Can I be honest? Part of the reason I chose to read Mindspeak was the cover. I saw it and went to read an interview with the author, Heather Sunseri, Can I be honest? Part of the reason I chose to read Mindspeak was the cover. I saw it and went to read an interview with the author, Heather Sunseri, on The Character Therapist blog. The book's premise was intriguing enough for me to download a free sample from Amazon (I've learned to do that with unknown authors). I was pleased with the writing and interested in continuing to read the book. Mindspeak was inexpensive enough that purchasing it was a no-brainer. But with a HUGE pile of books waiting to be read, what pushed Mindspeak to the top of the list? Short answer: genetics.
Lexi Matthews is a girl with secrets at an exclusive boarding school where all the students have secrets. When a new guy, Jack DeWeese, shows up for senior year, Lexi realizes how much she doesn't know about her parents and her history. Her father, a world-renown geneticist, lives out of the country because his genetic engineering work is too controversial (hence illegal) for the United States. Lexi can't go to her father for help and she doesn't know who she can trust. And someone has been trying to kill her since Jack's arrival. Can she trust him? Does she love him?
THEOLOGY: Is genetic engineering a slap-in-the-face to God?
The main character of Mindspeak, Lexi, is conflicted about what her father does for a living. She believes that the genetic experiments her father and his cronies perform on human embryos is unnatural and goes against God's plan for the universe.
If the intention behind genetic manipulation is for the greater good, then can cloning, stem cell research, and genetic augmentation be acceptable? Are these God-given abilities or a new Tower of Babel?
RATING: PG-13 for profanity and adult themes.
There are multiple instances of profanity (sh--, cr-p, a--hole) that distract from an otherwise wonderful story.
Kids these days read up in age, so a book about seniors in high school will probably attract junior high or even middle grade readers. With that in mind, some of the kissing scenes read more mature than appropriate for a younger audience (in my opinion)--although kissing is the only thing that goes on in this book. There is a passing reference to a Cosmo article titled "How to Pleasure Your Man in Bed"- the context is funny, but again potentially inappropriate for younger readers.
Depending on your sensitivities, you may have trouble with the two main characters, Lexi and Jack, spending multiple nights snuggled up together in the same bed (although snuggling is all that happens).
SOCIAL ISSUES:
Ethics--Mindspeak is about morality and making the right choices for the right reasons. There are good things and bad things that come out of the genetic manipulations discussed in the novel. It's a way for readers to consider both sides of a controversial issue.
Merged review:
Can I be honest? Part of the reason I chose to read Mindspeak was the cover. I saw it and went to read an interview with the author, Heather Sunseri, on The Character Therapist blog. The book's premise was intriguing enough for me to download a free sample from Amazon (I've learned to do that with unknown authors). I was pleased with the writing and interested in continuing to read the book. Mindspeak was inexpensive enough that purchasing it was a no-brainer. But with a HUGE pile of books waiting to be read, what pushed Mindspeak to the top of the list? Short answer: genetics.
Lexi Matthews is a girl with secrets at an exclusive boarding school where all the students have secrets. When a new guy, Jack DeWeese, shows up for senior year, Lexi realizes how much she doesn't know about her parents and her history. Her father, a world-renown geneticist, lives out of the country because his genetic engineering work is too controversial (hence illegal) for the United States. Lexi can't go to her father for help and she doesn't know who she can trust. And someone has been trying to kill her since Jack's arrival. Can she trust him? Does she love him?
THEOLOGY: Is genetic engineering a slap-in-the-face to God?
The main character of Mindspeak, Lexi, is conflicted about what her father does for a living. She believes that the genetic experiments her father and his cronies perform on human embryos is unnatural and goes against God's plan for the universe.
If the intention behind genetic manipulation is for the greater good, then can cloning, stem cell research, and genetic augmentation be acceptable? Are these God-given abilities or a new Tower of Babel?
RATING: PG-13 for profanity and adult themes.
There are multiple instances of profanity (sh--, cr-p, a--hole) that distract from an otherwise wonderful story.
Kids these days read up in age, so a book about seniors in high school will probably attract junior high or even middle grade readers. With that in mind, some of the kissing scenes read more mature than appropriate for a younger audience (in my opinion)--although kissing is the only thing that goes on in this book. There is a passing reference to a Cosmo article titled "How to Pleasure Your Man in Bed"- the context is funny, but again potentially inappropriate for younger readers.
Depending on your sensitivities, you may have trouble with the two main characters, Lexi and Jack, spending multiple nights snuggled up together in the same bed (although snuggling is all that happens).
SOCIAL ISSUES:
Ethics--Mindspeak is about morality and making the right choices for the right reasons. There are good things and bad things that come out of the genetic manipulations discussed in the novel. It's a way for readers to consider both sides of a controversial issue....more
Going into this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. The cover looks sci fi, but the beginning seemed fantasy. While there are hints of fantasy to the Going into this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. The cover looks sci fi, but the beginning seemed fantasy. While there are hints of fantasy to the story, the worlds this epic tale encompass are definitely sci fi. Space travel, weapons, starships, wormholes, different worlds... this book has it all. With so many fantastic characters to root for, the story is un-put-downable. The only thing that disappoints me is that the next in the series isn't ready for me to purchase NOW.
Oh, and did I mention there was a side of romance as well?
Super highly recommended. Best book I've read in 2020.
And, I'll admit this here to my Goodreads friends, I stayed up most of one night reading it and ending up crying when a certain character died. All. The. Feels. Don't say I didn't warn ya....more
If you liked the Netflix original, Bird Box, then you'll love this.
I loved the characters and the premise of An apocalyptic cult meets the apocalypse.
If you liked the Netflix original, Bird Box, then you'll love this.
I loved the characters and the premise of the story. I had to keep reading to figure out how the story lines would connect.
I found myself most interested in the story of the cult. How Wynter ended up there. What went wrong that they threw her out. It's like peering into the head of crazy.
Entertaining and fun ride. Highly recommended!...more
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest. (Lucky me!)
There are so many things to like about this story. I love I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest. (Lucky me!)
There are so many things to like about this story. I love the idea that there are seven kingdoms, each with its own secret power. The world's history interacts with the kingdoms' special abilities to create political maneuverings that added richness to the story. Selene is a great character. She has so much internal conflict around becoming who she is meant to be. At times dark, the overall book is uplifting.
There's a scene in chapter 14 that really spoke to me. Damien is practicing his special abilities (gift) to commune with the Light (the world's deity). Reading this scene reminded me to use my own gifts for my Creator. How easy it is to forget that the abilities we have are God-given and to be used for his glory. The great thing about Christian fiction is that it can inspire you to be better, and that's one thing this book has done for me.
That doesn't mean that Mark of the Raven is a preachy book. Quite the opposite. Morgan Busse has created a world of dark and light, where gifts can be used as they were meant to be or twisted for selfish reasons, just like our world today. It shows us that good people can do bad things for what seems to be the right reason, and sometimes its hard to find the right path.
And the ending! I can't wait for book 2. Bring it on. Now!...more
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book. I've categorized my review by the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The good: The second half of thThanks to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book. I've categorized my review by the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The good: The second half of the book captivated me and I couldn't put it down. The author has done a great job of reimagining a historical event with fantasy elements. What a fantastic idea! I hope she does more books like this. I love that she chose a character searching for truth from one of the conspirators of the Gunpowder plot. The added mystery behind the stone plague was well-imagined and added so much to the story, as did the Emma Areben character.
The bad: There were a couple of plot holes (more like pin pricks) that made me pause, mostly in the timeline of Thomas and Emma's outings. Also, I would have enjoyed more setting description in the first half of the book. We got a lot of name drops about London places and streets, but as I've never been there, it didn't produce a picture in my head other than that the Thames smelled really bad.
The ugly: It took me a long time to like Thomas Fawkes. Although I felt bad for him because of events in the story, I didn't like his character until a good ways into the book. (I had all the feels at by the end.) I think if the author had given us a "save the cat" moment early in the story, something to show the protagonist's hero potential, I might have bonded with him sooner. As it was, I had to force myself to read the first 35% of the book because I didn't really like him.
Bottom line: If you're reading this review and wondering if you should read Fawkes, the short answer is YES. Push through the beginning to get to the amazing story. The last half of the book more than makes up for what the first half is lacking. (Hence the 4-star review instead of a lower one)....more
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