recommended The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller and Brianna recommended Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.

Here is my review of Jonathan Livingston Seagull:

Book Title: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Author: Richard Bach

Publish Date: February 7, 2006 (First Published in 1970)

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  

This is a story for people who follow their hearts and make their own rules...people who get special pleasure out of doing something well, even if only for themselves...people who know there's more to this living than meets the eye: they'll be right there with Jonathan, flying higher and faster than ever they dreamed.

Review 

The messages of this story is great: you can do anything that you set your mind to and it is okay to be different.  The writing was very poetic and beautiful.  Overall, I enjoyed this book but it was a bit confusing.  I did like the illustrations, but I feel that they were repetitive and do not add to the book.  This book is short (93 pages including several full page illustrations), but it is definitely worth the time to read it.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any Age

Overall Rating: 3.5/5


When Brianna posts her reviews of the books that I recommended to her, I will post them here.

Book Review and Free Book Offer: The Exile by Eric Buffington

Book Title: The Exile

Author: Eric Buffington

Publish Date:October 11, 2013

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Series Name: Stones of Power (#1)

Plot (from Goodreads):  

In a world where each person is born with a magic ability, the island of Denall is on the verge of an attack from a power hungry sorcerer, Mordyar, as he scours the world in search of the Stones of Power. While the stones are gathering and their power begins to be revealed, four boys leave their village on a rite of passage into adulthood and are swept into an adventure that will make men and heroes of them, if they can survive.

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  This in no way influenced my review.

 

Review 

I really loved this book.  It is full of action and amazing fantasy elements.  The touch of romance that was included was perfect!

My favorite part was the writing style.  Eric Buffington used the perfect amount of description.  I felt like I was in the story, but I was not bogged down by details.  I was so engrossed in the story that I wanted to read it in all of my free time and I easily lost track of time. 

In this story, everyone is born with a special power.  Some people are born with better hearing and others have increased sight.  There are also other special powers that are introduced throughout the book.  These powers are indicated by special marks that are present at birth.  If your special power is sight, than you will have marks above your eye.  If it is hearing, than you will have marks near your ear.  The Stones of Power, rare stones that enhance a special power, are being sought out by a powerful sorcerer who wants to use them for evil.

The main characters are seeking their rightful place in the world during their rite to manhood.  The rite to manhood for the town that they are from is that you are exiled from the city for a year when they turn a certain age.  During that year, you have to survive on your own.  The characters learn many lessons during their exile and face many hardships.


The elements of survival mixed with fantasy makes this a perfect read for any reader.

 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for intense action scenes

Overall Rating: 5/5

  
Free Book Offer

Eric Buffington is offering free ebook copies of his book The Exile (book 1 in the Stones of Power series) on Smashwords.  All you have to do is follow this link and use the code: sw69s.

Even better is that he is also offering 33% off of ebook copies of the second book of the series, The Invasion.  Follow this link and use the code: uk44j.

His goal is to give away 10,000 free copies of Exile in the month of June.

Book Review: Chosen by Ted Dekker

Book Title: Chosen

Author: Ted Dekker

Publish Date: April 13, 2010

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Christian Fiction

Series Name: Lost Books (#1)

Plot (from Goodreads):

Think with your heart and prepare to die . . . for you have been Chosen.

Thomas Hunter, supreme commander of the Forest Guard, has seen a great evil decimate much of his beautiful world. With a dwindling army and an epic threat, Thomas is forced to supplement his fighters with new recruits ages 16 and 17. From thousands, four will be chosen to lead a special mission.

Unknown to Thomas, the chosen four are redirected to a different endgame. They must find the seven lost Books of History before the Dark One. For these seven books have immense power over the past, present, and future, controlling not only the destiny of their world . . . but that of ours as well.

Why I Read this Book: I love Ted Dekker novels.  This book is a re-read for me.  I have read the first 4 books in this series, but I have not read the last 2 books in the series.  I intend to re-read this first 4 books in order to refresh my memory in preparation for the last two books in the series.

 

Review 

Full of action and adventure, Ted Dekker's books never fail to deliver.  There is a slight minor plot that involves romance, but the major plot is full of adventure, excitement, and fighting.

There is also some comic relief present in the form of the rouch, Michal and Gabil.  I talked about this some in my epic bookish battle royal for the Bout of Books read-a-thon.

I also like the Christian allegories that are present.  Most of the time, these allegories are very subtle.  One of the main allegories is to God through Elyon who is the loving God in this series.  Although there are Christian allegories, I believe that this series would be great for anyone who loves fantasy, action, and/or adventure.

One last comment: the cover.  Have you seen the new covers for this series?  They are gorgeous.  I cannot keep my eyes off of them.  The original covers were not bad, but the new covers are AMAZING.  Here is a peek at the old covers:

The new covers are so pretty and not as plain as the old covers.   I also think that the new covers appeal more to both males and females; whereas, the old covers appeal more to a male audience.

 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for intense action scenes

Overall Rating: 5/5