It takes incredible skill to be a master storyteller. After Unwind and even UnWholly, I would have easily put Neal Shusterman on that list. I read UnSouled, though, so I’m withholding final judgment for now. I’m not as encouraged to keep reading, but I’m glad I did. I have to push through to the end,… [Read More]
How to Really Fight Evil (Review: “Messenger”)
I am a sucker for a series. I love Harry Potter, and I used to love The Baby-sitters Club, and I’m really only still watching Glee because I have a great gift for the virtue of hope and I hope it will eventually be good again. Somewhere deep down, though, my belief in eternity makes… [Read More]
The Truth Will Set You Free (Review: “Thumped”)
You may remember a little novel that blew my mind last year: Bumped, by Megan McCafferty. I couldn’t believe that someone had combined three of my favorite things: dystopias, life issues, and teenagers with problems. I also couldn’t believe that no one was talking about it! It’s not a stretch to think that our world… [Read More]
An Unacceptable Compromise (Review: “Unwind”)
“Ripped from the headlines” used to be an incredibly popular slogan for movies and TV episodes. A story based on real situations rather than one pulled from a writer’s mind was intriguing and a little frightening. When I heard the premise of Unwind, the most captivating aspect was that I could see it really happening…. [Read More]
Religious and Happy About It (Review: “OyMG”)
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, ends tonight at sundown. That might not be terribly significant to readers of a Catholic blog like ACNM, but it is to me. Not only do my work responsibilities include frequent, delightful interaction with non-Catholic religious professionals, but I like knowing that other religions have non-secularized holidays, too. The… [Read More]
The Other Side of the Future (Review: “Gathering Blue”)
If The Giver blew your mind, it may further blow your mind to know that The Giver has sequels. As if the journey of twelve-year-old Jonas through the frightening truth about his seemingly perfect world weren’t enough, Lois Lowry has spun another tale. The Giver presented a futuristic world with no choices and an oligarchy… [Read More]
Presbyterian Lies and Literary Truths (Review: “The Wednesday Wars”)
As a happy Catholic who is involved in media, I try to keep my ears open for positive portrayals of religion in any setting: movies, television, and especially books. Religion in literature tends to be more honest than movies or TV. It’s very easy to toss a cross around a character’s neck or pan past… [Read More]
Inconceivable! (Review: “Bumped”)
Last week, I read a book that I could not put down. Even when I paused to gasp or to ponder what I’d just read, I only stopped long enough to process my thoughts, and then I immediately went back to turning pages as fast as I could. I was stunned and excited, and it… [Read More]
Review: “Elsewhere”
Imagine waking up dead. I’ve always had a soft spot for the ludicrous nature of that question, but it’s worth pondering. If you went from this exact moment and suddenly found yourself dead, how would you react? MercyMe treated the question of the afterlife in their hit song “I Can Only Imagine,” but Gabrielle Zevin… [Read More]
