|  |
| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 4 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Attention Harry Potter fans - here is a new series for you! Sep 01, 2007
By S. Ehmen
Stephanie and Vaughn find themselves living in a futuristic country that has been stripped of all freedoms, as we know them, their thoughts, actions and every aspect of their society controlled by those who govern. Their lives, and the lives of those around them are void of meaning and purpose. The government-sponsored church gives them no comfort, and the corrupt government "Keepers" watch their every move.
When Stephanie meets Vaughn, she sees something different in him. He dares to think! Together they defy the "system" as Vaughn encourages Stephanie to think deeply about herself, as well as about the world in which they live. Spending time together in their secret places, they explore the age-old questions of what Life and Love mean. They try desperately to hold onto the Goodness they discover within themselves, while at the same time they must fight off the dreams and visions of darkness.
Always lurking in the background, unbeknownst to them, are the one-eyed monsters, Master Grrragagag and his student underling, who use their orb to watch all past and present happenings. They discuss various ways of manipulating and controlling their human subjects in order to kill the glow of goodness within them. Hovering above them all are the wise King Mafferan and Queen Yinauqua, always watching, all-knowing.
A good book is one that you can't wait to get back to, and when you are finished, you wish there was more. This book is well written, with a well thought out plot. It is easy to read and yet deep enough that you find yourself reading it again in order to understand the full meaning and depth. Attention Harry Potter fans - here is a new series for you!
This book presents the ages old good vs. evil story in a new way. It is written by an author who has a great love for the kids he has met and come to know. It confronts the subjects that all teens, no matter their background, think about and discuss with each other. Drugs, alcohol, sex, feelings and emotions, right vs. wrong, good vs. evil, the characters in the book explore in great depth and in such a way that all who read it can follow and understand. It doesn't matter if kids come from high income homes with religious upbringing, or from a life of poverty on the streets, they all think about these issues and must at some point work through them in their own minds, deciding for themselves what choices they make. Every teen, young adult, parents and those who work with kids in any way should read this book. Having a deeper understanding of what our youth face today is a must if we are going to guide our kids in the right direction. No one, no matter their Faith or Religion can put their head in the sand and assume that their kids will not face, think about, discuss and confront these very same issues. This book offers them a guide, with no "preaching", only the morals that we want out children to aspire to.
Review written by
Stephanie Ehmen, author
Angels and Quilt Pieces . . . Our Journey with a Katrina Family
Interesting New Book Series Apr 24, 2008
By Steve Westhoff
First of all, I must say that I am not a fan of series style books. I like a story to start and finish in one bite size book. And I will forewarn you that this book does not have a - beat the bad guy, hero wins, happily ever after style of ending... if you're looking for such, see Disney. The ending of this book is more of a segue into the next book of the series, alluding that there is more down the rabbit hole, a lot more.
In general, I agree with the "Reader Views" review of this book.
An excellent technique the author uses is that of taking the perspective of the evil spirit beings, altering the good/evil perception, thus making the reader suspicious and critical of the nature of evil. These evil spirit beings have a magical orb/crystal ball they can look into and see a character's, not family tree, but personal history tree, and not just one or two character's trees, but a forest of humanity. They can also interfere with events in a way so subtly that it goes undetected, unless the person has special awareness abilities. The evil spirit beings' names don't carry the thunder of a Voldemort or Darth Vader, but instead carry almost comical names, Master Gragagagag and Scraback, which I'm not sure of the technique/reasoning behind that, but I must admit it did make me laugh the first time I read their names.
The main characters in the book are Stephanie and Vaughn, and they seem to have special awareness's that the average person does not, they may in fact be "faith walkers", and as a result, are frequently messed with and challenged by the evil spirit beings. The two main characters also have parents that treat them poorly, which through the angst ridding eyes of a teenage reader, may be a point of relation.
I can tell that the author wanted the audience to THINK about the various topics and situations that arise, and depending on your philosophical temperament, you may enjoy the depths at which some things are discussed. Some things are written in a way that implies a strong held belief by the author, and there are some things which might be controversial... but that might actually be intentional, as controversy provokes thought.
My favorite part of the book was the first fight scene, but I don't want to go into it any more than that, or about the mysterious grey arms... you'll have to read it to find out what that's all about!
 CALL OF THE TREE: by DARRYL S. MARKOWITZ Jan 05, 2008
By Anita E. Mynatt
I LOVED YOUR BOOK. It was dark but you kept my interest up. So many teenagers today feel this way. How challenging it must be to just survive in a society that is leaning in the direction that your book starts at.
Vaughn is a light in a very dark world, and Stephanies light begins to shine when he and she connect.
I think the TREE GLOW analogy is brilliant!!!!!!!
I LOVE THE WAY YOU WRITE......... I look forward to book two in July.
I have already told others of your book, and have given them out as presents. My daughters are reading them now. Thank You for such an enlighting story.
A BIG FAN
ANITA ELAINE MYNATT
[...]
a great thought-provoking novel. Oct 09, 2007
By Reader Views
"Reviews, by readers, for readers"
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (10/07)
"Call of the Tree" is the first book in the "Faith Walker" series. It begins 100 years after a huge civil war caused by the old religions. Once again the north and south are separated. The south is believed to have fallen prey to those who rely on religion. The north is totally controlled by the government. The government is involved in every aspect of a person's life. They even dictate what you are allowed to believe. Government officials are no longer voted into office, they are selectively placed to uphold the bureaucracy.
On top of all of this, there are some beings that feed on the negative energy put out by the human race. Within themselves, these beings compete for dominance and the Alpha role. They use their power to reach out to manipulate humans to create more negativity. Stephanie is a teenager that on an energetic level can see what these beings are doing. She doesn't understand it, but she knows it is bad. Her boyfriend Vaughn can see blackness that takes over certain people. Both of them have the gift of being "Faith Walkers." This makes them dangerous to the system. They cannot let people know too much about what they are experiencing because the government will step in to regain control.
When the story begins Stephanie is leading a sinful, promiscuous life. She has an abusive, controlling boyfriend whom she also has to fear because of his family's government connections. She has just decided to give up using drugs. Vaughn rescues her from a situation that would have totally allowed her soul to be destroyed. Vaughn also finds a way into her soul to help heal her from her negative beliefs about herself. They teach each other about love. In addition to dealing with the negative forces, they have to deal with fear of government reprisals and animosity from their peers. They have some really rough issues to overcome. They do not have support from anybody else, not even their parents. The romance that develops between Vaughn and Stephanie is really beautiful. He teaches her to respect herself. They plan a future together, but have much to overcome.
"The Call of the Tree" is a great thought-provoking novel. It is a story about teenagers, yet their lifestyles have them living like adults. I suspect many teens are experiencing this today. The story encourages abstinence and not using drugs. Because of the adult nature of the teen's behaviors, I would recommend it for older teens and adults. There were some errors in the writing that could be improved with the editing being fine-tuned. I would recommend this for future editions. I really look forward to reading future books in this series.
Book received free of charge.
|
| | |
|
|
