Welcome to the LIVING FICTITIOUSLY stop on the STORM blog tour hosted by YA Bound. Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!
by Evan Angler
Release Date: 05/07/13
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Paperback/e-book
288 pages
**CLEAN READ**
Summary from Goodreads:
In a future United States under the power of a charismatic leader, everyone gets the Mark at age thirteen. The Mark allows citizen to shop, go to school, and even get medical care--without it, you are on your own. Few refuse to get the Mark. Those who do . . . disappear.
Logan Langly went in to get his Mark, but he backed out at the last minute. Ever since, he's been on the run from government agents and on a quest to find his sister Lily, who disappeared when she went to get her Mark five years earlier. His journey leads him to befriend the Dust, a vast network of Markless individuals who dissent against the iron-grip rule of the government. Along the way to the capital to find Lily, the Dust receive some startling information from the Markless community, opening their eyes to the message of Christianity and warning that humanity is now entering the End of Days.
In "Storm," Logan and his friends are the leaders of the Markless revolution. But while some Markless are fighting Chancellor Cylis' army, the Dust is busy trying to find a cure for a horrible epidemic sweeping through the Marked. And it's difficult for them to know who to trust, especially when they aren't sure if Logan's sister Lily, one of the commanders in Cylis' army, is on their side or not. And all across the nation--and the world--the weather is become less stable, and a storm is brewing that bigger than any of them could have ever imagined....
*****
Review:
I have loved this series from the very beginning, and STORM just strengthened my love for it. The 3rd installment in the Swipe series gives us even more POVs, and opens up even more questions. However, we also start to get some answers, and some more hints as to what is really going on. The Christian elements of the series are starting to become a little more prevalent and revealing while continuing to not be overwhelming or preachy. This is not a Bible story, but it is an excellent way to introduce Biblical elements to reluctant or uninformed readers.
While this series is geared toward middle grade readers, it will also appeal to readers of all ages. It will be easy to relate to from nearly any perspective, and adult especially can relate to the political aspect that holds a complex plot with plenty of intrigue, betrayal, and danger. In STORM, these elements are even stronger, and to have these heavy topics tackled by kids in their early to late teens, helps these adult topics to be more understandable for younger readers while keeping their interest.
There's an even more interesting aspect that comes into play in STORM that serves as quite the twist in my opinion. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't go in to details, but I am very interested to see how this will play out in the future. And exactly what role the new character associated with the twist will play.
If you are looking for a clean read that will appeal to reluctant readers of all ages the Swipe series is perfect. With a young male protagonist, this is also a great read for younger boys. And if you are an adult like me, this is a fresh approach to political and Biblical themes that will suck you in and leaving you craving more.
Buy Links for STORM:
If you haven't read SWIPE (book 1) or SNEAK (book 2), you can can follow the links below.
My Reviews
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Barnes & Noble
*****
Evan lives without the Mark, evading DOME and writing in the shadows of Beacon.
Swipe is his first book. But if anyone asks, you know nothing about it, and you didn't hear anything from him. Don't make eye contact if you see him. Don't call his name out loud. He's in enough trouble already.
And so are you, if you've read his book.
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Face
***GIVEAWAY***
Print books 1-3 in the Swipe series, US only.