GUEST POST BY CAROL A. BROWN: Review of Seventh Dimension Mini Box Series, Books One, Two, and Three

Carol A. Brown

5.0 out of 5 starsConfronting Life's Issues, through the eyes of youth

October 26, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

Gripping. This set is filled with action and drama. It is historical fiction, sci-fi fantasy, and time travel all in one! I really enjoyed it and appreciated the Christian worldview. This whole series has nearly nonstop action throughout! The Door starts out in Shale’s modern-day Florida, but quickly shifts to the 7th Dimension. The King and The Castle take place in and around the city of Jerusalem relative to the crucifixion of Jesus. Shale quickly becomes a believer in Yeshua as Messiah, but Daniel struggles with all the issues present-day secular Jews struggle with. He sees the events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection with his own eyes and puts them alongside what he knows from his Hebrew studies, his family and friends from modern times, his own reading of the Bible; it creates a unique dilemma of faith. He learns forgiveness firsthand and is almost immediately tested. Woven through the story is the thread of a repeated dream or vision of his father who disappeared. Finding him becomes Daniel’s quest.

Characters & Setting: Characters were well developed. In addition to Shale and Daniel, you meet Romans, Arabs, lepers, religious leaders, a compassionate doctor, and ordinary everyday people trying to survive and make a living. You will meet strange spiritual beings, talking animals and see it all through the eyes of Shale, a run-away teen, feeling abandoned and isolated, and Daniel, a modern, secular Jewish pre-med student who along with Shale, was transported into the times of Christ—a time before modern technology. It portrays the struggles secular Jews have with believing that Jesus could ever be the long-awaited Messiah.

Themes teens relate to:
• unfairness
• injustice
• not listening and/or not taking people seriously
• the struggle to believe when your culture and training have taught you not to

Writing Craft: Vivid imagery in her writing creates mental images that stay with the reader. She did an excellent job incorporating the teachings of Jesus into the resolution of Shale’s problems. Well plotted!

Recommendations: This is a set that I could recommend to teens interested in fantasy, who are dealing with similar issues as those Shale encountered, or faith issues such as Daniel faced. I would recommend it to anyone struggling with intellectual issues with Jesus or persons who struggle against the pull of their culture. I would also recommend it to adults/parents of troubled teens to help give them an understanding from a teen perspective.

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Reviews help authors a lot. If you are interested in reading and reviewing, let me know by leaving a comment. You can check out the Seventh Dimension Mini Box Series on Amazon by clicking here.

LORILYN ROBERTS BOOK REVIEW: Excerpt from "Spiralling out of Control" by Michelle Dennis Evans

Temptation, depression, seduction, betrayal ... Not what Stephanie was expecting at fifteen years of age. Uprooted from her happy, all-girl high school life with a dream-filled future and thrown into an unfriendly co-ed school, Stephanie spirals into depression. 

When charismatic high school senior, Jason notices her, Stephanie jumps in feet first and willingly puts all her faith and trust in him, a boy she barely knows. 

Every choice she makes and turn she takes leads her toward a dangerous path.

Her best friend is never far away and ready to catch her … but will she push Tabbie too far away when she needs her most? 

This novel contains adult themes.

Recommended reading audiences 17+ 

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BOOK REVIEW OF SPIRALLING OUT OF CONTROL BY LORILYN ROBERTS

Spiralling Out of Control is well-written, realistic, and scary. As the mother of a 15-year-old daughter, I would not want my daughter to read this book, however. While rated by the author for 15 and up, I would go with 17 and up. The content is for mature teens only. Sex, booze, drugs, rape, overdose, pimps, and illegal activity are dominant themes, with hints of Christian spirituality. As a Christian, I also struggled with the fact that there wasn't the redemption that I hoped for at the end -- but I suppose, when teens go so far down this path of destruction, they may not be able to be saved, though I know that you are never out of the reach of Jesus Christ.

If I had a teen who I felt like I was on the brink of losing, this would be a book I would recommend, Christian or non-Christian. I personally don't like dark books, but if I were to recommend one, this would be it. I hope in the sequel that the author will work on the redemption for which the spiritual part of me longed. I would strongly recommend that a parent read this book first before recommending to his or her son or daughter. I believe the content can serve as a good starting point for a troubled teen that needs counseling and direction spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. 

This book also reminded me of the need to be involved in my daughters’ lives, praying for them and being there for them. Spiralling Out of Control may serve as a wake-up call -- our kids need parents who love and care -- all the time, day and night, when it's convenient and when it's not! We need to be available to meet their needs, even when they think they don't need us.

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SHORT EXCERPT FROM SPIRALLING OUT OF CONTROL 

BY MICHELLE DENNIS EVANS

Excerpt - Chapter 2 part b

“Stephanie,” April called.

“Go away,” she mumbled from under the pillow.

“Steph!” April flung the bedroom door open. “Steph, I’m practicing a new routine, come watch.”

Stephanie pulled a tissue from the box to wipe her face. She grabbed a handful more and dragged her feet along the short hallway and halfway down the stairs. Slumping over her knees, she hugged an arm through the vertical posts to watch her sister flipping and cartwheeling around the empty lounge room. Stephanie glanced at her mother standing in the kitchen doorway and clenched her teeth. April. Always the favourite! 

“Gymnastics display finished.” April took a bow. “Your turn.”

“Where’s Dad?”

“Oh, he just had to pop into the office for a bit to sort things out there.” Her mother shook her head.

Would they really see more of him now that his office was so close?

April stood at the base of the stairs. “Come on Steph. Dance.”

Stephanie refused, denying herself the chance to dance, and ran back upstairs. She swallowed. Her stomach churned.

“Don’t you want to dance?” her mother called after her.

Of course, I want to dance, but you can’t seem to find the money.

Stephanie closed her bedroom door and leaned against it. She cried until she’d saturated all the tissues in her hand. Flinging her wardrobe open, she dug out any dancing gear she could find and threw it all into the bin. Done. Over. Gone. Season of life finished.

Her mother’s words still stung. ‘We might have to check the cost.’ Gah! It seemed the star gymnast’s fees came first.

She needed to hide. From the world. From her parents. From her sister. Climbing into bed she pulled the covers over her head. She drifted between awake and asleep until she startled awake. Light shone through her doorway. Musk, the scent of her mother, tickled her nose. Her body stiffened as she closed her eyes—the last thing she wanted was a conversation with her mother.

“Lord, watch over her as she sleeps,” Diane whispered.

Stephanie held her breath until her mother padded out of the room and clicked the door closed. She cried until her tears stopped flowing, then she took a breath and tears rolled again until she slept.

Michelle Dennis Evans writes picture books, chapter books, young adult contemporary novels and enjoys dabbling in free verse poetry. Her debut novel Spiralling Out of Control and poetry collection Life Inspired both reached #1 in subcategories on Amazon in their first week of release. Michelle is passionate about seeing people grow and move forward in their journey. She lives on the Gold Coast with her husband and four super active, super fun and super time consuming children. Find Michelle and all of her social media links at MichelleDennisEvans.com 

GUEST POST BY AUTHOR CAROL A. BROWN: Book Review of Seventh Dimension - The Door

Shale Snyder is smart, determined, impatient--and a troubled teen. Abandoned by her father, misunderstood by her mother, step-father and school authorities; accused of cheating, isolated from her best friend, and bullied by other students? It is a crazy, difficult world she lives in--hard to know what to do, when to fight and when to walk away. Comfort comes in unique ways. The school counselor says she is gifted and an apparently homeless dog adopts her. When Shale runs away from home with her broken birthday gift (yet again) it is understandable.

In her flight, a weak ankle gives way; her head hits a rock and so begins the inner journey that changes everything for Shale. While unconscious she enters a dimensional door that leads her further and further into another time and place. She is chased from an idyllic garden through a second door to enter the time Jesus walked this earth and taught. 

She comes face to face with the enemy of her soul and eventually defeats him. She briefly meets her long-absent father and wicked stepmother. She hears a wonderful teacher, discovers He is THE KING and then meets Him and is changed by Him. She brings her half-brother to Him for healing and during this time in this dimension finds the love of her life. Oh, yeah, she also talks with animals during all these events! There is plenty of drama; in fact, it seemed almost non-stop!

Arriving back in her own time and dimension, she finds people have changed. It is almost as if changes in the spiritual dimension have an effect on people in the natural dimension.

The issues of unfairness, injustice, not listening, and not taking people seriously were strong themes throughout; themes that many teens relate to. I felt that Roberts did an excellent job of incorporating the teachings of Jesus into the resolution of Shale's problems. Her characters were well developed. Some characters I loved right away and others I disliked immediately. Some grew on me slowly--I think young people would relate well to both the characters and the issues. There is a final warm fuzzy but I don't want to spoil it for you!

This is a book that I could recommend to teens interested in fantasy or who are dealing with similar issues as those Shale encountered. I would also recommend it to adults/parents of troubled teens to help give them an understanding from a teen perspective.