Books for Christian Girls: "Luminary" by Krista McGee

About this book:

“She was an anomaly with a death sentence. Now she's free.
Thalli was scheduled for annihilation. She was considered an anomaly--able to experience emotions that should have been eradicated by genetic modification. The Scientists running the State couldn't allow her to bring undue chaos to their peaceful, ordered world. But seconds before her death, she is rescued.
Now Thalli is above ground in a world she thought was destroyed. A world where not even the air is safe to breathe. She and her three friends must journey across this unknown land, their destination a hidden civilization. It's their only chance of survival.
Broken and exhausted after an arduous journey, they arrive in New Hope, a town that survived the nuclear holocaust. When Thalli meets the people there--people actually "born" to "families"--her small world is blown wide open.
Soon after their arrival to New Hope, the town comes under attack. She has escaped imminent death, but now Thalli is thrust into a new fight--a fight to save her new home. Does she know enough about this world of emotions, this world of chaos, to save not only herself, but the people she has come to love?”

Series: Book #2 in the “Anomaly” series. Review of Book #1 Here!

Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, remembered, read, & quoted; Prayers; Church going; Thalli struggles with why the Designer allows bad things to happen; Many talks about God, believing, & trusting; ‘H’s are not capitalized when referring to God; Many mentions of God (called The Designer) & trusting; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of Bibles & faiths; Mentions of those in the Bible & events; Mentions of churches, pastors, & sermons; Mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of a song about Jesus & salvation; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of baptism; A mention of praising God; A mention of being blessed; A mention of sin;

*Note: Mentions of evil in the world & evil people; A few mentions of those who do not believe there is a God; A mention of an evolutionary jump; A mention of the evolution of the human species.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘stupid’s; A bit of eye rolling; Seeing two people shot, killed, & bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing stake burnings & a (dead) body burned (barely-above-not-detailed); Fighting, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Pain (up to semi-detailed); Being drugged & Passing out; Being held captive; Many mentions of being annihilated (including those being forced and those choosing to end their life), poison, & dying/deaths (and seeing people die); Many mentions of a murderer, how he has killed different people, torture methods, & a plan to kill the awful murderer (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of a war, fighting, threats, & deaths; Mentions of how some people were cruelly murdered by burning alive at the stake, plans to do it to others, it almost happening, & the smell (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of attacks/fighting, fires, threats of killing, & killing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of mass murders; Mentions of a plan of someone being violently murdered & starting a war; Mentions of drugs/poisons, being drugged, being poisoned, & deaths; Mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding from beatings; Mentions of dangerous animals, attacks, injuries, blood/bleeding, & pain; Mentions of stealing; Mentions of lies, lying, & manipulation; A few mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of illnesses.

Sexual Content- Touches, Warmth, Embraces, & Nearness (from two boys, barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to touch; Noticing & Smelling (from two boys, barely-above-not-detailed); a ‘hot’; Mentions of dating, boyfriends, & girlfriends; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of an affair & a pregnancy as the result (the mother wasn’t sure who the father was); A bit of love, falling/being in love, & the emotions.

*Note: Mentions of procreation, the Scientists eliminating it, & the ingredients for creating life (Thalli finds the old ways of procreation confusing); A few mentions of scientists creating infants & seventy of the hundred infants dying; A couple mentions of wondering what happens on a honeymoon; A mention of Thalli’s chest (she mentions that she doesn’t have much of a chest).

-Thallium ‘Thalli”, age 17
1^st person P.O.V. of Thalli & the Prologue in the Scientists
296 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

{Death is a topic often discussed in this book and some parts might be creepy/triggering for younger reads. Very clean, but the Scientists can be disturbing with their methods and an evil king with his murder plans.}

Good grief, that cliff hanger. I remember all the insane emotions I felt the first time I read that cliff hanger. Ack! This is definitely a trilogy to make sure you have all the books before you start reading!

I’ll admit that love-triangles have never been my favorite (though, I don’t really think they that are anyone’s favorite) and this book begins a crazy one. I think that and the parts/mentions of the awful acts that happen in another area lowered my enjoyment of this second book, but it’s still a great continuation of “Anomaly” and I love seeing Thalli’s faith grow.

See y’all on Friday with a new review!