Review of Nine by Rachelle Dekker

 

About the Book ~

Some secrets can't stay hidden

Zoe Johnson has spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes.

Against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn't seem to have any past at all. With little warning, they must follow the only sure thing they know: a woman hundreds of miles away, will either save them . . . or be the last person to see them alive.

For more information about Rachelle Dekker and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Nine by Rachelle Dekker should be on the to-be-read pile of every devoted suspense reader! I am increasingly picky about suspense novels, and Nine contains everything I look for in a thrilling novel! Bravo!

Seriously, that suspense! Okay, I promise there will be no plot spoilers -- I wouldn't want to take the thrill of this journey away from any reader. I loved the balance of pace and character development. Additionally, Nine contains an intensity that I've found in only a handful of authors. It's an intensity that pulls you into the story world, glues you to whatever seat you can find, and burns your eyeballs because you don't dare blink! 

When the suspense and mystery ends on that final page, the truths exposed in the story will stay with its readers for a lifetime! The spiritual message revolves around identity, a message the author has a gift for unveiling, restoring, and edifying within her novels. Nine explores choosing a new identity, no matter how dark, broken, or manipulated your past may be. Rewriting your program. Choosing freedom. Choosing love. Through the intense moments of testing that each character faced, readers will be strengthened for the identity battles we face every day!

Five Stars ~ Nine by Rachelle Dekker is an edge-of-your-seat suspense! Nine is standalone with ties into The Girl behind the Red Rope, but it is not necessary to read The Girl behind the Red Rope before reading Nine.

Possible triggers ~ violence, death, abuse, abduction, torture. 

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and take flowery photos for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable little girl. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

Review of The String by Caleb Breakey

My Thoughts ~

Rule #1: Participation is mandatory.
Rule #2: If any one person refuses to play, the threats to all players will come to pass.

Since this is my game, allow me to introduce myself. I am the conductor. Just as musicians in a symphony must follow the conductor's direction, the selected students and staff of Trenton University must submit to my commands...or risk massive chaos and deadly consequences. Even that pesky university cop, Markus Haas, who thinks he'll find a way out of the impossible dilemma in which I've trapped him. Oh, the surprises I have for him.

Ready to play?

For more information about Caleb Breakey and his books, check out his website here!

My Thoughts ~

Ted Dekker fans will want to purchase The String by Caleb Breakey immediately! In fact, just add this author to your auto-buy list. Don't think. Just do it.

And then sleep with all the lights on...LOL!

I love a well-written story with overflowing buckets of suspense, mystery, and thrilling content... The String more than lived up to what I had hoped to discover between the pages! It's hard to find a story that truly gives an adrenaline rush, but The String did! Man, it really did! The events kept building and building until the explosive climax! Twists, turns, subtle clues, and jaw-dropping reveals are only some of what make up the story! I could easily see this becoming a movie one day!

I loved all the different perspectives in The String! Given the nature of the story, I felt like the abundance of perspectives added a unique realism to the story as you watched the different characters reveal their motivations and secrets. The villain reminded me of a cross between Batman's Joker and Ted Dekker's Marsuvees Black from The Paradise Trilogy! He was the type of villain where you (eventually) understand what lead him to this dark place, and the author did an amazing job of shocking me with the villain's identity! And Markus Haas, well, he was a hero in every sense of the word! While definitely not perfect, he had an honorable code and a growing hunger for God!

Understandably, there are some dark elements to this story what with the villain's twisted past and disturbing life-or-death games, but it was awesome to see some of the characters not only cry out to God but also embrace the truth that the villain's evil could not harm them in the way that matters!

Five Stars - The String by Caleb Breakey is thrilling! The String ends on a cliffhanger -- and from what I understand -- it is the first book in the author's Deadly Games Series from Revell. Despite the cliffhanger, I felt like the big question of the book was answered, and the cliffhanger leaves readers with burning questions for the next book! I can't wait to read it!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

Review of Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen

Description:

Jonah wishes he could get the girl, but he’s an outcast and she’s the most perfect girl he knows.

And their futures seemed destined to fork apart: Jonah’s physical condition is debilitating, and epileptic seizures fill his life with frustration. Whereas Stormi is seemingly carefree, and navigates life by sensing things before they happen. And her most recent premonition is urging her to leave town.

When Stormi begs Jonah for help, he finds himself swept into a dark mystery his small town has been keeping for years. And the answers Stormi needs about her own past could possibly destroy everything Jonah has ever known—including his growing relationship with Stormi herself.

My thoughts:

Wow. Just wow.

This book kept me up very, very late. And I have a baby. Staying up all night reading is not a luxury I can afford to take. However, I could not stop reading Unfolding!

Ok, so this is not a light, easy-breezy story. This is an intense, edge of your seat, flinching due to every small noise kind of story. But what do you expect with a small town riddled with secrets and a secret society and...I'd better not say that part. ;) The writing voice is different, yet so unique. And I absolutely adored Jonah! His perspective and voice would have been make or break it to the story. Jonah sounded like a real dude. ;) Also, speaking as someone who's had a lot of involvement with disable adults, I found his feelings regarding his disabilities to be realistic based on what I've seen. However, I am by no means an expert.

Fans of paranormal, mysterious, secret society YA and/or of Ted Dekker will love Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen. Seriously. You will want to buy this book immediately.

What are you waiting for?

I received a copy of Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen published by Blink from BookLook Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own.

God bless you guys, and I'll see you next time!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer