blessingo's reviews
32 reviews

The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman

challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

No matter what Mama said or did, she wouldn't back down and she wouldn't change her mind... Maybe she'd be happy and learn to do for herself. She'd never know unless she tried.

So ends Delia Sherman's The Freedom Maze. This book was the same type of rollicking adventure that pro agonist Sophie Fairchild craves so much in the books she loves to read. 

This book was a tale of Sophie's self-discoveru after she gets transported to her family's Oak Cottage a hundred years in the past—1860. Here, she can be whupped, her great-great-grandmother is her slave master, sugar is selling, and Sophie is mistaken for a slave because of the deep tan she's accrued after vacationing (or being held hostage) in her Aunt Enid's home that her mother's dropped her off at for the summer.

On her family's few-hundred acres, she meets people like Africa, Oak Cottage's chief chef, Canada, Africa's daughter (or "Canny" as she's affectionately called by the other slaves), and Antigua, Africa's other prickly, sarcastic daughter who Sophie doesn't like the first day she meets her.

How will Sophie fare as a slave? Will she seek freedom? Or die in the process?

I liked this book for the self-development of Sophie. She turned from a precocious, privileged white girl who was afraid of her mother to someone who candidly understood the struggles of being black and how to stand up for herself and underprivileged people that she saw. 

This book ha  some slight magical realism in it which prevented me from liking it as much. But seeing how the story is set near New Orleans, a place famous for its voodoo and juju, it makes sense. I also don't personally like fantasy as much, but I'm happy to finish this story.

A good read if you're looking for a middle-grade story dealing with some tough subjects. Also, there are "n-word" bombs in reference to slaves in this story; among other derogatory terms. I would say this book would be best for ages 12 and up. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing

Agents of Babylon: What the Prophecies of Daniel Tell Us about the End of Days by David Jeremiah

informative medium-paced

Very encompassing and detailed analysis of the book of Daniel.

The Cross and the Switchblade by Elizabeth Sherrill, John Sherrill, David Wilkerson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.

I paused this to finish David Jeremiah's "Agents of Babylon" for, like, the third time. 

The Story Jar by Robin Lee Hatcher, Deborah Bedford
Did not finish book.

I just wasn't totally into it -- was distracted. Seems like an interesting book, however, but maybe for another time. 

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.

Wasn't invested... Made me feel very convicted of sin, however. I'll definitely be reading it online, though, to finish it. 

Second Chance: The Search For Truth by Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye
Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.

i had to return it back to the library because it was overdue. it was great so far.

The Vanishings by Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A page-turning thriller about kids caught in the harrowing throes of Christ's rapture. It was interesting, and whenever I found myself drifting away from it when I thought of the book's premise I grabbed it and started flipping through. We meet Vicki, the rebel in a trailer park who smokes and drinks to escape her family's sudden Christianity, Lionel, the skeptic with a quite un-Christian uncle in a house full of them, and Judd, the disobedient kid who flees from his parents in pursuit of wide-eyed freedom, and Ryan, the little kid with a Christian friend who has no clue what's going on. I'm excited to read the next books from here on out! So glad to find a book that can point me to Christ whilst reading it.

Sway With Me by Syed M. Masood
Did not finish book. Stopped at 62%.

Read something that made me doubt God and stopped reading it.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.

Was reading this book off-and-on for a couple of weeks. I stopped reading this because as a Christian, personally, there were some things I didn't agree with. 

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.

This honestly got too tedious. I regret it though - I hate not finishing books.