Book Review:Quarantine:The Losers

Book: Quarantine (or Quaranteen): The Losers

Author: Lex Thomas

Recommend: If you handle violence well and have a strong stomach.. this one is a bit graphic!

I found the concept of this book intriguing and when I found out that I could read it early for free, I decided that it was worth checking out. I’ve always been a sucker for a free book. This book is The Lord of the Flies meets Mean Girls with a touch of The Hunger Games thrown in for good measure. On the first day of high school in a brand new building as students report to their first class, something strange starts to happen to the teachers. Suddenly everyone is in a panic and the military locks them all in, only allowing students who are of age to leave. Quickly normal teens turn into gangs that fight to survive in their harsh environment. What happens when David, the former star of the football team, fallen from glory decides to build a gang of his own?

I found this book extremely gripping. I had a very hard time putting it down. The language in it was very descriptive, the events shocking and the characters interesting to read. I felt pulled along at watching from the center of a hurricane while everything fell apart around me. I found the fact the relationship between Will and David complex and interesting to follow and the romance having a fresh spin on it.

The thing I liked least about the book was the never-ending violence. It felt like it just never took a break. The descriptions became too much in some places and it actually started to turn my stomach, which is a very rare occurrence for me. I also found the accepted overt sexuality running rampant through the school to be a bit unrealistic. While they never described the act, there was plenty of mention of sexual activity being a regular part of the teen society and yet there is zero mention of a single teen pregnancy which makes no sense at all. It is never addressed. Not once. if you are going to mention this topic, as a responsible writer for impressionable teens, there needs to be some consequence for it. Instead it seems to perpetuate the idea that there are no adult consequences for those actions.

Overall the book was an enjoyable read and I think I’ll be watching for the sequel when it comes out.

Final Rating:

Get it used...

Book Review: White

Book: White

Author: Ted Dekker

Recommend: This series has completely grown on me! Definitely worth the read!

Okay, walking into book three, I was ready to dig into it. Thomas and Monique are running out of time to find a cure and save the world from the virus ready to kill the world. As they race against the clock, everything in the alternate reality has changed and the newly formed Circle is fighting for their survival. Thomas is placed with an impossible task with no apparent way out. Thomas must figure out how to save both worlds but will he be able to do it and make it through alive?

This book was really good. The allegory comes into full bloom in this book, detailing the origin of the early church. The characters are familiar underneath the trappings of the fantasy environment that Dekker has created while still maintaining a fresh feel.

The only negative I have with series at this point is that for some reason I can’t seem to get through these books quickly. They seem to take twice the normal amount of time for me to read. There is so much to keep track of that you just can’t read them quickly. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but since the school year is winding down, I’m pressed for time making it more difficult. I can say that it has definitely given me some serious things to consider. It brings a fresh light to the Gospels and the early church that is not to be missed!

Final Rating:

Buy it new

Book Review: Red

Book: Red

Author: Ted Dekker

Recommend: This series is growing on me.. looking forward to the next one!

This is the second book of a series of four by Ted Dekker. My sister-in-law sent these to me a couple of months ago and I just finished the second one. At the end of the first book, I wasn’t sure how I felt. At the end of the second book, I’m ready to dive into the third.

The book centers on a man named Thomas who is living in two realities. One is very much like our modern world where a virus threatens to destroy the whole world and the only hope is a woman named Monique who invented the vaccine that mutated into the virus. Thomas seems to know more than he ever should and tries to protect Monique and help her find the cure. However when Thomas falls asleep, he wakes in another reality where anything is possible and the modern world is a distant past only remembered through stories.

At first the alternate reality was a bit too much for me, however in this book Dekker seems to have struck the right balance. The allegory in the dream reality is a bit obvious but has a C.S. Lewis quality to it that makes it engaging and interesting.

I would definitely recommend this series at this point and can’t wait to get into White, the next book in the series!

Final Rating:

Get it used…