Genre: Christian

Review ~ Destination Unknown by Amy Clipston

13 Aug, 2014 by in ala, amy clipston, book review, Zondervan Leave a comment

I received this book for free from ALA, Zondervan in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review ~ Destination Unknown by Amy Clipston

Destination Unknown

by Amy Clipston
Published by Zondervan on February 4, 2014
Genres: Christian, Contemporary, Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback
four-stars
Source: ALA, Zondervan
Buy the Book • Goodreads
It’s senior year, and Whitney Richards is tired of the constant pressures to be perfect. When she gets a D in Calculus, her mother immediately hires a tutor, worried Whitney won’t get into the “right” college---her alma mater---with imperfect grades. Her tutor, Taylor, is a quiet, mysterious boy who is unlike anyone Whitney has met before. But Taylor’s rougher upbringing has her mother and friends discouraging any type of relationship. Tired of having to play a part for everyone else, Whitney quits the cheerleading squad that once defined her social identity, and begins spending more time with Taylor. Her mom and friends worry Whitney is making a huge mistake, and even Taylor begins to show concern for some of her choices. But for the first time, Whitney is in the driver’s seat of her life. Will she be able to find her identity---and God’s plan for her life---before she throws everything away?

I picked up a copy of Destination Unknown from the Zondervan booth at ALA in Las Vegas this year. I know I can always count on Zondervan for high quality, clean Christian reads. Destination Unknown is the second in a series about cousins, but having not read the first, I had no problem picking it up and loving it! So, really it’s more of a companion novel. Author Amy Clipston does an excellent job exploring the painful process of “finding oneself” as teen and separating your wishes from the pressure of peers and the expectations of parents. Whitney is in her senior year, coasting by as head cheerleader, and up until this point she’s been the perfect child. 4.0 student, accepted into a prestigious college, with the popular football player boyfriend. A domino effect of events including a “D” in calculus causes a shift. Suddenly she’s painfully aware that her mom’s plans for her life may not be the same as her own and maybe her “friends” and true friends after all.

Whitney starts a downward spiral of small rebellions against her uber strict mother, and spends a lot of time on her knees. I absolutely love when teen titles encourage prayer. Christian behavior vs. church going Christian by name only  is also explored. I will be passing this book on to my daughters and purchasing the author’s other titles. I highly recommend it as a clean, contemporary read that hits on so many things: coming of age, bullying, repentance and loyalty without being heavy handed. Loved it!

 

heather

 

about_ the_author

Amy Clipston is the award-winning and best-selling author of the Kauffman Amish Bakery series. Her novels have hit multiple best-seller lists including CBD, CBA, and ECPA. Amy 2765728holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and four spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at www.amyclipston.com Facebook: AmyClipstonBooks Twitter: @AmyClipston

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Blink YA Blog Tour~ Remnants by Lisa T Bergren

29 Apr, 2014 by in blinkYA, blog tour, christian, lisa t bergren, Zondervan 5 comments

I received this book for free from BookSparksPR in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Blink YA Blog Tour~ Remnants by Lisa T Bergren

Remnants: Season of Wonder

by Lisa T. Bergren
Published by BlinkYA, Zondervan on April 8th, 2014
Genres: Christian, Young Adult
Pages: 567
Format: ARC
four-stars
Source: BookSparksPR
Buy the Book • Goodreads
Andriana is a Remnant, one of the gifted teens born on the seventh day during the seventy-seventh Harvest after the Great War, and destined to act as humanity’s last shield against the horrors that now plague those who remain.

After years of training in stealth and warfare, Andriana and her Knight protector, Ronan, are finally ready to answer the Call and begin the life they were designed for. But as they embark with the other Remnants on the first of their assignments, they quickly discover that the world beyond their protected Valley home is more dangerous than they imagined.

The Sons of Sheol will stop at nothing to prevent Dri and Ronan from rescuing anyone sympathetic to the Remnants’ cause. And as the Remnants attempt to battle the demonic forces, other enemies close in. Dangers intensify, but so do Dri's feelings for Ronan--the one emotion she is not meant to feel. In the midst of their mission, Andriana must find a way to master her feelings, or risk compromising everything.

Lisa T. Bergren has become one of my “go to” authors when I need a well-written, clean Young Adult book. Her newest offering, Remnants: Season of Wonder, explores a world where the Ailith are fighting against the power of evil. They are gifted youth, raised and called up for a purpose. Born with gifts–to see angels, to feel others’ emotions, to sense the will of their Maker. But these powers are not welcome in all the places on earth, and their very lives are in danger as they journey to save their own.

I love the pull between the feelings and emotions of every day human and and the need to pull deeper, to meditate and trust The Maker. Bergren does an amazing job of showing the juxtaposition a youth would feel in trusting in the arm of flesh or leaning on a higher power. There is an attraction, a spark, between Adriana and her protector Ronan, that is forbidden. Yet they both feel it. Adriana goes through a growing into her role, and the trial of losing what she holds dear. As a character she becomes more brave, more centered. There are a lot of side characters in Remnants, and at times I had a hard time keeping them all straight in my mind. But the world they live in reaches from Zanzibar to Pacifica–dangerous desert where women are threatened to the unknown land where the gifted are hunted.

For fans of Dystopian with the gift of magic, Remnants is a great choice. Bergren is a masterful writer who weaves Christian truth into  a new futuristic world. Thanks so much to BookSparksPR for inviting us to be a part of the blog tour!

Content (highlight to reveal): some tension, moderate war related violence, threat of assault to women.

heatherAbout the Author

Lisa T Bergren
Lisa T. Bergren is the author of over forty books, with a combined count of over 2.5 million copies sold. She has written best-selling children’s books, award-winning YA (River of Time Series: Waterfall), popular historical fiction, contemporary fiction, women’s nonfiction, and gift books.

She is a writer and editor residing in Colorado Springs, CO, with her husband and three children. You can find out more about Lisa at LisaBergren.com.

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