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kayathebookworm's reviews
212 reviews
Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar
3.0
After reading and loving Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar, I had really high expectations for this book. But I have to admit… I finished Land of Silence feeling disappointed.
One thing I like about Bread of Angels is that it has a small romance in only the last few chapters of the book, which is exactly what I desire in a story. Land of Silence, however, felt more like a romance than it did Biblical Fiction because the romance seemed much more prominent than Elianna’s (the main character) salvation and transformation.
Another reason I feel disappointed after reading this book is because, while I like stories to be realistic and not just a “happily ever after”, this book felt like one huge heartbreak. My heart simply couldn’t handle anymore. For instance, how Ethan got married almost immediately after his betrothal to Elianna ended absolutely killed me. Especially considering that his new wife was the same girl he had met days earlier when he was still with Elianna. I won’t go into many more details about the other problems I had with this book.
After reading this review, you may think that I absolutely hated this book. I didn’t hate it, but it truly broke my heart more than I could bear. If you have not read Land of Silence yet, do not be completely discouraged from reading the book. I encourage you to read the other reviews and still consider picking up Land of Silence. After all, you can always put it down if you don’t like it. If you are extremely apprehensive towards reading it due to my review, however, I suggest maybe trying Bread of Angels or Daughter of Rome (which I am currently reading and enjoying) instead.
Whatever you choose, God bless.
According to my rating scale, I give this book 3.5 stars.
One thing I like about Bread of Angels is that it has a small romance in only the last few chapters of the book, which is exactly what I desire in a story. Land of Silence, however, felt more like a romance than it did Biblical Fiction because the romance seemed much more prominent than Elianna’s (the main character) salvation and transformation.
Another reason I feel disappointed after reading this book is because, while I like stories to be realistic and not just a “happily ever after”, this book felt like one huge heartbreak. My heart simply couldn’t handle anymore. For instance, how Ethan got married almost immediately after his betrothal to Elianna ended absolutely killed me. Especially considering that his new wife was the same girl he had met days earlier when he was still with Elianna. I won’t go into many more details about the other problems I had with this book.
After reading this review, you may think that I absolutely hated this book. I didn’t hate it, but it truly broke my heart more than I could bear. If you have not read Land of Silence yet, do not be completely discouraged from reading the book. I encourage you to read the other reviews and still consider picking up Land of Silence. After all, you can always put it down if you don’t like it. If you are extremely apprehensive towards reading it due to my review, however, I suggest maybe trying Bread of Angels or Daughter of Rome (which I am currently reading and enjoying) instead.
Whatever you choose, God bless.
According to my rating scale, I give this book 3.5 stars.
The Prophetess: Deborah's Story by Jill Eileen Smith
3.0
Well, I liked this book but, to tell you the truth, there was more that I didn’t like about it than things I did like. It just felt very… bleh.
What I didn’t like:
- I didn’t find any of the characters likable. Deborah was too critical, Talya was too immature, etc. I normally like when characters struggle with weaknesses because it makes them more relatable. However, in this book they didn’t really “struggle with” or try to overcome these things or even recognize that these flaws are a problem and need to be dealt with.
- the romance between Deborah and Lappidoth. I mean… it took over 25 years of marriage for Deborah to begin actually loving Lappidoth. Seriously?!
- the romance between Talya and Barak. Firstly, I am not a big fan of romances where someone has already been married before. Additionally, Barak’s attraction seemed purely physical at times and it almost felt like he was trying to ignore Talya’s dislikable personality.
The book just felt dry and “off”. I apologize for my inability to explain this well.
Overall, I liked it (or I guess tolerated it) but it has many flaws. Therefore, I am giving it 3 stars.
This review by Jenna Van Mourik expresses how I feel about the book a lot better than I can: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2945391765
What I didn’t like:
- I didn’t find any of the characters likable. Deborah was too critical, Talya was too immature, etc. I normally like when characters struggle with weaknesses because it makes them more relatable. However, in this book they didn’t really “struggle with” or try to overcome these things or even recognize that these flaws are a problem and need to be dealt with.
- the romance between Deborah and Lappidoth. I mean… it took over 25 years of marriage for Deborah to begin actually loving Lappidoth. Seriously?!
- the romance between Talya and Barak. Firstly, I am not a big fan of romances where someone has already been married before. Additionally, Barak’s attraction seemed purely physical at times and it almost felt like he was trying to ignore Talya’s dislikable personality.
The book just felt dry and “off”. I apologize for my inability to explain this well.
Overall, I liked it (or I guess tolerated it) but it has many flaws. Therefore, I am giving it 3 stars.
This review by Jenna Van Mourik expresses how I feel about the book a lot better than I can: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2945391765
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Calvin Ortlund
5.0
❤️… that’s all I can say about this book. SO GOOD. Will forever change your view of God and how he views our brokenness. 5 stars ⭐️