Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta
Hello Bookworms!,
Today I have
a new review of the first book in a three book series. Book 1 was published
this year and books 2 and 3 are going to be published in 2014. The first book
is called Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta.
Summary
Julia’s
never had a good father in her life. Her father was an abusive, hatesome man
that was an outspoken atheist (which brought much condemnation to his family).
Especially from the church. After his death, Julia’s favorite entertainment was
to go spend time with her best friend Elizabeth and their favorite pair of
brothers, Edward and Henry. Julia’s hope for a happier life came in the form of
a secret engagement to Edward…but when her mother caught wind of it, she wasn’t
allowed to see him. Julia held hope, however, that her and Edward’s love was
strong enough to weather the storm. Besides, they kept in touch through
Elizabeth’s letters.
When Julia’s
mother suddenly dies, Julia’s world is thrown into turmoil and she must depend
on Elizabeth and her…interesting mother. What Julia did not count on was that
everything else in her life would fall apart and the host of colorful, and
sinister, characters that will take advantage of her and her friends….Can Julia
survive the whirlwind? And what of Edward? Was their love strong enough?
Review
I enjoyed
the Born of Persuasion. It was fast-paced and intriguing thrill-ride through
the good, bad, and ugly of society and the imperfect people that inhabited it.
I think that most young adults and adults would like it. I must admit that
there were twists and turns that I never saw coming in this book and I love
that. Its not as much fun to read a book that is always predictable.
Predictability is shattered in Jessica Dotta’s writing.
I will say
that there is a fair amount of adult content (nothing graphic) that makes the
book mostly suitable for young adults and older. I wouldn’t really give it to a
middle school or junior high students or anyone younger than that.
This book
was a wonderful reminder about how Christians should not act when approaching
non-Christians. Especially those who have different beliefs from our own. The
conflict that Julia faces in connection with the judgmental, condemning,
unforgiving attitude of her former parish pastor is something that I think most
Christians could learn from. As Beth Moore put it, “In a world of hammers
looking for nails, a little gentleness can be breathtaking”.
This book is
an emotional whirlwind. There is anger, fear, passion, tears, joy, and more! I
read this book in a hurry (just a few days in a row) and felt like I had been
dragged through the emotional wringer! If you are one who gets really
emotionally invested in a book, you may want to be prepared to put the book down
periodically, shift your focus for a while, and then come back to it.
This three
book series started at a level of intensity that many series’ end. I was
actually physically tense while reading the climactic ending! I think this book
could give you the adrenaline rush that a good thriller can give! I’m really
interested to see to what new levels the next 2 books will be taken! I
recommend Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta to all you young adult and adult
adrenaline junkie bookworms out there!
Links to buy:
Until Next Time,
Lizzie <3
