Friday, February 3, 2017

Sequel Review: "Rebels"

The Short:

Rebels
(Safe Lands #3)

By:  Jill Williamson

5/5 Stars

What: The Glenrockers must work together with new allies to escape the Safe Lands once and for all.

Recommended to those who like: Christian, Young Adult, Dystopian, and Have Read Books 1 and 2.

The Long:

I was thrilled to find this on the bargain rack at my favorite bookstore, because it gave me the chance to pick it up right away, rather than my budget forcing me to wait until next month. (Okay, let’s be honest; my budget still cried out in terror as I walked through the book store’s doors).
I
 might have mentioned this before, but I always approach the final installment of a trilogy with a certain amount of trepidation. After all, this book will impact how I remember the series. And if it’s a lousy book (rare, but it does happen upon occasion), then I might end up regretting reading the whole series.

Luckily, this book did not at all fall into the lousy category. Logan is now solidly in my favorite characters file, Omar is still one of my favorite redemption stories, and overall it was fantastic. All of the plot threads were wrapped up nicely. While there were a few surprises at the end, the story also didn’t take some odd turn that left more questions than it answered. Although it wasn’t my absolute favorite book of the series, I’m also quite glad that I read it. I can even hope for a possible sequel series(?) But if it doesn’t happen, I won’t be crushed; the book left off in a very nice place.

As with the previous books, there’s a fair amount of material that would not be suitable for middle grade readers or less mature teens. The series would be appropriate for mature teens and up (grittier PG-13 rating). 

Ms. Williamson did a wonderful job of continuing to present her Christian message without bludgeoning us with it. If you’re someone who has found that Christian fiction doesn’t address real issues, that the books always seem too preachy, or that the characters are too perfect, I would point you to this series. I think it’s a serious step in the right direction for Christian YA fiction.


The Bottom Line: The Safe Lands would be an excellent pick for mature teens/ young adults who are looking for a grittier Christian dystopian read.

What's your biggest pet peeve when it comes to Christian Fiction? What author have you found who avoids that mistake?

2 comments:

  1. I'm so glad the final book was a good one! I definitely know the feeling of "whyyyyy did I read the final book?" so I'm glad this one didn't disappoint you.

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    Replies
    1. That's the worst feeling ever when the last book flops. Thanks for the comment!

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