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Things Not Seen

This book is the first of a trilogy and other than the careless use of God's name at the beginning of the book, I enjoyed this book and will follow up with the other two once I've read them.

I would have liked to rate this book Wise, but biblically we cannot view blasphemy as a small thing, after all, the third commandment states: "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." (Exodus 20:7, also Deuteronomy 5:11) May we not forget to take this seriously and honor the name of the LORD.

Therefore the book earns itself a Use Discernment rating.


Things Not Seen,
by Andrew Clements
251 pages

Summary:
Bobby Phillips wakes up invisible one February morning-- what follows are an array of adventures every teen would love to have, if only. But once the fun runs out, Bobby has to figure out how to be seen again, with the help of a new friend, Alicia.

THEMES: friendship, investigation, self-awareness, identity

FOUL LANGUAGE:
ZERO occurrences

SOFT LANGUAGE
(heard on cable TV): ZERO occurrences

VIOLENCE:
none.

SEXUAL CONTENT:
none. There are some scenes where you feel the vulnerability of the character in his striving to not be seen and the danger of whether he suddenly were to become visible, but there is nothing objectionable in and of itself.

DRUG USE:
ZERO occurrences

BLASPHEMIES:
3 occurrences of God's name used in vain all on page 5 when Bobby's mom realizes that he is invisible. The problem with this is that the Lord's name is used in shock and surprise rather than in prayer, and then He is thoroughly ignored for the rest of the book.

REFERENCES TO AND GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD:
Again, not mentioned for the remainder of the book.

Read Wisely!


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Something to Anticipate




Here are the upcoming book reviews to look forward to...

Ever by Gail Carson Levine
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Quest for Celestia by Steven James

Reveille of the Heart







This was a fun book to read as some of the settings were in San Diego, but also for the interesting plot lines that took me into the world of army training and life on an army base. It was enjoyable living vicariously through main character Cami as she struggled with making the cut, making friends and making tough decisions with her life.

Reveille of the Heart receives a Wise rating, not because the character behaved perfectly all the time, but because, though she was a flawed human being, she sought guidance from the Lord when she was struggling and she recognized her faults and shortcomings when she'd made mistakes.

Visit Kimberlee R. Mendoza's website here.






Reveille of the Heart
,
by Kimberlee R. Mendoza


213 pages

Summary: Fresh out of high school, Cami Harrison joins the army to solve the problem of how she'll pay for school and where she'll get a job. She leaves her family and long-time boyfriend behind to make her way in the army. She expects training to be difficult, what she doesn't expect is Nathan Porter, fellow soldier, who becomes her best friend. Her relationships with the two men in her life are tested when Trevor, her boyfriend, proposes. She must decide between the man who always has occupied her dreams of the future and the one who stands true beside her every day.

THEMES: friendship and love; army; Christian values

FOUL LANGUAGE: ZERO occurrences

SOFT LANGUAGE (heard on cable TV): ZERO occurrences

VIOLENCE: ZERO occurences

SEXUAL CONTENT: The threat of a guy forcing himself on the main character looms in one scene. It is not glamorized in any way and is expressed without being explicit.

DRUG USE: Trevor, the boyfriend, orders a pitcher of beer at a pizza joint. Even though he is of legal age to consume alcohol it is not something that Cami finds favorable.

BLASPHEMIES: ZERO occurrences of God's name used in vain.

REFERENCES TO AND GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD: Both Cami and Nathan have a proper biblical view of God. They pray when they find themselves in a predicament, and read their Bibles to find comfort and direction. Their attitudes toward God are refreshing in a world full of books that spit upon His holiness.

This book is December 2009's pick for the Win Wise Reading book giveaway!!! For a chance to win a copy, enter a comment on this post. One winner will be selected randomly on the 25th. Last chance to enter is Dec. 24th!


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