Reviews

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Unleashed) through Raincoast Books.

Jinxed, which I have not read and now wish to, is the prequel to Unleashed by Amy McCulloch. Imagine a world where humans and machinery/technology are linked together.  Baku come in different levels with a variety of capabilities to be used for good.  The question is… what happens if someone programs them for personal gain?  Therein lies the story behind Unleashed.  Can Jinx (the baku) along with his human friends keep people safe? 

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Unleashed is the second in a series by Amy McCulloch.  Produced by Sourcebooks, This non-fiction read runs at 352 page and is written for youth 8-12 years of age.  It’s a good introduction in to the world of science fiction, and who couldn’t love a book where one of the main characters is a cat!  In this world humans are paired with “baku”―a customizable “pet” with all the capabilities of a smartphone.  These Baku are available ability levels 1-4. 

I am reviewing Unleashed on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

Before I get too far into this review can I talk about the cover?  Wow… draw a person in!  As soon as I saw the cover I was intrigued!  I just love the colours used and the implication of action.  My curiosity was piqued by the animals (that didn’t look quite right) running alongside the youth.  

Digging into Unleashed

Amy McCulloch brings her characters to life with keen descriptions and real-life dialogue.  Quick-pacing draws you into the story wanting to know just what will happen next.  The only slow-feeling bits are when she’s worried over her mom, and I would expect that section to feel slower, out of concern you know? 

This hardcover novel is easy to hold in your hands with a font size that is comfortable for reading. I appreciated the font type difference between internal thoughts, baku thoughts, and the rest of the book.  Helped with keeping everything straight. 

The artwork within is very simple. Each of the 43 chapters starts with this logo.  The five sections are simply labeled with an overall theme. 

Should you get Unleashed?

If your teens have a fondness for science fiction or are just branching out in this genre, Unleashed is a well-written tome.  With a visually compelling cover, well-developed characters, and a storyline that makes sense you’ll find it a good read (or at least your middle-schoolers should!)  Mind, you might want to read Jinxed first! It will fill in some of the gaps that I felt while reading. 

The themes about using technology to force an ideology could make for an interesting discussion.  Was Eric wrong in what he wanted for people and his method wrong?  Or was his ideology just plain wrong?   Only you can truly decide that based on your paradigm of thinking.  Thought-compelling to consider both the positive and negative implications of having a talking, interactive, cellphone smart pet at your beck and call.   But overall, a good read. 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

John Riley has put together a short book focusing on seeing God throughout history and answering questions about creation vs evolution.  Part story, part scholastic treaty, John Riley’s goal is to help us see God more clearly throughout history and see him as the God of Truth.  Pursued to Eternity shows us God’s pursuit of his people. 

Who is John Riley?

John Riley has a master of science degree and used it in his work as an engineer.   During his retirement he, along with his wife Nancy, took to educating students in physics, robotics and SAT prep.  They wrote a creation vs evolution class which you can find on SchoolhouseTeachers.com entitled: Apologetics: Creation vs. Evolution.  This course is 14 lessons long and helps students ask better questions about evolution. 

About the Product Pursued to Eternity

You’ll find Pursued to Eternity at Covenant Books.  A 154 page with 17 chapters.  The chapters are not long and are a mix between theological treatise and stories.  The stories read as if they really happened and I admittedly am not sure if they did or did not.   I found that aspect a bit confusing to be honest. 

What you’ll find

John Riley walks his readers through the story of the bible.  He does this in two ways.  He takes scripture and combines it with history to give us a specifically broad understanding of God and his action throughout history.  His focus is often on archaeological finds and answering questions raised.

As you open the book you’ll see this 

“Note: this is a short novel with fictional events, such as hunting for dinosaurs …. Also blended into the book are nonfictional challenges to evolution and an extensive survey of apologetics (evidence that supports the Bible).   

Later in the introduction, we find Connor saying these words “this book was written to chronicle the amazing six-month odyssey I experienced with my brother“.

I got confused

As I look back as to what caused my confusion and therefore set me up to having a problem sifting through fact and fiction was in the Introduction we are introduced to the narrator, Connor Bridges and his brother Alan.   This I’m given the impression that Connor is a real person and that these events truly happened, but by the end of the book I was wondering if I was fooled.  If this truly was a chronology or just a story.  Did the events that happened during those six months truly occur or were they just a made-up part of the story? Though I have to admit there were parts that piqued my interest since I had a hard time discerning the “story” from “fact” it left me feeling skeptical. 

BUT on to what you’ll find in Pursued to Eternity.

You will find apologetics mixed with fiction to help bring those apologetics to life and show God in action. They are mostly text with scripture verses all in a row. More at the beginning of John Riley’s book than at the end. Made for me, a slower start to the read. The stories get more compelling as you get deeper into the work.

The artwork!  I know, I know, artwork does not make or break a book for me.  But I liked it.  The variety used when introducing each chapter and how it fit the theme.  Well done!

You will find 17 chapters that lead us throughout history from creation through to looking forward to eternity.  Much time was spent on the Exodus period.   Interjected between God moving through history you’ll find stories about hunting dinosaurs, slavery and refugees with life in Egypt, anecdotes about people in history (such as John Newton), and the lives of Connor and Alan.   You will also discover a list of 68 questions to consider in the evolution-creation debate that is on-going today. 

How I used it

I read Pursued to Eternity.  Front to back, over a period of about two weeks.  I could have read it faster as at 151 pages it is by no means a long book.  Some books though require a slower and more careful reading.   This is one of them.  

It is a softcover which meant having to take more care as it’s SO easy to roll the covers of trade paperbacks!  🙂    Now sometimes it doesn’t matter right?  It just shows if a book is well-loved or not, but other times it does.  I am hoping to have my lad read it at some point as it might help him think a bit more?  That would be a good thing I think.   So the fact that it’s a shorter book with a thin cover means it will be easy for him to tuck it in with his other books. 

I really liked that list of 68 questions to ask.  They have allowed me to questions of my lad for him to ponder.   Like… who cared for the first human child?  What created the energy needed for the big bang to occur?  How much guesswork is there in determining evolution?  How do you explain some of the statements Darwin made?  Can you explain how evolution does or does not promote racism and exclusion?  

Should you get Pursued to Eternity?

A bit of a mixed opinion.   Honestly, It was interesting, I think my hesitation is the confusion I felt at the end of it.   The apologetic sections I found rather dry.   I would have loved to have seen that section worded differently rather than appearing as a list.   I understand why he did that way as it helps the biblical text to stand alone.  It also makes it very apparent and not confused with the interjected stories.  

The stories were fictional, and as I read I wondered what was the basis for them, and discovered that as I read through the story of Connor and Alan.  It did make for interesting reading and gave me a back story I had considered before with some of the biblical accounts.  

The addition of the creation-evolution debate

I found the evolution aspect unexpected in regards to the title.  I expected a book more about how God’s been active through history, this is how we see him in the bible, and this is how we see him acting in the lives of people.   The evolution/creation discussion provided talking points with my son.  He hasn’t made up his mind yet about evolution and its truth or lack thereof so this gives him additional points to consider.  

So my review is mixed.  There is much to recommend as we are shown God in history.  And that is a valuable thing to have laid out before a person.  The evolution/creation aspect provides good talking points, and things to consider when entering debates, or seeking to offer questions for teens to consider.  I found the execution didn’t feel comfortable for me and so I personally struggled with reading it. 

Read the Reviews

25 members of the crew engaged in this review.  I urge to you to check out their reviews by clicking the image below.