"The Uncertainty of Fire" by Stephanie Daniels

About this book:

  “What price will she pay for following her heart?
   Chicago, 1871. Sixteen-year-old Whimsy Greathart would rather fight against Chicago’s child labor practices than attend her privileged family’s high society events. And a very public social blunder only strengthens her resolve to use her influence for good.
   On the night of the Great Chicago Fire, her tenderhearted choice leads her into danger and results in life-changing consequences.
   With her world turned to ash, she must rely on the mercy of poor relations to rebuild her future and is forced into the very labor system she wished to fight against. As Whimsy staggers under the weight of street gang violence and hazardous working conditions, a chance at deliverance persuades her to make a promise. One she intends to keep. But now she must determine whether it’s God’s heart she’s following or her own.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Uncertain Riches” series.


Spiritual Content- At beginning of each part (four in total), there is a Scripture; Scriptures are quoted, read, & remembered; Prayers; Church going, services, sermons, & hymns; Many talks about God, why God allows things to happen, His plans/will for us, being called by Him, callings, trusting Him, listening to God, praying, & forgiveness; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Whimsy struggles to understand why God allowed something to happen & why she’s alive (there’s quite a few discussion about this and the answer is that God has a plan for her, even if she doesn’t want to hear that); Whimsy doesn’t want to pray at one time because she’s weary of being told no; In a couple possible dying scenarios, Whimsy thinks that if she surrenders to death, she’ll be in Heaven, but remembers a conversation about there being a reason she’s alive and doesn’t give up; Whimsy doesn’t believe that someone that has caused her pain and trouble has accepted God; When asked to forgive that someone, Whimsy lies and says she does (*Spoiler* Someone else tells her that she’ll regret not forgiving him, but it takes conversations and for her to realize that she needs to forgive the man for her own peace before she actually forgives him *End of Spoiler*); Whimsy wants someone who is cynical about God and religion to turn to Him (*Major Spoiler* She realizes at the end, though, that she can’t live with God only being a small part of her life, which would be the case if she stayed in a relationship with him; Also knowing that he will act the part to please her, but that he won’t be actually saved and that she cares about his eternal future; She regrets that it went this far and caused the man pain *End of Major Spoiler*); Many, many mentions of God, Jesus, trusting Him, His will, listening to God, callings, & forgiveness; Many mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, blessings over food, & Thanking/Praising God; Many mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & Bible studies; Many mentions of churches, church going, church meetings, services, pastors/reverends, & hymns; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of Heaven; Mentions of missions & missionaries; Mentions of a conversion & a new believer in God; Mentions of Christians & faiths; Mentions of Protestants, Baptists, & Methodists; Mentions of someone’s distain for Christianity & preachers (including calling the “religious folks” that didn’t like saloons “dippers” (called that because they’re “the ones who say you gotta get dunked underwater”), pointing out religious hypocrisy (of Christians converting Indians but then rejecting their children to be able to come to school), saying he’d prefer the company of an outlaw than a preacher, that a preacher’s charity baskets had a double-meaning about wanting the people to give money to the church, and wanting to prove that a preacher is a con-man); A few mentions of paintings of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of sins & sinners; A couple mentions of testimonies & praises; A couple mentions of a man wondering if God is punishing him for his past actions when something terrible happens (Whimsy tells him that’s not true); A couple mentions of the Catholics crossing themselves & mass; A mention of being baptized; A mention of a Catholic shrine; A mention of sisters at a church; 

             *Note: A couple mentions of a near-perfect memory being a curse or a blessing; A mention of that in some countries, it’s considered demonic to be left-handed; A mention of a spiritualist’s candlelit skull; A (teasing) mention of a magic spell being casted on someone (because they did something that is not normal for them); A mention of a Greek Mythology character (Odysseus). 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bosh’, a ‘drat’, a ‘dumb’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘sissy’, and three ‘stupid’s; Mentions of curses; Whimsy says “flumadiddle” when she drops something or something unexpected happens (as opposed to a curse word, said six times); Some eye rolling & Sarcasm; Fires, Close calls, Being caught in a fire, Being lost in a crowd, Fights/Fighting, Being beaten/attacked (Whimsy is beaten by a gang of young men because she told on them, happens a few times), Running away from a gang, Being attacked by a drunk and Being held at knife-point (the man intends to kill Whimsy), Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Helping someone who is injured & their blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Throwing up; Grief, Grieving, & Guilt for loved one’s deaths (parents and family members, *Spoiler* Whimsy’s parents, older sister, and brother-in-law all perish in the fire, she grieves for them and also feels guilt after finding out how they died (looking for her) *End of Spoiler*); In a couple possible dying scenarios, Whimsy thinks that if she surrenders to death, she’ll be in Heaven, but remembers a conversation about there being a reason she’s alive and doesn’t give up; Whimsy imagines punching someone (she does not, however the thought brings a smile to her face) & later pushes the annoying person; Whimsy lies (a couple times to throw her cousin off of her trail and another time to keep from explaining about someone she doesn’t want to tell others about; She has opportunities to correct it all, but does not and this bothers and causes her guilt; *Spoiler* She realizes towards the end that the messes her lies created were all her fault and that the lies she’s told have punishments *End of Spoiler*); Whimsy says doesn’t care if a man dies after being tormented by him (*Spoiler* Forgiveness eventually happens towards the man, see Spiritual Content Spoilers for more information *End of Spoiler*); All about many mentions of fires, smoke, crowds, screams, injuries, deaths, & bodies/remains (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of fights, fighting, a gang, that gang beating others, the head bully, stabbings, attacks, pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a woman being murdered due to a man’s animosity towards her picking another man to marry (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a murder & someone trying to see the murderer hung; Mentions of wars, fighting, injuries, & deaths (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a massacre, raids, fights against the Indians in the West, & deaths of mostly women and child; Mentions of riots, violence, injuries, & deaths; Mentions of child labor, accidents, injuries, blood/bleeding, & deaths (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a man willing to kill another man for hurting his girl; Mentions of stealing, crimes, thieves/robbers/criminals, & seeing a group of men attacking a delivery wagon; Mentions of cons & swindlers (including children and a man posing as a preacher); Mentions of bets, gambling, & horse races; Mentions of explosions/TNT; Mentions of saloons, alcohol, drinking, drunks, & temperance laws (also including a man saying he’s been drinking since he was ten and trying to fight the addiction); Mentions of cigars, tobacco, & smoking; Mentions of grief (parents, mother, sister, wife, other family members) & guilt over deaths; Mentions of nightmares (including ones of being attacked and threatened, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; Mentions of gossip, rumors, & eavesdropping; Mentions of slaughterhouses & pigs going to the slaughter pins (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a dead rodent & the smell (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of President Lincoln’s funeral; A few mentions of bribes & dirty police officers; A few mentions of bar fights/brawls; A few mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of malnutrition; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a family’s infants/children dying young; A couple mentions of malaria & a death; A couple mentions of a jail & prisoners; A couple mentions of hunting & hunters; A couple mentions of boys messing with & trying to kill a tarantula; A mention of a doctor being killing for helping another man; A mention of a young man wanting to kill his father because of the way he and his mother were treated by him; A mention of diarrhea; A mention of manure;

             *Note: Mentions of prejudices (towards the poor, the religious, & Indians/Native Americans and someone’s possible prejudice towards interracial marriages); Mentions of books (A couple of Charles Dickens’ books, Julius Caesar, and Little Women).
 

 

Sexual Content- Three hand kisses (one unwanted), a cheek kiss, four head/forehead kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Recalling kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a young man staring at Whimsy’s lips; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, & Butterflies (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to embrace; Blushes; Noticing, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Whimsy makes a promise to be with a young man while she’s uncertain about her feelings for him; Whimsy lies to her cousin about a boy & being interested in him (twice); Mentions of mean leering at Whimsy and other young women with wolfish stares; Mentions of kisses & couples kissing; Mentions of blushes, crushes, flirting, & a flirt; Mentions of chaperones & reputations (Whimsy thinks often that her mother wouldn’t like her being alone with a young man); Mentions of girls giggling & staring at a young man; A couple mentions of jealousy; Love, wondering if she’s in love, falling in love, & the emotions;

             *Note: A mention of women wearing dresses that hug their curves; A mention of a neckline of a dress possibly being “too liberal” in a land full of men. 

 

-Whimsy Greathart, age 16-17
                                1^st person P.O.V. of Whimsy

                                         Set in 1871-1872 (Epilogue in 1873) 
                                                     372 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Might be a hard (or comforting) read for girls who have lost their parents}

The sigh of happy relief I did once finishing this novel was probably heard a couple states over. 
What can I say? Love triangles make me nervous. And this one definitely did. 

Going back a bit, the beginning of this story really reminded me of an American Girl historical novel. I can’t place why exactly, because it was much better written, but perhaps because of the historical setting and this being one of the few Historical YA novels I’ve seen in the Christian Fiction genre? 

This novel is broken up into four parts and spans over a year in total. Which felt very realistic for all the things Whimsy goes through and has to learn. The last part really reminded me of a Janette Oke novel, with Whimsy having to learn and own up to her actions and past lies. 

On Whimsy, I really liked her and was honestly brought to tears at some points and events. I love her name, but also her compassion. I will admit that she frustrated and stressed me out at times because of her decisions, but every time was a learning experience for her and to help her grow. I have to find those parts relatable and wonder if the Lord’s felt the same way with me a times. (Sorry, Lord!) I also really liked the writing style and how different events or emotions were described. 

Back to the love triangle, not to sound dramatic or anything, but it was literally killing me. Okay, obviously not actually killing me, but it felt like it was for a chunk of the book. Those who enjoy love triangles will probably enjoy this element, but even me (the not-a-fan-of-love-triangles-tropes-because-I-hate-someone-to-be-dissappointed-and-hurt) thoroughly got involved into that element and was (very thankfully) satisfied at the ending. But, again, I did a sigh of (happy) relief when finishing this novel. I’m very curious about the next book in the series as it will be about a side character we met towards the end of this book and plan to anticipate reading it. 

 

 

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.

"Flight" by Kristen Young

About this book:

  “On the cusp of graduation, Cadence is finally feeling in control. She’s about to become one of the prestigious Elites working in the Hall of Love. Plus, she can take her place as a full member of the underground Sirens who meet secretly in Love City. She’ll finally be able to use her memory skills for good, instead of reporting people as a Watcher.
    But a dangerous trap is set, throwing Cadence into unwelcome and unfamiliar territory. Someone in the Collective remembers things that could very well get her killed. The Muse is by her side, after all, but will she be protected when someone powerful wants her dead?
    Cadence just wants to be normal, free from politics or squad intimidation. Will she be able to achieve her Elite dreams, or will sinister forces leave her running for her life?”


Series: Book #2 in the “Collective Underground” trilogy. Review of Book #1 Here! And Book #2 Here!


Spiritual Content- There are other names for God, Jesus, & the Holy Spirit (Composer, Lyric, & the Muse); Christians are called Sirens because they sing Scriptures; Many Scriptures (called “fragments of the Song”) are quoted, remembered, & sung (with the names replaced for the names used in this world); Cadence is called the Songbook because of her photographic memory  that can remember all of the fragments she hears; Prayers & a blessing over food; Many talks about the Composer, Lyric, the Muse, & trusting them; 'H's are not capital when referring to the Composer or Lyric; Seeing Lyric; The Muse (Holy Spirit) talks to Cadence & she feels peace; Meetings with the Sirens, singing Scriptures, & receiving a blessing from a leader; Cadence isn’t sure how to tell someone that Lyric is so amazing; Cadence recalls someone telling her that The Composer is a fairytale & that he was glad it was outlawed by the government (Book #2, *Spoiler* that same character has changed and is a Siren now; Cadence thinks it’s an act and wants others to see his true personality, but eventually realizes that he’s sincere and forgives him *End of Spoiler*); Cadence ignores the nudges the Muse is giving her when she’s determined to prove that someone is putting on an act, which later causes her to not be able to hear the Composer and wonder if He thinks she’s no longer worth the effort (she snaps out of this thought when a song comes to mind to remind her that the Composer hasn’t forgotten her); Mentions of when Lyric (Jesus) was strung up on a tree by the government & Sirens singing about His return; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of Sirens meeting and singing songs (of Scriptures) & Sirens using a secret hand motion when meeting others; Mentions of a necklace & a mural of Lyric’s tree (a “tree with a small, stylized figure of a person’s shadow on it”); A few mentions of people receiving visions of Lyric; A few mentions of Lyric’s country (Heaven); 
             *Note: “Love all, be all” is used as a common greeting/slogan; The phrase “how on (the) Composer’s green earth” is said three times; A few mentions of people saying that a man has miraculous powers, zapped someone back to life, & was able to make someone float in the air (all untrue exaggerations); A mention of an LED light giving someone an almost demonic glow. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘sucking up’, two ‘blah, blah, blah’s, two forms of ‘dumb’, three ‘what the—‘s, five ‘idiot’s, and nineteen forms of ‘stupid’; Made-up curses/phrases (can all be changed to actual cursing): a ‘Haters’, a ‘for Love’s sake’, and a ‘what the Love—‘; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Being chased, being tased and kicked, being knocked-out, knocking someone out, being kidnapped, being tied-up, being shot at, almost drowning, being drugged through an (implied) alcoholic drink, & being hung over (all up to semi-detailed); Pain, Injuries, Receiving stitches, Blood/Bleeding (semi-detailed); Getting a tattoo removed & major pain (semi-detailed); Seeing others attacked, beaten, tased, & arrested (semi-detailed); A group of gangsters (called “The Orphans”) throw a child into a pool of water to make a statement (the child nearly drowns but is revived, up to semi-detailed); Recalling a bomb & being tied-up (Book #2, up to semi-detailed); Nightmares (up to semi-detailed); Cadence is physically and verbally bullied by an adult leader (including him threatening to choke her, up to semi-detailed); After being betrayed in the 2^nd Book, Cadence doesn’t think that person deserves to be happy and gives herself the mission to reveal that person’s true personality to everyone (She calls it “righteous anger” *Spoiler* that character has changed and is a Siren now; Cadence eventually realizes that he’s sincere and forgives him *End of Spoiler*; Cadence lies a few times for her, others’ safety, or to tell someone what they want to hear; Many mentions of hate/hatred (which threaten their empire), Haters (which are deemed the enemy (followers of the Haterman *Spoiler* Who is Lyric (Jesus) *End of Spoiler*) to the government system that is all about love), the Purging (which was when the government took over and eliminated anyone who stood in their way), & the government tracking down Haters to kill them (because “Haters do not deserve to live in this beautiful world we have made for ourselves” according to one leader); Many mentions of stabbings, blood/bleeding, pain, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a show where Haters are publicly execution & Haters being beaten and killed (border-line barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); Mentions of weapons (guns, gunfire, a drone that has razor-sharp metallic pinchers, tasers, electric nets, & gas canisters); Mentions of Embracement (public executions); Mentions of treason, a terrorist, bombs, & an explosion (Book #2, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of rebellions & rebels; Mentions of arrests, beatings, torture, & deaths (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a fire, bodies, deaths, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a near drowning & screams (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of Realignment & those who were realigned (brainwashed); Mentions of gangs & gangsters; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; Mentions of nightmares (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of tattoos (all apprentices have an ID that is a tattoo on their wrist); A few mentions of stitches & scars; A few mentions of being drugged & an alcoholic drink; A few mentions of grieving (a mentor); A couple mentions of wars; A couple mentions of two guys looking like they would cut someone’s throat; A couple mentions of children being abducted & brainwashed; A couple mentions of a con-man & scams; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of wanting to do something but knowing it would be suicide; A mention of someone running away from home; A mention of someone being out of their mind and on “some substance”; A mention of gambling; A mention of graffiti; A mention of jealousy; 
             *Note: A mention of looking like a zombie.
 
 
Sexual Content- Noticing, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Butterflies (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Hodge reminds Cadence of their “first night” (no details given); Mentions of how “fraternizing” isn’t allowed between Apprentices unless it’s a festival time and then there’s a bunch of a couples fraternizing and getting close (including a mention out of the bushes); Mentions of flirting, blushes, winks, crushes, & being interested in someone; A couple mentions of embraces; A bit of love, being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Cadence’s pants are removed by a doctor to treat her injuries (she’s too out of it to care); A mention of scantily clad dancers; A mention of a place filled with pheromones.
 
-Kerr Flick/Cadence
                                1^st person P.O.V. switches of Cadence
                                            Fantasy/Dystopian 
                                                        276 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I really wanted to like this third and final book in this series. I really did. 

But I’m ending the book somewhat confused and feeling very jipped.

This dystopian series definitely isn’t the normal “let’s over throw the corrupt government” plotline that you see in so many dystopian series. It should be noted that I really like that plotline, personally. However, I wasn’t opposed to this one being different and I liked that it was overall different. 

It’s been a couple months since I read the prior book, so it took me a while to catch up and remember past events and who everyone was. Once I remembered what was going on, it was nice to see certain characters again. I was quite lost though. Set three years after the ending of the second book, this book picks up with full speed and give only crumbs of details that happened in those three years. I feel jipped. I got to see none of the romance blooming between her and Hodge, and that’s just a jipped feeling for this YA clean romance fan. 

Besides the feeling of trying to catch-up when reading, I was annoyed with Flick/Cadence at times for her reaction to someone reappearing. I totally get why she hated that person, but it felt like a very…juvenile problem for the current situation she was in. 

“Flight” is a really good title for this. The ending was--like the rest of the series--different, but I didn’t hate it or feel upset. I just wish there had been more because I did feel a bit unsatisfied after the abrupt ending. 

This trilogy could definitely be interesting for older readers who want something different than  the typical dystopian plotline, but it’s not a favorite of mine. 

 
 
See y’all on Monday 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.

"Authentically Izzy" by Pepper Basham

About this book:

  ““Dear Izzy—I feel certain there’s a book-loving man living relatively nearby waiting to speak bookish to you ’til death do you part. You just haven’t met yet.” 
    Izzy Edgewood is a wannabe bookstore owner, quote queen, and Lord of the Rings nerd who has been waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her sneakered feet. But it’s hard to meet people when you spend more time with fictional humans than real ones. Which is why her pragmatist cousin Josephine decides to take Izzy’s future into her own meddling hands and create an online dating profile for the hopeful romantic.
    To Izzy’s shock (and suspicion), Josie’s plan works. Soon, she’s dialoguing with a Hobbit-loving man named Brodie who lives in a small town an ocean away from her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But is their shared love of books, family, and correspondence enough to overcome Izzy’s fear of flying and the literal distance between them? And is a long-distance relationship even worth considering when a local author has been frequenting the library where she works and is proving to be a perfectly fine gentleman?”


Series: A sequel about Izzy’s cousin will be releasing in August 2023. 


Spiritual Content- John 21:25 in the author’s acknowledgements; A Scripture is mentioned; A few prayers; Talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, God-given talents, doing what God made you to do, & faiths; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches/cathedrals, church going, church groups/ministries, services, & pastors; Mentions of religious persecution & priests; A few mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of Bibles; A few mentions of when Izzy got into a verbal war with a professor about fiction among Christians and parables; A few mentions of church Christmas plays; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of being Blessed; A couple mentions of Easter; A mention of Sunday school; 
             *Note: Izzy mentions that she tried to be the “savior” of too many men and it’s never turned out for her, so it’s “no wonder all the “saving” need to be left to a much higher and better power than mine”; Mentions of ghosts, seeing ghosts, & their haunts; A few mentions of Santa & believing in him; A couple mentions of half of the women in a women’s ministry not talking to Izzy because she dressed up as a character from Harry Potter for Halloween (another mention of them later happens by referring to them as ‘nosy”); A couple mention of Medusa & Hercules; A mention of something possible be breaking a biblical law (dating someone much old enough to be your father); A mention of the Easter Bunny; A mention of fairies; A mention of aliens. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘codswallop’, a ‘screwed up’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘sucks’, two forms of ‘blast’, two ‘idiot’s, two ‘stupid’s, and three ‘oh my word’s; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; A bit of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Izzy takes sedatives/a cocktail of drugs to be able to fly; Mentions of Izzy’s parents’ deaths from a plane crash when she was twelve, her fear of flying because of it, & her grief; Mentions of possible kidnappings/being kidnapped; Mentions of someone possible being part of the mafia and/or a gangster; Mentions of pain, injuries, blood/bleeding; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of drinking, drunks, & being intoxicated; Mentions of pipes, tobacco, & smoking; Mentions of tattoos; A handful of mentions of thieves, criminals, & crimes; A few mentions of wars; A few mentions of someone in prison; A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of burglary & a break-in; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of vomiting; A couple mentions of hunting & dressing a deer; A mention of someone talking about torture techniques in early Rome; A mention of bloodstains; A mention of having to sleep inside an animal to stay warm; A mention of doing a pee-pee dance; 
             *Note: Izzy realizes towards the end that *Spoiler* she felt like an outsider in her family all this time, always doing what she thinks they would like her to do for fear of rejection or being unheard (her cousins are quick to reassure her that she is family and they love her) *End of Spoiler*; All about many, many mentions of books, fictional characters, authors, celebrities, actors/actresses, musicals, movies, & TV shows (along with quotes and many references, including (listed in the order first mentioned) ‘The Lord of the Rings, Disney’, ‘Legally Blonde’, Julie Andrews, ‘The Hobbit’, ‘Wizard of Oz’, ‘Jane Eyre’, ‘The Secret Garden’, ‘Dracula’, ‘Sherlock’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Dr. Doolittle, Keats, Tolkien, Meg Ryan, ‘You’ve Got Mail’, Nancy Drew, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, ‘Harry Potter’, Anne Frank, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Anne of Green Gables’, Dorian Gray, Walt Disney, ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, Lewis Carroll, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Mr. Rogers, Jack London, ‘The Sound of Music’, The Joker, ‘Annie’, Dr. Phil, Chris Pine, ‘Wuthering Heights’, Bass Pro fishing show, Agatha Christie and characters, James Barrie, ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Emma’, Louis L’Amour, Oscar Wilde, Annie Barrows, Bill Bryson, Andy Griffith, C.S. Lewis, Moby Dick, ‘Animal Farm’, ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, ‘She Loves Me’ (musical), L.M. Montgomery, Clark Gable, Narnia, P.G. Wodehouse, Jane Austen, Avengers, Patrick O’Brian, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, ‘Austenland’, Sandra Bullock, ‘Dead Poets Society’, James McAvoy, ‘Bringing Up Baby’, ‘Some Like It Hot’, ‘The Andy Griffith Show’, Robert Frost, ‘Star Wars’, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, Indiana Jones, Maya Angelou, William Blake, Rhett Butler, ‘Brigadoon’, Mary Poppins, David Copperfield, Terry Pratchett, Homer, Dr. Seuss, Tom Sawyer, ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, Aladdin, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Hercules, Arthur Dent, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Spider-Man, Stephen King, George Orwell, ‘Catch-22’, ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’, ‘Don Quixote’, Arnold Schwarzenegger, ‘Terminator,’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, Patrick O’Brian, Calvin and Hobbes, ‘Little Women’, ‘The Scarlet Letter’, King Arthur, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Wicked’, ‘Poldark’, ‘The Office’, Lemony Snicket,  ‘The Voice’, ‘Father of the Bride’, The Grinch, ‘The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe’, Stella Gibbons, ‘Lord of the Flies’, Debbie Macomber, Kate Middleton, Miley Cyrus, ‘Charlotte’s Web’, E.E. Cummings, ‘The Princess Bride’, ‘The Blue Castle’, ‘Jaws’, Robert Fulghum, ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘War and Peace’, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, ‘Middlemarch’, Lao Tzu, Sopper Westbrook, James Herriot, ‘Cranford’, H.P. Lovecraft, ‘Waverly Novels’, ‘Hamlet’, ‘Great Expectations’, ‘The King and I’, ‘My Fair Lady’, Audrey Hepburn, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’, ‘North and South’, ‘The Alchemist’, ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’, and ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’); Mentions of Hallmark movies; Mentions of social media sites (Google, Pinterest, & YouTube); A few mentions of games (Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Cart, & Pictionary); A few mentions of vampires; A few mentions of Halloween & cosplays; A few mentions of brand names & items (Rose d’Amour perfume and Mathlink cubes); A couple mentions of when Izzy was young and tried to resurrect a hamster in a microwave than died too young (she adored Frankenstein and Dracula); A mention of a hinted reference to the 'Outlander' series (“tips on how to meet your dream Highlander through time travel”); A mention of Boy Scouts; A mention of pimples; A mention of (there not being) dead animals on a person’s wall. 
 
 
Sexual Content- Three cheek kisses, a jaw kiss, a hair kiss, an almost kiss, a not-detailed kiss, four barely-above-not-detailed kisses, six barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses, six semi-detailed kisses (one told from both point of views and counted twice), and a detailed kiss; Talks about kisses & kissing (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss & Staring at someone’s lips/smile; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing; a ‘sexy’; Many mentions of dates, dating, match-making, boyfriends/girlfriends, cheating, exes, & breakups; Mentions of kisses, kissing, recalling kisses, & the perfect kissing height; Mentions of touches, touching, & smelling someone (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a book character wanting a man to touch her hands again & cannot stop thinking about it; A few mentions of blushes; A few mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of dating someone the age of their children (which doesn’t sit right with Izzy); A couple mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a married couple kissing; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Due to past failed relationships, Izzy has insecurities and feels like she isn’t enough (she also wonders why Brodie likes her); Izzy mentions that she tried to be the “savior” of too many men and it’s never turned out for her, so it’s “no wonder all the “saving” need to be left to a much higher and better power than mine”; Mentions of swoon-worthy clothes on men; A few mentions of a misunderstanding about a woman’s “passion”; A few mentions of pregnancy hormones; A couple mentions of a prank of leaving a bodice-ripping novel in a guy’s car for his work friends to see; A couple mentions of someone making feminist comments about a book character; A mention of a man trying to find a mate who is “not intimated by their superiorities”; A mention of a man being fired from his position at a school due to his relationship with a co-worker going sour; A mention of Izzy feeling exposed when being someone’s muse because she thinks of Renaissance painters; A mention of not liking men’s open-collared shirts when they’re open down to his navel (Penelope adds that there’s something about that look that makes her think of a “drunk pirate” or “loose Spaniard” and blames operas for that); A mention of a Mr. Darcy is not a part of the fantasy genre unless he’s “coming out of a pond in a white shirt”; A mention of a young woman’s shoe fetish (not meant sexually).
 
-Isabelle “Izzy” Edgewood, age 30
-Brodie Sutherland, age 34
                          P.O.V. switches between them & through emails and text messages
                                                        420 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

The last book I read by this author, I wasn’t a fan of due to all the kissing. So, I was hesitant to reading this book, but once I saw that it’s an epistolary novel—a novel where the story is told via letters, emails, or other messages and such, I was much more interested, hoping that it would be a clean read. And for the majority it was. 

I’ve decided that epistolary novels are so fun because of the feeling of snooping. 

That probably sounds wrong, but here me out! It’s being a nosy nellie without having to give comments or reactions to another person. It’s the introvert in me that wants the tea loves it, what can I say? :)

I’m not sure if that made any sense at all, but let’s just know that I really enjoyed the emails and text messages writing style throughout this book. 

Which would be why I was quite sad when it changed about halfway through to include a normal 3^rd person POV writing style. The first 50% of the book was all messages, but then it changed to be about 40% that normal, 3^rd person story. Which was fine, I suppose, as I was still very involved—and giggly—at different parts, but I really liked the letters the best. 

That said, this did feel like a very long book at times. Which makes sense because it’s four-hundred and twenty pages long, but even though I was really enjoying it, I did struggle a bit to stay focused because it felt so long. 

I can easily say that while most of the classics/literature nods and conversations weren’t completely lost on me, I didn’t necessarily relate to the excitement over those books and movies due to not really being a classics fan.

I honestly giggled a lot at the cuteness between Izzy & Brodie. Their awkwardness and connection was so fun to read about. I also really liked how important their families are to them and within this story, particularly Izzy’s cousins and their messages. (I cracked up at Luke’s parts many times and might read Penelope’s story when it releases next year.)

With this novel having the main theme being books and communication, it was really nice to see Izzy & Brodie communicate and any foreshadowings that are taunted to the reader are clear up pretty quick and are handled well. The last bit, I wish would have happened sooner in the story so the ending would have been pure cuteness and less added-at-the-end angst, though.

There were a couple kisses that were a bit much for my tastes, personally, and those kisses were what affected the ratings for BFCG’s target ages. If an older girl wants to skim/read past those parts, it’s up to her (and her family’s views on such content), but the ratings given are for the entire story. 

 

 

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.

"A Castaway in Cornwall" by Julie Klassen

About this book:

  “Laura Callaway daily walks the windswept Cornwall coast, known for many shipwrecks but few survivors. She feels like a castaway, set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers. Now living with her parson uncle and his parsimonious wife in North Cornwall, Laura is viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong somewhere again.
    When ships sink, wreckers scour the shore for valuables, while Laura searches for clues to the lives lost. She has written letters to loved ones and returned keepsakes to rightful owners. She collects seashells and mementos, and when a man is washed ashore, she collects him too.
    As Laura and a neighbor care for the castaway, the mystery surrounding him grows. He has abrasions and a deep cut that looks suspiciously like a knife wound, and he speaks in careful, educated English, yet his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Their attraction grows, and while she longs to return the man to his rightful home, evidence against him mounts. With danger pursuing them from every side, will Laura ever find the answers and love she seeks?”


Series: A stand-alone novel. 


Spiritual Content- Luke 15:8-9 at the beginning; A handful of Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, & read; Prayers, Thanking God, Praising God, & Blessings over food; Church going, Hiding in a church, & a sermon; A hymn is sung and said; Talks about God & serving Him; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Laura wonders if God truly holds her fate in His hands or if she life has been all happenstance (she wonders this a couple times, but at the end realizes that she is in God’s hands); Laura prays often, but does question if God will hear and answer her prayers (once); Alex realizes about halfway that he does believe that God hears his prayers and that God has not promised that he would live an easy life; Mentions of God, Jesus, & serving Him; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, praising God, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of churches, church going, services, sermons, & reverends/clergymen; Mentions of a child’s playset of Noah’s Ark; A few mentions of others trusting and relying on God after doubting Him; A few mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of hymns; A few mentions of being Blessed; A couple mentions of those & events in the Bible; A couple mentions of Holiday services (Christmas & Easter) at churches; A couple mentions of wishing someone Godspeed; A mention of a young Alex railing against God for his mother’s death; A mention of religious persecution; A mention of a christening; A mention of someone’s journey to eternity; A mention of a man crossing himself; A mention of a headstone that has the Madonna and child; A mention of a man saying that his wife is a saint, but he is not; A mention of a woman wanting to avoid even the appearance of sin; A mention of a man saying that he doesn’t care about a fundraiser for the church, but will go because of the women there; 
             *Note: The phrase “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” is said; Celebrating & mentions of Allantide (a holiday celebrating St. Allan on October 31^st), All Saints’ Day, & different items/superstitions (such as a carved jack-o’-lanterns from large turnips & a superstition of sleeping with an apple under your pillow and tossing the peel to see your future spouse’s initial (Laura says she doesn’t believe in such things, but her cousin says it’s just harmless fun and it turns out to be accurate)); Mentions of a legend of a man who sold her soul & the haunting howl of the wind people say is him (a ghost tale); Mentions of superstitious people & superstitions (including about a woman being above a ship is bad luck); Mentions of stories about piskies, mermaids, & curses; A few mentions of a man being called a devil & another being called a “charming devil”; A couple mentions of someone’s eyes having evil intent towards another; A couple mentions of a horse costume looking more like a devil than a horse; A mention of Laura’s uncle (a vicar) mostly not believing in ghosts as he’s a “learned man of God”; A mention of a woman saying that men can’t stand it when a woman doesn’t think they’re God’s gift [to women]; A mention of a hellish place; A mention of a man saying he’s “devilishly handsome”; A mention that someone being large does not mean they’re slow, “any more than having red hair makes one a devil”; A mention of a witch. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bah’, a ‘blasted’, a ‘dash and blast’, a ‘thunder and turf’, two forms of ‘stupid’, two ‘idiot’s (used in referring to a very large man and people assuming that he’s slow), and four ‘dashed’s; A bit of eye rolling; Mentions of curses (said, not written); Seeing shipwrecks, people being tossed overboard, bodies, deaths, & Recalling all of it and being tied up (up to semi-detailed); Recalling the death of a toddler (an illness, up to semi-detailed); Being held at gunpoint, Seeing someone shot and killed, Fighting, Knives, Blood/Bleeding, Pain, & Injuries (up to semi-detailed); Being ill & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Drinking bee wine at an event (Laura) & a sip of ale (Alex); Some lying (to save face, to keep secrets, to be safe, to keep someone from disapproving, and/or find out information); All about many, many mentions of shipwrecks, drownings, deaths, bodies, injuries from such events, & some people leading ships to a coast to crash and get their goods (up to semi-detailed); All about many, many mentions of the war, treason, fighting, spies, rebels, rebellions, prisons of war, prisoner camps, being on the opposite side of family members, executions, & deaths (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of injuries, illnesses, blood/bleeding, stitches, pain, & deaths (including a child, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of guns being aimed at people & someone being shot and killed (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a man that prefers there to be no survivors on a shipwreck so that he can get some of the goods from the ship & him wanting to kill the last survivor; Mentions of fights/brawls, fighting, violence, taunting others, & being tied up (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of crimes, criminals, arrests, & penalties of fines and death; Mentions of stealing, stolen items, thefts, & thieves; Mentions of pirates & smugglers; Mentions of alcohol, flasks, social drinking at events/balls, drinking, drunks, & taverns/taprooms; Mentions of smoking, cigars, pipes, & tobacco; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; Mentions of prejudice towards outsiders and/or foreigners; Mentions of grief (parents, wives, husbands, close friends, a loved one, a son, a sister, & a brother); A few mentions of a fire; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of gambling; A couple mentions of bribes; A couple mentions of hatred; A mention of assassination attempts; A mention of snuff boxes; A mention of eavesdropping; 
             *Note: Laura feels out of place with her family as she is not blood-related to any of them & places an importance of finding out more about her biological family; Laura feels resentment towards her parents for leaving her & then not returning (dying) after a trip (this is resolved by the end with forgiveness); A mention of a baby being abandoned in a churchyard. 
 
 
Sexual Content- Two forehead kisses, a neck kiss, three barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and three semi-detailed kisses; Staring a someone’s lips (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss & touch (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Winks & Blushes; Noticing (including a man’s hairy chest and hairy legs, border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Laura gets into bed with an injured and unconscious Alex to warm him (she feels awkward doing so as it feels intimate, but is not caught by her guardians nor is it brought up again); Laura and Alex have to share a room, but there are two beds (it’s assumed that they are married and they do not correct it; Later at a different place, they have to go along with a lie to a woman that they are newly married; Alex promises to behave gentlemanly and warns Laura at one point to go back to her room before he breaks his word); Laura is helped by a maid to undress for bed and Alex tries not to notice but ends up leaving the room due to being he’s flustered and noticing (up to semi-detailed); Alex helps loosen Laura’s stays & Laura imagines being kissed and held by him (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing a couple in a fond embrace; Mentions of a wife’s affair & her being pregnant with another man’s child (*Spoiler* Alex’s wife & the man likes to rub it in his face and says he stole his wife; The baby was stillborn and the mother died in childbirth *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of how servants used to warm their masters by lying in bed with them & Laura wonders if she should do that for Alex, who is freezing & injured (she does and does not get caught by her guardians); Mentions of flirting, flirts, blushes, & winks; A few mentions of couples kissing & kisses; A few mentions of touches, embraces, & hand holding; A few mentions of a wife leaving her husband for another man; A few mentions of elopement & a young woman running off with a man (unmarried); A few mentions of reputations & propriety; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a belief that if a girl is touched by a person in a certain costume, she’ll be pregnant or married by the end of the year; A couple mentions of a woman’s sensual appeal; A mention of a possible unwed mother; A mention of a man seducing a maid; A mention of a man (mostly) teasing Laura that he’ll share a bed with her; A mention of a romantic tête-à-tête; A mention of words uttered innocently but can be taken another way, so Laura blushes; A mention of a man saying something that would sound flattering from someone else, but sounds suggestive from him; A mention of a man not having a relationship with a woman (misunderstood and corrected); Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Mentions of wives/mothers who died in childbirth & a stillborn baby; A mention of that in some countries and traditions, a man is encouraged to marry his brother’s widow. 
 
-Laura Callaway, age 23
-Alexander Lucas
  3^rd P.O.V. switches between them & In the Prologue and Epilogue, it is in her 1^st person P.O.V.
                                          Set in 1813-1814 (Epilogue in 1815)
                                                        392 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Treasure hunting was one of my favorite hobbies as a child—though, I’ll admit the parks nearby didn’t have much treasures, but sparkly trash like a broken bracelet or bottle cap. 

Maybe that’s why I was so interested in this story, particularly the element of Laura trying to reunite items that have been washed ashore after a shipwreck to the families of the deceased. Those parts were truly the most interesting and I even teared up a few times at certain parts regarding her findings. I absolutely adored her compassion for others and how kind she was. 

My only “compliant”, if you will, were the few times that Laura or Alex noticed something physically about the other that felt scandalous for the time period. It might not be scandalous nowadays to notice a man’s chest or muscle-y legs or even to cut his hair, but it felt so intimate for the time period and therefore made me a bit uncomfortable. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, though, overall. If I could, I would give this book a 3.75 stars and rank it as possibly my favorite by this author. It truly captured my interest, and I didn’t find this book to be slow or unable to keep my attention. There were so many parts that I honestly forgot I was reading and had the scenes playing out vividly in my head. I found it to be an enjoyable story, personally, and could be a possible read for older teens. 

 

 

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.