Stephen King Pick: Revival

Revival
by Stephen King
Scribner
2014
403 pages
ISBN: 9781476770383

Masterful in weaving an epic tale of good versus evil,  Stephen King delivers a fine story like no other writer is able to. Revival is a story of a long ago--long ago though not forgotten time--of small towns and even smaller churches, of prayers and praying, of preachers and church going, of church suppers and sing-alongs, and hymns on Sunday, funerals and baptisms, and a mountain of human suffering. The past is not all rosy and bright Garrison Keiller and Lake Wobegon.

 In small town Harlow,  Jamie Morton grows up in a loving family with older siblings, a doting mother and hard working father. This was a time when boys played with plastic soldiers and set up battlefields all over the dirt yards and fields. A time when the family ate supper at the same table, where children were expected to eat what was put on their plate and be thankful for it. When Jamie is six, a new preacher comes to town. Reverend Jacobs  is young for the job, but the town is happy to have him and soon they are captivated by his youth and charisma. His pretty wife and young son complete the Norman Rockwell family portrait.

When a terrible accident happens, the community shaken. The young pastor's world is rocked and he forced to leave  town after giving a sermon criticizing God. Blasphemy being preached in the church by their very own pastor? In small town New England, this is the worst sin.

Years and years later, miles and miles of honkytonks,  the bottom of too many bottles, and at the end of too many needles, Jamie wakes up in a heroine hell. Outside of Tulsa and nearly broke, he knows he needs to score in order to feel better. He wastes time until dark and goes in search of a fix at the local carnival. It is here he runs into the pastor of his youth.  This second encounter with the man who gave up on God will change both of their lives forever.

After getting clean Jamie takes a job in Colorado with an old "friend" of  Charles Roberts (aka Reverend Jacobs). Befriended  and taken in by Hugh Yates, Jamie begins to investigate the life his savior/nemesis Charles Roberts. While it is true that Roberts has "cured" many a sick person, others he has helped  have exhibited strange behavior and suicidal tendencies. Just what is it that the "pastor" is delivering? What is Roberts gaining from his strange studies?

King delivers an epic tale of religion and sin, of redemption and forgiveness, of pain and suffering, of love and hurt, and of the survival and revival of the human spirit. In The Stand (1978), the end of the world is near and armies are being formed for the good and the evil. In Revival, the same struggle is again visited by King on a much deeper level. In fiction, you may never see a character as charismatic and evil as Reverend Jacobs/Charles Roberts again. Real life, however, is full of examples of enigmatic, maniacal egotists. Just pick up any history book--you'll see them there.

King relates his own love of music and playing live through Jamie. I loved King's asides about age, getting older, and young people looking younger., and I love that King says, "Key of E. All that xxxx starts in E."

Highly, highly recommended grade 9 and up. Recommended for any King fan and any book club.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Series Pick: Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere

Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere (Book 3)
by Richard Paul Evans
Simon Pulse/Mercury Ink
2013
307 pages

Riveting, rollicking, and rocket paced, the third book in the series will hold readers on the edge of their seats. Michael wakes up in a Peruvian jungle surrounded by stangers. The tribe nurses Michael back to health after his escape from the Elgen. The rest of the Electroclan are nowhere to be found. After destroying the Elgen's Starxsource Plant, they have gone into hiding.

Michael meets another electric teen named Tesla (Tessa). Dr. Hatch kept her as a prisoner for two years. She managed to escape and the Amacarra tribe has kept her hidden in the jungle. The tribe takes the two of them down the river where they meet up with Jaime, Michael's friend in Peru. Jaime warns them that not only is the Elgen after them, the entire Peruvian government is hunting them. They are now considered dangerous terrorists for blowing up the country's electric plant.

Michael plans to find the Electroclan and his mother. He needs Jaime and he needs Tessa's help; she is able to multiply electricity, something that is sure to come in handy in overthrowing the Elgen and rescuing his friends. Meanwhile, the Electroclan are planning their escape from the authorities. Ostin, super rocket scientist geektastic nerdster figures out how to rewire the RESAT machines they are forced to wear.

The teens are on the run from the authorities and the Elgen. Jaime is contacted by the Voice who tells them that the best time to strike the Elgen is when they dock their ships in port. The Ampere is the Elgen's finest "fortress" ship. Evil Dr. Hatch takes over the ship imprisoning the council.

Michael knows that they have to sink that ship. Once again he turns to his friends. Who will join him on his dangerous quest? Who is the Voice and why is he helping them? What does Jaime really know? Where is Michael's mother and why are the Elgen holding her?

Highly, highly recommended for anyone who loves a great adventure. Michael Vey is captivating and fun. Fans of the series will HAVE to have this one, and if you've never read this series, what are you waiting for?

Grade 6-up. Teens acting like 007; what could be better?

FTC Required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Book Giveaway: Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere (book 3)

I have FIVE copies of the third book in the exciting Michael Vey series by Richard Paul Evans up for grabs!!! Battle of the Ampere is thrilling!

More information on Michael Vey

see the thrilling book trailer

For a chance to win, simply post a comment to the blog. Please include your first name, city, state and email address. Deadline for posts is Sept. 24 at noon MST. Winners will be chosen randomly by Randomizer and notified on the afternoon of Sept. 24. Please check your email on that date. Winners have 24 hours to respond to my email. Books will ship from New York courtesy of Simon & Schuster and Ebony!

Good luck and start posting! Pamela

Book Giveaway: Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen (book 2)

Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen

I have 5 copies of this exciting and action-packed thriller. Fans of book 1 will have to get their hands on this one. If you haven't read book 1, what are you waiting for? Get up, drive to the bookstore and buy both books! Or, buy book 1 and try to win book 2 here.

To enter: post a comment on the blog here or on the review (please scroll down) and include your first name, city, state, and email address.

Deadline for posts is September 13 at noon MST. Winners will be chosen randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be notified by email and have 24 hours to respond to my email with their mailing addresses. Sorry, only U.S. mailing addresses.

Books will ship from New York courtesy of Simon & Shuster.

Good luck and start posting, Pamela

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Action Pick: Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen

Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen (book 2)
by Richard Paul Evans
Mercury Ink (Simon Pulse, Simon & Schuster)
2012
335 pages

Creepy, compelling, and chilling, the second book in this series will have teens frantically racing through the pages to find out what horrific plans Dr. Hatch has in store for Michael Vey and his friends—the electric kids.

There’s McKenna who can create light and heat, Ian -–although blind--can see through electrolocation—which means he can even see through solid objects—very handy when trying to see which apartment the bad guys are staying in or trying to locate Michael’s kidnapped mother in a giant complex, Abigal can take other’s pain away, Zeus, well, you know about Zeus, like the Greek god—he can throw lightning bolts, Grace can download information from any computer and keep it stored in her brain, Taylor can reboot people’s thoughts and memories, and Michael is electric! The teens are on the lam and escaping back to Idaho—far away from evil Dr. Hatch and his minions.

Michael is going to need his friends’ help and his buddy Ostin’s—who isn’t an electric kid, but has a superpower of his own—his near genius intelligence helps out when things get bleak. The Elgen want the kids back and will do anything to control the situation. They have already kidnapped Michael’s mother; next, they take Ostin’s parents and burn down Jack’s house. The kids have no place to hide but they decide to go to Jack’s sister’s tanning salon. While there, a stranger hands Michael a cell phone and the key to a tanning room. He takes them and waits for a phone call as instructed. A voice on the phone convinces Michael to dump the stolen vans—which have GPS devices that the Elgen are using to track them—and change vehicles. The voice directs the kids to a safe house.

Every time the group begins to feel safe, something bad happens. They are on the run throughout the novel. The mysterious voice gets them to the Amazon jungle; they are going to find Michael’s mother and rescue her. Taking down Dr. Hatch and the Elgen will be a nice little bonus.

The macabre secrets they uncover in the jungle are disturbing, yet provocative and are bound to change the course of human history if Dr. Hatch and his army are not stopped. Hatch has created a super-army through brainwashing and mind conditioning. His army will not question an order; they believe him to be a supreme being and their master. If Hatch can unleash his latest invention, it will have ruinous effects throughout the world. He will control governments and kingdoms; no one will be untouched by his evil.

The conclusion seamlessly sets up for book 3. I was happily surprised by the conclusion and some interesting new friends Michael meets.

Michael is an unforgettable hero with a heart. Rise of the Elgen is thrilling, action-packed, and entertaining. This book will have fans eagerly anticipating book 3.

Highly, highly recommended for fans of action and adventure. If you haven’t read book 1, drop everything and go out and buy both Michael Vey books. Once you start reading this series, you won’t want to stop.

Grades 7-up. Some violence. No sex. No language.

FTC Required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.



This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Paranormal Pick: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25
by Richard Paul Evans
Simon Pulse
2011
336 pages

Visit the official website


Amazing, amusing, and fun, Michael Vey will appeal to teens--male and female.

Thrilling and electric (yes, pun intended, you'll see) Michael Vey is a great read! And what a character! Michael is an ordinary high school boy with extraordinary powers--he's electric! Somehow, he is able to direct electricity and shock others with enough power to knock them unconscious or even kill them!

His best friend Ostin (pronounced Austin, like the town in Texas but Ostin's mother didn't choose to spell it right) and Taylor, a pretty and popular cheerleader are the only ones who know about Michael's special abilities. Taylor is rather special, too. She can "reboot" people, making them forget whatever it was they were just doing or thinking. She can also read minds. Ostin is a total nerd; a scientific and research genius but has no special physical powers.

Together the three teens from a club called the Electroclan and are investigating how Michael and Taylor got these special "gifts." Ostin is onto something when he figures out how Taylor and Michael were born in the same hospital in California and a strange outbreak of newborn deaths occurred around the same time. Only seventeen newborns survived--Michael and Taylor are two.

What if the other fifteen kids all had special powers, too? And what if someone was looking for them? And what if that someone has bad--really, really bad-- intentions?

When Michael's mother is kidnapped, he knows he has to go save her. He will use his powers and call upon his friends and a couple of frenemies for help.

Action-packed adventure, well-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable, this novel is going to be huge! Books two and three are likely to enjoy a large following--maybe even an upcoming movie, perhaps?

Highly recommended for lovers of paranormal and action. Grade 7-up. No language, no sex.

FTC REquired Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.