"Dawn Chandler" by Eliza Noel

About this book:

  “Dawn Chandler likes the way her life is— or was. She liked going to the mall with her best friend, excelling at middle school, and attending church with her family. Typical life for a twelve-year-old in the city of Fresno.
   When Dawn’s parents announced they were going to homeschool her, on her birthday no less, she felt like her world was falling apart. Normal kids are supposed to go to school, not read books at home. To make matters worse, they may be leaving the only home she’s ever known. 
   What are her parents thinking?
   Before making the final moving decision, the Chandler family visits Lone Pine, a small town between Mt. Whitney and Death Valley. While there, Dawn and her siblings become acquainted with their eccentric great uncle, explore the new area, and meet a large homeschooling family. All of this makes the 'vacation' more bearable. Still, Dawn isn't sure if she can make the move and leave everything she’s familiar with behind.
   Can Dawn learn the values of faith, family, and contentment?”


Series: Book #1 in the “Dawn Chandler” series. 


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are read & discussed (most in a sermon); Prayers & Blessings over food; Church going & a sermon about contentment (which Dawn makes notes on); Dawn’s parents decided to homeschool their kids after praying about it and due to “recent things at school that as Christians we can’t morally agree with”; *Spoilers* Towards the end, after a sermon, Dawn has a “heart check” and tries to be more content; At the end, Dawn realizes that God used coming to the new town for good and is happy *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, sermons, worshiping, & worship songs; Mentions of Christian bands/singers (Citizens of Glory, Skillet, Royal Tailor, & Branan Murphy); A few mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A couple mentions of blessings; A mention of being Christians; A mention of Heaven; 
             *Note: Dawn wonders if the new town is working a “spell” or using its “magic charms” on her because she’s not as miserable as she thought she would be; A mention of ghosts (teasing); A mention of Santa Claus; A mention of cave girls.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’; Eye rolling, sarcasm, & sibling teasing (nearly all eye rolling and sarcasm are done in a teasing/non-mean spirited way); A field trip to a concentration camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II (Dawn finds it sad and creepy, barely-above-not-detailed); 
Dawn is sad to leave her hometown and friends & is upset at the situation but thinks that her parents know what’s best for her…“probably” (she goes back and forth thinking that it will be awful and it being a new adventure; She does voice an attitude and shows a bit of defiance a few times, which her parents comment on her to change it; *Spoilers* Towards the end, Dawn feels bad for being rude to her parents and apologizes to them; Shortly after, she gets in a bad mood again (causing her little sister to cry) and her mother and her have to have a discussion *End of Spoilers*); Dawn gets in a bad mood (attitude and disrespectful) & her mother and her have a talk; Dawn isn’t sure about being homeschooled because school has practically been her whole world; Dawn and her best friend’s relationship gets a bit rocky throughout the book because of making new friends and being in different places (*Spoiler* It causes Dawn to wonder if they even had a real friendship; Dawn goes to her house to talk and the friend apologizes for how she’s been acting *End of Spoiler*); A girl comments to Dawn about her being stuck up and snobby since Dawn is from the big city (which Dawn showed none of this towards her and Moriah says that the girl is going through a lot and is “upset with the world right now”); A few jabs/mean comments from a bully (which Dawn says one back and feels guilt over it; nothing is resolved about that, hinting that it might be discussed the next book in the series); Mentions of someone falling off a roof & the injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a concentration camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II; A few mentions of injuries from mountain biking accidents (including paralyzing someone); A few mentions of bullies & bullies; A couple mentions of the Civil War (referring to an outfit from that time period); A couple mentions of bullets & shooting; A couple mentions of jail; A mention of crimes; A mention of robbers; A mention of stealing; A mention of jealousy; A mention of gossip; A mention of a someone looking like a dying dog when trying to dance; A mention of animal poop; 
             *Note: When an older teen teases Dawn and makes comments against her hometown, she wants to slap him (but does not); Mentions of stereotypes of those who live in the country and homeschoolers & Dawn being shocked by the lack of accuracy; Mentions of books, fictional characters, & quotes from them (Anne of Green Gables & Nancy Drew); Mentions of movies & TV shows (Princess Diaries, Gladiator (which isn’t allowed to be watched), Sound of Music, Snowball Express, & America’s Funniest Videos); A few mentions of restaurants & fast food chains (Red Robin, Olive Garden, & McDonald’s); A few mentions of brand names (Uggs & Nike); A mention of Disney (referring to an old movie); A mention of social media (YouTube); A mention of a girl in black sitting by herself (which Dawn is shocked to see emo kids in the new town); A mention of zombies. 
 
 
Sexual Content- Dawn notices a handsome/cute older boy a few of times (including his kind attitude to others; her brother teases her about him once later); A few mentions of a handsome/cute boy & that Dawn and her friend would be giggling about him if together.
 
-Dawn Chandler, age 12
                                P.O.V. of Dawn (Prologue in Moriah’s)
                                                        167 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was such a cute large family and homeschool family representation! 

I was a little concerned that Dawn would be a stinker or rude because of the impression of her not wanting to move or be homeschooled, but while she was sad and upset, she was mostly respectful and only had an attitude a handful of times (which her parents commented on and was always corrected and/or discussed), which I appreciated. It was realistic and also had the proper lessons with parental guidance and correction. 

 

One minor comment I would note would be the statement about someone’s dancing looking like a “dying dog” which might upset some sensitive dog/animal lovers.

 

I don’t have too much to say about this middle-grade books besides that I really enjoyed it, the lessons, and could see many pre-teen/tween girls enjoying it as well!

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.

"Tracking a Killer" by Elizabeth Goddard

About this book:

  “Can an officer and her furry partner survive a killer and the wilderness?
   When Rocky Mountain K-9 officer Harlow Zane and her cadaver dog, Nell, join the search for a serial killer, the last thing she expects is that she’ll draw the killer’s obsessive attention. But her former academy rival, FBI Special Agent Wes Grey, notices she matches the victim profile. After another look-alike goes missing, they must work together to catch the criminal…before Harlow’s the next to disappear.”


Series: Part of the “Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit” mini-series under the “Love Inspired Suspense” line. It does mentions characters and events from other books in the series. 


Spiritual Content- 1 Peter 4:8 at the beginning (& mentioned in the author’s note at the end); Another Scripture is mentioned (about vengeance not being ours); Thanking God; Many prayers (the majority of the prayers are asking God for something or for Him to please do something); Harlow prays once to get past her resentment and anger towards Wes; Wes comments on sin and murder being the first crime against humanity; Mentions of God & prayers; A few mentions of God’s creation; A couple mentions of Christians & talking about one’s faith (Wes does this one Harlow finds it a nice surprise); A mention of a Bible.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘idiot’s and three ‘stupid’s; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Being attacked, Being hit with a shovel, Being drugged, Being held at knife-point, Being tied-up, nearly abducted, fighting back (self-defense), passing out, & PTSD from it when recalling those events (up to semi-detailed); Gunfire, Attacks, & shooting to kill someone and being successful (up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone being attacked & nearly abducted (twice, up to semi-detailed); Finding someone attacked (believed to dead and the person who found the other is distraught before realizing that the person is still breathing, up to semi-detailed); Murdered bodies are found (including recalling finding a murdered child, up to semi-detailed); Harlow is attacked and nearly abducted five times & recalls it (including via a nightmare, up to semi-detailed); Harlow wants to use herself as bait for the serial killer *Spoiler* and when they do use her for bait, her beagle is shot with a dart (but is fine as the killer says he doesn’t kill dogs), she is taken by the killer while being held at knife-point and tied-up; Harlow is afraid that she might actually die, but Wes comes and saves her *End of Spoiler*; *Spoiler* At the end, Wes is drugged and abducted by the serial killer to lure Harlow out and she’s afraid Wes was killed; She finds him and thinks he’s dead until she noticed that he’s breathing; The serial killer planned to kill him for being in the way; The serial killer also says that the other women wanted him to take them, which Harlow corrects that they didn’t (he’s not mentally stable, up to semi-detailed) *End of Spoiler*; As a child, Harlow *Spoiler* found the body of a murdered little girl in a house’s walls and it terrified her (the child went missing three decades before and was assumed to be murdered by a neighbor who was “fixated” on the girl; All parties involved are dead so there was no justice for the situation happened; up to semi-detailed) *End of Spoiler*Harlow & Wes have a history together prior to the book starting & there’s mentions of when they exploded at the other (verbally); All about many mentions of a killer/serial killer, the victims, the bodies, Harlow’s cadaver detection beagle finding the remains, the “scent of death”, abductions, & how the deaths happened (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a missing/kidnapped baby, a car fire, an unconscious woman, & another woman being killed in a supposed car accident (up to semi-detailed);  
 

Mentions of crimes, crime scenes, & criminals; Mentions of gunfire, being stabbed, knives, injuries, blood/bleeding, & a break-in (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of nightmares & screams (Harlow after the attempted abductions); A few mentions of someone being stalked/watched; A few mentions of prison; A couple mentions of hostage situations; A couple mentions of vandalism; A couple mentions of alcohol & a possible alcoholic; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of someone trying to commit suicide; A mention of a possible baby smuggling ring; A mention of drugs; A mention of stuffed wildlife heads at a cabin; 
             *Note: The serial killer is called a psychopath & that his plans made “twisted sense” to him (It’s implied that the serial killer isn’t mentally stable); Mentions of Harlow going to therapy for a past event & it being required for her to go to a therapist/counseling after an event in this book (Wes thinks that he will probably go as well); Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of a mental rehab center; A couple mentions of many serial killers having “varying degrees of mental illness[es]” and are “often victims of abuse”; A couple mentions of a suspected serial killer spending his childhood going “from one foster home to another” and someone else adding that “plenty of people have those characteristics who aren’t killers, of course. They’re just struggling.”; A couple mentions of Wes’ mother having a stroke.
 
 
Sexual Content- A hand kiss, an almost kiss, a forehead kiss, two not-detailed kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Remembering kisses (semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Cuddling after a traumatizing event, Hand holding, Heat, Electricity, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Remembering touches & embraces (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring (including muscles, up to semi-detailed); Harlow & Wes used to date years before the book starts; After Harlow is attacked for the second time, Wes stays with her in her cabin to protect her (he sleeps in a chair or another bed, but at one point does try not to stare at her sleeping form and fails; Later he thinks of it as playing house; barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of dating, a breakup, & exes; Love, falling in love, being in love, & the emotions.
 
-Harlow Zane
-Wes Grey
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        217 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

As a beagle mom, I was here for the beagle and the beagle only in this story. And really, that’s truly all I liked about this book, unfortunately.  

 

Harlow wasn’t the smartest law enforcement agent I’ve read about, that’s for sure. When she pulled over to change a flat tire in a place she knows the serial killer has recently been, she let her guard down. She has a gun but didn’t have it on her, so that part was a bit ridiculous. 

 

I thought it was also ridiculous that she felt like she had to prove herself on the team when she becomes a target of the possible serial killer—twice. Girl, your own safety is important too! She’s afraid that she’ll get kicked out of the group for her own protection and prays that it’s “not fair” to God. She acted like she was a teenager at times and it was very annoying. 

 

We’re constantly being told that she’s a trained police officer and a professional and can do her job, but, honestly, we haven’t seen much of that. Honestly, it would have made more sense if she wasn’t law enforcement and just a girl from his past with her dog because she never acted professional in her reactions. 

 

This book was 70% focused on their romance and their failed relationship and history, rather than the suspense of finding a killer. The romance parts were very dramatic and was incredibly distracting for their mission. 

 

We get teased a lot with their history with being told some of the details about the fallout but not the actual details of what happened. She actually knows the exact number of days since their blow up. (Eight years, five months, and ten days, to be exact.) 

 

There was also mentions of a young child being murdered that honestly just broke my heart. While it does unfortunately happen, it’s not something I’d like to ever read about without a heads up to be able to prepare myself the best I can about such a topic. 

 

I’m really bummed that this book was such a miss for me because the beagle on the cover and in the plot. I won’t recommend it for BFCG’s ages because of their romantic attraction, lack of faith moments, & the topic of a murdered child. 

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple" by Joanna Davidson Politano

About this book:

  “Peter Driscoll, an underground investigator to the wealthy, has never met anyone like Lily Temple. The beautiful silent-film actress spins fairy tales and plays frivolous roles in front of the cine-camera, but beneath the costumes and stage makeup is a woman with a quick wit--and a murky past.
   Peter has been tasked with locating the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire, which Lily wears beneath her gown. In order to stay close to her and hopefully unravel the mystery of her story--and the sapphire--Peter employs Lily's help on a case, which leads to a useful partnership. But as they are investigating together, Peter is also investigating Lily. The closer he gets to the truth, the more danger they face. And the closer he gets to Lily, the clearer it is that he needs her even more than she needs him.”


Series: Does not seem to currently be connected to any other book. 


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Bible reading; A couple Scriptures are mentioned; Witnessing & Being witnessed to (Peter to Lily); Talks about God, restoration, trusting Him, & His stories; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Peter feels God impress upon him to do something & later impresses on him to trust Him; Lily doesn’t see that God is real after He didn’t answer her prayers (Peter says she’s missing out on the greatest narrative in history and it’s because an authority figure let her down that she’s paralleled it to God); Lily’s grandfather was a cleric & she used to attend church when it suited her, but feels no qualms about not going anymore; Someone used to tell Lily stories that could have symbolism to God (which she didn’t realize until much later); Lily tells Peter that she cannot convince herself that God is an active part in anyone’s story because “obeying [H]im, praying to [H]im…none of it seems to shift reality in any way” & says that God belongs to people like him who have an easy and straightforward life (Peter tells her to not mistake people’s betrayals for God’s); Lily had an old man in her childhood that she fashioned into a symbol of God which made her think of a deity that was kind (compared to her grandfather making her to read Proverbs and live them out) & thinks that she learned more from him than in a church (*Spoiler* When the man disappeared, Lily recalls it feeling like God also disappeared and she longs for them both again *End of Spoiler*); Lily feels like she can do a better job with her life story than God could, but Peter says that he knows that she’s looking for God despite what she says; *Spoilers* Lily feels towards the end that God is the only hope she has left & feels a “fathomless peace” after crying out to Him; Lily craves that peace she sees in others and reads the Bible *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of God, trusting Him, & His stories; Mentions of prayers, answered prayers, & praying; Mentions of those & places in the Bible; Mentions of miracles; A few mentions of spiritual food in a religious order; A couple mentions of God’s creation; A couple mentions of a priests giving last rites and hearing confessions; A mention of thanking God; A mention of a clergyman; 
             *Note: All about many mentions of the legend of a gem that has healing or magic powers (said to bring “strength and life to the person holding it”), came from the heavens, feeling like it is otherworldly, and could be cursed along with many mentions of fairytales, fairies, sprites, elves, enchantresses, and a miracle water that heals; *Spoiler* At the end, we’ve seen a few times where the gem has helped those who have it; Peter wonders if it’s true that the sapphire has a healing quality & Lily thinks it’s true that the gem has “something powerful” about it *End of Spoiler*; Lily plays a fairy in a series of films about a fairy wanting to go to another world; A short play/story about a springs’ water being healing after a tragedy; A side character is a fortune teller and for about a third of the book, Lily believes the woman to be correct with her predictions (there are a few mentions of times the fortune teller was correct and gained attention for it; Peter thinks she just listens to others and then sets it up where it looks like she’s predicting what she’s learned to someone else); Lily says that the “beauty of magic is that every trick has an explanation”; Things and places are described and magic and magical; A story about a sheep and a cauldron being married and having a child (a child says that would never happen); Mentions of people who can see the future (a fortune teller & Peter, but Peter says it’s just listening and asking the right questions for him and thinks it’s the same for the fortune teller); Mentions of ghosts (also called specters, spooks, and spirits); Mentions of a legend of a haunted cave; A few mentions of cherubs; A couple mentions of seeing someone again in another life; A couple mentions of superstitions; A mention of luck; A mention of speaking to a spirit.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘biddy’, a ‘heavens!’, a ‘how in blazes’, a ‘stupid’, a ‘sucker’, a form of ‘what in heaven’s name’, a ‘who the dickens’, a ‘witch’, two forms of ‘care a fig’, two ‘dratted’s, and two forms of ‘heaven sakes’; A mention of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Being abducted/kidnapped, Being locked up, Breaking into a place, Pain, & Injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing the grief of others & feeling it (empathy, up to semi-detailed); Saving someone from almost drowning (up to semi-detailed); Shooting birds at a hunting party (Peter, barely-above-not-detailed); Lily believes that truth can be relative and can be bent and twisted to fit one’s purposes (also could be wrapped in stories & that the truth come in layers and those layers can be manipulated; This including, that as an actress, the parts she plays were truth for a fortnight or so which has caused her to not know who she truly is because she’s become a mix of all the characters she’s played); All about many mentions of arrests, prisons, criminals, thieves, thefts, stealing, & stolen items; Mentions of wars, battles, captives, deaths, major injuries, & grief (including two women for their fiancés, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of shipwrecks, deaths, & grief (including a husband for his wife and daughter); Mentions of murders, a rumored murder, & murderers; Mentions of missing people; Mentions of a corrupt government official, him taking bribes, & being a conman; Mentions of lies, lying, manipulation, & deceit; Mentions of young women running away from home (*Spoiler* including Lily *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of step-brothers taunting and picking on their step-sister because of her burns (the child says “I don’t know why I’m even here at times” and Lily tells her a story to encourage her); Mentions of hunting, hunters, & shooting birds for sport (barely-above-not-detailed); A handful of mentions of beheadings & executions; A few mentions of the possibility of a criminal being hung; A few mentions of a film with a trick illusion about men being headless; A few mentions of threats; A few mentions of poisons; A few mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of a death in a drunken brawl; A couple mentions of the death of a mother and father (Lily, Peter); A couple mentions of alcohol; A couple mentions of eavesdropping; A couple mentions of skinning animals; A mention of the possibility of being shot; A mention of a starving child; A mention of embezzlement; A mention of nightmares; 
             *Note: Every chapter starts with a quote from a classic fairytale or author; Many mentions of fairytales, books, authors, & fictional characters (including the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Thomas Hardy, J.M. Barrie, Charles Perrault, George MacDonald, & Carlo Collodi); Lily comments on it sometimes feeling like it doesn’t pay to live a moral and upright life; A mention of a man’s “very dark” temper.
 
 
Sexual Content- Three head/forehead kisses, two border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses, and two semi-detailed kisses; Remembering kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss, touch, & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Dancing, Embraces, Warmth, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Butterflies & Winks; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Both Lily & Peter sneak (or have others) sneak into the other’s house to leave surprises (it’s not said how they did it); Mentions of a child conceived out-of-wedlock (the parents planned to get married *Spoiler* and do which saves the woman from being ruined *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of a couple kissing & embracing (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple mentions of chaperones; A mention of illegitimate heirs; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A few mentions of a woman running away with a man & not being in contact with her family since; A few mentions of someone being left at the alter (*Spoiler* Peter *End of Spoiler*).
 
-Lily Temple, around age 24 (?)
-Peter Driscoll, age 28
                P.O.V. switches between Lily (1^st person), Peter (3^rd person) & a couple others 
                                          Set in 1903
                                                        400 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Like many books by this author, the opening chapter is actually set towards the end of the book, and we get a slight recapping of things that have led everything to be. I feel like if it was anyone else, I would be annoyed at that with spoilers basically given for the rest of the book, but this author does it so well that it entices me to read fast so I can find out what happened myself—and enjoy the hints until I get there. 

 

I feel like when I typically read books by this author, my brain is scrambling to figure out how everything is connected with the little hints and suggestions we get throughout the story. This book was no different and kept me intrigued the entire time about Lily’s past. I did guess Lily’s past pretty early in, but wasn’t sure I was correct until the end. 

 

Our main characters were very unique. She’s very fanciful and sly, but has a child-like love for stories. He’s spectacled, smart, rule-follower and has a love for finding out the truth. A pair you wouldn’t think would work, but somehow does. He’s the calm to her storm, in a way. I do question the idea of a gem having some kind of powers (which it’s implied and said that way even at the end of the book), but I will chalk it up to part of the fairytale elements in this book.

 

The faith content was a different take on our female lead not trusting in God in the sense that she once did but due to events stopped trusting Him. Now, that’s not a rare character in Christian Fiction, but the discussions and Peter’s witnessing and conversations were uniquely done and had a lot of thought-provoking parts. I loved the symbolism of the Gardener especially. 

 

I don’t know if I would say this was my very favorite by this author, but I did really enjoy it and get sucked into the plot. Joanna Davidson Politano‘s writing style is unlike most and always has me questioning everything I read because things are never as they seem, especially in this book.

 

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this honest review.