Book Review: The First Escape (The Dopple Ganger Chronicles) by G.P. Taylor

Excerpt: Known to everyone who worked at Isambard Dunstan's School for Wayward Children as them, they were known to each other as Sadie and Saskia Dopple. Each was the likeness of the other in almost every way. They had identical ears, identical noses, identical lips, and even identical moles upon their chins. The only thing that set them apart was that Sadie had a yellow right eye and a blue left and Saskia a blue right eye and a yellow left. Apart from their eyes, the only difference between them was that Sadie thought before she acted or spoke. She was the quieter of the two - and in many ways the most dangerous. Together, they were like two wild cats that had taken human form, sent by an avenging angel to wreck havoc on humanity. The First Escape, pg 8-9.

Back Cover: At Isambard Dunstan's School for Wayward Children, life is trouble for fourteen-year-old identical twins Sadie and Saskia Dopple and their friend, former thief Erik Morrissey Ganger. But what starts out as a perfectly normal day of food fights, rioting classmates, and (yawn) threats of expulsion goes suddenly and horribly wrong when a mysterious, wealthy woman appears at the school and adopts Saskia... without her sister.

On her own in a mansion full of dark secrets, Saskia stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens her very life. Meanwhile, desperate to find Saskia, Sadie and Erik escape from the orphanage with a gang of enemies in hot pursuit. Faced with perils beyond their imaginations, the trip must decide who to trust - and what to believe - if they are to survive long enough to find each other again.

My Review: I was curious to read The First Escape because the book was for reluctant readers. I wanted to experience the new "illustra novel" approach to reading a book. The book is part plain text, part picture book, and part graphic novel. It was interesting to experience as an adult, and I can plainly see how this type of publication would help a child who doesn't enjoy reading to finish a long story. This book is full of action and adventure, death and doom. I'm sure that it would easily keep the attention of a reluctant reader from start to finish. While this book is published by a Christian publishing company, there isn't too much of a spiritual nature to the book, just a slight hinting of a higher purpose from a mysterious person... perhaps an angel? It makes me wonder if the following books in the series have more of a spiritual bent to them.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this action packed book for young people who don't really like to read, but enjoy a good adventure.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of review.)

Book Review: YHWH: The Flood The Fish & The Giant by G.P. Taylor and Paula K. Parker

Excerpt: Then with a trembling hand, Abraham leaned over and kissed Isaac's brow.

'I love you, my son,' he said softly.

The young man looked into his father's eyes. 'I love you too, Father,' he answered. His stomach tightened as his father raised the knife high over his head. The old man paused and, tensing the muscles in his arm, took a deep breath. 'Not my will but Yours...' Abraham whispered. 
YHWH: The Flood The Fish & The Giant, pg 67.

Back Cover: From the depths of time come stories that have been told and retold for thousands of years. Now we again have the chance to delve into those ancient mysteries. The Flood The Fish & The Giant will take you in to a long-forgotten world. Twenty exciting stories come together to speak of our history on the planet. Told in a fresh and exciting way, this book will open your eyes to the wonders of the universe and the force that has changed the history of mankind.

My Review: The Flood The Fish & The Giant was written with the Harry Potter generation in mind. Basically, this is a book with twenty stories from the Old Testament, retold in an imaginative way. New characters have been added, and old character have been given names. The stories don't contradict anything that is written in the Bible, but they don't really add that much to the experience. I'm not sure that reading this book will draw people to the true Biblical accounts. I guess I'm a skeptic as far as that is concerned.

Though the writing is good, it's not stellar. There were many times where I thought that I had heard the story told better at other times. I was hoping for more from this book than what it delivered.

My Rating: 

My Recommendation: I would recommend this book to young people who would enjoy a different kind of look at some classic Old Testament stories.

Book has been provided courtesy of Authentic Media and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller.