Fun Fiction Friday - October 13, 2017

Fun Fiction Friday
October 13th, 2017

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday. 

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading.

I was able to finish The Uncloaked by J. Rodes. You can find my review at the end of this post.

These are the three main books on my "To Be Read" pile.

I took The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer back out of the library. But then I ended up starting Generation One by Pittacus Lore after all. I have no clue when the next book in this new series will be out, but I am looking forward to it. Not quite the same as the original I am Number Four series, but still a page-turning, action-filled quick read. I also started The Testing by Joelle Charbonneu, but set it aside to finish The Uncloaked. That one is quite intriguing too. Wish it was still summer so I had more time to read. We have a long trip coming up on Monday, maybe I will have a chance to read. 

I still have these Novella compilations from the I Am Number Four series out from the library. I actually forgot about it until I was writing this post. I'll get to them eventually. 

Moving on...

We are still reading All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor and The Tanglewoods' Secret by Patricia St. John. All-of-a-Kind Family is a book that was listed in our My Father's World Creation to the Greeks Teacher Manual. We are learning about the Jewish feasts this year and this book includes several chapters in which the family celebrates the Jewish feasts. It is set in the early 1900's in NYC. The Tanglewoods Secret is another scheduled read aloud in our curriculum, however, it is not really connected to the lessons we are reading. So far the children and I are enjoying both of these books.

Tabitha finished The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis, and is now reading Prince Caspian.

Tabitha's thoughts on The Horse and His Boy:

The story is about a boy named Shasta who was about to be sold by his "father." Not really his father, but a fisherman who took him in when he was a baby. Shasta discovered a talking horse whose name was too hard for him to pronounce, so he just called him Bree. Bree is a horse from Narnia. He was going to take Shasta to Narnia to keep him safe.

On their way to Narnia they meet another talking horse and a girl rider. They are both girls. It was during a lion chase. Now during their adventure they run into this lion a couple different times.

They had a lot of adventure on their way to Narnia. They stopped in a city and Shasta met a prince. This prince looked a lot like him and the book tells us something interesting about him later on (no spoilers). I had a suspicion about what happens later on, and I was right. 

I really liked this book because it was full of adventure. I am also enjoying all the Narnia books.

Amelia is trying to make her way through Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Plus she is finally finishing up Voyage with the Vikings.

In this book Harry Potter goes to see the World Cup with the Weasley's, after seeing Dudley's tongue grow with Ton Tongue Toffee. When he gets to the campsite type thing where they find out that the reception type guy is a muggle. He said that someone tried to give him wizard money, but he didn't call it wizard money, he called it gold coins. 

Don't forget to check out my reviews of the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls books (books 1 and 2) by M.J. Thomas and Imagine . . . The Great Flood by Matt Koceich.

Fun Fiction Friday

Book Review

The Uncloaked by J. Rodes is the first book in a young adult Christian dystopian trilogy. I have enjoyed other dystopian series in the past, and was intrigued by the fact that this one is a Christian book. 

In this story, a pastor's son, Braxton Luther is close friends with a girl named Eliza. She is a much stronger Christian who believes that persecution is on its way with the new party coming to power. It appears that this America is struggling because of a past war, though I didn't quite understand what exactly had gone on in the past to make America the way it was in the present. Somehow it had to do with religion, which is why there was persecution coming for those who clung to religious beliefs. In the America that was shown at the beginning of the book it appears that circumstances are quite unequal for different classes of people and there is a huge push for this new Progressive Party to come in and make everything equal. That is, unless you refuse to give up your religious beliefs. 

Braxton thought Eliza, along with his father, were getting all bent out of shape for nothing. However the Progressive Party nominee then wins the presidency and things begin to change drastically in what seems to be just a few month's time. It becomes harder and harder for those who refuse to go along with the Party to even go about their day to day business. People are thrown out of homes and businesses, they don't have enough food to eat, they are getting beaten and sent to some sort of reformation camp. 

Braxton can't understand why it would be so wrong to just SAY they were going along with the party so they can eat and live their lives without fear of persecution. Both his and Eliza's family end up facing a lot of persecution, and he ends up pledging and taking the "seal" in an attempt to save them, which he ends up realizing was a foolish thing to do. Though now it appears he is one of the cloaked, instead of the uncloaked, as he is in with the Party, but is helping those who are still resisting. 

The book ended quite abruptly and now I just have to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next.

I did enjoy the book, but I don't think it is one I will pick up again soon to reread. There is a LOT of violence in the book, some quite graphic as far as I am concerned, especially the scene of Braxton's father being tortured and killed. Though sexual depravity is hinted at, there is nothing graphic, for which I was thankful. 

Frankly, I fluctuate between feeling sorry for Braxton and wanting to shake him. His father didn't treat him the best, and this is one of the reasons he fought so hard against his father's beliefs and didn't see why it was so wrong to join the Party, even if it was done superficially. At the same time, he seemed to keep making rash decisions and was all "woe is me" way too much. I don't know. I want to read the next book to see how it is going to play out. I am hoping he becomes a strong Christian in this fight against the Party. Because as of right now, all the strong Christians are suffering and there doesn't seem to be any hope for them, the Party is winning and sin is rampant. 

Definitely NOT a book for young children. Some of the scenes I wouldn't want my teenagers reading. Though it is quite short, so doesn't quite feel like an adult book, esp because the main characters are teens. Though there are almost 300 pages in the book, they are quite short pages. 

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