Wednesday, March 30, 2016

"My Fears Relieved" by Dana Rongione



About this book:

  “It all began with a pocket knife which led to a mysterious inscription which led to a wolf. But there are no wolves in Delaware...or are there? It's up to the Delaware Detectives to find out.
  Book three thrusts the detective team into a new mystery they are determined to solve no matter where the clues may lead. But are the kids prepared to discover what's really lurking in the woods of Beaver Valley?
     {While this book is appropriate for readers of all ages, gender and educational status, it was designed with the homeschool student in mind. To that end, the book contains a Glossary of Terms that can be used in the subject of Spelling and Vocabulary. The author has also included a Science Center, a History Hideout and a special Art Academy--all of which provide valuable insight and activities based on information from within the story itself. Could this be the perfect addition to your homeschool curriculum?}”



Series: Book #3 in “The Delaware Detectives” series. (Reviews of Book #1 Here! and Book #2 Here!)


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Scriptures are quoted, remembered & mentioned; A talk about lessons in the Bible; An ‘H’ is capital when referring to God; Mentions of prayers; A couple mentions of Church & Sunday School;
*Note: Mentions of Lenape Indians who didn’t believe in God, but worshiped creation instead; A couple mentions of Lenape Indians’ spiritual ceremonies; A couple mentions of not being in luck or that a house is haunted.


Negative Content- Abby snaps a couple times but apologizes quickly after; A couple mentions of hating; Many mentions of animal trafficking.


Sexual Content- A mention of Jamie thinking his sister is acting “girly and gushy” over Scott (but they’re just friends).

-Abby Patterson
                                       1st person P.O.V. of Abby
                                                        114 pages

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Pre Teens-
New Teens-
Early High School Teens-
Older High School Teens-
My personal Rating-
What another fun mystery! Like the previous books in “The Delaware Detectives” series, I can see homeschoolers really enjoying this book as well. While quite a bit shorter than the first two books, “My Fears Relieved” was an entertaining mystery. I really like Abby’s love of history (that desk!) and the ending makes me excited for the next book in this series!   


See y’all on Friday with a new review!


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.

Monday, March 28, 2016

"Remnants: Season of Glory" by Lisa T. Bergren


About this book:

  “In the third and final volume of the Remnants series—Seasons of Glory—the power of the Remnants and their people are growing, threatening Pacifica’s careful plans for domination. Among the Trading Union, village after village, outpost after outpost, and city after city are drawn to people of the Way, and agree to stand against those who hunt them. But Pacifica intends to ferret out and annihilate the Remnants—as well as everyone who hasn’t sworn allegiance to the empire—setting the stage for an epic showdown that will change the course of a world on the brink … forever.”


Series: Book #3 in the “The Remnants” series. (Review of Book #1 Here! Review of Book #2 Here!) 


Spiritual Content- Very much the Light vs the Dark storyline; All about the Call, high gifts & the Way; Many, many, many Prayers; Talking to, Calling on & Focusing on the Maker; Seeing the spiritual realm; Lots of Witnessing & Preaching; Walking the Maker’s love in people; Many, many, many Talks about the Maker, his plans, guidance & presence, his love & hope, along with listening, trusting & relaying on him and being called; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to the Maker (easy to assume that the Maker is supposed to be God); The Maker (God) is called a few Hebrew names (Shammah, Nissi, Raah, Tisdkenu & Rapha); A few Scriptures are quoted & mentioned; *Spoiler* Azarel is an angel. *End of Spoiler*; Raniero is an angel & many, many mentions about that fact; Many, many mentions of the Maker; Many, many mentions of prayers & praying; Many Mentions of followers of the Way; Many mentions of thanking & praising the Maker; Mentions of feeling holy (through the Maker); Mentions of the Sacred Words (assumed to be the Bible); Mentions of visions from the Maker & angels; Mentions of miracles; A few mentions of martyrs; A few mentions of sins;
*Note: “Gods” is said like a curse (like as in “[Heck], man, how did you get so lucky?”); Talking about the Maker is taboo in some places; The Darkness tries to lure Dri in; Sethos is a dark angel; Mentions of darkness, dark ones, evil places, sorcery, spells & curses; Mentions of spiritual enemies & demons; Mentions of the afterlife (we can assume Heaven, but it’s never straight out said); A few mentions of fortune-tellers; A few places (and a dress) are called cursed; A mention of meditating (Keallach does it).


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blasted’, an ‘idiot’, a form of ‘stupid’, and two ‘shut up’s; Curses are said not written; Lots & Lots of Fighting, Killing, Hitting/Punching, Battle, Blood, Arrows, Swords, Daggers & where they are aimed/put (all ranging from semi-detailed to detailed); Pain (semi-detailed); Enemies & Trackers (and to kill one you have to cut out their heart or decapitate them); Beheadings & Heads roll (semi-detailed); Hate (including wanting someone dead) & Jealousy; Having to get tattoos & a bit of pain from those; Many, many, many mentions of deaths, fighting, killing, choking, pain, blood & bodies (semi-detailed); Many mentions of hitting, bruises, scars, blood, injuries & wounds (mostly semi-detailed); Many mentions of almost being killed, threats, murders & torture (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of war; Mentions of prisons/dungeons; Mentions of hanging, being executed & excruciating deaths; Mentions of beatings; Mentions of child labor & whips (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of lies; A few mentions of tasting blood; A few mentions of being chained & almost being hanged; A few mentions of the Cancer, illnesses & sickness; A few mentions of drinking, & wine; A few mentions of kidnappings; A few mentions of hunting; A few mentions of being slapped & almost being slapped; A couple mentions of cracked bones & the sound they make (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple mentions of burning the dead (barely-above-not-detailed);A couple mentions of vomiting; A couple mentions of poison; A couple mentions of drug dealers; A mention of shooting & eating a goat (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a butchered lamb.


Sexual Content- neck kisses & nuzzles, jaw kisses, two nose kisses, three head kisses, two not-detailed kisses, four barely-above-not-detailed kisses, two semi-detailed kisses, and two and a half detailed kisses (including one rolling on the floor); Wanting to kiss; Remembering kisses; Many mentions of kisses & kissing; Blushes, Warmth, Heat, Touches, Shivers & Embraces (semi-detailed); Hand Holding; Noticing & Smelling (semi-detailed); A few men gaze, leer & lustfully stare women, including at Dri (and mentions of their looks (& a couple touches) towards them); Keallach says he loves Andriana & wants to make her his; In Zanzibar, men outnumber women three to one; A mention of females being killed; A mention of woman flesh; A mention of being unmolested & a man figuring Dri’s neck of her tunic; A couple mentions of Zanzibar’s trading in women; A few mentions of Zanzibar women walking behind their men (hands on his hip); A few mentions of women being sold to pimps & becoming prostitutes; A few mentions of Zanzibar’s lord collecting women for his harem (he calls it his “treasured harem”); *Spoiler* Less than halfway, Zanzibar changes for the good and everything changes. No more harems, women being owned, etc. *End of Spoiler*; A mention of bedding a man; A mention of (Dri) wanting to share a bed with a man (Ronan); A (teasing) mention of pushing together two beds for an engaged couple (they don’t end up pushing the beds together though); A mention of a married couple being married in every sense of the word (ie. They consummated their marriage); An asking if Ronan had bedded Dri (no, she is still a virgin); A mention of someone being stunned that another man was able to keep himself from bedding his bride; A mention of a man making his wife his; A mention of enjoying the pleasures of being married; A mention of a man & his many wives (Book#1); A mention of infertility; A mention of a fling; A mention of a courtesan (a prostitute); A couple mentions of other courtesans sitting on a men’s’ lap & kissing them (a men going to bed alone); A couple mentions of making sure men don’t see women bathing/naked at a pool; A couple mentions of a bathing area young lovers go to bathe together; Mentions of waiting for the intimacy of those truly married, wanting to become one flesh & consummating marriages; Mentions of being pure & chaste; Mentions of prostitutes; Mentions of flirting & jealousy; Mentions of touches & touching; Mentions of intimacy & desires (along with sinful desires); Mentions of taking vows/pledges of binding to be married & women being claimed; Many Mentions of a group wanting Dri to be someone’s betrothal; Mentions of being in love & feelings; Love, being/falling in love, & the emotions; 
             *Note: A mention of ‘butting in’ to a conversation; A mention of a tight-fitting dress Dri is forced to wear that has a small cut out, giving a peek at her cleavage; A mention of a mother’s bosom; A mention of blood trickling down a girl’s throat into her cleavage; A couple mentions of bare chested men (no details); A couple mentions of a woman’s curvy figure & ample breasts; A couple mentions of underwear & bra bands.

-Andriana “Dri”, age 18/19(?)
                                         1st person P.O.V. switches between Dri, Ronan & Keallach
                                              Dystopia
                                                        400 pages

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Pre Teens-
New Teens-
Early High School Teens-
Older High School Teens-
My personal Rating- 
I’m slightly numb. There’s a lot of great parts in “Remnants: Season of Glory”—like all the Spiritual Content, but there’s also a lot of gore, blood & killing. Lots. In addition, there were many more mentions of intimate married stuff (thankfully it never goes beyond not-detailed, just some slight hints.) which brings more caution to this series. I enjoy Lisa T. Bergren’s YA books, she’s a good author that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but it looks like it’s a trend with her series that more mentions of married stuff comes as the series continues. (I’m looking at you River of Time series!) Did I enjoy this series? Yes, in some ways. But I can’t begin to tell y’all about the amounts of blood and killing there are in these novels. Fans of popular secular series, probably won’t mind as much, but I found it to bit more than a bit much for a Christian series.


See y’all on Wednesday with a new review!


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Blink) for this honest review.