Blog Tour: Revolutionary (Anomaly #3) by Krista McGee (Review + Giveaway)

 Blog Tour Schedule

Published: July 15^th, 2014 (Thomas Nelson) 

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5

Source: NetGalley (Blog Tour)

Goodreads ~ Amazon 

All her life Thalli thought she was an anomaly. Now she must use her gifts to fulfill the role she was called to play: Revolutionary.

Back in the underground State against her will, Thalli is no longer the anomaly she was before. She has pr

oven herself to be a powerful leader aboveground and returns with information that Dr. Loudin needs to complete his plan of uniting the world under one leader: himself. But he, too, has information. A secret he has kept from Thalli her entire life. A secret that, once revealed, changes everything about the person Thalli thought she was.

Hoping to help Thalli rise up against the Scientists, both Berk and Alex join her underground, but their presence only brings more trouble for her. Now Dr. Loudin knows just the leverage to use on his captive, and she is forced to choose between the two of them. Is her first love her true love? Or does Alex ultimately claim her heart?

Unsure of everything around her, including her own identity, Thalli doesn’t know where to turn. She knows she needs the Designer, but he seems further away than ever. What she does know, though, is that if she doesn’t do something to stop Loudin, the fragile world aboveground will be lost once and for all. [Description from Goodreads]

I read Revolutionary immediately after reading Luminary (#2), and can I just say that this book series is one you just don’t tire of. I love Krista’s writing style- as stupid as this statement sounds, it’s easy to read and enjoy (trust me, some writing styles can be difficult to read!). One other “side detail” of the book that I really like is the cover. I love the covers for all the books in the trilogy, in fact, because they effectively represent the theme of the books.

Now down to the nitty gritty stuff. I loved how this book wraps it all up in such a dramatic way. Sooo many secrets are revealed! Dr. Loudin’s true self is uncovered, Thalli finds out  more about herself that she didn’t know before, and she even discovers secrets about her friends from New Hope. It was almost like every chapter was a book in itself, with drama and a climax and a cliffhanger ending.

I have to admit, in the past two books, I’d been a little disappointed in Dr. Loudin’s degree of evilness (is that a thing? I’m making it a thing). I don’t think I even realized I was disappointed until I read Revolutionary, though. Because in Revolutionary, Loudin is SO mean. He’s just a super big meanie. He’s about as mean as Loki was in the Avengers, when Loki shot Agent Coulson with that huge gun. That’s pretty mean, ya know? Granted, I didn’t invision Loudin being as gorgeous as Loki is, but that just made Loudin’s actions that much more treacherous.

But enough about villains…on to our incredible protagonist, Thalli! I loved seeing her grow over the span of the series. She’s come a long way since Anomaly. I do wish we could have seen some more changes due to her time aboveground. One thing was the fact that she still doesn’t use contractions. There aren’t many contractions used by much of anyone, in fact, and for some reason that really bugged me in all three books. It’s just the littlest detail, but for some reason it annoyed me at times.

I’m really glad that we were introduced to Alex’s character, and that he got a lot more attention in Revolutionary. Alex has definitely become one of my favorites from the trilogy…he’s just adorable. And I’m also glad that there was a significant increase in romance in this last book, as there was in Luminary (compared to Anomaly).

I found Revolutionary to be a fantastic ending to this unique and ground-breaking series! I might have said this before, but Krista McGee has done a great job in mixing more of the dystopian genre with the YA Christian genre. This hybrid is something I’m seeing more of on bookshelves today, and hopefully something I’ll continue to see. If you haven’t read Anomaly, be sure to do that this summer! Or if you have, be sure to finish the series. You won’t be disappointed…

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None

Violence: Very Mild

Sexual: None

About the Author:

Krista writes for teens, teaches teens, and more often than not, acts like a teen. She and her family have lived and ministered in Texas, Costa Rica, and Spain. Her current hometown is Tampa, FL.

Author Links:

http://kristamcgeebooks.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5015496.Krista_McGee

https://twitter.com/KristaMcGeeYA

https://www.facebook.com/krista.a.mcgee

Blog Tour: Sinners and the Sea by Rebecca Kanner (Review)

Published: April 2nd, 2013 (Howard Books)
Pages: 304
Rating: 3/5
*Goodreads*

The young heroine in Sinners and the Sea is destined for greatness. Known only as “wife” in the Bible and cursed with a birthmark that many think is the brand of a demon, this unnamed woman lives anew through Rebecca Kanner. The author gives this virtuous woman the perfect voice to make one of the Old Testament’s stories come alive like never before.

Desperate to keep her safe, the woman’s father gives her to the righteous Noah, who weds her and takes her to the town of Sorum, a haven for outcasts. Alone in her new life, Noah’s wife give

s him three sons. But living in this wicked and perverse town with an aloof husband who speaks more to God than to her takes its toll. She tries to make friends with the violent and dissolute people of Sorum while raising a brood that, despite its pious upbringing, develops some sinful tendencies of its own. While Noah carries out the Lord’s commands, she tries to hide her mark and her shame as she weathers the scorn and taunts of the townspeople.

But these trials are nothing compared to what awaits her after God tells her husband that a flood is coming—and that Noah and his family must build an ark so that they alone can repopulate the world. As the floodwaters draw near, she grows in courage and honor, and when the water finally recedes, she emerges whole, displaying once and for all the indomitable strength of women. Drawing on the biblical narrative and Jewish mythology, Sinners and the Sea is a beauti­fully written account of the antediluvian world told in cinematic detail.

Most of us are taught the story of Noah and the ark when we’re young. It usually goes something like this: Noah was a jolly old man, the only good man left on the earth. Everyone else misbehaved. God told Noah to build a boat because God was going to send a flood. Animal couples came and got on the ark with Noah and his wife and three sons and their wives, and it rained and rained and rained. Then it stopped, and everyone got off the ark, and there was a pretty rainbow. The End.

The sad thing is, I think I’ve carried that version of the story into my adulthood. Maybe most of us do. But Rebecca’s novel is nothing like that. Told from the perspective of Noah’s unnamed, virtually unknown wife, Sinners and the Sea is gritty and dark. It delves into the details of Noah’s life, the sin and evil that vastly covered the earth, the flood, and everything in between. It opens up the raw, harsh specifics that you never really thought about before (and maybe don’t want to think about). The character of Noah’s wife is so unique- I love how we see her grow from young outcast to strong woman. I wasn’t quite pleased with how Noah was portrayed at first, but I soon realized that Kanner’s description is probably accurate of who he was. I was kind of surprised at the varying personalities of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Yet through both my disgust and my surprise, I realized that they weren’t perfect, and they weren’t supposed to be. They were humans, part of mankind, sinners. And though God had cleansed the earth of the evil that had inhabited it before, Shem, Ham, and Japheth would continue to sin and their sons would sin and their grandsons would sin, and so on. This sin would lead up to the greatest act in history- Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, to take away sin, to fill the gap. So that there could be a flood of forgiveness, if you will. J

However…

There seems to be a steady trend in entertainment and media recently. There’s a curious focus on the story of Noah and his ark, and the events surrounding the flood. However, I haven’t yet run across a version of the story (whether in movies, books, etc) that has it right. I don’t know why people feel the need to embellish this story. The Biblical text has been interpreted in so many outrageous ways by so many people for so long- but I guess this is the case for the whole Bible, sadly. And yet, with Noah’s story, it seems to be done more often- magical is added, detail is subtracted, whatever the case may be. I feel like for the most part, Rebecca did an excellent job telling the story in its true form. I was a bit skeptical of the giants or “Nephilims” at first, until I checked my own Bible and discovered them to be there as well. The one thing that I feel was highly misrepresented was God. And, well, He’s kind of an important part.

He was seen as an angry God, and even Kanner admits this in her interview here. She even goes so far as to say that the God in her book is “imperfect” and “makes mistakes.” I don’t know which god she’s talking about, but the One I know is certainly not imperfect. He’s a wrathful God, yes. He punishes sin, yes. But that’s not the part I have an issue with. It’s the “imperfect” part I have an issue with. I’d like to also mention that I was disappointed that Kanner failed to mention any part of God’s covenant with Noah: aka the first rainbow. That’s an essential part of the story- it’s a symbol of God’s love and His promise to never flood the earth again. The story is lacking without the rainbow. And without the rainbow, God is portrayed only as an angry God, void of love and commitment. Long story short, this was the sole issue I had with this book, and thus dropped my rating from four stars to three.

Overall, I enjoyed this life-changing story told from the eyes of Noah’s wife. It truly altered my view on the story of Noah, the ark, and the flood, in such a way that I’ll never look at it the same again. It’s not an easy ride- it’s a story full of violence, emotional, and heartache. But it’ll move you, guaranteed.
~~~~~

Watch the Book Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GvxcTs_xG-8

Praise for Sinners and the Sea

“Kanner animates a harsh, almost dystopic world of fallen people struggling to survive. Noah’s unnamed wife is a powerful, memorable character.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“[Noah's wife] proves her strength and character as she tries to protect her family… from the outside forces that threaten. Kanner successfully undertakes a formidable task retelling a familiar religious story through the eyes of Noah’s wife. The narrative’s well-articulated, evenly balanced and stimulating—but it’s definitely not the familiar tale that’s so frequently illustrated in children’s books” – Kirkus Reviews

“We think we know Noah’s story but he was not alone on the ark; what was the experience of his wife, his family? Rebecca Kanner’s vividly imagined telling recreates the world of the bible, and asks powerful questions about the story and about ourselves.” – Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, named the most influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek Magazine (2012). Author of WHY FAITH MATTERS

“First-time novelist Kanner has written an utterly absorbing novel, one that flows seamlessly.” – Historical Novel Society

Buy the Book

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Audible.com
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
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iTunes

About the Author

Sinners and the Sea is Rebecca Kanner’s debut novel. Rebecca is a Twin Cities native and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from Washington University in St. Louis. Her writing has won an Associated Writing Programs Award, a Loft mentorship Award and a 2012/2013 Minnesota State Arts Board Grant. Her personal essay, “Safety,” is listed as a Notable Essay in Best American Essays 2011. Her stories have been published in numerous journals including The Kenyon Review and The Cincinnati Review.

Along with other authors including Anita Diamant, Michael Cunningham, Joyce Carol Oates, Russell Banks and Ron Hansen, Rebecca will be featured in the upcoming title Truthful Fictions: Conversations with American Biographical Novelists.

You can learn more about Rebecca, and find links to selected stories and essays, at www.rebeccakanner.com. You can also find her onFacebook and Twitter.

Reading the Prophets: Guest Post by Heather Zempel

Today we have Heather Zempel, author of Amazed and Confused, on the blog talking about the Prophets of the Old Testament. Be sure to check out her new book as well as all the other books in the InScribed series! 

Several years ago, a friend of mine commented, “I really hope I don’t get seated next to Obadiah at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, because I’m going to have to tell him, ‘I’m really sorry, dude, but I never read your book.’”

I laughed, but I also embraced a new mission to help people navigate the odd world of prophetic writings. They seem so weird and irrelevant. In Handbook on the Prophets, author and professor Robert Chisholm admits:

The prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible presents great interpretive obstacles. Its poetry, though teeming with vivid imagery that engages the imagination and emotions, challenges the reader’s understanding because of its economy of expression, rapid shifts in mood, and sometimes cryptic allusions. The reader of the prophetic literature quickly realizes that these books were written at particular points in time to specific groups of people with whom the modern reader seems to share little.

So true. However, Chisholm also contends that they demand our attention because they are the Word of God and contain a message that transcends time and space by helping us see dimensions of God’s character more clearly and challenging us to relate to Him and the world around us according to His ways.

As I read the prophets with new eyes, I realized they were more relevant than I had thought. The prophets accepted the tension of living in a fallen world while waiting hopefully for a new world to come. Their hearts pounded for justice, and they warned that religion was empty unless accompanied by action. They lived through circumstances that didn’t make sense, questioned authority, and challenged people to live at a level higher than the rest of culture expected of them. To me, it seemed the Prophets might be the most real, raw, and relevant writings in the entire Bible. The world in which these authors lived, though separated from my own by thousands of years and thousands of miles, also felt very familiar. Their voices and their messages were as critical and germane to my life as they were to a distant generation; it just took some unraveling and cultural and historical insight to ensure their words resonated in my ears the way they hit their original audiences.

The prophet Habakkuk begged God for revival and that He would turn the hearts of faithless people back to Him. God’s answer to Habakkuk was “Take a look at the nations and watch what happens! You will be shocked and amazed” (1:5, The Voice). The vision God gave Habakkuk was on of warfare and exile. Not exactly the response you’d expect from a “good God.”

Have you ever prayed for something or someone in earnest, seeking God’s will, only to be left confused by God’s response? Have you questioned why a good God would allow bad things to happen to good people? Has a long-standing prayer request gone unanswered? In Amazed and Confused I’ll tackle these questions head-on by exploring the book of Habakkuk,

How do you respond when God’s actions seem out of line with his character and promises? Amazed and Confused proceeds systematically through the book of Habakkuk, exploring the prophet’s prayer, God’s response, and the prophet’s journey from confusion to worship. Please join me on this journey of discovering the Minor Prophets and the wealth of wisdom they have to share. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback if you do. Leave me a message on my website, heatherzempel.com or connect through social media, Facebook.com/heather.zempel or twitter.com/heatherzempel.

**Amazed and Confused is part of the InScribed book collection. Learn more about InScribed and other books in this collection by visiting InScribedStudies.com. Parts of this blog are excerpts from my book, Amazed and Confused, released March 4, 2014 through Thomas Nelson.

Heather Zempel - Heather Zempel is the discipleship pastor at National Community Church in Washington, DC. Having obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biological engineering from Louisiana State University, Heather worked as an environmental engineer and as a policy consultant on energy and environment in the United States Senate. Heather lives on Capitol Hill where she can be found searching out the best barbeque joints, watching college football, and enjoying theater with her husband Ryan. In addition to InScribed’s Amazed and Confused : When God’s Actions Collide with Expectations which is  available now (http://inscribedstudies.com/) Heather is also the author of Sacred Roads and Community is Messy.

Blog Tour: King (Books of the Infinite #3) by R.J. Larson (Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway)

Tour Schedule

Published: 2013 (Bethany House)

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Akabe of Siphra is certain his people are insane. 

Why have they made him a king? 
What, in the name of peacetime boredom do kings do?

Frustrated by a lengthy silence from his Creator, the Infinite, Akabe decides to prove himself as king by undertaking a monumental task, his own lifelong dream: Rebuild the Infinite’s temple in Siphra. 

But Akabe’s impulsive decision sweeps him into a storm of controversy. The Infinite’s enemies join forces in Siphra, and beyond, conspiring to destroy the emerging temple—and to kill their king and his mysterious new queen.

I don’t read much fantasy. That said, I’d never read any of the previous books in the Books of the Infinite series before (what is it with me reading the third books in series nowadays?! This has happened several times recently). In fact, I’d never even heard of any of the books. But when I heard about King and then got the chance to read it, I was definitely on board.

R.J. Larson did something that I don’t see done every often: She combined fantasy with Bible stories. And I absolutely loved it. At times the Biblical aspect was hard to make out, but at other parts the allegory was very clear. Aside from the Chronicles of Narnia (which, in my opinion, is more symbolic than allegorical), which other book series mixes Scripture with the fantasy genre? None that I can think of. I really enjoyed this aspect of King, and am eager to read the first two books (Prophet and Judge) to see how they follow this trend.

The entire story was very fast-paced. At times I even felt like it was too fast-paced. One page Akabe is looking for a wife, and the next page he’s married. Whoa! I would have liked to see some more character/relationship development happen, but it wasn’t crucial. I don’t really have the right to say anything about character development, as I picked up the third book without reading the first two. *sheepish grin*

Mentioning that, if you haven’t read the first two books, it’s very easy to pick up on what’s going on. I was confused at points, I will admit. But you can kind of figure out what’s happened before that led to the events that take place in this book. All in all, I really enjoyed King. It kept my attention and impressed me. I was very intrigued with the world in which Larson set her story (especially the mythical animals, like the destroyers and scalns!). I highly recommend this book to teen readers as well as mature middle grade readers (as long as they can handle some war action/violence).

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None

Violence: Moderate (battle action)

Sexual: None

Excerpt:

A hired servant brought cups, then filled them with juice from a metal pitcher beaded with moisture. They all waited until the king lifted his cup. Following his lead, they drank.
        Ela couldn't help draining her juice, despite its tartness. Let Tamri and Prill frown at her appalling manners—she was thirsty. Finished, she looked for the servant, but he’d vanished.
Beside her, little Barth grumbled, “Mine tastes sour.”
        Akabe grimaced at the pitcher left in their midst. “True. The aftertaste is bitter.”
        Aware of an unpleasant icy burning around her lips and down her throat, Ela flung aside her cup. “Majesty…!”
        She wrenched Barth’s half-empty cup from his small hands. He already looked sick.
        Matron Prill threw down her own cup and said the word Ela feared to voice.
        “Poison!”

Guest Post with R.J. Larson:

What are the differences in the writing processes of devotionals and fantasy? Was it a hard transition to go from writing womens' devotionals to writing fast-paced, action-packed fantasy novels?

The best devotionals relate to the reader on a friend-meeting-friend basis, never lecturing or preaching. Ideally, devotionals are short single-themed insights into our spiritual walks as humans dealing with the Lord, and devotionals are often arranged by topics in collections written by multiple authors. Sometimes an entire volume of devotionals is dedicated to a single theme: Marriage, a deeper walk with the Lord, raising children, or individual topics, such as grief or relationships.

By design, devotionals minister to their readers with a brief, vivid story—often drawn from the author’s own experience—and one verse that will remain with the reader as a life-application. Devotionals also finish with a brief prayer.

Despite their simplicity, devotionals do require research, particularly with regard to the Scriptural application and with any fact-checking if the story is referenced from another source.

By contrast, novels of any genre, can deal with multiple themes, and many verses from the Scriptures. For me, the transition from writing single-themed devotionals to the multi-layered busyness of fantasy novels was easy. I love complexity on every level in writing!

Details delight me, and the research is a joy. I also love mentally walking into my characters’ world and staying there. People fascinate me and often, it was difficult to restrain myself while writing devotionals. Quite often, I had to cut most of what I wrote in order to remain within the 300 or so words designated for most devotionals, so the big sprawling storylines allowed by my 90,000 word novels was no problem.

Now that I’ve finished writing KING, and after three-plus years of writing Biblical fantasy, my question to me is… Can I ever return to writing devotionals?

Hmm… Perhaps a collection of Biblical fantasy devotions is in order!

About the Author…

R. J. Larson is the author of numerous devotionals featured in publications such as Women’s Devotional Bible and Seasons of a Woman’s Heart. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her husband and their two sons. Prophet marks her debut in the fantasy genre.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

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Review: The Quarryman’s Bride by Tracie Peterson

Published: June 1^st, 2013 (Bethany House)

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Emmalyne Knox and Tavin MacLachlan were destined to be together...until the tragic deaths of Emmalyne's youngest sisters. Family tradition mandates that the youngest daughter should remain single to care for her parents in their old age, and now that daughter is Emmalyne. Her father unyielding, Emmalyne surrenders to her duty, heartbroken. Tavin leaves town, equally devastated.

Years later, Emmalyne's family moves, and she and Tavin meet again. Their feelings for each other are as strong as ever, but their painful past and Emmalyne's father still stand between them. Soon both families are in the midst of the growing conflict rising between the workers at the granite quarry that Tavin's father owns and operates. When a series of near-fatal accidents occur, Tavin must figure out who is behind the attacks before someone gets killed.

Bound by obligation, yet yearning for a future together, can Emmalyne and Tavin dare to dream that God could heal a decade-long wound and change the hearts of those who would stand in the way of true love? [Description from Amazon]

I haven’t read anything by Tracie Peterson in I can’t tell you when. I’ve always enjoyed her novels, made up of a perfect combo of romance and history, sometimes with a bit of a mystery thrown in. Now, I’m not a big fan of “2^nd time around” romances (as opposed to first love stories); the characters are usually older and sometimes hurt emotionally (from first love). This is just not my cup of tea. But Peterson, as always, wove a brilliant story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

You might think it’s funny I’m mentioning this rather trivial aspect early in the review, but I loved the Scottish language. It was so much fun to read, and really brought the story to life. Yet, it wasn’t overbearing- I could understand the gist of what they were saying without getting confused. This, my friends, is often the difference between a well-written book and a poorly-written book. If another tongue or accent is used to liven up the dialogue, often times its waaaay overbearing and just ruins the whole book by confusing you to pieces. Thankfully this was not the case with The Quarryman’s Bride.

Something that irked me for about 2/3 of the book was Tavin. His anger was such a turn-off. He had reason to be angry, but he was so, so bitter about something that happened a long time ago, and it just seemed a little extreme. He seemed like a hothead, which is why I didn’t like him for a while. In fact, I liked Dr. Williams much better. He, on the other hand, seemed to genuinely care about Emmy, which made me like him better than Tavin. Then I started having these weird superstitions about Dr. Williams’ true intentions and overly-kind attitude, but that amounted to nothing, haha. Anyway, long story short, I ended up liking Tavin in the end (he learned to forgive and put aside his anger).

This is definitely what I’d call “fluff” reading. It’s light and romantic and relatively quick to read. And I enjoyed every bit of it. Peterson has written yet another incredible romance that will stay with us long after we turn the last page.

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None

Violence: Mild (a mentally unstable woman commits suicide)

Sexual: Mild (some innocent kissing)

Review: Though My Heart Is Torn (The Cadence of Grace #2) by Joanne Bischof

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Published: April 2^nd, 2013 (Multnomah Books)

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Settling into a simple life in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, Lonnie and Gideon O’Riley have finally found happiness after the rocky start to their marriage. The roguish bluegrass musician has fallen in love with his gentle wife and the God she serves, and Lonnie rests secure in his tenderness for her and their young son. A heartless ruse interrupts their peace, bringing them back to Rocky Knob—and forces them to face the claims of Cassie Allan, a woman who says she is Gideon’s rightful wife.

As Gideon wades into the depths of his past choices, Lonnie is stunned by the revelations. She has no choice but to navigate this new path, knowing that surviving the devastating blow will take every ounce of strength she has.

While Gideon’s guilt  and his bitterness towards Cassie threatens to burn up his fledgling faith, Lonnie wrestles to find the courage to trust the God who brought them together in the first place. Will their hard-earned love be able to conquer all?
 Lonnie only wanted her husband’s love. Now that he belongs to another, can she surrender Gideon to a God with a bigger plan?

Having never read any of Joanne’s books before, I didn’t know what to expect. I was a little confused at the prologue as I didn’t read the first book in the series, Be Still My Soul. I easily caught on to the storyline after the first few chapters, though, and enjoyed the rest of the book without any confusion.

The plot absolutely captivated me! Joanne wove a heart-touching story with an “unsolvable” dilemma that makes you ache for the characters involved. This book takes you on a journey of emotions; I was constantly indecisive about which character I was empathetic towards, because each chapter flip flops your heart back and forth. First I was rooting for Lonnie, then I (slowly) warmed up to Cassie. I love all the messages of this book, as well: God forgives us of our mistakes, but there are consequences attached to our actions. Sometimes what we think is best for us is not always what God has in mind.

The only issue I had with this book was that from chapter to chapter, it seemed like Lonnie and Gideon just kept yearning for each other more and more and more and more. There were some chapters that didn’t seem to have a point aside from continuing to express these two characters’ grief. It got a little tiring and repetitive and started to feel like filler material. That was the only thing that really irked me, though it wasn’t too big of a deal.

The ending turned out way differently than I thought it would. There’s not a major plot twist or anything, but the storyline does evolve into something unexpected. I’m really eager to read the first book now (and the third, when it comes out). This is definitely one of the best historical fictions I’ve read in a while.

 Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None

Violence: None

Sexual: Mild (Some kissing.)

Blog Tour: Forty Days (Neima’s Ark #1) by Stephanie Parent (Review + Giveaway)

Tour Schedule

Published: February 10^th, 2013 (S/P)

Pages: 123

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman. For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth. He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge. But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts. And doesn’t stop. Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril. Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, FORTY DAYS is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

FORTY DAYS is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story. It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that FORTY DAYS may not appeal to them. The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet. [Description from Goodreads]

We’ve all heard of the story of Noah’s Ark one way or the other. As children, we’d fantasize about living in close quarters with a bunch of fuzzy animals while it rained and rained and rained outside of the security of the hulking ark. But surely it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Have you ever wondered what it really was like? Forty Days give us a glimpse at just that.

I loved how Stephanie incorporated the realities of living on a huge boat with a bunch of animals. I’ve never really thought of how it might be to have a relative claim that God told him to build an ark in his backyard, and to be shunned by all your neighbors. Or how it might feel to leave all of humanity behind to die in a flood. Or how nourishment might be an issue when you have an ark full of beasts to feed. But those were, more likely than not, the realities of the flood, and it gives you a whole new perspective on the story of Noah’s ark.

The main character, Neima, was rather easy to connect with, maybe because the book is written in first person/present tense, which I enjoyed. Present tense always allows the reader to become more engaged in the story. I feel like Stephanie used plot twists to deceive us, somewhat, into having varying opinions on characters- several times I found myself questioning the true motives of certain characters. Unpredictability is good.

There is a bit of romance in Forty Days, which I enjoyed. It wasn’t overbearing or understated, as it often times can be, but seemed to be just right amount. Brownie points for the author in that regard. There’s an incredible cliffhanger at the end (I think I might have shrieked a little when I realized where the story ended) so, thanks a lot, Stephanie Parent. *wry grin* On that note, I will most definitely be keeping an eye out for book two.

 Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None

Violence: Mild (deaths from flood; mentions of bodies floating in the water)

Sexual: Mild-Moderate (some kissing; an attempted rape, nothing happens)

About the Author…

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

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