BOOK REVIEW: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

 

Newberry's winner, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon," is an adventure story about a young girl, Minli, who leaves home to change her family's fortune. They live in a poor village at the base of a barren mountain and work hard for little reward. I love how kind and selfless she is as she meets a dragon and other children/villages along the way on her quest to find the Old Man of the Moon, who she hopes will change her and her friend Dragon's stories. In the end, she can only ask one question and, through her selflessness, ends up bringing good fortune to both. There are breakout stories, which sort of disrupt the flow, and the writing feels very distant (if that makes sense). However, there are a lot of great lessons about bravery, selflessness, gratitude, and even trusting in your children to carve their own story and not being too controlling of them. Pretty good. VERY clean. Rated G and 4.2 stars.

BOOK REVIEW: Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring

BOOK REVIEW: Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring

Bitter Blessings is gripping from the start. Not only was it well-written, the story was unpredictable. Megan, the protagonist, finds out that her mother was killed in a car accident on the way home from work. A heavy blow, especially after losing their father years before. You feel the grueling process that she, her two sisters, and grandmother must go through after the passing of a loved one. They receive a lot of support from Megan's best friend, Paul's family and their friendly next-door neighbors.

Megan, being the oldest and the sole car owner in the family, must find a job while trying to figure out why her mother's social security number has been flagged. Through this, Megan discovers that she and her family had been living a lie. Through the bitterest of trials, she makes drastic life changes and encounters a multitude of blessings.

Though I expected a little more action, the book was full of realistic characters you grow to love or hate and realistic situations. I even teared up at parts. The story is gripping with unexpected twists, demonstrating God's power to change our hearts and guide us in trial. A nice, short read at 183 pages, especially for the Christian community or anyone who enjoys a good tear-jerking drama. PG-13 for a more mature theme, though it's pleasantly clean. Overall I give the book 4.2 stars. Way to go, Christine Mehring!

HERE IS A LINK to purchase this book off of Amazon.com.