"The Bridge to Belle Island" by Julie Klassen

About this book:

  “After a humiliating mistake, lawyer Benjamin Booker resolves to never again trust a beautiful woman. When an old friend is killed, the senior partner isn't satisfied with Bow Street's efforts and asks Benjamin to investigate. Eager to leave London for a while, Benjamin agrees. Evidence takes him to a remote island on the Thames, a world unto itself, shrouded in mist and mystery. Soon he finds himself falling for the main suspect—a woman who claims not to have left the island in ten years. But should he trust her?
    On Belle Island, Isabelle feels safe and leads a productive life, but fear keeps her trapped there. When Mr. Booker arrives with news of her trustee's murder in London, Isabelle is stunned. She has not left the island, yet she has a recurring dream about the man's death. Or is it a memory? She had been furious with him, but she never intended...this.
    When a second person dies, and evidence shockingly points to her, Isabelle doesn't know who to trust: the attractive lawyer or the admirer and friends who assemble on the island, each with grudges against the victim. Can she even trust her own mind? While they search for the truth, secrets come to light and danger comes calling.”


Series: No, a stand-alone novel. 


Spiritual Content- Psalm 32:6 at the beginning; Scriptures are read, remembered, mentioned, quoted, & thought over; Bible reading; Prayers & Thanking God; Going to a chapel & reading a book of sermons and praying; Talks about God & Him watching over us; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Isabelle thinks that God may be loving, but doesn’t trust Him with the lives of her loved ones (she wants to trust, but fear and worry often win and wishes she would trust God and not worry); Isabelle hasn’t prayed much in recent years, but tries to do better; Benjamin realizes he’s neglected prayer lately and does better; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of Bibles (and copies of the New Testament and Psalms) & Bible reading; Mentions of churches/chapels, church going, vicars/clergymen, services, hymns, worship, communion, & sermons; A few mentions of thanking God; A couple mentions of those in the Bible; A couple mentions of plaques with the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Apostle’s Creed on them; A couple mentions of people being called saints; A couple mentions of sins (including not blaming a son for the sins of his father); A mention of thinking someone had prophetic dreams; A mention of a blessing; A mention of a religious conviction about drinking; A mention of Easter; A mention of Benjamin’s keen sense of smell being a blessing or a curse;
             *Note: Mentions of a curse on the Wilder family that those who were born on the island and then leave, die young (Isabelle says it isn’t logical, but still worries about it and has anxiety about going over the bridge out of the island; *Spoiler* Isabelle at the end realizes that it’s superstition and that God alone holds her fate in His hands *End of Spoiler*); A few mentions of different men being called a devil & looking like a devil; A couple mentions of a devilishly handsome man; A mention of the phrase “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”; A mention of someone’s injury burning “like hades”; A mention of a woman casting a spell on a man. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bah’, a ‘blasted’, a ‘hurt like the blazes’, a form of ‘idiot’, a ‘good night!’, a ‘thunder and turf’, a ‘what the…’, two ‘merciful heaven’s, three ‘dash it’s, three ‘dashed’s (replacement for darned or stronger), four forms of ‘stupid’, and five ‘good heavens’s; Mentions of curses (said, not written; including Benjamin stifling one); A little bit of eye rolling & sarcasm; Seeing a murdered body (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Isabelle has anxiety about crossing the bridge out of the island and nearly faints when trying to go over it (similar to a panic attack, she describes it and it also happens, someone else calls it “some sort of hysteria” and another says that in her mental state, he would recommend an asylum for her, semi-detailed); Passing out & Benjamin struggles with vertigo (up to semi-detailed); Being pushed/attacked, Pain, & Injuries (up to semi-detailed); Isabelle wakes up with a bad headache after drinking a lot of wine the night before (she doesn’t typically drink that much, but she was sad, though she regrets it the next day; *Major Spoiler* it’s revealed towards the end that she was also drugged which explains how terrible she felt and that her friend that did it because he would wanted to “cure” her worry/anxiety *End of Spoiler*; After a failing case, Benjamin craves a strong drink, but refrained since he knows that the relief would be temporary and would have painful consequences; Benjamin goes into a taproom, but does not drink; Seeing others drink & social drinking (wine and champagne); A dog is nearly ran-over by a carriage (but is saved, up to semi-detailed); Isabelle is sad over the death of a pet dog (barely-above-not-detailed); Benjamin doesn’t see eye-to-eye with his father and can be disrespectful/harsh to him (he does regret some of his words *Spoiler* towards the end of the book, he plans to do better to his parents and does *End of Spoiler*; All about many, many mentions of a murder/deaths, the body, how it happened, the murderer, alcohol, drinking, a heavy drinker, being drunk, poison, & being poisoned (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of robberies, thieves, smuggling, stealing, stolen items, & a thief possibly being shot; Many mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of deaths (including at sea, a bad carriage accident and the drunk driver, & a son grieving the death of his parent, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of wars, battles, fighting, & deaths; Mentions of an abduction (not done with evil intentions); Mentions of hangings and executions; Mentions of jails/prisons, arrests, crimes, criminals, break-ins, & a possible fight; Mentions of threats & threatening someone; Mentions of gunshots, being shot at, someone being shot, & someone being threatened with a gun (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of fights, pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a young boy cutting his finger badly, stitching it, the boy passing out, & all the blood (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a doctor’s experiments with mice, animal body parts, and animal skulls (portrayed as creepy and Isabelle doesn’t approve, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of someone being drugged (*Spoiler* Isabelle *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of a flood (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of cigars, pipes, tobacco, & smoking; Mentions of hunters & poachers; Mentions of manure & animal droppings; Mentions of the death of a beloved dog (Isabelle is concerned he was poisoned, but most think it was due to his old age); A few mentions of potential drownings; A few mentions of a man wanting to punch another man & grabbing his collar (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of debts & a vengeful moneylender; A few mentions of gambling & a father not wanting to gamble so he donated his winnings of a game; A few mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of nightmares of people dying; A couple mentions of a woman thinking a man is going to hit her; A couple mentions of a divorce & a man charging his wife with bigamy to get a divorce; A mention of a dead body; A mention of a dead body being topped overboard a ship (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of children becoming addicted to opium; A mention of a man being slapped; A mention of hatred; A mention of jealousy; A mention of a dead sheep (barely-above-not-detailed); 

             *Note: A mention of a man saying that his pregnant daughter is as “big as a house”. 
 
 
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss, an almost kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a semi-detailed kiss; Recalling a kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Dancing, & Hand holding (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Benjamin tries not to think about or stare at Isabelle’s legs or ankles (barely-above-not-detailed); A man makes Isabelle uncomfortable & she has heard about him being dangerous; Mentions of a woman recalling men having expectations about her since she was a singer, “benefactors”, & one being dangerous when she refused to spend time with him; Mentions of men leaving their wives for another woman; Mentions of chaperones & reputations (including Isabelle isn’t concerned about her reputation at her age, her and a man being alone at night together (nothing sexual happens), & a man helping her to her bedroom, though nothing romantic happens); A few mentions of an unmarried couple rooming together & evidence of their “previous activities”; A few mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of kissing & kisses; A couple mentions of some men boasting about their conquests to impress other men, whether true or not; A mention of a bride being ready for her wedding night (no details, just blushes); A mention of a man stealing a kiss from his intended when her chaperone isn’t nearby; A mention of a couple possibly going off on a romantic assignation; A mention of a woman of “easy virtue”; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A mention of “women’s troubles” (hinted to be that time of the month); A mention of a woman teasing that she’s seen men in less clothing than a man in his shirt-sleeves (she clarifies that she meant in her years in the theater).
 
-Isabelle Wilder, age 30
-Benjamin Booker, age 31
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                         Set in 1819-1820
                                                        400 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I’ve had this novel on my TBR for a time, and while I enjoy reading regencies and mysteries, I kept pushing this one off because of its thick size of 400 pages.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and entertaining reading—some parts more interesting than others, of course. There were parts that…not necessarily dragged, but let’s just say it wasn’t as exciting as the last 25% (100 pages). Once things started to be pieced together and revealed, I had the urge to go back to the beginning of the story to see if I could pick up clues. The last time I felt this way was with “A Midnight Dance” by Joanna Davidson Politano and the mystery found in that historical novel. I was quite satisfied with the ending and there was a decent amount of faith content. I also really liked how the mystery was the focal point of the story, not the romance. 

I didn’t dislike nor love Isabelle or Benjamin. They were good characters with flaws and I enjoyed seeing their development as the story continued, but I never felt super connected to them. 

There’s some innuendoes (listed in the Sexual Content section of this review), though I would say it was kept pretty clean in terms of the romance and most of those hints would go over a young teen’s head. They are still there, however, as well as many, many mentions of drinking and alcohol. 

 
 
 
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.
 

"The Dragon and the Stone" by Kathryn Butler

About this book:

  “Even though she’s only 12 years old, Lily McKinley already feels the weight of the world’s brokenness. She’s seen it in her mother’s exhaustion, her grandmother’s illness, and the cruelty of Adam, the bully at her school. But most tragically, she experienced it two months ago when her father died in a terrible accident. 
    As an artistic daydreamer, Lily has a brilliant imagination to help her cope, but that imagination often gets her into trouble. One day, it transports her to a fantasy world called the Somnium Realm, where her father’s secret history embroils her in an epic quest. With the help of a dragon guide named Cedric, Lily battles evil shrouds, harpies, and other creatures to find her way through grief, rescue the world from evil, and discover the power of redemption.”


Series: Book #1 in “The Dragon Keeper Saga” series. 


Spiritual Content- Prayers; There are mentions of “our Creator” who is implied to be God &  a unicorn called Prince Pax that is implied to be Christ (he says that he has “washed [someone’s] blood clean”) & he talks to Lily in her mind; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of special stones (called “soothstones”) that were mined from the rocks of Eden (“Eden? You mean, as in--?” “Yes, yes, It was mined ages ago, when all was good. Before evil broke into the world.” Later it’s added: “Long ago, when all was still good, [Lily’s] ancestors would envision a harvest, and trees would drip with ripe fruit. Creating was effortless, and it was always good. But then,” he leaned back into his chair, “evil broke into the world and corrupted everything. Mankind created for his own selfish gains, for self-worship, rather than for stewardship. And so, to prevent destruction of all the earth, his creative powers were limited. He could create only through toil, and what remained of his richest abilities were relegated to dreams. The Realm was founded so the imaginings of man could be monitored, cared for, and—in the case of malicious forms—confined.”); A mention of the Good Samaritan; A mention of a chapel; 
             *Note: ‘Thank heavens’ (once) and ‘merciful heavens’ (thrice) are said; The word “ghostly” is used to describe places or creatures eight times; The villain of the story is a dark dragon named Eymah who is after the soothstones (someone else says that “the future belongs to Eymah”; *Spoiler* He is defeated at the end by Prince Pax *End of Spoiler*); Merlin the Wizard is in this story and does an orb of purple light to get others’ attention; A siren has a gold light come from her hand to her shoulder to create a pair of wings; A mist elf/fairy creates a mist to fix broken things; Many mentions of Greek & Roman Mythology, characters, & creatures (harpies, minotaur, centaur); A few mentions of a place being on Eymah’s doorstep & his pit with fire; A couple mentions of the devilry of shrouds (evil monsters that shapeshift); A mention of aliens. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing/Exclamations including: a ‘blimey’, a ‘flibbertigibbet!’, a ‘what the heck’, two forms of ‘idiot’, two forms of ‘what in the blazes’, three ‘dash it all’s, six ‘Great snails!’s and seven ‘stupid’s; Seeing a battle & death (up to semi-detailed); Lots of monsters attack Lily and her friends & Fighting and knocking them out (including illusions of loved ones and them turning into scary creatures, Lily’s creations being destroyed by the villain, Lily being concerned at multiple times that “this is the end” and she might die, and the deaths of two made-up creatures from Lily’s imagination and her feeling distraught about it *Spoiler* they appear again at the end just fine *End of Spoiler*, up to semi-detailed); Going through a maze that will show you your fears & stone you to stone if you fall for them (including Lily having negative thoughts and seeing coffins of loved ones and seeing others struggling with what they are seeing and someone turning to stone, up to semi-detailed); Fires, Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Blacking out (up to semi-detailed); Being bitten by & carried off by rats (and also seeing snakes, roaches, and scorpions, barely-above-not-detailed); Lily is scared when she sees Cedric the first couple of times, thinking that all dragons are bloodthirsty and he is attacking her; Lily & her family are grieving the death of her father (barely-above-not-detailed, *Spoiler* It’s revealed part-way through the story that he is alive *End of Spoiler*); When Adam (a bully at school) taunted Lily about her father being dead, she leaps at him and they fight (mostly him hitting her, no adults come to stop the fight nor are any punishments are given (she goes to the fantasy world shortly after this, up to semi-detailed); Lily is teased at school and called a “midget” (because of her height) and a “freak” by Adam multiple times (more about him in the spoiler below); Arguing & Lily throws gravel at someone’s face when upset; When Lily messes up, she calls herself stupid and an idiot; Shrouds play mind games with Lily to make her feel hopeless and weak; Many mentions of monsters (including evil dark dragons), fires, & attacks (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of the possibility of dying, deaths, & others dying (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of dragons being bloodthirsty and “monster who feasted on the flesh of knights”, dangerous, and possibly being barbecued by them; Mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (including animals/fictional creatures being in pain and their injuries, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a knight chasing after & putting his sword to a bully’s throat; Mentions of imaginary friends & them attacking their creator (including them breaking through the sands of a desert “as if rising from graves”, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of terrible smells, screams, & throwing up (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a bully, his mean comments, and him picking on others (including his smashing another boy’s lunch into the ground and Lily realizing that he’s said dozens of nasty things to make others feel like dirt and feels no remorse for his words *Spoiler* About half-way, he shared that his father left their family and Adam wants him to come back; a bit later Adam apologizes for something he did to Lily *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of lies & lying; A handful of mentions of stealing; A few mentions of wars; A few mentions of Lily’s father’s death (an accident and was lost at sea); A few mentions of nightmares (which are described as “the echoes of evil manifested in dreams”); A couple mentions of someone harming themself when upset about their past actions; A couple mentions of sirens leading sailors to their deaths; A couple mentions of kidnappings & going to jail; A mention of smoking a pipe; A mention of hatred; A mention of rumors; A mention of a bloody and starved dog; A mention of a horrific cartoon of a mammal that glued it’s tongue to a toilet; 
             *Note: A few mentions of brand names (Crock-Pot); A mention of kicking someone’s tail in baseball.
 
 
Sexual Content- N/A.
 
-Lily McKinley, age 12
                                P.O.V. of Lily 
                                      240 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Minus a star for younger girls sensitive to deaths and/or others being hurt.}

{Certain parts can be triggering for adoptees or those whose parent left their family.}

There isn’t much Christian Middle-Grade stories being published nowadays, so when I heard about this one I was intrigued. 

It was overall a very…interesting story with an allegory of Christianity, but it also had Greek Mythology characters and other fictional creatures like sirens, fairies, and Merlin the Wizard. I have to be honest that I’m not sure how I feel about those later two as it can make the whole plot be written off as silly or all fictional, when the Christian elements were decent. It gave it a mishmash of every standard fantasy character/creatures, but it’s possible I’m noticing this more as an adult reader.

One thing I thought was neat was that vocabulary found on each page of the story. Some uncommon words are used to describe events happening or certain features of this fantasy world, which gave the story a whimsical feel. 

Something I wasn’t expecting, though, were that quite a few parts feel a bit heavier than I was expecting for a middle-grade story with some deaths and threats of deaths or being killed by the villain and his minions throughout the book. She “braces herself for the end” in more than a few parts. These sections will make or break this book for a younger reader. I think it will really depend on the reader and their sensitivity.

On the topic of heaviness within this story, there’s some parts and comments that I think could be triggering to adoptees or those who have had a parent leave them and their family. Lily has negative thoughts and the villain and his minions prey on that, especially regarding her father and that he must not have loved her enough. 

I would be curious about the next book in the series since everything wrapped up decent in this first book, but I honestly don’t think I’ll be trying it out. 

 

 

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.

 

"Still My Forever" by Kim Vogel Sawyer

About this book:

  “Four years after leaving town to make a name for himself as a composer, Gilbert Baty has returned temporarily to Falke, Kansas. Now, he's trying to keep everyone from learning the truth about his disastrous years in New York City. He hopes to start writing music again in Falke, but he can't help being distracted by Ava Flaming, the brown-eyed baker to whom he was briefly engaged before he ended things--and who still stirs feelings in him he knows he has no right to pursue.
    Ava had thought she was past the loss of Gil Baty. But to her dismay, she's as drawn to him as ever. The situation only gets worse when Gil establishes a youth band in Falke, showing once more what a good man he is.
    But when the band has a chance to compete in a statewide competition, Ava faces the prospect of heartbreak again. Could music take Gil away forever this time? Or might God be stirring in Ava's and Gil's hearts a new song that will draw them together for good?”


Series: As of now, no, a stand-alone novel.


Spiritual Content- Psalm 28:7 at the beginning; Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, read, & discussed; Prayers; Many, many talks about God, His will, His forgiveness, & God-given gifts; Talks about those in the Bible; 'H's are capital when referring to God; The town this is set in is a Mennonite community & all the characters are Mennonite; Going to church, a Bible study/meeting, & sermons; Ava struggles with wondering why God chooses a different pathway for His followers and if He really cares about her requests, thinking that He doesn’t answer in the way she wants (she wants to believe that God has a purpose in everything, about half-way through she starts changing in her thoughts about it all (positively)); Many, many mentions of God, His will, & God-given gifts; Many, many mentions of prayers, praying, prayer requests, & blessings over food; Many, many mentions of a church, church going, services, a reverend/clergymen, sermons, hymns, & worship; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & those in the Bible; Mentions of Bible meetings/studies; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A few mentions of eternity; A mention of an angel choirs; A mention of wooden crosses; 
             *Note: A mention of Gil using his baton the way a “story wizard practiced with a magic wand”.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two forms of ‘dumb’; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Fight, being hit and hitting back, pain, & injuries (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Joseph is very jealousy of Gil (*Spoiler* Towards the end, the two of them and his father have a discussion that changes his attitude towards Gil *End of Spoiler*); Ava tells a fib to Gil (at the beginning, to play down her feelings towards him); Mentions of fevers & deaths; Mentions of a fight, accidents (falling down stairs), injuries, pain, blood/bleeding, & a death (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of a fire; A few mentions of gambling (which is not approved of in the town); A couple mentions of a young girl being heartbroken when her cat died; A couple mentions of hunting falcons; A mention of a father who drank himself to death; A mention of children receiving a strapping when misbehaving; 

             *Note: Mentions of a baby that came too early, his passing, & his mother’s grieving over him (up to semi-detailed).
 
 
Sexual Content- a fingers-to-lips touch, a hand kiss, four forehead/top-of-the-head kisses, and a barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Recalling a kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to be kissed (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss & embrace someone (Gil towards Ava, but he does not because they are not betrothed); Touches, Embraces, Shivers, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of blushes; Mentions of chaperones & not being alone with someone of the opposite gender; A couple mentions of flirting; A mention that Gil would be mortified if he accidently saw Ava in her sleeping clothes; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A mention of a mother who died in labor. 
 
-Ava Flaming, age 21
-Gilbert “Gil” Baty, age 22
                                P.O.V. switches between them & Joseph
                                              Set in 1905
                                                        336 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I’ve never been a big fan of the “second chance relationship” trope (when a couple meets again after a while and they’re no longer a couple, but still attracted to each other). I typically feel jipped with that trope because I want to see their first falling in love and all the sweetness that comes with it, but I hate to see the couple break up—which is an important part of that trope. This book made it work so well.

I adored Ava’s caring for her parents and their relationship. They were focused-on God and His will and therefore their relationship were so supportive and healthy, which was just lovely to read. Her parents weren’t just there, they were a large part of the story with their wisdom and prayers and I loved that so much. 

I felt a little frustrated with Ava towards the end and Joseph at the beginning, but it was still a very sweet read with a satisfying ending. 

The whole story was wholesome and interesting. It’s a book that you feel like you’re basking in the warm sunshine when you read it, does that make sense? Many of the books I’ve read by this author have that same…element? Ambiance? Experience? It’s definitely a talent. You see the characters grow and fantastic faith content while reading a sweet 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.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Waterbrook Press) for this honest review.

"Blood Secrets" by Morgan L. Busse

About this book:

  “Not everyone wants to see the world saved . . .
   Time is running out. Cities are being engulfed in the Mist and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Theo believes he has found a way to stop mankind from Turning, but he doesn’t know how to alter Cass’s unique blood into a cure. Or if it can even be done.
    Meanwhile, Cass struggles with the idea that she is possibly the savior of the world—a world she is not sure is worth saving.
   From the Winchester manse to the steel city of Decadenn, there is something more chasing Cass than the House of Lords or the masked man who can walk in the Mist. Soon she must decide if she will use her blood to save mankind or let those who only care about themselves perish.”


Series: Book #2 in the “Skyworld” duology. Review of Book #1, Here! 


Spiritual Content- There is a God in the story called “Elaeros”, who is called the “God of air” (it’s never said if there’s any other god); Prayers & Thanking Elaeros; Talks about Elaeros & something being a gift to Cass from Him; A conversation between Cass & Theo about when Elaeros will make what is broken whole again (Theo isn’t sure what is means or when that would be); When she has a fever, Cass wonders if she is between the “two planes of death” and wonders if the actions of her life warrant Heaven or Hell; Cass wonders about Elaeros and if others are kind because of Elaeros, wanting to be like that herself *Spoiler* she prays asking Him to use her *End of Spoiler*; When someone says the “universe” wanted someone to survive, Theo replies that it could be Elaeros’ doing; Mentions of a church, church going, & a song (Cass is fascinated by the stained glass windows and the building); A few mentions of prayers & praying; A few mentions of a miracle; A mention of someone saying that don’t believe in Elaeros but was praying for someone else; A mention of blessings;
             *Note: Cass struggles with the thought of letting the Mist take over and be retribution against selfish people (particular when she hears people complaining and only caring for themselves, *Spoiler* but she realizes that the gift of life she’s been given (her blood) is meant to be shared with others *End of Spoiler*); A few mentions of some workers thinking there’s a ghost and that the factory is haunted; A couple mentions of a Greek Mythology queen; A mention of Cass’s blood possibly being the salvation for humanity; A mention of not being superstitious. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘hurt like gales’, an ‘oh my word’, four ‘what the—‘, four forms of ‘who/how/what/why in the Mist’, four forms of ‘what/how in the gales’, and seven ‘gales’s; Mentions of curses (said, not written); A bit of sarcasm; Seeing someone die & their body (up to semi-detailed); Fighting, Being attacked/hit, Self-defense, Being shot, Being choked, Pain, Blood/Bleeding, & Injuries (up to semi-detailed); Those who have breathed in the Mist (deathly spores that are in the air) are called a Turned and are similar to zombies (the person has died and the body left behind is a mode of transportation for the spores); Seeing Turned, fighting them, shooting them with a fire gun, & recalling someone turning into one (including the zombie-like appearance, barely-above-not-detailed); Acting like a Turned (up to semi-detailed); Cass thinks that she wouldn’t wish plummeting to their death on anyone; Many mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of Purges (when fires are set in villages to keep people inside the Mist and killing off any Turned) & deaths; Mentions of guns/weapons & firing them at the Turned (which will burn the body, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths & deaths made to look like an accident (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of fires, deaths, & a man’s terrible burns (barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); Mentions of wars; Mentions of someone being shot, fights, & fighting (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of thieves & stealing; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deception; Mentions of prejudice from the higher class to the lower class & their comments towards them; A few mentions of the possibility of being killed; A few mentions of pushing people in the Mist (a couple leader figures suggest this for a certain area because the people there “only take up useful space and resources”); A few mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of starvation; A couple mentions of riots & violence; A couple mentions of tattoos; A mention of suicide; A mention of someone threating to have others Purged (killed); A mention of someone being held at knife-point; A mention of a threat; A mention of a pipe.
 
 
Sexual Content- Two head/forehead kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Recalling kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Heat, Shivers, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of Cass saying that as a young woman on the streets “there was one type of work I swore I would never do” and when it came down to that or stealing, she picked the lesser evil; A mention of Cass thinking that long hair attracts unwanted attention; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A mention of a young woman’s curves in a dress. 
 
-Cass
-Theo Winchester
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                         Steampunk/Dystopian Setting
                                                        250 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

All right, everyone, hold on to your hats. 

This not-a-big-fantasy fan has something to say: 

I enjoyed that. 

It was suspenseful, exciting, and also had it’s sweet moments. The faith content continued on from the first book and the plan against the corrupt leaders in charge continued as well. 

I have to note how much I loved that Cass & Theo talked through things. They’re from very different worlds and life experiences, but they leaned on each other and talked. They were great together, a healthy relationship. 

I thought it was really interesting to see a “chosen one” (trope) have that character not be sure if she really wants to help, because she’s seen the worst in humanity. I thought it was really realistic because yes, she can possibly save those she cares about, but by doing that she’ll have to save those that aren’t doing what they should be doing (ie. the government figures). It was interesting to see that moral dilemma within this story. 

I think my only “compliant” would be that this book felt so short. I mean, I did devour it within 2.5 hours, but it was still so short! Particularly the ending pages, I would have loved to see more and then it might not feel so rushed to me. (I also would have preferred less “made-up cussing”.)

Overall opinion on this duology? I’m impressed. Definitely a series you’ll want to read back-to-back because of cliff-hangers and information. (Though, side note: I didn’t end up rereading the first book before I started this sequel and was able to follow along quite well—the author didn’t assume that you remembered every single event in the first book nor did she dump information from the prior book either. Hats off to the author for that!) I’ll be checking out more of Morgan L. Busse’s books because I overall enjoyed this duology. It was different and entertaining, maybe not for everyone, but it was very interesting. 

 

 

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.