Book Reviews

Waterstone’s Synopsis:

The most loved of all the Chronicles, this wonderful tale can be enjoyed again and again. Lucy steps into the Professor’s wardrobe but steps out again into a snowy forest. She’s stumbled upon the magical world of Narnia, land of unicorns, centaurs, fauns! and the wicked White Witch, who terrorises all. Lucy soon realises that Narnia, and in particular Aslan, the great Lion, needs her help if the country’s creatures are ever going to be free again.

This is the second book in the Narnia series, and my personal favourite. This is the first time the children: Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy enter Narnia. Awaiting them are many adventures, including running through the countryside with the Beavers, and fighting alongside Aslan.

I loved this book. It is a children’s book but fully enjoyable for an adult. Lewis is a wonderful writer. He pulled me in and made me want to follow the story. It did not matter that I already knew this story, it was fun to read it again. Lewis is descriptive and writes wonderful adventures and amazing characters.

It is hard to pick a favourite character. I think the Beavers probably win. I found it highly amusing that Mrs. Beaver wanted to take things like a portable oven with her as she fled from the White Witch. On the other side, I really didn’t like the White Witch. She was rude, short-tempered and deceptive. I loved that Lewis wrote her so well that I had such strong feelings towards her.

It is clear that this book is based on Christianity and the Resurrection of Christ, but this did not spoil the book for me and I thought that Aslan was a great character.

Even for adults, this is an amazing story. For children, I think they will love it.

5/5

Amazon synopsis:

“To my side, all true Narnians! Would you wait till your new masters have killed you one by one?” A false Aslan is commanding all Narnians to work for the cruel Calormenes and striking terror into every heart. Jill and Eustace find themselves called into Narnia once more, this time to aid King Tirian in the mightiest of all battles This is the seventh adventure in the exciting Chronicles of Narnia.

This is the final book in The Chronicles of Narnia series. All seven books have been full of adventure and excitement, and all of Christian themes. This book fitted well into that. This book is full of deception and battles. This is an exciting book, and both children and adult.

Throughout the whole book there are clear parallels of what is written in Revelation. This didn’t spoil the book for me but it did make the ending more predictable.

There were a few things I didn’t like about this book:

- I didn’t like the ending and how Lewis set it up so no further books could be written

- For once, there were several characters I wasn’t keen on

- I missed Susan – the rest of the children returned to Narnia but she didn’t.

However, this was exciting and fun. I liked the battles and of course Aslan and the return of the children. This is my least favourite book but I did still enjoy it.

7/10

Amazon synopsis:

The Narnia Chronicles, first published in 1950, remain some of the most enduringly popular ever published. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has been translated into 29 languages! The illustrations in this book have been coloured by the original artist, Pauline Baynes. Now published with the original cover, as designed by Pauline Baynes. “We’ve got to go north,” said Edmund, “and reach the ruins of a giant city.” Prince Rilian, Caspian’s beloved son, has mysteriously disappeared, and Jill and Eustace are brought into Narnia by Aslan, the great Lion, to find him. But an evil enchantress has dire plans for the prince, and for Narnia…This is the sixth adventure in the exciting Chronicles of Narnia.

I enjoyed this book. It is the sixth book in The Chronicles of Narnia series and good fun. We met Eustace in the previous book and he has grown up and is more likable in this adventure. The children are on a mission to find the lost Prince, and as ever C.S. Lewis fills the story with all kinds of excitment and perils, such as the underground world and the giants city.

Even as an adult I enjoyed this book, and the series. They contain everything you could want – a good storyline, likable characters and well written verse. This is a fantasy adventure, and thoroughly worth reading. It is a gripping book, and I wanted to see how Lewis would complete this particular tale.

My favourite character is the Marshwiggle Puddlegum. He made me laugh – especially as he is so negative and yet believed he was the most upbeat of them all!

I would recommend this book to everyone – adults and children alike.

8/10

Synopsis from back cover:

What if you could walk with Jesus, talk to Peter and witness the miracles that Christ performed over two thousand years ago? In “Walking with God” by Ginni Otto, that is exactly what young Rachel Rosenfold does. A heated argument with her father sends Rachel racing out into the street. A squeal of brakes, her mother’s horrified scream, and blinding headlights converge to begin a journey that finds Rachel literally “Walking with God” during the time of Christ’s ministry here on earth. The Gospels come alive as Rachel learns the power of grace, the miracles of faith, and the limitless love of out Lord. Readers of all ages will enjoy making this spiritual journey with Rachel and they, too, will find themselves “Walking with God”.

Wow, what a book. I didn’t quite know what to expect from Otto, but I really enjoyed this book. Meet Rachel, a Jewish girl who had a life-changing experience at university – she became a Christian and believed Jesus is the Messiah. She tries to explain this to her father, Abraham, who is a Rabbi, but all they do is fight. Abraham banishes her from the home, so she flees, right into the path of a car. When she wakes, she is in a field, two thousand years ago, right where Jesus is about to perform his first miracle. There she joins the group of followers who travel with Jesus, and stays with him all through his three-year ministry, learning from him and making friends with the disciples and the two Mary’s. Meanwhile, at home she is in a coma. Her mother Julia starts to ask the question, why did Rachel convert, and we see a friendship form between her and Rachel’s tutor Matthew. He becomes a close family friend as Julia, and Abraham study all the prophecies too see how Jesus fulfilled them. This book is the first in a series, where we are set to see Rachel fight for Jesus in the 21st century.

I really enjoyed this book. It is not a long book, only 208 pages, but I was gripped from the start. There is a lot of Biblical teaching, with the Gospel message explained throughout the story, and the events recorded in them replayed in this book. I also enjoyed how Otto explored what the Jews believe, and how she used the Bible to explain how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies. That is a very difficult topic and extremely brave, but I think she handled it perfectly.

There were a few bits of the story I wasn’t convinced about. Obviously the first is that no one is ever going to go back two thousand years, but that didn’t affect the story – that was what drew you in. I wasn’t convinced by the coma story, as she wasn’t really in a coma, just a deep sleep, but for three years. The other thing I was unsure about was some of the theology in the book. That said, the majority of it I agree with and this is only a minor point. I am sure others will not have the same disagreements as me.

I liked how Otto wrote. Like I said, I was hooked. I was drawn into the story. Even though it jumps about in time a bit, I was not confused, I actually liked that extra element. She was engaging and entertaining. I liked all the characters and connected with them all.

What I would say is, this is Christian fiction. If you don’t like being “preached at” or reading about the Christian faith, this book is not for you. However, I thought this was a good little book and would recommend it for both believers and those who don’t believe.

8/10