"With a strong enough voice, there can be change." - Solomon Hawke
Description:
What happens when you live longer than you wanted to?Parvin Blackwater wanted to die, but now she's being called to be a leader. The only problem is, no one wants to follow.
The Council uses Jude's Clock-matching invention to force "new-and-improved" Clocks on the public. Those who can't afford one are packed into boxcars like cattle and used for the Council's purposes.Parvin and Hawke find themselves on a cargo ship of Radicals headed out to sea. What will the Council do to them? And why are people suddenly dying before their Clocks have zeroed-out?
Nadine's long and boring bio (her words, not mine):
I am an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. I never received my Hogwarts letter, but rest assured I’m no Muggle (and would have been in Ravenclaw House, thank you very much.) This Harry Potter super-nerd has been known to eat an entire package of Oreos (family-size) by herself, and watches Fiddler on the Roof at least once a year. I write about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. My dystopian trilogy (The Out of Time Series) challenged me to pursue shalom, which is now my favorite word (followed closely by bumbershoot.) When I’m not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, me and my knight-in-shining armor (nickname: “hubby”) are out pursuing adventures.
My Review: 5 stars
Warning: this book may break your heart.This is the second book in Nadine Brandes’ Out of Time series that follows Radical Parvin Blackwater. I’m pretty new to the dystopian genre, having only read Nadine’s two books. I knew the basis of the genre, but I didn’t realize how deeply it could effect me. Both of Nadine’s books are excellent, that I don’t doubt, and they’ve both left me with much to think about. I picked up this book knowing that it would probably break my heart a bit, as the first one did, I just didn’t realize to what extent. And that isn’t meant to dissuade anyone. I loved this book! I just want to give fair warning that this isn’t a light read. Sometimes it’s dark, it’s heavy, the story carries weight and caused me to pause and think. I personally love a book that draws me so thoroughly into it that I do react. That I want to pitch it across the room, or cry, or run and tell my friends about it. Those are the books that I love the most, because they become almost real to me and I believe that it takes a gift to add that kind of weightiness to mere words.
Nadine does a fantastic job of returning me to Unity and to Parvin’s world. I love all of the characters that return and how she continued to build their ranks with new names and faces. I especially loved getting to know Solomon and watching Parvin grow even more. She’s definitely had quite the journey and I enjoyed seeing how that changed her, made her stronger. Though she has learned a lot, there is still yet more for her to find. I enjoyed following her as she grew, became a leader, and saw her vision happen. She is so realistic and I appreciated the fact that she’s never shown as perfect, or some pinnacle to be reached, but rather she’s broken. She is weak and sometimes she’s hurting, but she doesn’t surrender, even when it would’ve been the easier road. She’s a character that I found myself cheering for the entire way.
I also find myself fascinated by the world that Nadine has created and all of the gadgets that go along with it. I’ve never been much of a sci-fi person, but now I’m curious. There are so many ideas of what is possible and I love the way she explored them. They are definitely advanced, but not so far beyond my knowledge that I couldn’t comprehend. Her details are also wonderful. I could almost feel the cold and the elements, hear the waves and smell the sea. I loved how the story so thoroughly engaged me.
I have to admit that I almost envy Parvin’s faith. Though she’s been shaken and she has questions, she trusts. After giving it some thought, I really wonder if I could say the same. She’s tested beyond what she thought possible and found that God is so much stronger than anything they could imagine. I loved watching her faith grow and seeing her become more confident in who she is and who God called her to be. I loved how real this topic was throughout the book and how it played such a large part into their every day lives.
I honestly don’t have big complaints. My only negative comment is that I really disliked how the story ended. Major cliffhanger and just a “really?!” moment. I turned the last page, expecting another, and it was just over. I was anticipating that to some extent, because the first one ended the same way, but still. Really?! That being said, I definitely have incentive now to read the third book ASAP, though I think it may be a few months before it releases. I am so excited to read it and will most likely begin pestering the author shortly regarding a release date and how long I’ll be forced to wait.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction (oh, and I also highly recommend reading the first book before this one if possible!)!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review! And if you just skipped right past it to get to the details about the giveaway, then I completely understand. :)
I'm giving away a Kindle copy of either A Time to Die, the first book in Nadine's Out of Time series (click on the title to see my review), or A Time to Speak. Winner's choice. If you'd like to enter, but don't have a Kindle, never fear! You can download the Kindle app to any smartphone or tablet for free - so a free book and a free app! Can't go wrong there, right?
My giveaway will be open until Midnight EST Wednesday, April 6th. To be entered you simply need to do two things:
1) Leave a comment telling me something that made you smile today.
2) Include your email address in your comment - a spam deterring format such as sample[at]something[dot]com is recommended. If you don't leave your email, I won't have a way to contact the winner, so please do!
And that's it! I'll draw a winner using Random.org Thursday morning and will email them directly after!
Thank you for taking the time to come by! I hope you have a delightful day!
Oh, and if you'd like to learn more about A Time to Speak, as always, links are below!
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Description:
How would you live if you knew the day you'd die? Parvin Blackwater believes she has wasted her life. At only seventeen, she has one year left according to the Clock by her bedside. In a last-ditch effort to make a difference, she tries to rescue Radicals from the government’s crooked justice system. But when the authorities find out about her illegal activity, they cast her through the Wall -- her people's death sentence. What she finds on the other side about the world, about eternity, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. But her clock is running out.
Nadine's long and boring bio (her words, not mine):
I am an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. I never received my Hogwarts letter, but rest assured I’m no Muggle (and would have been in Ravenclaw House, thank you very much.) This Harry Potter super-nerd has been known to eat an entire package of Oreos (family-size) by herself, and watches Fiddler on the Roof at least once a year. I write about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. My dystopian trilogy (The Out of Time Series) challenged me to pursue shalom, which is now my favorite word (followed closely by bumbershoot.) When I’m not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, me and my knight-in-shining armor (nickname: “hubby”) are out pursuing adventures.
My Review: 4 stars
I have mixed emotions and thoughts regarding this book. I was incredibly intrigued by the premise, though I’d never read anything from the dystopian side of the genre. In spite of that, I was so curious and had read so many great reviews that I just couldn’t resist. This book definitely lives up to all of it’s great reviews and I really enjoyed it.
Nadine Brandes does an excellent job of bringing her setting to life, and making things futuristic without going so far over my head that I couldn’t figure out what on Earth she was talking about. I loved some of the new gadgets she invented and the interesting things my imagination encountered in this book. Nadine does an great job with descriptions and “showing” us the world she’s created, without anything being overdone or gory. The story does get a bit dark at times and I found myself almost crying at one point, so I might not recommend it to younger teens (under 15), but it is without a doubt worth the read.
The narrative is definitely unique and unlike anything I’ve ever read. I found myself engaged within moments of turning the first page and was constantly curious as to what would happen next. I did find my attention waning a bit about two-thirds of my way through the book, though the ending was definitely worth preserving for and I have every intention of reading the second book very soon.
Pavin Blackwater is the main character this story revolves around and her perspective is the only one we see. I confess to struggling a bit to connect with Parvin, at first. The story starts on the first day of her final year, according to her Numbers. When we start, she has what I kind of thought of as small or maybe selfish dreams, but the further I went, the more she seemed to find her purpose. She begins to search, to question, to stop being comfortable with the status quo. I loved seeing her come alive and stop accepting the all of the “no”s she encountered. Parvin is forced to become strong and to keep pressing forward on her journey. I began to feel I was on that adventure with her, which was great!
Though Parvin is the main character, we are also introduced to a fairly large cast of characters that all play a part in her story. I enjoyed seeing how each one impacted her and how they helped her on her journey. Though I was (and still am a bit) mad at the author over one of the characters. I won’t spoil anything, but suffice to say that had I been holding a paper copy, the book may have gone soaring through the room in that moment. Despite that, I’m really curious to see what happens with Parvin’s new friends in the next book.
I also really enjoyed the spiritual side of the story and seeing Parvin grow in her new faith. She has to learn to trust God in her weakest moments, and I appreciated the focus on “Shalom” and her desire to see things become the way they are supposed to be. Though God isn’t mentioned on every single page, He is very evident throughout the story and I loved the hope shown in the darkness. I’m excited to see how her faith goes forward after the final pages of the story. Nadine definitely left me with incentive to scoop up the next book and read until dawn!
Overall, I’m giving this story 4 stars due to the slight lag in the middle, and because I’m still a bit peeved about that character. That said, I do very highly recommend it and you definitely don’t have to love the genre to enjoy this incredibly unique tale!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review! This book was definitely stepping out of my reading "comfort zone," but so worth it! I highly recommend it, even if like me, you've never read dystopian before.
If you'd like to look into it further, links are below. The ebook version is currently on sale for $5.99 on Amazon. I also might be giving away a copy of this book, when I post my review for the second one. They really have to be read in order and I might as well enable someone else, right? I'm still writing my review, but I'm hoping to share it soon.
Thanks, again! Have a delightful day!
Amazon
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Christian Book
"Don't let the darkness win . . . . Someone may have taken her life, but it doesn't erase the person she was - is. She's alive in heaven. And if she shared all of that with you, it's because she wanted you to know it. Don't discount the truth of her words just because she's no longer here." - Griffin McCray
Description:
In college, Griffin McCray and his four best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world--and friendships--crumbled.
Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet--until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern--a young social justice lawyer missing since spring--and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he'll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he--and those he cares about--are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.
About the Author:
Dani Pettrey is the bestselling author of the Alaskan Courage series and winner of the 2014 Daphne du Maurier award for Inspirational Novel, the 2014 Christian Retailing's Best Award for Suspense, and the 2013 Holt Medallion for First Novel. She and her husband reside in the DC Metro area. She can be found online at www.danipettrey.com.
My Review: 5 stars
First comment: I loved this book! I’m a pretty frequent reader of suspense novels and even though Dani has been one of my go-to authors since I picked her first book, she definitely blew this one out of the water! I can’t even imagine her topping it. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the very first page and I bemoaned every single time that I had to stop reading and pretend to be a productive employee/member of society.
Dani always does a fantastic job with the technical details of her stories and this one is no exception. I love the investigative side to any mystery and this one kept me especially enthralled. I had to know what would happen next! Her writing is also excellent and I enjoyed meeting a whole new cast of characters. Each one is unique and I appreciated how she defined them all and brought them to life. The extra details here will definitely make it easier for me whenever I pick up the next book to remember who is who and what’s going on. Speaking of, when is the next one coming out?! I cannot wait! There’s also a bit of a mystery that seems to be trailing from this book into the next and I’m really anxious to find out where that’s going to go!
Even though Finley and Griffin are technically the main characters in this book, all of the characters share page time, which was unique. I found that I really liked that approach. The view point comes from several different perspectives throughout the story, which I personally enjoyed. Some may find it a bit confusing at first, but all of the characters were so distinctive that I was able to sort them out pretty quickly. I easily fell in love with the whole cast, but definitely Finley and Griffin. They are such vivid characters and seemed to climb right off of the page. They’re both struggling with past wounds and doubts, and I really enjoyed watching them overcome them. I also adored their relationship! It’s so sweet! Though there are a couple “steamy” moments, much of it focuses on them just getting to know one another and working to solve the crime.
This book is also a little different in that both Finley and Griffin are already Christians. There isn’t a “come to Jesus” moment to be found in this book. The spiritual side of the book was very unobtrusive and beautifully done. It focuses on topics such as trusting in God’s timing and learning to lean on His strength. I loved the lessons woven throughout the story - they highlighted, without overshadowing the main plot.
Overall opinion: This is a book that will definitely be claiming a place on my keeper shelf and most likely a spot on my list of favorite reads from this year!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read my review!
Have a delightful week!
P.S. Purchasing links are below, per usual. Christian Book currently has the best deal, with the paperback being $7.99, for those who love print books.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Christian Book
Questions. Some people abhor them. I’m personally one of those annoying people that loves them. I love asking them and then listing to the answers; watching someone’s face light up as they talk about their passion or share a part of their story. I appreciate the connection that questions can build between two individuals and the sense of interest and worth they can inspire. I enjoy inquiring until I understand the “why?” or “how?” of something - a quirk that almost undoubtedly annoys others. I’ve even considered attempting to become a journalist so that I can legitimately ask people questions every day for a living.
Despite my delight for all things that end with a question mark, I’ve found that there are some moments where searching out the answer becomes more of a hindrance than a help - particularly when it comes to my faith. There are so many things I want to know, questions I want to (and do) ask God. I’m excited for the opportunity to sit at His feet and ask my questions - and finally learn the answers to quite a few of them. But until then, I’m having to learn to accept that I may not comprehend the answer right now. Which is admittedly very difficult for me. I want to know. I want to be able to search, and study, and unearth the solution to the puzzle that’s troubling me. I want a cut and dried answer. But that isn’t always possible. If I could figure everything out, then why would I need faith in the first place? When I allow myself to get stuck on the “why?” or “how?” though, I find it building a wall between myself and God. Though they aren’t inherently bad, it’s when I can’t move past a question that it becomes a problem. Those elusive wisps can put my faith on pause and cause me to doubt His will.
I’ve been asking questions lately and wondering if I’ll ever know the answer. In that, I keep coming back to a verse in Isaiah that reads:
‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord.
‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’
(Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT)
Though the wondering and doubts still plague me sometimes, this verse reminds me that I don’t have to understand in order to trust. I choose to take Him at His word - that though I may never truly understand or be able to see it, He’s working all things for my good. And that may be the best answer of all, because it doesn’t require my interference or pathetic human understanding. Though I see a tiny portion of the canvas, God sees the finished work of art.
I am an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. I never received my Hogwarts letter, but rest assured I’m no Muggle (and would have been in Ravenclaw House, thank you very much.) This Harry Potter super-nerd has been known to eat an entire package of Oreos (family-size) by herself, and watches Fiddler on the Roof at least once a year. I write about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. My dystopian trilogy (The Out of Time Series) challenged me to pursue shalom, which is now my favorite word (followed closely by bumbershoot.) When I’m not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, me and my knight-in-shining armor (nickname: “hubby”) are out pursuing adventures.
