The Death Cure

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 13+

Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

Length: 336 pages

Year of Publication: 2011

(This book is a sequel to The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials.)

It’s been twenty-five days. Twenty-five days alone in a white cell in the headquarters of WICKED. Thomas is alone—separated from his friends, the rest of the Gladers. They had survived the Scorch Trials, and their promised reward was supposed to be a cure for the Flare, the deadly disease that ravages a world half destroyed by sun flares. Before the Scorch Trials, Thomas and his friends had been told that they were all already infected by the Flare and that the cure would be given to those who survived the trek across the burning desert land known as the Scorch. But it had just been another one of the organization WICKED’s lies. There had been no cure at the end for Thomas or his friends. For Thomas, there was only his white-walled cell and three weeks alone with his own thoughts. Where his friends are—he has no way of knowing.

On day twenty-six of his solitary confinement, however, the door of Thomas’ cell opens. The man who had spoken to the Gladers before the Scorch Trials enters and tells Thomas something he doesn’t quite expect: Thomas is immune to the Flare, and he always has been. In fact, most of the other Gladers and girls from Group B are immune too. The Maze, the Scorch… it was all an experiment. It was a test performed to see how brains of people immune to the Flare react to certain variables. The goal was to find a cure for the Flare.

But every experiment needs a control group. Some of the Gladers aren’t immune. Some of them are already on their way to succumbing to the Flare—on their way to becoming Cranks. And WICKED still hasn’t found a cure.

Which of Thomas’ friends aren’t immune? And is WICKED finished messing with their brains? What more do they want with the Gladers? Can Thomas trust WICKED? Can Thomas even trust his friends? Thomas is let out of his cell and soon reunites with his friends. No more maze. No more Scorch. They must face the real world now. The Trials may be over, but Thomas’ real test is just beginning.

This third and final book in James Dashner’s Maze Runner series is yet another suspenseful and action-packed novel about the teen-aged character Thomas as he struggles for survival in the post-apocalyptic world. This time, Dashner follows Thomas and his friends as they experience the world outside of the maze and the Scorch and as they make decisions that may affect the future of the entire human race.

Although Dashner’s main focus is—yet again—on suspense, action, and intrigue, he does touch on some important life questions. The characters must determine whether an honorable end justifies the unethical means used to reach that end. They must decide if it is right to put the few at risk in order to save the many—if it is okay to endanger some people for the greater good—if it is moral to treat people like lab rats. Thomas and the other Gladers also face the question of what makes someone human. According to Dashner, the characters who have been infected by the Flare disease slowly lose their humanity until they are no longer human. Although this and other assertions in the book are contradictory to the biblical worldview, they still give readers the chance to think over important questions related to morality and human worth. They also encourage Christians to look to the Bible for the answers to these tough questions and to remember that it is the image of God in all of us—not our sanity, not our compassion—that makes us human. Although the questions brought up in this book are important for even young people to consider, the issues presented could likely serve to just confuse teen readers who blunder through this book without guidance. Therefore, teens should not read this book without either an active mind, a Bible, or guidance from an parent or spiritual leader.

The writing style is easy to read, but the philosophical questions mentioned above combined with the overall subject matter of the book make Dashner’s third Maze Runner book inappropriate for younger readers. Teens are best suited to handle the content of The Death Cure, but parents of teens should still be aware of a few content issues in this novel.

As in the previous two Maze Runner books, the characters enjoy spouting certain offensive words and phrases. The Gladers continue to glean many of the expletives from their own made-up vocabulary, but the count of widely known cuss words used by the characters continues to rise in this book. God’s name is also misused about three times. In addition to some disappointing vocabulary, Thomas and the Gladers continue to speak with a disrespectful undertone of sarcasm to pretty much everyone—even their friends. They can be especially rude to adults, most of whom are the “bad guys” in the story. To top it off, the book includes a smattering of crude humor to complement the offensive language and disrespectful bantering.

On the boy-girl side of things, there’s a bit of romance, but nothing overdone or inappropriate. Two of the characters hug and hold hands occasionally. They also kiss each other a few times—mostly on the cheek. That is pretty much the extent of the romance.  

As in the previous two books, the violence and overall intensity of the book is the main cause for this book’s PG-13 feel. To name a few of the violent and intense moments, characters are knocked out, threatened at gunpoint, and shot at. Others are electrocuted by futuristic weapons created for the purpose of stunning enemies. After being hit, the characters are overtaken by spasms as they lay helpless on the ground. One character’s leg is grazed by a bullet. A main character has a bad habit of regularly instigating fistfights with people he disagrees with. Another character shoots someone in the head and later throws a knife into an enemy’s neck. People are crushed by falling debris. Near the middle of the book, WICKED takes over a character’s control of his body and makes him attack his own friends with a knife against his will. The book also contains some talk of brain operations to remove chips inserted there by WICKED. The most disturbing elements of the story are the Cranks. The Death Cure features the creepy, zombie-like characters from The Scorch Trials—including descriptions of their not-so-hygienic bodies and of some disturbing encounters between them and uninfected characters. At one point, a bunch of Cranks swarm a car and try to get at the people inside by tearing away the windows with their bare hands. One very likeable character succumbs to the Flare and becomes a Crank himself. In addition, the huge, slimy, and dangerous “Griever” creatures from the first book return for a final intense fight. In all, the violence is at a level similar to the previous book, The Scorch Trials, if not a little higher. The death toll, however, has certainly gone up from the last book.

The Death Cure is another fun, exciting, and intense sci-fi action book—a must-read for adults and teens who have read and enjoyed the previous two Maze Runner books. Although the author doesn’t adequately answer every question raised by the previous books, The Death Cure brings a somewhat satisfactory ending to Thomas’ story. Even while the story is pretty unrealistic (as with most futuristic movies and books), the book still presents some interesting questions about right and wrong that are especially pertinent to today’s world. To those of you who have not read the previous two books, however, I would suggest skipping the series altogether and waiting for the movies. To me, reading the books was pretty much just like watching a movie. There’s not much to the stories beyond the plot and action, so you could save a lot of time—but still have a similar experience—by just watching the movies that are almost certainly going to be released within the next half decade.

The Scorch Trials

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 13+

Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

Length: 368 pages

Year of Publication: 2010

(This book is a sequel to The Maze Runner.)

The maze was all a part of an experiment. Led by the organization WICKED, the “Maze Trials” were used by WICKED to study the reactions, brain waves, and thoughts of the Gladers as a way to find a cure to the Flare—a disease that ravages a world nearly destroyed by sun flares. But Thomas and the Gladers—they survived the maze. They were rescued from WICKED. They are safe. It just all seems too good to be true.

The morning after escaping the maze and being rescued from WICKED, Thomas and the twenty other surviving Gladers discover that it was all too good to be true. Their world starts to fall apart all over again. They wake up to a mass of crazy, zombie-like people who call themselves “Cranks” swarming at the dormitory windows. The dead bodies of the people who had rescued them from WICKED are hanging from the ceiling of the dorm’s common room. Only a short time later, both the Cranks and the dead bodies suddenly and inexplicably disappear without a trace. To top it all off, the only girl Glader, Teresa, is missing. In her dorm room is a teenage boy named Aris who claims to have also escaped from a maze and to have never heard of Teresa before. What’s going on? Has the world gone mad?

Soon, a mysterious man arrives and explains to the Gladers that the maze and their subsequent “rescue” were the first of many “trials” or “tests” to aid WICKED’s study of their brain functions in order to find a cure for the Flare. This highly contagious disease reduces people to animals, making them heartless and violent, and the man tells the Gladers that all of them are already infected with the virus—although the symptoms will not start appearing for a while yet. The next experiment needed to discover a cure is called the “Scorch Trials.” Thomas and the Gladers are transported to a desert-like area of the world. Their task is to cross one hundred miles of the treacherous land in two weeks. In return, WICKED promises them their lives and a cure for the Flare. Between them and their goal lies miles of burning sun and sand, confusion, betrayal, and a city filled with heartless, violent Cranks. Thomas and his friends continue their struggle for survival—now more dangerous than it ever was in the maze.

James Dashner’s sequel to The Maze Runner is another page-turning post-apocalyptic novel that is big on action, thrill, and danger but low on character and plot development and valuable themes. Although The Scorch Trials does not quite match its prequel in originality, it surpasses The Maze Runner in suspense and excitement. With this extra dose of suspense and excitement comes more language, violence, and gruesome descriptions.

As in the previous book, the Gladers continue to be well-versed in insults, often speaking to other characters in a very disrespectful manner, and they also continue to frequently utilize their own made-up cuss words. Unfortunately, the use of common expletives seems to go up a notch from the previous book. God’s name is also used in vain a number of times.

Even if the language is not actually much more offensive than the previous book, the violence and gruesome descriptions in The Scorch Trials certainly bring the PG-13 content in James Dashner’s novels to a new level. Since the new characters have left the controlled environment of the maze and are now in the “real world,” they must face the dangers and horrors of post-apocalyptic earth—including a new disease. Humans infected by the Flare disease slowly lose all compassion and become more and more brutal and violent as the disease eats away at their brains. This leads to a number of frightening and disturbing characters who play a big role in most of the more scary scenes. Dashner’s descriptions of these “Cranks” resemble the description of zombies. Some Cranks who have completely lost their minds talk about eating the body parts of other humans and also attack some of the main characters. In addition to this new element of the zombie-like creatures, Dashner introduces several other innovations to add to the excitement of the novel, such as a strange substance that encircles a victim’s head and decapitates the body and an oven-like desert that scorches its visitors. Among other things, a character is shot, several are struck by lightning, characters are drugged against their will, others are threatened at gun- and screwdriver-point, and another character stabs an enemy in the chest with a knife. Needless to say, the blood and gore of this second book make it even more scary than the previous book.

Unlike the previous book, The Scorch Trials has a bit of boy-girl content that is also cause for caution. Although there is nothing sexually explicit, a couple scenes contain kissing, and, in one scene, Thomas dances with a girl in a shady, bar-like place filled with people who are all partying to loud music. Dashner describes the two dancing with “their bodies pressed tightly together, clasping each other.” It’s not exactly a romantic scene, and that’s about as steamy as it gets, but it still something for parents to keep an eye out for.

In all, the second book of Dashner’s Maze Runner series is a quick, exciting, and easy read but contains enough objectionable content to make it out of the question for children and pre-teens. This book is not one to be avoided altogether, but parents of teens who are interested in this series should not hesitate to guide their children through the issues in the book as well as the occasional valuable lesson it presents. Although the book is not big on valuable themes, Dashner still promotes ideas such as perseverance and working as a team. The book can also spark some profitable discussions on what makes someone human—what gives people their humanity. Both Dashner’s protagonists and antagonists are fighting for the good of the human race, yet they have different views of what exactly “the good” is. The characters also present interesting views on the sanctity of human life. Parents should guide their teens through these issues, teaching them to not simply accept the concepts presented in books but to examine them from a Christian worldview. As a discussion-starter, this book does have its value. On the other hand, however, it might be a good call for potential audiences to simply wait for the movie and spend their time reading something more nutritious.

The Maze Runner

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 13+

Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

Length: 376 pages

Year of Publication: 2009

His name is Thomas. That’s all he can remember.

He is riding in a dark, clanging, swaying elevator, barreling upward. He doesn’t know where he’s going or where he came from. His only memory is of his name. When the elevator stops and the doors open, Thomas emerges and finds himself in a large courtyard surrounded on all four sides by enormous stone walls. He is gruffly greeted by few dozen teenagers—all boys. And so begins his life in the Glade.

Surrounding the Glade, behind the enormous stone walls, is a labyrinth of mazes. Every morning, when the doors of the maze open, runners enter and search for a way out. Every night, the doors close and strange, deadly creatures called Grievers roam the maze. If the runners don’t make it to the doors by nightfall, they are trapped in the maze until the morning with no way out, making them easy targets for the Grievers. It’s been two years, and, still, no one has found an exit. No one has ever survived a night in the maze either. Not until Thomas arrives, that is.

Thomas is more curious than any of the boys who arrived before him. And, even before he knows much about the Gladers’ situation, he finds himself experiencing an inexplicable desire to be a Maze Runner. He doesn’t understand it, but the Maze and the Glade almost seem familiar to him, and he feels like he was sent there to do something big. 

Things start getting weird soon after he shows up. When an unconscious girl arrives in the elevator, carrying a note that says she’s the last newbie they’ll ever get, Thomas realizes that, whatever he was sent there to do, he needs to figure it out and do it fast.

This first book in James Dashner’s Maze Runner trilogy is full of mystery and excitement, aimed at readers who enjoy books such as The Hunger Games trilogy and the Divergent series. The story contains some valuable themes such as the importance of teamwork, loyalty, and friendship. It also lauds self-sacrifice and second chances. However, the author’s attention is on presenting an engaging plot to engage readers, not on developing these themes.

The writing style is easy to read. Although the plot starts out a bit slow, the chapters are short and the action picks up after a while, making the material manageable for even less experienced readers. The PG-13 content, however, poses some problems for less mature audiences.

The book is not as intense as The Hunger Games, but it still contains those life-or-death situations, creepy creatures, and somewhat gory descriptions that have become standard in post-apocalyptic literature. Some of the main sources of danger and conflict in the book are the Grievers—huge slimy creatures with retractable mechanical arms used to “sting” the Gladers. Throughout the book, some boys are attacked, injured, and even killed by these Grievers. A number of boys are “stung” by the Grievers and survive, but their bodies go through a troubling and frightening process called “the Changing” in order to recover. The author’s description of “the Changing” could be especially disturbing to young readers. There is also some strife between the Gladers themselves that leads to some PG-13 content. One boy attacks another and attempts to kill him. Another Glader explains how one boy was killed by being sliced in half. Someone is shot in the head with an arrow, and someone else is killed by a knife in the chest. The book is cluttered with other such frightening and bloody descriptions that make the novel out of the question for more sensitive readers.

In addition to the violence, there is a bit of inappropriate language and toilet humor. Many—although not all—of the bad words are actually terms made up by the Gladers to substitute for certain frequently used expletives. However, the made-up words are still used by the boys for the purpose of degrading or insulting people, and the fact that they are made up doesn’t necessarily make them less offensive. Even the way that the characters talk to each other is so frequently filled with stinging sarcasm and implied insults that it made me wonder how the Gladers ever even function as a community. Although it can be funny at times, the manner of their conversations gets a little numbing and annoying after a while.

I decided to read this book after seeing a trailer for the movie that is coming out in September 2014. While I enjoyed reading it and had fun being immersed in the mystery and adventure of the story, I now kind of wish that I had waited and only watched the movie. If you read the first book, you almost have to read the next two if you want your questions answered, and all three of them are hard to put down. They absorb your time without really offering you any enrichment. Ultimately, The Maze Runner is perfect for teens and young adults who are looking for a fun and exciting summer read. If you choose to read the series, however, don’t let it be the only books on your summer book list. Reading too many books like this is like eating cotton candy without having any real food: it can be extremely unhealthy. This book isn’t toxic to the soul or something to be avoided completely. However, if you read it, make a point to balance out its “processed sugar” with another book that is both tough and wholesome.

The Book Thief

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 13+

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 550 pages

Year of Publication: 2005

In this historical fiction novel by Markus Zusak, our narrator is Death, and he needs a vacation. He needs distraction. It’s not because of the number of souls that he must carry away, however. It’s because of all the humans those souls leave behind: the survivors. This book is about one of those survivors, a person Death calls “an expert at being left behind.” To start off the tale, Death recalls that he saw this survivor three times. He calls her “the book thief.”

The book thief’s name is Liesel Meminger, and her story begins when she is nine years old, on a train with her mother and brother. They are in Nazi Germany, and it is January 1939. Her mother is bringing her two children to a street named after heaven to live with foster parents, who will hopefully be better able to feed and educate the boy and girl. However, Death sees the book thief for the first time on that train as he takes the soul of Liesel’s little brother. Liesel steals her first book in the graveyard where her brother is buried. She alone is delivered to her foster parents, and her new life on Himmel Street begins.

Death recounts the following five or six years of her life, describing both the beauty and ugliness of the young girl’s life in the messed-up world. Through the experiences that define this part of her life—reading with her loving foster father, thieving with her loyal friend and neighbor Rudy, caring for the spirited Jew hiding in their basement—Liesel begins to see the power and value of words and to recognize their demanding presence in the world. Books and words begin to mean everything to her—and so do the relationships that she develops with her parents, her neighbors, and others whose lives converge with hers.

This book creatively examines themes such as the power of words and the mysterious nature of humans—creatures who often tend toward hatred and malice, yet can also be strong, good, and loving. It also illustrates the implications of a worldview that lacks the biblical understanding of God. Zusak presents God as distant, silent, and careless of human history. The very modern view of existence that the book presents makes it perfect material for discussion and analysis. Parents of teens who read this book should take the time to discuss the implications of the book’s worldview and the Christian understanding of God’s involvement in history. Parents may also wish to discuss human nature and the real cause of sin and death.

Although I have seen this book classified as a “children’s book,” I cannot recommend The Book Thief to children under thirteen. Even though the reading level is not difficult, the subject matter is best suited to mature individuals. My main reason for not recommending this book to young readers is because of the disappointingly large amount of foul language and misuses of the Lord’s name that it contains. Reading a book is generally a much more intimate experience than watching a movie, making the issue of language even more significant than it is in movies. When you’re reading, all of the words are loud and clear in your head.

The other aspect of this book that earns it a PG-13 rating is its nitty-grittiness. The descriptions of death and dying are not for the sensitive reader, and the accounts of the Second World War’s horrors make this book an unviable option for children. Among other things, the author describes a few fistfights, the aftermath of a plane crash, the bombing of a neighborhood, a young boy being forced to strip naked for a medical examination, and Jews being brought to a concentration camp. Although less of an issue, there is also some content involving alcohol and smoking. Due to these elements, I think that even young teens should ideally read this book with a parent—if at all.

To more mature readers, however, I recommend this book as an interesting and thought-provoking read. The style is innovative and the topics are very pertinent. This book is certainly a work of modern literary art. If you are looking for an enjoyable, sweet, exciting, or suspenseful read, however, I would not recommend this book. Although it is enjoyable, sweet, exciting, and suspenseful at times, it did not grip my attention or my heart until the bitter-sweet ending.

I decided to read this book after seeing the 2013 film adaptation. While I thoroughly enjoyed the movie (see my review), I did not enjoy the book very much at all. I was actually quite shocked by my own reaction. After all, the flavor of the book is very similar to that of the movie, and, although some events are altered and the story is significantly truncated in the film, the basic plot is the same. However, the character of Liesel in the book seemed totally different from the sweet, innocent, curious character I met in the movie. The novel revealed that her motives for stealing books were actually somewhat spiteful. In the movie, she seemed to steal the books out of curiosity and a desire to read them—not out of a desire to vent her anger. This made it harder for me to enjoy the read.

When I started reading the book, I was expecting it to be sad and traumatizing—like the movie was. But it was even worse. In addition to being sad and traumatizing, it was also filled with a sense of despair and fatalism that I hadn’t noticed in the movie. This was partially due to the author’s style of writing—something you don’t get to experience while watching a film. Zusak wrote The Book Thief in a way that is very non-traditional, repeatedly using short, one-sentence-long paragraphs and a plethora of sentence fragments—elements that are popular in contemporary writing. He matched these choppy paragraphs and sentences with a choppy plot, allowing the narrator to reveal many major developments before the narration reaches that point in the chronology of the story. While I can handle some foreshadowing, I didn’t enjoy being constantly reminded who was going to die at the end of the book. The perpetual foreshadowing made the tone too despairing for my taste—even though I knew what would happen since I had already seen the movie—and the author made Death address the book’s future events in a rather heartless manner. Although the narrator does seem remorseful and sensitive at times, he often discusses the death of characters so matter-of-factly that the fatalism even manages to kill any sense of sadness. There is only despair. Five and a half hundred pages take a while to read, and that’s a long time to be depressed about something that doesn’t even happen until the end of the book. It’s especially hard when the plot leading up to that event is not even overly engaging.  

This book is certainly a work of art. But, for every work of art, there’s always some people who just don’t appreciate the artist’s work. For this book, I guess I’m one of those people.

Rose in Bloom

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 10+

Genre: Classic Romance Novel

Length: 344 pages

Year of Publication: 1876

In this beautiful and satisfyingly romantic sequel to Eight Cousins, Louisa May Alcott follows the sweet, young, nineteenth-century heiress, Rose Campbell, through the experiences that bring her from girlhood into womanhood. In the opening chapter, Rose returns to America with her uncle and friend, Phebe, from two years abroad. These two years have brought changes in the two young women as well as in the seven cousins back home on the “Aunt-Hill.” As Rose becomes reacquainted with her seven cousins—now nearly all young men—she discovers that some have changed for good and others for ill. She also discovers that several of her aunts have been speculating about her marriage to one or the other of her handsome cousins in order to keep her fortune in the family. When one of the young men actually falls in love with her, Rose must learn how to handle the love of a young man and how to read the feelings of her own heart. She also learns to discern what makes a man a true gentleman. This new element of romance brings new struggles and joys to the life of twenty-year-old Rose. However, through these struggles and the other new experiences of this young, ambitious woman, the bud that was once the little girl from Eight Cousins begins to bloom, becoming a woman of true virtue.

As Rose in Bloom is one of my favorite books, I struggle to find a true cause for criticism in the abundance of beauty that this book offers. However, one objection that I wrestled with when I read this novel for the first time several years ago was the prospect of Rose marrying one of her cousins. This being generally unheard of in my day and age, I was initially rather scandalized at the thought. One must not ignore historical context, however. In the nineteenth century, the marriage of cousins was not yet unacceptable. Please, before you read this book, drill this fact into your brain. Otherwise, the entire story will be ruined for you.

In addition, it must be noted that the subject matter of this book is slightly heavier than its predecessor, Eight Cousins. Most of the young characters are now in their twenties and, therefore, face the trials and temptations of young adults. One of the young men in particular struggles with alcohol addiction, bringing an element to this book that is more serious than any seen in Eight Cousins. This cousin is also described smoking. However, Alcott gives her heroine, Rose, an admirable distaste for this young man’s way of life and examines the true ugliness of such a life without discipline. This novel also sees the tragic death of a character—another element that makes this novel less of a children’s book and more appropriate for young adults.

From a Christian perspective, another objection to this novel is the absence of Jesus Christ from the lives of the characters and other small ways in which Alcott’s transcendentalist worldview shows through. Although Rose and her relatives often refer to “God” and “being good,” they seem to have no strong foundation for their desires to “be good” other than to please and help each other. The characters also speak and act as if they can make themselves good. To the Christian, however, humans are sinners and need Jesus Christ in order to be truly good. Good works cannot save anyone; they are only the fruit of a life changed by Christ. As long as the reader understands this, however, Alcott’s discussion of “being good” is not harmful. Instead, she explores the lives of her characters in a way that expands the reader’s understanding of what a truly beautiful and virtuous life looks like—an image that would be nearly spot-on if Christ had not been left out of the picture. (For more discussion on the concept of goodness, see my 2010 blog post “Be Good.”)

Despite these few objections, I strongly recommend this novel to any ambitious young reader looking for a good classic romance. Obviously, this genre of novel would generally lend itself to young ladies rather than to the boys, but I would caution parents against giving this book to a lady who is not old or mature enough for romance—even though this romance is very innocent and lighthearted. Miss Alcott handles Rose’s romance tastefully and offers wholesome advice to her readers through the medium of this little book; however, I would still not recommend the Eight Cousins sequel to children under the age of ten due to the more mature elements and subject matter mentioned above.

In closing, I think I can easily say that Rose in Bloom is one of the most refreshing and heartwarming romances that I have read in a long time. Written in Alcott’s intelligent, humorous, and engaging style, this book presents a beautiful image of true womanhood, true manhood, and true love. In addition, I have found that this is a novel worth reading over and over again because, although it is as sweet as sugar, it is wholesome at the core and good for the soul.

Eight Cousins

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: All ages

Genre: Children’s Novel

Length: 292 pages

Year of Publication: 1875

Set in nineteenth-century Boston, Louisa May Alcott’s Eight Cousins—originally published serially—follows a year in the life of young Rose Campbell. Rose, a sweet and delicate thirteen-year-old, is an orphan. She never knew her late mother, and her father recently passed away, so she is now subject to the care of her aunts and uncles and the attention of her seven boy cousins. There is a problem, though: Rose is dreadfully afraid of boys. How will she ever manage among a throng of young, energetic lads? The efforts of her great aunts to restore her to health and happiness being fruitless, her legal guardian, Uncle Alec, takes over Rose’s “bringing up” upon his return from overseas. Uncle Alec, a bachelor and a seafaring doctor with innovative views on raising children, makes a deal with the aunts: they must give him a year to try his best to bring Rose back to health and happiness, and, if his methods prove ineffective, he must hand her over to someone else’s care at the end of the year. As Rose soon discovers, Uncle Alec’s methods may actually be more practical than anyone ever imagined—and boys may not be as bad as she thought. Through numerous adventures with her uncle and seven rambunctious cousins, Rose learns what true happiness is and begins to recognize what it means to be truly rich—rich not in money and possessions but in virtue and love.

I wish they still published books like this. Sure, it may feel a bit moralizing at times, and the plot may not be exactly riveting, but this book has some beautiful elements that make it worth more than all contemporary children’s books put together. One objection I do have to this book is the absence of Jesus Christ in the lives of the characters. While Rose and other characters often talk about “being good,” they speak as if they have the ability to “be good” on their own—as if they can purify themselves. In the Christian worldview, however, humans are subject to the sinful nature. Without Christ, no one can be delivered from that nature. (For more discussion on the concept of goodness, see my 2010 blog post “Be Good.”)

Despite the absence of this foundational concept, I still find it refreshing to read a book that champions morals, virtue, the beauty of family, and true friendship. The children in this book actually respect their elders, and Alcott clearly praises the adults who are active in the lives of the eight cousins. This book shows that, even in an imperfect world with imperfect people, families can still thrive.

Eight Cousins easily falls in the category of wholesome children’s literature. Although I would rank this book somewhere below The Chronicles of Narnia, it’s right up there with works like the Little House series, Little Women, The Secret Garden, and the Caddie Woodlawn books. In comparison to many modern works of fiction for children, this book has a lot of meat in it. It’s not just air and sugar like some contemporary works. It has substance. Although the reading level of this novel may be somewhat advanced for younger children, I highly recommend Eight Cousins to readers of all ages. Parents, read it aloud to your young kids. Teens, why not give it a shot? It may not be a thrilling story, but it is beautiful. It will make you smile—and maybe even laugh out loud. If you give it the time of day, you’ll find yourself caught up in the lives of some lively and lovely characters and falling in love with Alcott’s witty and engaging voice.

Chronicles of Avonlea

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 10+

Genre: Canadian Literature

Length: 192 pages

Year of Publication: 1912

Chronicles of Avonlea is a collection of short stories by Lucy Maud Montgomery set in the beloved town of Avonlea and the towns surrounding it. Avonlea is the home of Anne Shirley, and, although Anne only plays a small part in these stories, the Anne-ish tendency toward scrapes is still dominant in many of the characters. As you will discover in this book, Anne is not the only human being in Avonlea with an exciting life. Written in the ever-brilliant and engaging voice of Montgomery, these stories cover everything from marriages to elopements, from auctioned babies to dying wishes. Some of the stories are toned with a sweet sadness, while others are hilariously and ridiculously funny. Yet, despite the various tones of these twelve short stories, all of them have satisfying endings and are filled with innumerable life lessons. 

My favorite stories from Chronicles of Avonlea were “Old Lady Lloyd,” “The Winning of Lucinda,” “Quarantine at Alexander Abraham’s,” and “The Courting of Prissy Strong.” In “Old Lady Lloyd,” Miss Lloyd discovers that the daughter of her former beau is residing in her neighbor’s house for the summer. Out of a desire to help the young lady, the old woman sends secret gifts and performs random acts of kindness for her unsuspecting beneficiary. “The Winning of Lucinda” recounts the resolution of a dispute between Lucinda and her former beau, Romney. The resolution is slow in coming, however, because Lucinda has sworn never to speak to Romney again. Lucinda’s tongue is finally loosened by a fall into a creek. In “Quarantine at Alexander Abraham’s,” Angelina Peter MacPherson, a firm man-and-dog-hater, is quarantined at the smallpox-infected house of Alexander Abraham Bennet, a dog-loving misogynist, as a result of accidentally entering his house while calling on church business. The outcome is all but disastrous. “The Courting of Prissy Strong” tells the tale of timid Prissy Strong, her possessive sister, Emmeline, and Prissy’s anxious beau, Stephen Clark. Although forbidden by Emmeline from ever approaching Prissy again, Stephen Clark is anxious to find a way for him and Prissy to marry without the knowledge of the fierce Emmeline. In the end, Anne Shirley, a closet window, and a step ladder save the day. 

As a collection of short stories, each chapter of Chronicles of Avonlea has different characters, a different plot, and a slightly different setting from all of the others. Therefore, the book can be somewhat boring if you are in search of an epic novel. But, if you are aware that Chronicles of Avonlea is a collection of short stories when you begin, you will not be disappointed with what you find. This book has very little objectionable content. However, there are a couple misuses of the Lord’s name, many of the stories deal with romance, there is a reference to drinking, and some of the antagonists are openly anti-Christian. Good always prevails in these stories, though, and Montgomery keeps the romance very clean. In the stories that deal with religious topics, Montgomery communicates and supports the biblical worldview accurately and thoroughly. A minister even shares the Gospel message with another character in one of the stories. Another item to be aware of is that some of the women characters in Chronicles of Avonlea have a very low view of men in general. At the end of the stories, however, many of these women learn that they cannot go on without the men and, frequently, end marrying one. 

Montgomery’s work contains many valuable lessons about various topics – including self-sacrifice, true love, God-given talents, and resolving disputes. In addition, Chronicles of Avonlea is entertaining, humorous, and an easy read. Because the large number of stories involving romance, however, I suggest that only children ten and up should read this by themselves. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend this book to families with young or old children looking for a good read-aloud. Montgomery is sure to satisfy the desires of every “kindred spirit” with these twelve excellent short stories.

Rilla of Ingleside

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 13+

Genre: Canadian Novel

Length: 277 pages

Year of Publication: 1921

The year is 1914 and Anne Shirley is Anne of Green Gables no longer. Anne is now married to her childhood chum, Gilbert Blythe, and now lives in Glen St. Mary, sixty miles away from her childhood home in Avonlea. In fact, Anne has been a Blythe for over two decades, and Gilbert and Anne now have six children. These children are children no longer, but are all virtually adults – that is, except for fourteen-year-old Bertha Marilla, the youngest Blythe, who is the unlikely heroine of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s final installment of the Anne of Green Gables series. Bertha Marilla, called Rilla by her friends – and enemies – is but a child, despite her desire to dress like a lady and go to parties. Rilla, unlike the rest of the Blythe children, does not wish to go to college and possesses no aspirations concerning a career. She would rather live her life as a “lily of the field.” Thus far, she is off to a good start, for, while adored by her family and friends, Rilla is slightly vain, a little dramatic, somewhat selfish, a bit lazy, and unmistakably beautiful. However, when foreign conflicts drag Canada into World War One, Rilla’s life takes an unexpected turn. She is forced to discard her own vain, selfish drama as she watches her brothers and childhood playmates go off to join the uncertain fate of the Allied army in Europe. Longing to aid the cause of her country even though she is unable to join her brothers and friends in the war, Rilla fights her own battles at home at Ingleside and takes up tasks that she once despised. She organizes the Junior Red Cross in Glen St. Mary, “adopts” an orphaned baby, learns to bake, and even takes up knitting and sewing for the cause of those most affected by the war. Through her escapades, trials, and heartbreak during the painful years of the war, Rilla matures into a true woman. And, as she discovers, being a true woman is much more than attending parties and wearing long dresses. 

Rilla of Ingleside, the eighth and final book of the Anne of Green Gables series, does not have many prominent faults, but there are a few to mention. Probably the biggest fault of Rilla of Ingleside is the very problem that haunts all of Montgomery’s Anne novels: A lack of plot and intrigue. If you’re used to fast-paced thriller novels, this might be a tough read for you. Each chapter has its own sub-plot and only a few, but very prominent, plots or themes are threaded throughout the entire book. As a result, the read can become monotonous at some points, but I love it because it is so Montgomeryish – it is adds to L. M. Montgomery’s signature voice that includes so many styles of writing, including wit, humor, solemnity, and romance. 

In addition to the slow-moving plot, Rilla of Ingleside contains several statements that reflect non-Biblical worldviews. I have a difficult time discerning exactly what these worldviews are and whether Montgomery includes these statements to create diversity in her characters or if some of the statements are true reflections of her worldview. However, the pantheistic statements, for example, that elevate nature to the status of a god, are often just a part of Montgomery’s regular use of figures of speech such as personification and pathetic fallacy. Other examples can also be explained away, but they can still make the Christian reader a little uncomfortable. The novel also includes a couple cases where a character uses the Lord’s name in vain. However, foul language is not used with extreme flippancy as it is in some contemporary movies and is openly discouraged in the book by some of the characters. The final fault of the novel is the discussion of events in the war. Although Montgomery does not include any overly graphic descriptions of the horrors of WWI, the dreadful acts done during the war are frequently mentioned and may be disturbing to younger children. As a result, I believe this novel is most appropriate for teens and adults. These faults, however, are not sufficient to keep any teenager or adult from reading this beautiful, hilarious, heartbreaking work. 

Although Montgomery’s novel is not perfect, the positive aspects of her work certainly outweigh the objections. First, unlike her mother – the angelic, imaginative Anne of Green Gables – Rilla of Ingleside is a very human girl with very human faults. In fact, many of her quirks often remind me of my own oddities. As a result, Rilla is very easy to relate to, and her maturation throughout the book is a great encouragement to all of her very human audiences. Second, as someone who does not know much about the early 20^th century, I have found Rilla of Ingleside to be somewhat educational. Not only does Montgomery mention major events of WWI, but she also reveals to 21^st century readers what it was like to be a family working and waiting at home as brothers, sons, and friends fought in the “War to end all wars.” Overall, Montgomery’s book is brilliant. In addition to her consistently witty, humorous, and romantic style of writing, Montgomery implements a touch of sadness and hardship not fully explored in her other Anne books. In this way, she gives an entirely new depth to her Anne of Green Gables series and her beloved characters. I highly suggest that you add Rilla of Ingleside to your reading list!

At the Back of the North Wind

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: All ages

Genre: Children’s Novel

Length: 342 pages

Year of Publication: 1871

George MacDonald’s Victorian children’s novel, At the Back of the North Wind, is set in Victorian London and is about a sweet young boy named Diamond, the son of a poor coachman and a loving, sensitive mother – both of whom care for him very much. Although Diamond and his family are very good and honest people, their lives are filled with hardship and disappointment, sickness and hunger. 

At the beginning of the story, Diamond has his first encounter with the North Wind, a mysterious yet kind “spirit” in the form of a beautiful lady with long, flowing, black hair. Throughout the book, North Wind brings Diamond along with her on several adventures, during which she generally performs good deeds and helps people. But she also performs some terrible tasks – one of which culminates in the sinking of a ship. Although such deeds seem appalling at first sight, giving the reader a sense of uncertainty regarding the integrity of the character called “North Wind,” the reader soon discovers that even the awful things that North Wind does, such as the sinking of the ship, always lead to something good in the end. 

During the entirety of the book, Diamond does many things to help others – even those who are not very kind to him. His kind actions and words are a good example to those around him and make him a favorite among nearly everyone he meets. But, sadly, the young boy struggles quite a bit with poor health. At one point when he is very sick, Diamond is again visited by the North Wind, who takes him on a journey to a beautiful land “at her back,” where he seems to stay for years and years, when in fact he is there for only a week. This land is a country without pain or death – a place filled with pleasant songs and lit, not by the sun, but by a "still, rayless light." After seven days in this country, Diamond returns to his home – but, throughout the rest of the story, he longs to return to the country at the back of the North Wind. It turns out, though, that the place he visited was only a shadow of the real country at the North Wind’s back. At the very end of the book, Diamond dies and the narrator communicates to the readers that Diamond is finally at the real country at the back of the North Wind. A place void of the kind of suffering and hardships he experienced during his life on earth.

This children’s book contains many valuable lessons about serving others, unconditional love, and not being afraid. It also touches on several deep theological issues, such as how God uses even bad things to fulfill His good will. However, because this book was written in the 19^th century, it is somewhat lacking in plot and structure. This is the type of book that was meant for parents to read to their children a chapter at a time as they put them to sleep, so it is completely lacking in cliffhangers, and there isn’t very much conflict in the story at all. I guess it could be described as a bunch of stories, mostly about Diamond, within a story. A lot of these stories are pretty good, but one rather long fairy-tale called Little Daylight that is told by one of the characters is definitely my favorite part of the book. 

There are a couple of things to be aware of about this book. I think it is prudent to mention that there is a part in this book where Diamond’s drunken neighbor is said to have beaten his wife. Another part of the story follows Diamond as he goes into a rough part of town where he runs into some people who try to steal his jacket. The only other thing to be aware of about this book is that some of the material regarding North Wind can, at times, be a little scary for young children. But, it is good for readers to be aware of the fact that, although North Wind does some seemingly bad things, they ultimately turn out for the best. Also, it is helpful to be reminded that the death of Diamond at the end of the book is not sad, but happy, because Diamond is able to reach his true home at the back of the North Wind. 

Although slow moving and a little strange at parts, this book is very good, wholesome, and appropriate for all ages – kids and adults alike. So, I give this 19^th century children’s novel 4 out of 5 stars. Even if you are an adult, I hope you take the time to read and analyze this book for yourself some day. It is complete with many very cute stories – but also chock-full of interesting theological topics.

The Secret Garden

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: All ages

Genre: Children’s Novel

Length: 234 pages

Year of Publication: 1911

The Secret Garden is a classic children’s novel by Francis Hodgson Burnett, published in 1911. The heroine of the story is 10-year-old Mary Lennox – a sickly, spoiled, selfish, rude, dissatisfied brat who lives in India with her British parents among numerous servants. She hardly ever sees her mother and father because they never wanted a little girl. When she was first born, Mary was almost immediately handed over to the care of servants, who have always done everything she ever told them to do. Therefore, Mary has grown up without discipline or adult authority and is now all of the qualities described above. Obviously, this heroine is lacking every feature a heroine should have. But when her parents and many of their servants die from an outbreak of cholera and Mary is sent to live with an uncle she has never even met, our heroine is almost bound to change. 

The house of Mary’s uncle, Archibald Craven, is far away in England, surrounded by a vast and dismal moor. At first, Mary dislikes gloomy Misselthwaite Manor and continues to be her ordinary, miserable self. But when a maid named Martha tells her about a hidden garden that has been locked up for a decade, Mary begins to think of something other than herself. The mystery of this locked-up garden piques her curiosity, so she decides to find the garden herself. Her exploits out-of-doors improve both her health and her heart as she gets more fresh air and exercise, meets and makes friends with both humans and animals, and learns to think less of herself and more of others. But the locked-up garden is not the only secret this mysterious Manor holds. The unexplained wailings Mary hears coming from somewhere deep inside the house entice her to search for the source of the dismal sound. Her discoveries about both the garden and the strange wailings lead to the unearthing of secrets about the hidden past of this mysterious manor and her even stranger uncle, causing the lives of several people to be changed forever.

The Secret Garden is a wonderful children’s story that touches on the importance of friendship, gentleness, compassion, and physical health. However, there are a couple references to a certain “magic” that the children in the story really seem to have faith in. This also goes along with the general feel that it is “Mother Nature” or some sort of a Star Wars-type “force,” not God, who renews the health and happiness of the sickly and dissatisfied Mary and other such characters. This problem it is not extreme, and the magic discussed is not dark magic, but it can still become a very good starter for a discussion of worldviews. 

Besides this slight worldview flaw and at least one insignificant reference to drinking, this book is the perfect novel for readers of all ages. The Secret Garden is filled with many great life-lessons and is a heartwarming story that is perfect for children to read as an alternative to other, less enriching books that are overflowing bookshelves these days. I hope that some day you will take the time to visit the Secret Garden for yourself.

This Present Darkness

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 13+

Genre: Christian Thriller Novel

Length: 376 pages

Year of Publication: 1986

In his best-selling novel, This Present Darkness, Frank Peretti draws you into a story of a battle between good and evil, darkness and light, within a town saturated with sin. But this isn’t just any story about the good people of a town fighting crime and injustice – this story goes to a higher level. Peretti explores the idea given in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

The small town of Ashton seems like it’s covered in some sort of strange disease. When the local newspaper reporter gets arrested on false charges after witnessing what seemed to be a secret meeting, her boss gets suspicious that the police were trying to cover something up by arresting his reporter and decides to begin his own investigation. Peretti’s novel follows two men on their quest to save the town: the owner of the local Ashton newspaper, Marshall Hogan, and Hank Busche, the pastor of the little Ashton Community Church. Hogan is in search of answers as to the cause of all the strange occurrences in the town, while Busche’s business is fighting for God’s will to be done and His truth to prevail. Soon, however, they both find that they are in something deeper than either of them expected: Their town is one of many victims of a New Age plot that plans to take over the entire human race. But that’s not all. Hogan and Busche discover that their enemies aren’t just freaky college professors or unhappy churchgoers – there’s an unseen, demonic force behind all the evil, causing the diseased nature of the town. However, although Hogan and Busche don’t know it, they too have a spiritual force fighting on their side – against the demons – for the victory of God and His truth. 

This Present Darkness is one of those books that is very hard to put down. The plot is fast-moving and entertaining – and while some of the technology and such described in the book are outdated now, 25 years after publication, the book itself is certainly not outdated, but a very worthwhile read. 

There are a few things to be looking out for while reading this book. 1) The descriptions of the demons. These can turn out to be pretty grotesque if your imagination is graphic enough, which also applies to 2) the violence portrayed. A suicide and murder are mentioned, and the aftermath is described in some detail. Also, at one point in the book, one of the main characters is attacked and beaten up. 3) There are a couple parts that have to do with people who are possessed by demons, and that can be pretty freaky as well… and especially be aware of the part where one character almost commits suicide because a demon takes control of her. 4) If you are reading this book as a family or if your son or daughter is reading it, you should also be aware of the New Age ideas expressed by the “bad guys,” the eastern mysticism material, and the meditations done by some of the members of the New Age corporation. Be sure to discuss this concept with your children and explain to them what is wrong with the New Age worldview and how it disagrees with what the Bible says. 5) Lastly, there are a few references to rape and adultery that you should be aware of, and a couple of the “bad guys” seem to have relationships outside of marriage. However, nothing is described beyond a kiss or a hug, and everything is kept appropriate. 

I think it is proper to note that nearly all of the “bad things” noted in this book are used to illustrate the depravity of sinful mankind and how much they are in need of God. Such actions are put in a bad light, and the New Age beliefs of the corporation trying to take over the town are definitely downgraded, as they should be, while the line between good and evil is not at all questioned. One of the things I particularly liked about this book was the emphasis put on prayer and how powerful it is. This book was also cool because it gets the reader thinking about the spiritual realm and how real it is. Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

Overall, I found this book to be very enjoyable and appropriate. It supports the Christian worldview, and it even teaches readers a very valuable lesson about prayer. However, I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone under the age of 13 – but even kids above 13 should still discuss parts of this book with their parents. Just keep in mind the few things I mentioned above and be sure to discuss them with your children and/or spouse if you are reading it as a family.