Series Review: Millie Maven by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker

Millie Maven, a fearful orphan girl who lives with her strict, evil aunt is trapped in a life of cruel punishment without any friends. So on the night of her twelfth birthday, when old Aggie of the woods invites her to take a journey that can change her life forever, Millie knows she has to go. Unsure but desperate, Millie embarks on a great adventure that takes her to the distant, mysterious world of FIGS, the FarPointe Institute for Gifted Students, where she might discover her true value through gifts that defy belief. 

I was not actually expecting these books to be as good as they were. There are three books in the trilogy, and they didn't take long for me to read. (Mainly because they're for 8-12 year olds... which I am not) I ordered these for my classroom during a Black Friday sale. I love the idea of a Christian portal fantasy aimed at kids, and I was hoping the storytelling wouldn't be too hokey, as sometimes happens in this sort of genre. Thankfully, I enjoyed the series. My one complaint is that I feel like the books could have been longer. They didn't really thresh out the depth of all the characters they were trying to spotlight. The worldbuilding also suffered from the lack of length, leaving somewhat to be desired with the world of FIGS. It felt rushed. So much happened, what could have taken a whole year at magical otherworld boarding school, and it only took three weeks or less from what I can tell. However, when I finished the last page of the last book, I wanted to go back and enjoy the adventure again, and I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to FIGS. I think the world of Millie Maven is a good choice for the age group, however, there are some spooky parts that the younger end of the range might be creeped out about. I enjoyed delving into the message of the series though and I think it's awesome for a children's series to so heavily emphasize that God's love, infinite, eternal, will strengthen us through every trial we face. I would say the theme of the series is that our identity is found in Christ, not feelings. I would recommend this series if your children enjoy fantasy type settings and you're looking for a clean but still magical story.

Review: The Cost of Betrayal~ Henderson, Pettrey, and Eason

Another post I dragged up from my archived drafts. Enjoy my weirdly old writing style. I hope to pop out a few new reviews soon, but just now my brain is already on overload!

I hope you'll forgive me for skipping the blurb... there being three of them for this book.

Is it really fair to review this as one? I mean... they are all in the same book, but there are three separate entities going on here. Here I go anyway though...

I'm giving this set overall 4 stars. 

This was the first story by Dee Henderson that I'd ever read, though I know several people who are avid fans. I enjoyed the whole novella that started this collection. The characters were strong and there was a doggy for goodness sake! The suspense was great, and my inability to beat the ending to solve the case was annoying. Not...however... as annoying as having a (what I assume to be actually realistic) ending like that... which is to say, it wasn't a proper ending at all. If you like to have your mystery solved definitely, then I suggest you skip this one, "or wonder till it drives you mad" I suppose. Dani's novella excited me (having recently finished Dead Drift, I was "in the mood", you know) and it was suspenseful, and guessing the bad guy was really impossible. Unfortunately, it wasn't my favorite of her stories. Don't get me wrong! The farther in I was, the more I liked it. I suppose I'm just used to her series books. And last, but furthest from least, Lynette's story about Ruthie St. John, which, I'll admit, was the whole reason I bought this book. I couldn't stand by and lose a story right in the middle of a series, could I? Of course, having already had a background on the characters and the story, I think, made it easier for this to be my favorite. I was excited to see a glimpse of the police Chief, and to see more of the brothers and sisters that had already wormed their way into my heart.

Truly, I do recommend this set. I know it sounds like I said a lot of negative things, but the chills up my spine weren't imaginary! (Although, I'm sure they were caused by an overactive imagination!) A nice set of mysteries that are easy reads by three incredible authors. I'm excited for this to grace my shelves! (I've a nice place for it right between Code of Valor (Eason) and Blind Spot (Pettrey)!)

Series Review: Ada's House by Cindy Woodsmall

Ada's House is a trilogy that follow several Amish couples through different struggles and romantic ups and downs. I started out the series listening to the audiobook, and while the reader was good, I was soon so caught up in the story that she just couldn't read fast enough. One of the main characters is Cara, whose Amish mother died without telling Cara about her Amish roots. Cara has a lot of bitterness built up toward her father and her Amish aunts and uncles who never came for her and left her to her fate in foster care. Deborah's fiancé left the Amish life. Sylvia is running from her former fiancé, and his wife, her sister. Lena is ashamed of her birthmark and afraid that no one will ever be able to see the real her beneath the mark. All of them find rest and comfort through the Bible and through Ada, a widow in her 40s who becomes surrogate mom to Cara, and who is definitely on Lena's widower father's radar. All in all, this is a delightful series that makes you wish for more. I want so many sequels. I need more than three books, because I've fallen in love with all the characters and I want to know more about them. Anything about them. I'm giving this series 4.5 stars.

Series Review: Millie Keith by Martha Finley

*Not the original unabridged. The Life of Faith set.*

The Millie Keith series follows Millie from early adolescence to married life. Millie first must leave her home in Lansdale, Ohio, to begin life anew in Pleasant Plains, Indiana, a veritable frontier wilderness. As the oldest of 8, Millie helps her mother look after the mess of siblings, including impetuous, loveable twins Cyril and Don, and tag-a-long tomboy sister, Fan. Keeping those three out of mischief is almost a full time job in itself. Aunt Wealthy comes along to help them, and with her propensity for forgetting names, and having adventures, she quickly becomes a favorite for all readers. The books range in topic from frontier life, to slavery, to Southern balls, and even hit on South American culture, specifically Bolivia. I went through all the emotions while reading these books. Laughter, Sadness, Indignation.... I cried for joy. I cried from heartbreak. I saw the power of God through the circumstances that happened, and it takes more than my brain can give to realize that this series is a work of fiction and not a tale of a missionary family "Called by God to witness to the frontier of Indiana" or some such thing. Surely it can't simply be fiction? No, what I read here was more than that. I have to give this book 5 stars. I've just gotta.

Series Review: Trixie Belden Mysteries by Julie Campbell and Kathryn Kenny

I recently picked up one of these "to refresh myself as to why I liked them". Turns out... once a good book... always a good book. Before I could blink almost, I found myself finishing four of them. And I'd be reading more right now if I didn't have a large stack of library books needing my attention. Trixie Belden is a 13 year old, freckled mess. A tom-boy who is, in the words of most who know her, "Fresh as paint". She and her brothers and neighbors form a club, and sometimes new members are introduced. The lingo is definitely only something that a nerd like me would still use in daily conversation, but the stories can't fail to touch the hearts of both boys and girls. It's a series that will bring a smile to your face. And the characters actually have math homework that they aren't good at. Can we get any more relatable than this? Not for a teenager anyway. I'm giving this series 4.5 stars.

Series Review: Alaskan Courage by Dani Pettrey

This is a series of five books all set in Alaska (YAY!). It follows the lives of the five McKenna siblings through several spine-tingling mysteries. I'm telling you what, people are dropping like flies in this series ;) But sereiously, I loved this series. The writing was the kind that pulls you in. I love a book that transports. (Honesty, if it isn't like that, I probably won't finish it!) I loved seeing each person's struggles throughout the series. Loved watching them all grow. Each book had lots of deep Scriptural truths. I loved the McKenna family. They were perfect, because they weren't perfect. (Did that make sense?) And of course, each book had one of the McKenna siblings falling fast and hard for a special someone. It was a little too lovey-dovey for me in parts...but...anyway, I still loved the romance. It was so super sweet. I think the last one was my favorite, well... maybe not my favorite story, I couldn't pick one for that, but I loved the ending. A strong, good, complete ending is absolutely needed for me to enjoy a book/series to the fullest. (Guess what... Dani Pettrey delivered!) All in all... spine tingling goodness getting 4 stars!

Series Review: Striking A Match by Tracie Peterson

I love this series! I'm going to go ahead and say that it's going to be 5 stars. But, back to the stuff. This series, set in Texas, follows mainly the love story of Deborah Vandermark and Christopher Clayton (Kelleher), but also follows a few other romances, including Deborah's mother and brothers. The series is multi-layered, touching on many topics, including women's education during the 1800s, KKK and racial issues, and just the things that were going on in that day. The characters are ones that stand out in my mind, and have since the first time I read this. While Stuart Albright is a truly despicable man, the other characters all have strengths and weaknesses that cause them to be much loved. Throughout the series are multiple discussions about trusting God, and about finding His will. To be honest, while reading this I kept thinking, Why isn't this a movie series? and then I wanna be in that movie! But, I digress! I loved Deborah's relationship with her mother most of all. And, this is going to sound awful, but one reason I love the books so much is the raised lettering, not only on the title but also on the spine and the ribbonny thing across the front! It's super awesome.

I've read these books several times before. Mom saw me get them out this weekend. This is what our conversation went like.

Mom: Why are you reading that again? The story hasn't changed!

Me: That's the whole reason I read them. Because it hasn't changed.

That's the kind of story these books tell. The kind you want to come back to over and over again.

Okay, end of rant. Sorry.

Series Review: Circle C Adventures by Susan K. Marlow

This set of 6 books is about Andrea Carter and her struggles to find her place on the ranch her family owns. With her palomino, Taffy, by her side, her best friends Rosa & Cody, and God, Andrea seems to always find a way.

I give this series 5 stars. I've been in love ever since the Christmas I got them. It doesn't matter that the level is upper children/lower MG, sometimes I just have to reread them. Andrea is always getting herself into trouble, but somehow her adventures wind up bringing her closer to both her family and the Lord. This series is especially great for girls who are going through the "horse phase" (and yes, I promise that is a thing, for almost every girl out there). There is nothing to worry about in these books, and the mystery element is absolutely great! If you're looking for that perfect re-readable set, this is it.

Series Review: Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene

The series of mysteries have been read by many generations. I'm giving this series that kept several of my summers occupied, a 5 star!

This is the first series review I've done, but here are a few things that I think are worth mentioning.

Nancy and her friends are always nice to people, making them good role models. They always solve the mysteries and manage to squeeze out of more than one tight spot, keeping everyone interesting and on the edge of their seat, so to speak. All three main girls have steady dates who often help in the mystery solving. The books introduce kids to many different cultures and even to many actual sleuthing tips. Hannah the housekeeper is very much like a mother to Nancy so these books also teach that family doesn't have to be blood. A few of the books deal with creepy things that I wouldn't read such as black magic. But other than that, this is an excellent series.