"A Perfect Square" Review

A Perfect Square by Vannetta Chapman was sent to me by Zondervan Publishing as an advance review copy. It is the second book in the Shipshewana Amish Mystery series by this author. The first in the series is Falling to Pieces.

In the small Amish community of Shipshewana, Indiana, life moves at a peaceful pace. So when a young girl is found dead in a pond and a local Amish man is accused of the crime, it creates quite a stir, to say the least.

Deborah Yoder is convinced there is no way her friend Reuben could have committed this heinous crime. She and her English friend Callie Harper, owner of a local quilt shop, set out to prove his innocence. But there is more to this transgression than what they think.

An elderly man who has been searching for his missing daughter for years also asks Callie for help. As Callie and Deborah piece together the events that have shaken this quiet town, they discover more about themselves – and about God’s grace – than they ever expected.

After reading and enjoying the first book in this series, Falling to Pieces, I was looking forward to returning to Shipshewana for another Amish mystery. Fortunately, I was not disappointed. I actually think I liked this one and its conclusion better than the first one. The pieces of the puzzle were put together throughout the novel rather than dumped on the reader all at the end. This made the pacing of the story much better, in my opinion.

The author jumps right into the mystery in this story, which I really like. While it wouldn’t be absolutely necessary to read these books in order, I think you would be able to follow the characters better if you did. The characters are established in the first book and only revisited a little bit here and there in this one before it focuses completely on the story.

It feels wrong somehow to say a murder mystery is light, but that’s what this book is – a light murder mystery. I guess this is just in comparison to the gruesome stories that are out there that go into the actual aspects of the murder and the crazy serial killers. I loved that in this novel it was brought up by one of the characters that she couldn’t believe how often there were mysteries to solve in the last year in this small Amish town. I liked the nod to the fact that this would probably never happen – two murders in less than a year in Shipshewana, Indiana!

Another thing I really liked about this novel was how the reader was also able to follow along with the ‘other side of the mystery’ – the victim kind of had a voice. While we got to be with the characters who were currently trying to solve the mystery, we were also allowed to go back in time and get a glimpse of the events leading up to what happened to the victim. I thought that was a really neat aspect to this story.

The only issue I had with this novel was that it was sometimes hard to follow who was speaking. This might be because I had an unbound advanced copy for review, but in my copy, the speaker was not always clearly identified.

In A Perfect Square, I loved the setting, I liked the Amish-mystery aspect, and I absolutely adored the relationships among the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this second offering in the Shipshewana Amish mystery series, and I can’t wait for the next one.

I will give A Perfect Square … 4 BookWorms.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"Loving" Review

Loving by Karen Kingsbury was sent to me as an advance review copy by Zondervan Publishers. It is the fourth and final book in the Bailey Flanigan series. You can read the review of the first three books in this series here on my blog as well: Leaving, Learning, & Loving.

When we last left Bailey Flanigan, she had decided to move to California to be closer to Brandon and to pursue a possible career in acting. But life in the crazy town of Hollywood is not all sunshine and roses, and Bailey has second thoughts about remaining there. Despite her love for and commitment to Brandon Paul, Bailey questions the decisions she made when coming to California.

Meanwhile, Cody Coleman is finishing up his time at Lyle High School as the football coach. He is proud of how far his players have come in the last year, both on and off the field. While he would love to continue coaching these guys at Lyle, he has some decisions to make about his career and about other things in his life, including his relationships.

The time has come for Bailey to choose what she wants do with her life…and who she will spend that life with.

At the end of the previous book in this series, I felt as if I had settled into the series, and I was able to enjoy that novel a little more than the previous ones. I thought that the characters had finally grown up and were able to come to a point where they had some direction about where their lives were going. Bailey and Brandon were together in California. Cody was in Indiana grieving Cheyenne’s death but also celebrating her life. It seemed as if that book was setting up the final book to be a culmination of the various plot lines woven throughout this series.

And while that was ultimately the case, the novel Loving took its sweet time getting there.

In some ways this was OK. No matter who Bailey ends up with, the other guy (either Brandon or Cody – I’m not going to spoil the ending) will need to move on with his life on his own or with someone else. And that will take a bit of doing.

But for Bailey’s side of the story, it just seemed as if we had done this whole thing before…many, many times. Does she want to be with Brandon? Does she still have feelings for Cody? What does she really want to do with her life? (In this novel alone she contemplates going back to Broadway, acting in movies, directing a children’s theater, writing a book, and owning her own children’s theater company…seems like she needs to make up her mind). I just got tired of her going back and forth on so many things. It seemed as if the growth that was achieved in her life up until this point was for naught – that she really hadn’t learned anything, and to me that was disappointing.

I have previously stated in my reviews of books in a series that the story could have been told in fewer volumes. I definitely feel this way about the Bailey Flanigan series. Since I have not read the previous “Baxter Family” books by Karen Kingsbury, then maybe I am not as invested in these novels as much as her die-hard fans are. I still think this story would have been better told in only one or two books rather than four.

Having said all of that, I will say that, since I don't have that Baxter/Flanigan connection from the previous books, I was pretty much satisfied with the decisions all of the characters made at the end, with their careers and with who Bailey decided to say ‘yes’ to. While I didn’t necessarily always enjoy the ride (the characters are just too sappy and unrealistic), the conclusion was fine with me. I'm not sure I really cared who Bailey ended up with.

I would also like to comment on my main ‘take-away’ from this series. I don’t necessarily agree with everything that this author puts forth theologically in her novels (it seems as if her characters frequently put their trust in how they feel about a situation rather than always relying on the truth from God’s Word – I don’t know about you, but there are times when I really don’t need to be trusting my feelings!).

However, I will say that I was truly convinced through these novels that there is something in my spiritual life that I should be doing. Throughout this series, the characters who are parents consistently pray for their children’s future spouses. Now, I have a three-year-old daughter and the thought of her getting married scares the life out of my husband and me! But, we know that it might be here before we know it, and we should be fervently praying for our daughter and for whoever her husband will be, if she marries, even before we know him. I do pray for my daughter, but after reading these novels, I realize that this is one thing that I really need to be praying about more.

If you are a Karen Kingsbury fan, it seemed as if, from little things that were said throughout this novel, that there might be another book in the future that will be more of a grand conclusion for the Baxter family and their friends.

While I felt that Loving was more of the same thing that had already been done in this series, the ultimate conclusion was enough to sort of redeem the repetitiveness. Fans of Karen Kingsbury will adore the wedding at the end of this novel – I enjoyed it, too.

I will give Loving … 2 ½ BookWorms. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

***SPOILER ALERT***

Now that this book has been released, I would like to comment further on the ending. I said in my review that I had not read any of Karen Kingsbury's previous novels, so I didn't feel as much of a connection with the characters as someone who had read all of them. I really believe that my enjoyment of the conclusion to this series (Bailey choosing Brandon, and the fact that I didn't really care who she ended up with) was affected by the fact that I didn't have that connection with Bailey and Cody.

If you go to Amazon.com and read the reviews of this novel, there are plenty of ticked-off Karen Kingsbury fans out there. I mean...wow. There are over a hundred one-star ratings. I read a few of them, and the concensus seems to be that the readers feel disappointed and cheated. They have invested 20+ books with the Baxters and (I am guessing) 10 or so books with Bailey and Cody. To have Brandon come out of left field and to have this fairy tale ending did not sit well with die-hard fans.

Like I said, since I was not so invested with the characters, I didn't really care who she ended up with. (I did think that Brandon kind of came off as desperate, though. If Bailey had not chosen Brandon, he would have looked pretty foolish and desperate).

From the reviews, I also gleaned that the fans did not like that the Bailey series lined up so well with Karen Kingsbury's real-life daughter. That seemd kind of odd to me, too. Why would you want to write a fiction series about your only daughter? I am not an author, but that seems like too personal of a thing to do. Let's keep fiction about fiction. If this was meant to be a mini-biography about her daughter, then maybe it should be advertised as such.

So, what did you think? Did you like the ending or not?

I have been told not to base my judgment of Kingsbury's books on this series. If I ever have time, I might be convinced to go back and read some of her earlier stuff. But based on this series, I think I have had enough for the time being.

***SPOILER OVER***



"Heart of Glass" Review

Heart of Glass by Jill Marie Landis was sent to me as an advance review copy by Zondervan Publishing. It is the third book in the “Irish Angel” series by this author. You can read my reviews of the first two books in this series, Heart of Stone and Heart of Lies on my blog.

Because of the resources of her wealthy adoptive parents, Kate Keene was able to escape the effects of the Civil War. After spending time in Boston and in Ireland studying architecture, she returns to her home in New Orleans, armed with plans to renovate her childhood friend Amelie’s beloved plantation home. When she arrives, she is quite shocked to discover someone else has taken up residence there. And he does not want any visitors.

Colin Delany returned to Louisiana because he had nowhere else to go. After fighting for the Confederacy, Colin joined the ranks of the US Army only to be wounded by an Indian arrow out West. Upon arriving at his childhood home, Colin, bitter and angry, sequesters himself in a small cottage on the property, and turns away everyone who tries to help him.

But Kate Keene isn’t one to just walk away from a challenge. She remembers how she used to dream of her best friend’s older brother (Colin), and she hopes to be able to talk some sense into him. When Amelie also arrives at the plantation, deathly ill and with two children in tow, Colin and Kate’s lives become more complicated than they ever thought possible. Will their hearts be able to withstand what lies ahead, or will they once again be shattered like broken glass?

Before I start my review of this book, let me give you a little background on the first two books in this series. While each story technically stands on its own, there is an overarching storyline that is weaved throughout the whole series.

In the first book, the reader is made aware of four young Irish sisters living in New Orleans who have recently been orphaned. An uncle takes them in, but he soon realizes that he cannot continue to provide for all of them. Leaving the youngest two at an orphanage, he takes the two oldest sisters, Lovie and Megan, to a brothel. Heart of Stone is Lovie’s story of how she overcame her horrid past and found a new life and a new love in Texas.

In Heart of Lies, we learn that the next sister, Megan, escaped the brothel but was instead raised in a band of street urchins in New Orleans. Megan, now called Maddie, has no idea where she came from or who she really is; all she knows is how to steal and lie. When she gets caught up in a kidnapping, the detective on the case realizes who she might be. Maddie’s older sister, Lovie (now called Laura), has been searching for her, and the second book is the story of Maddie’s life and Laura’s search for her.

Now, having said all of that, I will get to this book, Heart of Glass. Kate is the third sister who was orphaned as a child, but she was fortunate enough to be adopted by a wealthy banker and his wife. Kate grew up in New Orleans, but actually spent most of her time with her best friend, Amelie, on their plantation. She also harbored a crush on Amelie’s older brother, Colin, who she is now trying to convince to renovate his home and get the plantation back up and running.

If this storyline sounds intricate, it’s because it is. I wouldn’t say it was hard to follow, but there definitely was a lot going on. So much so that this novel doesn’t even get to the part of the story where Laura and Maddie, Kate’s older sisters, are looking for her. That doesn’t happen until the epilogue of this book, which I thought was a bit disappointing. In the first and second books, that was an integral part of the plot, but Heart of Glass has its own story separate from the search, all the way to the end.

What I liked about this novel was that the story and characters were interesting. I don’t read a lot of Civil War-era or Reconstruction-era books, so I’m not an expert, but I thought the plot of this novel was more original than some. Kate is determined to rebuild her friend’s home; Colin is even more determined for her to leave. Throw in a marriage of convenience and two kids, and the story ramps up even more, but all of this ‘action’ kept things moving along.

The characters in this book were interesting and written well. Although I know Colin’s brooding male protagonist role has been done time and time again, he was still likable. I enjoyed Kate’s determination and her ability to make it in a man’s world (the field of architecture), even if I didn’t relate to her years of mooning over her childhood crush (Colin).

As far as the spiritual side of things is concerned, this one didn’t have much depth, but it didn’t completely leave God out of the equation, either. At times I felt as if Colin saw Kate as his savior rather than Christ. But this is a good reminder of how caught up we can get in things and in people rather than attributing our salvation to the One who truly rescued us from death.

Heart of Glass was an interesting story told during a fascinating time in the history of the South. It was easy to read, and I look forward to hearing the last of the sisters’ story in the next book.

I will give Heart of Glass … 3 ½ BookWorms

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"Beauty for Ashes" Review

Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love was sent to me as an advance review copy by Thomas Nelson Publishers. It is the second book in the Hickory Ridge Series by this author. Be sure to check out my review of Beyond All Measure, the first book in this series.

The year 1876 is a difficult one throughout the South but especially in the small town of Hickory Ridge, Tennessee. The panic of 1873 sent the nation into a depression from which it has not yet recovered.

After the death of her husband in the War between the States years ago, Carrie Daly has settled into her life helping her brother on the farm. She has been ‘courting’ Nate Chastain, the local bookseller, for years, but for some reason she just isn’t quite ready to set a date. Carrie sees the upcoming marriage of her brother as a sign that maybe she should start planning for her own wedding soon, even if she does think the marriage to Nate will be practical rather than for love.

Then Griff Rutledge comes to town and turns Carrie’s world upside down. But Griff is just passing through Hickory Ridge, determined to live a life that is not tied to any one place.

Some of the townsfolk in Hickory Ridge think that a Thoroughbred horse race, similar to the new derby in Louisville, Kentucky, just might be a way to bring some much needed money into the town. With Griff’s unlikely choice to remain in Hickory Ridge to train for the race and with Carrie’s life going in a direction she never saw coming, it will take a leap of faith for them to open their hearts to each other and to what God has planned for them.

Since the first book in this series, Beyond All Measure was a nice read, I was looking forward to returning to Hickory Ridge in Beauty for Ashes. This second offering in the series was also an enjoyable one, but I think I would have liked it even more if I had read it right after the first one. Since it had been almost a year since I read the first one, it took me a long time to remember all of the characters and their stories. It would have been nice to have either a list of characters at the beginning as a refresher or a better explanation of each character as they were introduced in this particular book.

Though I enjoyed the story and scenarios in this book, I was once again confronted with characters that I just didn’t like. This has happened to me quite often lately with the novels I have been reading, and it makes for an interesting conundrum. Should I not like a book because the characters get on my nerves, or is that a sign of good writing? Being able to write characters that are realistic is a good thing, especially since I often complain when characters in novels are ‘too perfect.’ Even though it may be difficult to relate to a character or read about a character that I just don’t like, I still think this is a mark of a talented author, and the book should be given its due.

The character in this novel that created that conundrum for me was Mary, Carrie’s new sister-in-law. She was the most unbearable character I have read in a while. Everything that she did wrong, she somehow managed to turn around until it was someone else’s fault.  She was also the most ungrateful person I have read about in a long time. But, don’t we all know someone like that? Or haven’t we all been that way a little bit ourselves at times?

What I liked most about this story was the lessons that came through in terms of how we see other people. The town’s reaction to Griff, a drifter and an outsider, shows how unfeeling people can so often be towards those who they consider to be ‘unsuitable.’ The reaction of Carrie’s friends toward Griff riled me to no end, and reminded me how callous even ‘good Christian people’ can be. What a great reminder of Christ’s example while he was here on Earth. He fellowshipped with the poor and with those who were seen as objectionable by society, and we need to have the compassion to do the same.

Although the main storyline in this novel has been done again and again in historical fiction (girl is resigned to leading her practical life until the mysterious, dashing stranger rides into town), the subplots and the realistic actions of the characters kept the novel moving and from becoming too bland. There were definitely some storylines left hanging, though, which will hopefully be wrapped up in the next novel.

After a little bit of a muddled start, Beauty for Ashes turned into a pleasant read with a good story and characters that kept me interested.

I will give Beauty for Ashes … 3 ½ BookWorms.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek" Blog Tour & Giveaway

From the Publisher: Upon his arrival, Butternut Creek Christian Church's newly-minted minister is met by a welcome committee led by Miss Birdie and her friend Mercedes, a.k.a. "the Widows." Their first order of business, to educate him on how things should be done, quickly gives way to a campaign to find him a wife.

When their matchmaking efforts fizzle, the Widows turn to another new bachelor. Amputee and Afghan vet Sam simply wants to be left alone-- a desire that's as good as a red flag to the Widows! Soon they're scheming to pair him up with Willow, his beautiful physical therapist, a divorced mother of two who is afraid of commitment. Perrine's small-town tale is a big-time triumph of gentle humor, fast-paced plot, and wonderfully engaging characters.

For more information about this novel and to read an excerpt, go here.

About the Author: A Missouri native, Jane Myers Perrine earned her B.A. from Kansas State University and her M.Ed. in Spanish from the University of Louisville. She was a finalist in the Regency category of the Golden Heart Awards, and her short pieces have appeared in the Houston Chronicle and Woman's World magazine. A high-school Spanish teacher as well as an ordained minister, she currently lives in Texas with her husband, who is the minister of a local Christian church.

You can find Jane on the internet at http://www.janemyersperrine.com/

My Take:

I love it when books make me laugh out loud, and this one did not disappoint. But, it was heartwarming, too. Having grown up in and around small Southern churches, the people and the circumstances in this novel hit close to home -- the lady at church who seems to do everything (and actually 'runs' the church behind the scenes); the naive young pastor fresh out of seminary; and the women in town who make it their goal in life to see people married off.

Even though the author seemed to use 'big' words just for the sake of using big words (the dictionary on my Kindle got a workout!), the writing was still easy to read. There were a lot of storylines going on, and there was a lot of head-hopping (telling the story from different characters' points of view), but I was still able to keep up with the main characters and main plots well. The secondary characters sometimes ran together in my mind, but that didn't decrease my enjoyment of the story.

One of my favorite sections of the book was when the pastor, Adam, is just getting acquainted with Miss Birdie. He says to himself:

"But he hadn't met anyone like Miss Birdie before. Oh, every church had a kitchen lady, the woman in charge of nearly everything including meal preparation and service and keeping the congregation in line. Miss Birdie was different, though, stronger than most but also caring and concerned about the flock. How did a person combine her judgmental personality with a heart that had organized the furniture purchase and sent her minister to call on an amputee?" (The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek by Jane Myers Perrine. Kindle location 607)

This paragraph just struck me because I had just been thinking the same thing as I was 'getting to know' Miss Birdie at the beginning of the book. I absolutely adored getting to see things from her perspective. It is definitely true that you don't truly know a person's heart - especially when they seem to have such a gruff exterior.

The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek is a character-driven novel that was a delightful read, and I look forward to more to come in this series.

I will give The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek ... 3 ½ BookWorms.

(And maybe a PG rating, since there were a few 'choice' words and a scene that was on the sensual side..)

The Giveaway:

The Publisher of The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek has graciously offered a copy of the book for me to give away to my readers.

Just fill out the form below - the contest will run through Thursday, April 12th, and I will announce the winner here on my blog on Friday, April 13th.

(This contest is for residents of the US and Canada only. No P.O. Boxes, please.)

 Congratulations to Vera G! You are the contest winner!

I will send an email to you will details about your prize.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

     Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from FaithWords/Hachette Book Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"Blue Moon Bay" Review

Blue Moon Bay by Lisa Wingate was sent to me for review by Bethany House Publishers. It is the second novel by this author that takes place in Moses Lake, Texas, but it can be read as a standalone book.

When Heather Hampton left Moses Lake, Texas, after high school, her plan was to never return. But a lucrative architectural project with her family’s own farmland draws her back to Moses Lake from the secure life she has made in Seattle.

Heather’s plans for a quick trip are waylaid for one reason or another, and she discovers that there is more going on with the property and with her family than she thought. Enter the local banker, Blaine Underhill (and Heather’s high school crush), and things get even more interesting.

The longer Heather remains in Moses Lake, the more she realizes that she doesn’t really know her family…or herself. As she discovers more and more secrets, Heather must find out the truth of the past before she can have the faith it will take to go forward into her own future.

It seems to be somewhat of a trend in Christian fiction today to write stories of characters who “return home” to “discover secrets from their past.” (I went back and counted five of these type books that I reviewed on my blog just within the last year). While that is not necessarily a bad thing, I’m wondering if I am getting a bit tired of this plot. I am writing this to say that my enjoyment of Blue Moon Bay might have been somewhat affected by the fact that I was already a bit weary of this plot line.

The very beginning of this book got me interested in the characters and this particular story right away. However, after Heather arrived in Moses Lake, I thought the narrative moved slowly and was very repetitive. The novel is written in first person, and sometimes the internal monologue was taxing. The main character talked to herself using questions during the entire book. There was one section that seemed to just be paragraphs of endless “thought questions”. To me, that is just not easy or fun to read.

After getting through the first ¾ or so of the book, the story finally came into its own, and it was excellent through the end. What kept me reading through most of the book was that I was very interested in the secrets of this family. I felt invested in the story, and the ending was great. I just wish it hadn’t taken me so long to actually get there.

Although the ending was satisfactory, I think it would have been better if the pieces of the puzzle (the clues to the mystery, the revelation of family secrets) had been scattered throughout the book and then put together at the end rather than having no pieces for most of the book and then having it all being revealed in the last few chapters. It’s fun to try to figure out what’s going on with the mystery and with the secrets in a book, and in this novel, there just seemed to be no way to completely figure out the biggest piece of the mystery on my own. There didn’t seem to be enough clues leading up to the revelation at the end, but perhaps this was because of the first person narrative. Since Heather knew nothing of the secrets until the end, the reader didn’t either.

Even though we are just getting one point-of-view in this story, I thought that the other characters were written well. Also, the writing style, when the story was actually moving along, was humorous when it needed to be humorous and had depth (and some great meaningful quotes) when it needed to have depth.

There were two parts of this book that I actually liked better than the story. One was the sermon that was delivered by the pastor of the Lakeshore Community Church. He talked about love – what the world thinks about love and how God loves. I just really connected to what he was saying, and I appreciated the author including a good sermon in the book. The other part that I liked was the quotes and sayings that were at the beginning of each chapter in the book. They were writings that were left on the wall of the Waterbird Bait & Grocery, a tradition in Moses Lake. The quotes related to the story, but they can also stand alone, and they made the story much more interesting.

Blue Moon Bay, which started as a somewhat tedious novel, was redeemed by a complex and satisfying ending and by the little extras sprinkled throughout.

I will give Blue Moon Bay … 3 ½ BookWorms.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Easter Hunt Devotional App

Family devotions for Easter?

There's an app for that!™

From the Developer: EasterHunt is an interactive family devotional app for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. EasterHunt is designed to help parents lead their children to the Gospel by using simple games and devotionals. EasterHunt works by allowing the child to play a game where he or she must find and then open an egg to receive a "treasure". The treasure that pops out of the egg is a children's illustration that gives a visual theme for the devotional for that day. Then you, the parent, can take over and guide your child's heart by reading the devotional as your child listens. Our hope is that parents will use this app to take time to connect with their children in a fun, but meaningful, way this Easter.

EasterHunt is designed to be used as a tool to engage your children in the story of Easter, but the key is that you, the parent are always in control. All the games are designed so a four year old can play them, and yet the games are engaging enough to be played over and over again, even by older kids. The games are all designed to be played well within the attention span of a toddler, which enables you to teach your children about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ using the devotional as a launching point. By the way, the devotional text is short, and to the point. The devotional is written in narrative style to capture the attention of young children, which enables you, the parent, to stay in control of the Gospel discussion with your family.

There's a very special treat for those that complete EasterHunt to the last level- they get to visit the empty tomb on Resurrection Day! Enter into a 3D model of the empty tomb on your iPad or iPhone / iPod Touch and talk with the angels who will tell you that "He is not here, for He is risen!"

He is risen indeed!

Purchase EasterHunt at:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/easter-hunt/id509814728?ls=1&mt=8

"There's an app for that!" is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.


My Take:
This app is a nice little game that goes through the Easter story in devotional form.

My three-year-old daughter liked finding the eggs, and she could also do most of the mini-games. I'm sure older kids would be able to do it just fine, but it might be a little too easy. It would probably also be easier to play these games on an iPad. Sometimes my iPod  Touch would not let me play the games correctly

The devotionals were thorough and could be done one at a time leading up to Easter or all at once. The wording was over the head of my three-year-old -- probably more suited to six- or seven-year-olds -- and was fairly intense, as devotionals surrounding the death of Christ will be.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and Sqare Smith for a free download of this app for review.





Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Sqare Smith and Litfuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."