Quickie Book Reviews for April 2013

	House Party (That's So Raven, No. 17) by Alice Alfonsi: I usually find books based on television episodes to be inane, but this one was better than others I have read.  It's written in a fun style, and the characters' thoughts and feelings are explained more fully.  Fans of Disney Channel's sitcom psychic should definitely try this. Score: 4/5
	Love Finds You in Bethlehem, New Hampshire by Lauralee Bliss: The Love Finds You... series must be a success, or else the publishers wouldn't keep releasing one locale-themed romance after another. Though this one isn't the best of the series, it was still enjoyable, especially for fans of mail-order bride stories such as Sarah, Plain and Tall. If you're new to LFY, though, I would suggest reading the ones by Janice Hanna first, which are the best ones I've read so far. Score: 3.25/5
	Stephanie (Daughters of Courage, No. 3) by Donna Fletcher Crow: The finale of the Daughters of Courage trilogy, Stephanie is easily the best one.  The writing and story are much improved over the first two, and I found it much more involving and easier to follow.  It was definitely worth investing my time in the series to reach this conclusion.  I would say that the ending leaves room for a fourth novel, but, if you do the math, Mrs. Crow would have had to have Stephanie's daughter living in the future to keep the time frame consistent. Score: 4/5
	Fantastic Four: Come Out and Fight Like a (Molecule) Man!: Like an episode of an Saturday morning cartoon, Come Out and Fight Like a (Molecule) Man! is a quick, kid-friendly superhero tale with plenty of action and a smattering of humor, though it lacks the profanity and sexual content that plagued the two Fantastic Four live-action movies. Comic book fans, whether young or young at heart, will no doubt enjoy it, though its mere twenty-four pages make it not worth the purchase for anyone other than collectors. Score: 3/5
	The Hunting of the Last Dragon by Sherryl Jordan: Though the story of this book was decent, the style was awkward, and I really didn't care for the way that God's name was misused throughout. Fans of dragon lore should stick to the writings of Anne McCaffrey, Donita K. Paul, and/or Bryan Davis instead of reading this mess. Score: 1.75/5
	Nightshade (Discarded Heroes, No. 1) by Ronie Kendig: Both a piece of military fiction and a tale of a marriage gone south, Nightshade dishes up plenty of drama, action, and intensity.  I did find it to be a bit harder-edged than Christian fiction usually is; some of the violence bordered on extreme, and the usage of the term "bull" in a profane way was slightly bothersome.  Still, those who are looking for great Christian military fiction will find it here. Score: 4/5
	The Chance by Karen Kingsbury: It's been a while since I've read anything by the queen of Christian fiction, but this book made me realize that I need to get back to reading Karen Kingsbury.  An involving story, great characters, excellent writing...it's exactly what fans of hers--such as myself--have come to expect. I must note this: The themes--womanizing, extramarital pregnancy, etc.--are not for children, even though they are vilified like the sins they are. Score: 4.5/5
	The Zucchini Warriors (Bruno and Boots, No. 5) by Gordon Korman: Gordon Korman was my favorite author as a kid, even more so than Roald Dahl and Judy Blume, though I did enjoy their works, too.  Though I never have been a sports fan, I read The Zucchini Warriors in fifth grade, and liked it.  However, reading it now made it feel slightly lackluster.  It does combine elements of a Disney Channel Original Movie and a Nickelodeon sitcom, and deserves praise for that...but it still feels a little generic.  Nonetheless, fans of kiddie literature, no matter their age, could do much worse. Score: 3/5
	Freeze-Frame (Spy Kids Adventures, No. 8) by Elizabeth Lenhard: If Hollywood had decided to make a Saturday morning show or Disney Channel serial based on the Spy Kids movies, the episodes would likely be in the style of Freeze-Frame. Exciting and full of action, it is also forgettable and mindless. Young fans of the movie will surely enjoy this, but even older Spy Kids lovers who watch shows such as Kickin' It, VICTORiOUS, or Austin and Ally will likely find it to be fun reading. Score: 3/5
	Good-Bye, Dressel Hills (Holly's Heart, No. 7) by Beverly Lewis: When Holly's uncle/stepfather announces that their family will have to move to Denver because of his job, she is devastated. All her friends are in Dressel Hills! Will she have to leave Andie, Paula, Jared, and all her other lifelong friends? Though Holly-Heart's grief is understandable--sometimes even adults don't like being forced to move!--I felt that the ending was a bit too neat and realistic.  Still, this is better than the last book in the series; hopefully, it'll get back to what it once was before it ends. Score: 3.5/5
	Straight-A Teacher (Holly's Heart, No. 8) by Beverly Lewis: When Holly-Heart falls in love with a new student teacher at her school, he seems to have fallen for her, too.  Will love blossom between the two of them? Like an episode of Lizzie McGuire, Holly's eighth literary outing deals with teenage crushes in a humorous and moral fashion.  This is the best one in the series in a while. Score: 4/5
	The Thorn (The Rose Trilogy, No. 1) by Beverly Lewis: Yet another Amish book by Beverly Lewis, this one depicts a culture clash in 1985.  After a Amish girl marries an outsider, her parents are shocked to discover what her daughter--that is, their granddaughter--is exposed to.  The Amish girl wants to come back to her native soil...but will she be accepted again? If you've read any of Beverly Lewis' Amish books, you know what to expect, and that's what you'll get from this book. Score: 4/5
	The Judgment (The Rose Trilogy, No. 2) by Beverly Lewis: The story in this one is a little bit better than usual, but everything else is just more of the same, though that isn't a bad thing.  I'm curious to see how Ms. Lewis will wrap the series up in the series' finale.  As I said in the above review: "If you've read any of Beverly Lewis' Amish books, you know what to expect, and that's what you'll get from this book." Score: 4.25/5
	The Mercy (The Rose Trilogy, No. 3) by Beverly Lewis: A fitting conclusion to The Rose series, this one has yet another engrossing story of two different worlds colliding.  Discussing the events of the book would give away the plot, so I won't do that; I will say that this book proves why Beverly Lewis is considered the queen of Amish fiction.  Anyone who has read other Amish books should definitely check out this trilogy, though I would suggest starting with the beginning. Score: 4.25/5
	Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo: Though this book has an intense, gripping story, and tight writing, the violence is a bit over the top.  It definitely isn't for kids, and even some teens and young adults might be shocked at the amount of blood and gore; I know I was.  If you're not too squeamish, though, this might prove to be a good read. Score: 3/5
	Powers that Be (Petaybee, No. 1) by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough: Anne McCaffrey may be one of the best-known names in science fiction literature, but this book was merely mediocre. The plot was okay, but it wasn't as engrossing as it could have been, and the writing felt lackluster. If you're new to this author, I would suggest reading The Dragonriders of Pern first, though veteran McCaffrey fans might enjoy this to a degree. Score: 2.75/5
	Heroes Proved by Oliver North: History isn't and never has been my strong suit, so the controversy surrounding war veteran/Fox News correspondent Oliver North is all Greek to me. What I do know is that he and Joe Musser have cranked out some rollicking good military espionage novels in the past. Though Heroes Proved isn't terrible, it is easily the worst of the four. A low amount of action, some usage of profanity, awkward writing--seriously; refraining from mentioning Madame President's name like she is Lord Voldemort?--and a plot that is merely mediocre makes this pale in comparsion to the earlier Oliver North works. Those who have enjoyed Mr. North's writings up to this point should think twice before purchasing Heroes Proved. Score: 2.75/5
	DragonQuest by Donita K. Paul: The second in Ms. Paul's Dragon allegory series, this has everything that made the first one in the series great.  Anyone who enjoyed DragonSpell should definitely read this one.  The story, the writing, the fantastical world...what's not to like? Score: 4/5
	The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch: Mr. Randy Pausch's Last Lecture gained quite a bit of media attention, but, in my opinion, this book didn't seem to live up to the hype. Though the authors' intentions are good, the first part reads like a biopic DVD set on shuffle and fast forward. The last half has some great suggestions for life, but it still bounces from topic to topic too quickly. I'm sure millions of people will continue to read this, no matter what me and other reviewers might say, but I have a feeling right many of them will end up disappointed. Score: 2.25/5
	Jedi Trial (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) by David Sherman and Dan Cragg: Many Star Wars Expanded Universe novels are loved by legions of fans, such as Timothy Zahn's Thrawn books.  Others are almost unanimously despised, such as The Crystal Star by Vonda M. McIntyre.  Jedi Trial is right in the middle; not amazing, but not terrible either.  I wouldn't suggest it for anyone who is new to Star Wars books, but those who are veteran SW readers might mildly enjoy it. Score: 3/5
	The Gospels Come to Life, narrated by Michael W. Smith: Since audiobooks and printed books are usually lumped together as one, I figured this was the best place to post this review.  I hate to sound harsh, but this is easily the worst audio Bible I have ever heard.  Michael W. Smith's narration is passable--though nothing special--but the music overpowers it so much that it makes the words hard to hear, which defeats the purpose of having a Bible for listening.  If you're looking for God's Word on CD, I would suggest The Bible Experience, Zondervan's Audio NIV, or anything put out by The Word of Promise.  All it took me was three chapters, and I deleted the entire thing from my hard drive. Score: 1.5/5
	Waking Hours (East Salem, No. 1) by Lis Wiehl with Pete Nelson: A well-written, involving novel that is betrayed by its cover image.  Longtime readers of Christian fiction would likely expect this to be in the vein of Frank Peretti's Darkness books, but Ms. Wiehl's book, though all about murder and criminal activity, never describes any demons or angels fighting.  It's still a good read anyway, but these two are no Frank Peretti. Score: 3.5/5
	Darkness Rising (East Salem, No. 2) by Lis Wiehl and Pete Nelson: I'm glad I stuck with the series; this is what I expect from a novel of spiritual warfare.  A chilling tale of angels versus demons with humans caught in the crossfire.  Excellently written, enthralling, gripping...what's not to like? The cliffhanger, Empire Strikes Back-style ending, though, will leave you panting for the next one. Score: 4.5/5
	Specter of the Past (Star Wars: Hand of Thrawn, No. 1) by Timothy Zahn: Timothy Zahn may have been the one that kicked Star Wars literature into high gear with the original Thrawn trilogy, but his writing style has always left something to be desired, in my opinion.  The story itself is as involving as the movies, and has a great cliffhanger ending; still, some folks may not find it worth trudging through Mr. Zahn's awkward prose to do it. Score: 3.75/5