The Returning

Series: Seer #3

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: January 17, 2017

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The final book in the Seer series brings it full circle, just like another Dekker.

It has been twenty years since Carrington and Remko Brant have seen their baby Elise, who was taken from them as they were forced to leave the Authority City. No matter how far they traveled, she has never been far from their hearts and minds. The man that took her is now the Authority City president trying to bring the city into a new era of peace. The Scientist Roth Reynard is still there providing his Genesis Serum that takes away all memory of emotion keeping rebellion from happening. The seers, with Aaron, have been tucked away until now and are ready to take their restoration to the rest of the world, starting with the Authority City. They have a chosen seven that are going to rescue Elise and be at the forefront of the battle that is sure to come. Elise is the key to the victory they hope to achieve as all they know will be tested.

As the third and final book in Dekker’s debut series, I can say she did a fine job wrapping it up. If you have read any of her father’s writing, it will be easy to see the similarities in his writing as well as hers. For this reason, I am going to say that this book will be best read by those that haven’t read anything by Dekker Sr. His work is great and is probably what will have turned most people on to Rachelle and her writing. If you take her as a separate entity, which you should but is still hard, it will be much more enjoyable. While the first and second book focused mostly on Carrington and Remko, they are not mentioned much here except for maybe a chapter or two. That was an interesting change of pace, I wish there would have been a little more focus on them instead of going straight into the grown up children. There was a lot to straighten out here and luckily all was wrapped up by the end. My nit-pick for the book would have to be Jesse, for some reason he just didn’t click with me. I can’t put anything specific down except for the times he was there never fully felt authentic. The chapters went back and forth between several different points of views making the story flow at a quicker pace in my opinion. As a reader, you get to see more of the action from more characters without fleshing out those characters as much as if only one or two were the main focus. Overall this was a very enjoyable read, probably the best of the series. I would recommend this for fans of dystopian series with a faith base.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Check out our author interview here.

Batgirl at Super Hero High

batgirl Author: Lisa Yee

Narrator: Mae Whitman

Series: DC Super Hero Girls #3

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Release Date: January 3, 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Batgirl takes the stage as Super Hero High’s newest super, but can she stand up to her first face off with a super villain?

Barbara Gordon has been working in the tech department at Super Hero High and loves being around all of the super heroes, especially her best friend Supergirl. But she has an alter ego called Batgirl. She has managed to stay in the shadows until Supergirl calls her out for helping save Super Hero High. This gesture offers her enrollment to the high school from Principal Waller, but there is still one person not happy that she has been fighting crime, her father. Gotham City police commissioner Gordon has spent his life trying to keep his daughter safe and wants nothing more for her to be normal. But eventually even he sees that she deserves a chance at Super Hero High.

As Batgirl attends Super Hero High, she finds that she has less in common with the supers than she had originally thought. Even so, she is still a tech wiz and gets the chance to be on a game show with some of the highest tech minds in the world. She wins the show, but at a cost of having one of the contestants carry a personal vendetta against her. When one of her inventions starts wreaking havoc on the internet throughout the world, Batgirl knows that she must dig deep within herself to fix what has happened. If she can’t, civilization as we know it may be doomed.

I was provided with an audio version of this book to review. Typically I shy away from audio books after a bad experience with a monotone narrator on an early morning drive. Big mistake. However, I decided to give this a try and I was very impressed. Mae Whitman did a terrific job narrating throughout the book. She kept me engaged and did a perfect job of inflection at just the right times. I really enjoyed the story and wished I had the previous two books to listen to as well to get me caught up on the story. Lisa Yee did a great job bringing together all of the DC comic super heroes and casting them as teenagers. Harley Quinn’s personality really took center stage, but I enjoyed the way she played out Katana, Cheetah, and several others. This is a really great series for young readers to either read or listen. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed throughout are mine.

Moore’s Code

moores-code Author: Chautona Havig

Publisher: Create Space

Release Date: September 2014

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A fun lighthearted story about Santa, everyone around him, and what they do when a little boy finds out all their secrets.

Young Andy Heath is determined to find out the truth about Santa and Christmas after reading a famous poem and finding clues missed by everyone else who has read it. If he’s right, this will be the best Christmas he has ever had. Andy tries to capture Santa and get the huge sack full of toys all for himself. Unfortunately nothing goes as planned. While he tries to figure out how to solve his problem, the elves at the North Pole are dealing with their own problems. Not only is Santa missing, but now Clause Castle is under attack from Scrooge Clause who wants it for himself and to stop Christmas from coming again.

This is the cutest little book I have read in a long time. The tie-ins of all the extra characters made the story that much better. I don’t want to give much away and ruin the story but I will say that I had a smile on my face the whole time. Young Andy Heath is the kind of spirited boy you would expect to find in the middle of a tale like this. I did find his tantrums a little tiring at times, but that had to be included in order to show his change throughout the story. I thought I would enjoy the moments with him and Santa the best, but the real story kicked off with Mistletoe and Merry Clause as well as the other elves. All they did to find Santa and keep the castle safe really made the story.

One of the most fun I have had reading a Christmas story in a long time.

Larger-Than-Life-Lara

lara Author: Dandi Daley Mackall

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: November 1, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

This book that should be read by all young kids! It that tackles a difficult topic in a beautiful way.

Laney Grafton is a ten-year-old writing a story about what happens when her class gets a new girl who isn’t like everyone else. When Lara shows up in class, it is obvious from looking at her that she will be the target of bullying. She is larger than anyone these fourth graders have ever seen. Instead of letting the bullying beat her down, Lara surprises everyone and smiles through it all. Several of the kids go above and beyond with how harsh and cruel they are. Throughout it all, Laney stays quiet since she is being left alone for once. With crafty titles about storytelling and an overall extraordinary tale about a girl that is able to transform an entire class, Larger-Than-Life-Lara shows us the best and worst in every single one of us.

Bullying is such a horrible aspect of growing up that unfortunately almost everyone has to deal with at some point. Larger-Than-Life Lara tackles this subject in a unique way. By telling the story from Laney’s point of view, we see how everyone is affected in many different ways. This is a book that I think should be in all schools and read and discussed together. Kids of all ages could get so much out of this book. The way that Lara reacted to the treatment of the other kids shows how she is Larger than Life in more ways than just here size. We could all learn from all of the characters in this book, either in how to act or how not to treat someone. At times, the writing style seems a little odd but since the narrator is a ten year old it worked out really well. The book is short, less than 200 pages, making it an easy read. I finished it in one day. I hate to see the need for books like this, but it is needed now more than ever. So many kids are bullied in one way or another and being over weight is probably one of the hardest to deal with. Mackall did an excellent job setting up this story in a way that will make an impact with readers while also not being too lengthy and losing younger readers. Overall this was an excellent read that I will be high recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Initiation

lock-and-key Author: Ridley Pearson

Series: Lock and Key #1

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: September 20, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Sherlock Holmes as you’ve never seen him before! A great introduction to the detective for a younger generation.

Sherlock Holmes is a well-known detective, but not as much is known about his youth. Here is a tale of how he begin his rivalry with his most famous enemy, James Moriarty, which is told from the viewpoint of James’s little sister, Moria. James grows up to be a ruthless villain, but what happened to lead him down that path? James is put into a boarding school where he winds up the roommate of a British know-it-all named Sherlock Holmes. Moria attends the school as well and becomes closer to Sherlock, Lock as she calls him, than her brother. Shortly after school starts, a treasured Bible that is supposedly the family bible of the Moriarty family goes missing causing James and Moria to be caught up in a school wide scandal. The school imposes mandatory study hall and lockdown until the bible is found. James has never known of his family to have such a bible here, but all of a sudden clues start turning up leading him on a search for what he thinks must be the bible. Sherlock helps his roommate and finds that things are not at all what they first appear, leading them to the discovery of a secret society within the walls of the school. With danger around every corner and mysterious dealings afoot, nothing will be the same.

Ridley Pearson has developed a knack for developing stories for that are like none out there. He reimagined the Disney villains and heroes for young adults to read and enjoy, and now has taken on a new direction for us to see Sherlock Holmes that is entertaining, fun, and so enjoyable. I have heard of Sherlock Holmes but the characters of James and Moira were new to me. I loved the way Pearson told the story through Moira’s perspective. It was different and gave a neat view of the story. At first glance you are think the story took place long ago, that’s what comes to mind for me when I think of Sherlock Holmes. Interestingly enough, it takes place in the present. The kids are attending Baskerville academy, a school that doesn’t allow cell phones, making all clues and information a little more difficult for kids and all involved in to attain. At first you might think that Sherlock and even James are the brightest of the bunch, but don’t count Moria out too quickly. She learns quickly from those around her and with Sherlock to teach her proper sleuthing techniques, she is sure to not be left out of all that is happening around her. Pearson has become one of my favorite YA authors. You can count on his stories to be entertaining with much to learn along the way. With this being the start of a new series, I can’t wait to see what is to come.

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Unblemished

umblemished Author: Sara Ella

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: October 11, 2016

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Eliyana can’t stand to look at herself and doesn’t know how anyone in this world can either. She is about to find out that many will see her blemish, not as a weakness, but as a strength. It just won’t be in the world as she knows it!

Eliyana keeps to herself, she has for as long as she can remember. Half of her face is covered with a birthmark that she despises. She lives with her mother, a reclusive artist that refuses to have either of their pictures taken or displayed for others to see. She is fine keeping to herself until her new neighbor, Joshua hopes over the fence and they become fast friends, and if Eliayana had her way, even more than that. He treats her as if she is normal and seems to not see her blemish. She starts to believe someone could actually love her. When her mother doesn’t come home one night, she starts to wonder if something more is going on than she is aware of. She learns that the world she lives in is not the only one out there. Together with Joshua, who she learns is actually her guardian, they set out to save not only her mother but many, many more.

I love a good YA story. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. If you aren’t paying attention, the story will get away from you and you will find yourself completely lost. But if you do follow closely, you will find yourself transported to a new world with Kings, traitors, and a plan so diabolical not everyone will make it out alive. The characters had so much growth I had to remind myself that this was one story, not the second or third in a series. I don’t know if this will be the beginning of a new series but I can certainly see it going in that direction. There was a lot left to be answered and I’m hoping that means there is more to the story coming soon. It would have been very easy to let Eliayana play the damsel in distress the entire story but I’m glad it didn’t turn out that way. She held her own and showed that there was more to her than the blemish everyone tried not to look at. The end had several good twists that left me pondering what these characters might be up to. The story flowed smoothly and kept my interest throughout. A job well done.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Bad Magic

bad-magic Author: Pseudonymous Bosch

Publisher: Little Brown

Release Date: September 16, 2014

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The author of The Secret Series is back with a new series that will make you believe what you thought unbelievable.

Clay used to believe in magic, but now to him it is BAD, fake, as unreal as it gets. He has a journal he keeps and when words from his journal appear on the school wall tagged as graffiti, he is blamed. He is kicked out of school and his only hope of returning is to attend Earth Ranch, a camp for troubled young kids on a remote volcanic island. He isn’t happy about it but he goes. The longer he is there the less he can deny that the island has some interesting features. He doesn’t want to call it a magical island, but that is all he can think of to call it. Nothing is as it seems and he becomes more determined to find out the truth about the island than to find a way home.

When I read The Secret Series I was quickly intrigued by this new series for young readers. It was fun, witty, and totally out of the ordinary. I wasn’t very pleased with the way that series ended, which made me a little hesitant, only a little, to start this new series. I wanted to see what Bosch had in store for readers. At the beginning, it didn’t seem to be related to The Secret Series. (Small Spoiler, there is a connection to the secret series, Clay, the main character here, is the younger brother of Max-Earnest, one of the main characters of The Secret Series.) With that being said, I’m pleased to say that Bad Magic exceeded my expectations. The story goes in an entirely different direction than the previous series and didn’t lose me for a second. I read this very quickly and didn’t have any trouble keeping up with the characters or what was going on. There are other connections to a few YA/Children’s books here, such as Holes by Louis Sachar, kids being sent to a delinquent camp and Peter Pan, a group of lost boys/girls working together with types of magic. All that rolled into one make for a very interesting new series. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Gilt Hollow

gilt-hollow Author: Lorie Langdon

Publisher: Blink YA Books

Release Date: September 27, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A mystery of danger and intrigue that will leave you turning the page until the very end!

Willow Lamott has known since the day her best friend Ashton Keller was sent to prison that there was no way he could be guilty of killing one of their classmates. But with three eye witnesses, she was the only one on his side. Of course, when Ashton pleads guilty, it doesn’t help the case. He spent four years in juvenile hall before being released and allowed home to Gilt Hollow. His parents have moved away and haven’t spoken to him since he was convicted. Willow and her mom and brother have moved into his old house as the caretakers of the estate. Ashton is back at school determined to get revenge on those that sent him away. Willow watches him and sees he has changed over the years and starts to wonder if he really is as innocent as she has believed all along. Ashton came back to clear his name but seeing Willow again and being back in her life makes him want to be as innocent as she has always seen him as. As he finds clues to the truth of what happened to send him away, dark secrets come out and Ashton realizes his coming back to Gilt Hollow might have put everyone he loves in grave danger.

I rarely I cannot put a book down, but this one just might fall in that category. I picked it up thinking it looked interesting. I am always looking for a good YA story that I can recommend to entice young readers to give a try. This one fits the bill and then some. The story hooked me from the beginning and kept me from being focused on much else. The relationship between the characters was so enchanting that I couldn’t wait to see if they would end up together of if there was something deeper going on. Willow is the type of character that many young girls will easily be able to relate to. She is not very popular so she shuts herself away in her studies and tries to find solace in the things she can control. After her years of defending Ashton, she too has become an outcast. It would make it an easy transition that they would pick up their friendship right where they left off, but that’s not the case. I actually liked the way Langdon went with this. It would have been easy to have them back to being all buddy-buddy, but she didn’t take the easy way out. She let the relationship between Willow and Ashton develop as it rightfully should. The characters acted in a believable manner, not just in a way that has been overdone through the years in YA novels, and for that I am thankful. Ashton had years of angst built up inside him that could have led him down a horrible path, and almost did a few times. This is my first book to read by Lorie Langdon but I am positive it won’t be my last. I highly recommend this to readers young and old. It’s not just for young adults. Older readers will easily find themselves sucked into the story and enchanted by the characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blink in exchange for an honest and thorough review. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Calling – Rachelle Dekker

The follow up to The Choosing takes things in a different direction, but not in a bad way. The Calling by Rachelle Dekker is a great sequel to what has the potential to be an excellent series.

Carrington Hale convinced Remko Brant to escape the Authority City with her and now they are married and have a young daughter. He is the leader of the Seers and never before has he had so much at stake. Time and time again he and his team infiltrate the city to attempt dangerous rescue missions that fail more often than succeed. Damien Gold is the newly appointed authority President with dangerous ambitions and is bent on catching Remko and his group of rebels and destroying their message of hope and everything they represent. Remko is losing control of his camp and is afraid everything he has worked so hard for might be slipping through his fingers. His fears threaten to get the better of him, and if he fails to conquer them, he will lose more than he could have ever imagined.

The first book in the series focused on Carrington Hale, but here the focus is shifted to Remko with Carrington’s point of view sprinkled throughout. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about this. The first half the pacing was a bit slower but the second half more than made up for that. I found myself on the edge of my seat almost rushing through to find out what was going to happen next. There is a similar quality to the writing by Rachelle Dekker to that of her father, Ted Dekker. In a way I want to fault her for this and say she should find her own path and way of writing but I can’t. She obviously learned from his way of writing and storytelling over the years, and why not? It is an excellent teaching to follow. Remko was brought to life, especially as the stakes grew and he struggled with facing his fears and what he was about to lose. I enjoyed his point of view and really thought that pulled the story forward. I recommend this book for those seeking adventure and action that pulls you deep into faith and all that you have to lose if you give into the fear surrounding us all.

Remnants: Season of Glory

The final book in the Remnants series doesn’t disappoint with quality, but it does leave me wanting more stories with the Ailith.

The power of Andriana and the Remnants is growing, which causes the threat from Pacifica to grow as well. Pacifica’s plans for domination are coming close to collapsing as the Remnants try to win over Kellach and those who serve him. Sethos and the Shiolite try to thwart them at every turn but are quickly finding themselves out numbered. The people of the Way quickly draw more followers and those in Pacifica try to annihilate the Remnants and everyone that has chosen to side with them setting the stage for an epic showdown that will change the course of a world on the brink, possibly forever.

As I started this book, I was excited to see how the story played out but also very sad to know it was the last in the series. I have enjoyed this series and am pleased to say this final book was just as enjoyable. From the very first book in the series I have devoured every page and anxiously awaited what would come next. The writing has been flawless with a combination action, suspense, romance, and everything that makes a story worth reading. Being marketed to YA, I loved how there were no aspects that would make me hesitant to recommend to that age rage. Bergren has a way with words that kept me flying through the pages even when the action hit a bit of a lull and the romance heated up. This story had a bit more romance than the previous two, but it was played out well with a realistic timeline of events between the characters. Each character is so fully laid out and developed that each thing they do seems natural. Dri and her desire to see Kellach with them even though she knows no one else feels the way she does all feels natural. She knows she is alone in this but can’t keep from feeling the way she does and following her heart. Don’t try to rush through this book! Take enough time to soak in the story and enjoy the world created for you. I don’t want to give any spoilers away so it is hard to say much more other than it was a great read! I wish the series wasn’t over. One of my favorite series and one I highly recommend!