The Selection

The Selection is the first book in it's series by Kiera Cass. I know I say this on like every post, but ahhh I enjoyed this one a ton!! It was soooo good!!! Forreal, if you are into girls becoming Princess, a cute prince, some action, or all of the above, go pick up this book asap.


So it's about a girl named America, "Mer" who get selected to be sent to the castle in hopes to become the Princes's bride. Except this isn't her hope. It's her moms, and 34 other girls, and basically all girls in the country's hope. Mer doesn't want to marry the prince, she is already in love. The only problem is that her family needs money, bad. If she participates in this selection, her family will receive money from the royal family. True love or helping her family? But when her "true love" tells her to join in the selection for his own benefit, she agrees to do it. She meets the prince, and he isn't so bad. In fact, they become fast friends....now she just has to beat the other 34 girls in the competition. No problem, right? The only problem is she still isn't sure if she wants to win....
AH okay so ya'll probably think it sounds lame! BUT IT'S NOT I SWEAR!! I've only read the 1st one! & I'm dying to read the other 5!
Okay okay, so we established it's good, but is it clean? I would call it a mostly clean book! While it occasionally hints at sex, there isn't ever any in the book. At least not in the first one. Once I read the other ones, I will keep ya updated! However, even though there isn't sex, there is some VERY passionate kissing. Kinda inappropriate... I tried to skim read the makeouts because I don't think make outs are the best.
Rate: PG 
      5 cuss words, a few make out scenes
GOOD? OR GOODBYE? 
        I would say GOOD!! 
Okay so I realize I am saying how good it is, yet mentioning there is a small amount of bad stuff. I'm not excusing the small amount of bad that's in the book. But, I do think this book is much much cleaner than alot of other literature. However I would recommend to skip the makeouts and/or wait until you're 14 & up to read. 

The Nitty-Gritty:
    Okay so when I say it hints at sex, I mean it doesn't happen in the book.  It really just hints at the idea of sex. However, it does have a couple makeout  parts, with her "true love" at the beginning of the book & towards the end.
    Cussing- it does say the H & D words a couple times. :/

Edenbrooke

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Review by Kierstin

After her mothers' sudden death, Marianne's life is flipped upside down. Her father sends her to live with her grand per, and she is torn away from everything she loves. Her twin sister, Cecily, her friends, and the beautiful countryside. Bath (the location of her grandmothers' estate) is too populated and too constraining for Marianne. So when she is invited to take a summer visit to the country estate Edenbrooke, she accepts without question. Over the course of her stay, Marianne takes daily rides and spends all her free time in the company of her new found friend. Life is blissful. However, in a sudden turn of events, Marianne is forced to choose between her heart and her dear friendship, or her loyalty to Cecily. "Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke."

RATE: PG
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
GOOD!!! I read it 4 times in 4 days and is definitely one for the romance lovers!

Nitty Gritty: one or two kissing scenes but no language or violence. Nothing bad, really!

Sand Dollar Summer

Sand Dollar Summer by Kimberly K. Jones

Twelve-year-old Lise watches her what used to be safe world slowly fall apart when her mom is injured in a car accident. To recover Lise's mom takes her and her little brother to live rickety house on the beach in Maine for the summer. Lise's mom grew up there Lise has never seen the ocean, she is terrified of what might be in the water and is confused by the way Maine is changing her mother. as things from her mothers past start spilling out Lise has to learn how to go with the flow or risk falling apart.

I am absolutely in love with this book and I couldn't put it down, i have read it so many times and it never gets old. It has no swearing, making out, sex, NOTHING! This book is so clean and i love it, the story is a bit sad but it is good. Right from the time the book started I want to put it down. I find now every book is about romance and falling in love but this book barely even touches on romance which is a nice change.

Rate: PG
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
GOOD!!! this is one of the best books I have read in a long time

Dragonswood

Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
So I know this book isn't very well known, but I really enjoyed it! It started out being a little hard to read, but by the middle of the book, I was hooked!

Also sorry I'm lame and can't seem to write a good summary so all the credit for this summary goes to goodreads.com
"On Wilde Island, there is no peace between dragons, fairies, and humans.
Wilde Island is in an uproar over the recent death of its king. As the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans begins to fray, the royal witch hunter with a hidden agenda begins a vengeful quest to burn girls suspected of witchcraft before a new king is crowned.
Strong-willed Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet, wants more for herself than a husband and a house to keep. But in times like these wanting more can be dangerous. Accused of witchery, Tess and her two friends are forced to flee the violent witch hunter. As their pursuer draws ever closer they find shelter with a huntsman in the outskirts of the forbidden Dragonswood sanctuary. But staying with the mysterious huntsman poses risks of its own: Tess does not know how to handle the attraction she feels for him—or resist the elusive call that draws her deeper onto the heart of Dragonswood."

I mentioned above that I didn't like the beginning of this book, and it was because it was just so "violent" I guess you could say. Because Tess was accused of being a witch she was tortured for a little while, and I was a little iffy about it. But it only lasted for the first part of the book. After that, it got really good! I also really liked it because it was super clean and had a little romance. Some parts of the book were super predictable, but others were totally surprising! Definitely a GOOD book! 

Rate: PG/PG13

    Clean! No cuss words! Small "violence"

GOOD OR GOODBYE?
    GOOD!!!! 

Working it Out

Working it Out by Rachel Anderson

I know this book isn't super well known, but I LOVE it! It's super cute & super clean! 

Grace doesn't have any time for romance or distractions in her life. Her routine works for her, and her job as a physical therapist keeps her very busy. She definitely doesn't have time for romance with one of her patients. But when Seth comes into her life with a bang, it seems as though love is all that is coming to her. Even when she doesn't want it. 

So again, I LOVED this book!! It is a cheesyish love story, but I'm a goober for love stories! Hahah!!! 

Rate: PG 

    No cuss words, some passionate kissing 

GOOD OR GOODBYE? 

    GOOD!!! 

The Heir

The Heir by Kierra Cass

If you're like me, you got your hands on this 4th book in the series as soon as you could! But tbh I didn't like this one nearly as much as the first 3 books in the series. 

Eadlyn, daughter of America Singer & Maxon Shreave, didn't ask for the selection. In fact, she was positively upset that it had to happen. Why on earth should she be forced to let 25 guys into her house/castle and be forced into marrying one. She could rule perfectly well without a man. So when her parents force her to hold a selection in order to appease the country, Eadlyn is told to put a happy face on. So she schemes to scare the boys into leaving..... But after meeting all of the boys, and spending time with them.. Eadlyn realizes that each one of them hold a little place in her heart. How on earth can she choose one to be her husband, and does she even want a husband?

It sounds pretty amazing! Let's be real though, I really didn't care for Eadlyn's character in the beginning of the book. Maybe it's just because I didn't really relate to her feelings. I would've been very happy to hold a selection for my hand in marriage ;) or maybe it's just because I felt like she was kinda a brat in the first half. But then I grew to like her... .AND THEN THE BOOK ENDED. I felt like it ended in a bad place.... (well technically a good place because it makes me wanna buy the next book) but a bad place because it just left me hanging!! AHH! Not cool Kierra.....

Rate: PG (PG13)

   There were a couple cuss words, kissing, and a little part that is borderline inappropriate.

GOOD OR GOODBYE?
   I honestly still think Good. It is clean compared to many other books, and the storyline definitely keeps you wanting to read more and more. 

A Corner of the Universe

A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin

Awh this book is so cute and touching and ah you should just read it!!

Eleven year old Hattie Owen lives in a border house.. Except she isn't a border. Her family runs it. Her only friends happen to be the adults that live in her house... besides Betsy who is on vacation for the summer. When her Uncle Adam (who she JUST found out about) moves in with her Grandparents, Hattie's world is forever changed. Due to Adam's mental problems, living around him proves to be difficult. But Hattie seems to understand Adam more than the others. As Hattie spends the summer making friends, going to the carnival, and spending time with Adam, she realizes her little corner of the universe will never be the same.

This is book is perfect for someone looking for a short, easy read! It is a cute story, and is full of meaning. Mostly clean (two cuss words) and very entertaining. I love love loved it!!!
Rate: PG
   Two cuss words, a hint at sexuality
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
   GOOD!! 

The Bronze Bow

So apparently I am going through a historical-fiction phase! HAHAHAHH! Today's review is on the Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. ((HOLY COW YOU GUYS! I JUST REALIZED THIS IS THE SAME AUTHOR WHO WROTE THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND!!!!! What a coinci-dink))

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare.
So first of all, I want to emphasize this is historical-FICTION. It is not real facts, however the story is based on true events.
Also since I haven't read it in like 2 years, I am using the summary from goodreads.com
"He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.–from the Song of David (2 Samuel 22:35) 

This gripping, action-packed novel tells the story of eighteen-year-old Daniel bar Jamin—a fierce, hotheaded young man bent on revenging his father’s death by forcing the Romans from his land of Israel. Daniel’s palpable hatred for Romans wanes only when he starts to hear the gentle lessons of the traveling carpenter, Jesus of Nazareth. A fast-paced, suspenseful, vividly wrought tale of friendship, loyalty, the idea of home, community . . . and ultimately, as Jesus says to Daniel on page 224: “Can’t you see, Daniel, it is hate that is the enemy? Not men. Hate does not die with killing. It only springs up a hundredfold. The only thing stronger than hate is love.” A powerful, relevant read in turbulent times. "

I had to read this book during homeschool along with my family. Which means it is appropriate for all ages. However it is not solely for younger teens. My mother loved it as well. Totally clean and very well written :-) (Although in my opinion the beginning is a little slow)

Rate: PG

GOOD OR GOODBYE? GOOD! 

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare.

The Witch of Blackbird pond is a little bit of an old book, written in 1958. BUTT it totally goes against the stereotype! It is sooo good! I was a little unsure of it before, but now I would gladly read it again!!

After Kit Tyler's grandfather (her only guardian) dies, Kit decides to go to America to live with her Mother's sister. But when Kit arrives in America, it isn't quite what she expected. Her uncle can't stand her, her cousin Judith think she's a burden, and she always seems to do things others think peculiar. Until she meets Hannah, an old Quaker woman who the village thinks is a witch. As Kit visits and creates a friendship with Hannah, and a little girl named Prudence, she finds a peaceful haven to visit. But when sickness sweeps the village, evil starts to set in. Soon it seems that there is no way to escape...

Like I said earlier, it was really good!! Super clean as well, I don't remember any cuss words!! I just genuinely liked it. It was much better than I expected.

Rate: PG

   Clean!! 

GOOD OR GOODBYE?
   GOOD!!! 

Game Changer

Ahh!! I am so sorry that I didn't do a review last Thursday. Our family had a cattle sale that I had to help at :-) which was tons of fun, but tonssss of work!! Anyways to make up for last week, I have written up this extra review for you today! :-)

Game Changer by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Like the View From Saturday, Game Changer is a book for about middle school or older elementary school age. However, I read it and enjoyed it! It was just a shorter, easier read for me. I love Haddix books and bought this one solely on the fact that I enjoy the author. I was not disappointed.

KT Sutton's life revolves around sports. Particularly Softball. She's been planning her future Softball career for as long as she can remember. Her life is Softball. But during a championship game KT suddenly blacks out.
When she wakes up she seems to be in a whole different world. Everything looks the same, and yet everything is wrong. It seems that Sports became School and School became Sports. In other words, her whole life is changed. Instead of studying English in school, she studies running, and English is an after school event. Which doesn't seem too bad, until she finds out there is no Softball, or Basketball, or any other sport for that matter. It's all just practice.
To make matters worse, her parents, her all time biggest fans, can barely stand to look at her. In this crazy world, it's her little brother Max is the star of the family. He happens to be a math genius so all the "sporting events" are his math bowls.
How can she possibly make it out of this world? As she finds out that Max was taken here too, and as she works with him to find a solution, she starts to wonder if maybe real life is worse than this fake world.

Sorry that summary is a NOVEL! Ooops... it's a good book okay!! It's super cute and interesting. It definitely made me understand people who live and breathe for sports a lot better. I mean I'm sorta in between, I like sports, but I've never been just amazing at any, so I just goof off during them.
ANYWAYS, to get back on topic, I really think anyone would enjoy this book. Yes it's probably for a younger audience, but WHO CARES? I DON'T!! I will read any good book I can get my hands on. This is definitely one of those books.
Rate: PG/G
    No cussing, totally clean
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
  GOOD!! ALL AGES

The View From Saturday

The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg

A friend of mine used to be an English Teacher, and gave me a few books to read. The View From Saturday is one of them (keep a lookout for the Witch of Blackbird Pond) The View From Saturday is a very easy, short, and cute read for any age! I would say perfect for middle school and up! I'm sure anyone would enjoy.

6th Grade teacher Mrs. Olinski is returning to teaching after being paralyzed in a car accident 10 years ago. As she returns she must find a group of students to be her team for the Academic Bowl. Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian seem unlikely friends, but the more she watches them, the more she knows that they are supposed to be her team. How did this unlikely friends-group go from team to champions?And why does it feel like they won more than the Academic Bowl?

So personally, I loved this book because it was a quick and easy read. It was cute, and showed the value of friendship. Honestly, for my younger audience, this book would be perfect for you! It is written a little different than normal books-- (which makes it more interesting!!). It has the present tense, and then the past tense right after.... I don't really know how to explain it, but it is good!!
Rate: PG
    Has 2 cuss words, but is otherwise clean
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
    GOOD!! 


NITTY GRITTY:
The two cuss words mentioned above, are the A word, and the B word. The B word is used in a definition way, (about a dog) but the A word is used as a curse word. :)

Moon Over Manifest

Last night I finished the book Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool.
At first, since it was written old-timey, I only read a couple chapters a day. Then about ehh.. halfway through, I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! It was soooo  good! A little sad, but good!

Abilene is sent to a little town called Manifest, Kansas for the summer. The only problem is she knows NO ONE there. Her dad just sent her off to live with an old friend of his. This was his "home town" so Abilene decides to learn as much as she can about the boy her father once was.But, there isn't much in Manifest for her to learn about him...
Manifest turns out to be just an old town.. that is until she finds a box of letters and mementos, and reads about a spy called "the Rattler". It seems that Manifest is full of secrets. As Abilene makes new friends, and sets off to find out who the "Rattler" is, she comes across Miss Sadie; a crazy old diviner. But is Miss Sadie really crazy, or will her stories eventually lead Abilene to her father?

Like I said before, the beginning was a little slow for me. Not too bad, I still really enjoyed it, but it was just the super action packed story, like Divergent, or the Hunger Games. However there was this underlying suspense that definitely pulled me in. I really really liked this one and would definitely recommend.

Rate: PG
   I don't believe there were any cuss words, no sexuality, and very very very little violence.
GOOD OR GOODBYE? GOOD
  
NITTY GRITTY:I really don't remember any cuss words, although it does use the Lord's name in vain a couple times. There was no sexuality, or romance for that matter :) As for the part about very little violence, there really isn't any. In the letters Abilene finds, there is talk of war, but seriously it nothing really. Like a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 :)

The False Prince

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson

I started the False Prince a while ago, but after a couple chapters, I put it down & didn't really give it a second thought. Not because it was bad... I just got involved in other books. Well then I realized it was a library book, and I was gonna get a fine... so I picked it up again and SHAZAM! I was hooked! I couldn't stop reading it! So good!! The only bad news is I still haven't returned it, so I owe a little money... whoops.

A plan is brewing. A plan that may or may not be treason to the throne. But Conner is willing to risk his neck (literally) in order to save the country from a civil war. Or maybe just to gain some power.... Conner finds 4 orphans to compete for his main role in the plan. The Prince. The royal family is dead, and without a Prince, the nation will go crazy. But the only heir to the throne is dead. If Conner can convince the country that one of these orphans is the "dead" Prince, it will save the country. But can he pull it off. And will Sage even want to participate in this plan even though there are so many lies? Especially considering the fact that Conner isn't exactly warm and cuddly. But through all the lies, one truth remains.

So like I said I really loved this book. There was a teeny bit of violence, but no language or sexuality! The little bit of violence is there, but it isn't very gory, bad. Like on a scale of 1 to 10 it would probably be a 4?
Ahahaha I'm bad at judging violence ;)

Rate: PG/PG13
GOOD OR GOODBYE?  GOOD!! 

Fablehaven --Tayan

As Guest Review week comes to a close, I have asked my new friend Tayan to finish off the week for us with a review of her favorite book Fablehaven.

                                                          Hi friends!!

I'm Tayan, you may know me from INSPIRED by Tayan! (inspiredbytayan.com)

I am so honored that Abby asked me to guest review on her absolutely amazing blog. Abby, you are such an incredible girl! Thank you for doing what you do, I know I benefit so much from your blog, and I know everyone else does as well!!

Today I thought I would review one of my all time favorite books, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull!

I personally LOVE all of the Fablehaven books, but my review is about the first book in the series.

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world.  Enchanting?  Absolutely! Exciting? You bet.  Safe?  Well, actually, quite the opposite . . .

Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven.  Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischevious satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies.  However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives.  To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.

(summary from brandonmull.com)

I love Fablehaven so much. It is action packed, well written, excited, and it's one of those "on the edge of your seat" books. (Who doesn't love those?!)

Something I think that is really awesome in this book, it's one of the main reasons I love it so much, is the love between family. Fablehaven makes it very clear that family comes first. The characters in this book are all very close and they depend on and trust each other. I think that that has been lost in a lot of recent books. (Hunger Games , Divergent, etc.) Recent popular books seem to teach youth that they don't need anyone and should be 100% independent. They teach youth not to trust or love anyone and to only rely on ourselves. That makes me so sad because it's not true at all! Books should teach us to love unconditionally and keep what matters most our number one priority. That's something I really love about the Fablehaven books and something I think Brandon Mull does an excellent job with.

All 5 Fablehaven books are 100% clean. There is some violence but it is minimal and still totally clean. These books teach good values and are so fun, I'd recommend them to anyone.

Rate: PG

Nitty Gritty:

Like I said, Fablehaven is totally clean. It is a fun book for any age! The violence is clean and simply adds action to the book.

Thank you all SO much for reading! And thanks to Abby again for letting me guest review for you all!

Please check out my blog if you don't read it all ready!

Yours,

tayan xoxo

inspiredbytayan.com

Everest -- Matt

After some technical difficulties, SATURDAY'S review is finally up, you can read it below :-) A big thanks to Matt Bidstrup for writing it!!!!

Here is his review, I hope you like it!

Everest, by Gordan Korman

Gordan Korman creates a masterful adventure that takes a group of young teenagers high up into Earth's atmosphere, in a bid to be the youngest human to climb Mount Everest. Starting at a training ground in Colorado, a group of twenty teens compete for four spots on the Summit Quest Mount Everest Expedition. Led by climbing legend Cap Cicero, the team goes through the very difficult adventure of attempting to stand on top of the world.

This trilogy is a super fun, fast, and easy read that all ages can enjoy. No cussing, drug abuse, or any bad scenes, but still very fast paced and intense. Mild suspense and intense scenes, but everything is very clean and fun.this realistic fiction is a must read for every teenage boy, but girls will love it too. Anyone who loves the outdoors will love this book!

Good

PG

Mildly intense scenes

The Hobbit -- Marissa

Today's review in GUEST REVIEW WEEK is:

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien reviewed by Marissa Fuller

"'Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!' he said to himself, and it became a favourite saying of his later, and passed into a proverb."

Ok so I have read this book twice niw, and it never ceases to thrill me! I love following along with Tolkien's maps, and obviously just reading the story in general. It is a wonderfully engaging book, and definetly a good read ;)

Bilbo Baggins is a respectable hobbit living life in the shire--- a quiet, unadventurous life, thank you very much.  In fact, adventures don't even cross his mind; at least, not until Gandalf shows up.  Bilbo suddenly finds himself thrown into a very large adventure indeed-- and without a pocket hanker chief, too, if you don't mind!  Accompanied by thirteen dwarves (and occasionally Gandalf) Bilbo confronts trolls, orcs, elves, and a dragon, all in an effort to reclaim the lonely mountain Erebor and restore the dwarves to their rightful home.  Will Bilbo be able to make it there and back again without too much trouble, or will unpredicted enemies keep him from returning to his beloved home?

Okay, so I really, really loved this book!  As it is meant to be a children's story book, Tolkien manages to keep it very clean.  There is one instance of the 'h' word (with the h cut off at the beginning) and, I couldn't find it, but I believe there may be an instance of the 'd' word.  There is a bit of violence, mainly because of the orcs, but like I said, it is a children's story and Tolkien keeps it well focused on the adventure and experiences of Bilbo.  There are also a couple of scary/intense scenes, but they don't have any awful, terrible content.  Beer is mentioned a little and drunk by some of the characters as well, and there is some smoking.  Personally, I was very comfortable reading this book, (compared to the movie it's definetly PG) but for a book, the mild language and drug use make it PG-13. I highly recommend this read!

Rate: PG-13

          Mild language and drug use; little violence and intense/scary scenes

Good or Goodbye:  GOOD

Nitty Gritty:  Like I mentioned, there are about two cuss words, the d and the h word, as well as a little bit of name calling.  The orcs present a little violence in the book, but Tolkien usually keeps it very short and doesn't go into gory descriptions. Some of the characters drink and smoke, including Bilbo, but it is not often.  There are a few intense scenes, including characters such as Gollum and the orcs, and the dragon.

The Hourglass Door -- Jocelyn

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Magnum
Review by Jocelyn Hall 

"Book one of its trilogy, I love this book! It's a cute, clean teen romance.

Abby's Senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He's mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she's ever met before. Abby can't deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

Its a fun, mysterious novel with time travel, a love story and everyday teenage life. There is one violent scene when Zo stabs Dante but its not graphic so you should be good. Kissing occurs but again its totally clean and quick. I really enjoyed this book and its thrilling plot will definitely keep you hooked.

Rate: PG

Its a teen book (high school and such) but no cussing and nothing inappropriate.

I encourage reading the entire series as well!"

GOOD OR GOODBYE? GOOD

All the Lovely Bad Ones

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn
If you are into creepy ghost stories, you will definitely enjoy this book!!! It's written for pre-teens, but I feel like teenagers would enjoy it too :))
Summary from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/all-lovely-bad-ones#cart/cleanup
"When Travis and his sister, Corey, learn that their grandmother's quiet Vermont inn has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little "haunting" of their own. But their thoughtless games awaken something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep."
Well since that's all that that one website said, that's all I will say about it ;)
It is a ghost story, however there isn't violence, and there's no cussing. Very clean, very spooky book.
Rate: PG
  Clean
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
    GOOD!!

THANKS FOR READING!!!

Master

Master by Toni Sorenson

Alright, so usually I try not to bring religion into my reviews. I am a Mormon, and I love to talk about my religion, but Good or Goodbye is for anyone. No matter what religion you are, Good or Goodbye should be helpful to you in finding good, moral books and good products. BUTTT I recently read this book called Master, and couldn't NOT review it. Master is amazing for all Christians.

Almon is a young boy who lives with his father. They travel all over the deserts and cities, selling Almon as a slave and then stealing him back to earn a (stolen) profit. But one day, they come across bandits in the desert. Dangerous bandits. After killing Almon's father and leaving Almon alone to die, Almon awakes to find himself in the care of a small family. Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus. As Almon travels back to the Joseph's  home, and starts to get to know the family, he decides he will stay as their slave. That is the best he could possibly hope for considering he is mute. However, the longer he is with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus the more he loves each member of his new family. When Joseph lays on his deathbed, he gives Almon a special job: watch over Jesus. Almon has always loved and silently followed Jesus, so this request was easy for him. Almon watches Jesus grow older and older and travels with him through many different cities, healing the sick, raising the dead, and creating so many miracles. He even forfeits marriage to follow Jesus. But when people start wanting to harm Jesus, what can he do for his Master.

Obviously Master is historical fiction. Almon is not a real person. However Jesus is. Master is fiction, yes, but the words and miracles in it, are real. I loved Master so much. It gave me a much better understanding of the Savior. It gave me a better picture of his life. Also who doesn't love a character that you can fall in love with who is real? I mean come on! It doesn't get better than that! I really really loved Master and I know you will too!

Rate: PG/PG13
   Totally clean language-wise, but has a little violence
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
   Definitely GOOD

Little Blog on the Prairie

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell

I read this book a couple years ago, and fell in love! Such a cute story, and very entertaining :-) or at least I thought so!(;

Gen and her family don't always get along. In fact they never really spend time all together. But that is about to change when Gen's mother signs them up for a summer camp where they must act as if they live in the 1800's, Gen is less than pleased. Log cabins, manual labor, mean girls, and too much "quality time" with her family. Not to mention no modern technology allowed. Gen is positive this will be the worst summer of her life. Little does she know her emails to her friends are being turned into a blog. And it is getting popular! The longer Gen is at this summer camp, the more she enjoys it. The cute boy in the next piece of land over sure makes it a lot better ;) but as Gen is finally learning to enjoy herself,  Her blog may be the thing that ruins what may be the best summer of her life.

I really loved this book, and I think you will too. It's funny, has a little romance, and really teaches the importance of the outdoors :) the only thing about the book that wasn't good, was what the blog is called. In the title it has the H word, so that word is used some during the book. 

Rate: PG 

   Although it has some cussing bc of the blog title, there wasn't anything else bad :-) 

GOOD OR GOODBYE? 

   GOOD!! 

NITTY GRITTY: 

The blog is called "Little H on the Prairie"