Jonathan Friesen

"We're all stupid sometimes."

I found this to be a fascinating read - although very dated and maybe doesn't age well. BUT there aren't a lot of books about Tourette Syndrome and I think that gives this one a definite additional star for tackling a subject many others won't/don't talk about.

This is the story of Sam that's been pushed and shoved down his whole life. His home life and his school life were both sad and horrible to read. I enjoyed reading about Sam taking control of his life and show more trying to ask some hard questions. I just didn't like the added religion in the end part but Meh, it wasn't too bad. I'm glad I gave this one a try - I feel like I learned insight into a syndrome I know little about. show less

I really enjoyed this story, yes its another dystopian young adult novel, but I think this one goes deeper than the typical government is bad. The people are controlled much more than other novels I've read or movies I've watched. They are not even allowed to feel certain feelings and are punished if they do, which you can imagine is not fun.

The characters were a bit difficult to get a good sense of who they truly are, sometimes this is good in times where you don't know if they will betray show more a character or not, but most of the time its frustrating, character development is good for some but lacking in others.

The ride the story provides was exciting, I wanted to keep reading, sometimes trading sleep to continue, but there are some janky moments where the collection of information is out of nowhere, characters are finding out important bits of plot through ridiculous means. Then there is a Christianity tie-in at the end of the book which I felt was not needed and a bit forced. I don't mind religion in novels but in this case it felt out of place and never was even mentioned, the only clue was a group of people called wishers and the fact that they pray.

Overall, even with some hiccups here and there, I really did like this book. I'm definitely interested in reading more from this author. show less

Fun book, though I think it's a little dark for my 7 and 5 year-olds. Probably best suited for the 8-13 crowd.

The Last Martin is the story of a young boy who comes to the realization that his name is cursed. He enlists his best friend, a homeless boy who lives in his backyard and the most popular girl in school to help him break the pattern of death among those who have shared his name. I loved the characters, including Martin's overbearing mother and father whose primary interest is show more reenacting Civil War battles.

Overall, a good read and one that I will hand off to my boys when they get a little older. show less

Gullary, Oklahoma is the home of a maximum state prison that has been long abandoned except for one inmate. It is also the frequent victim of violent storms, one of which, some eighteen years ago, deposited a baby in the yard of one of the residents who then adopted her. She was named Stormi, not only for her means of arrival, but because of her ‘free and wild’ temperament and her abilities to heal by touch and to predict the future. Jonah has been in love with her since they were show more children but he suffers from scoliosis and epileptic fits or old rickety as he calls them so he has resigned himself to playing the role of best friend. Then Stormi predicts a tragic accident involving many of the town’s children and everything changes but in ways even she couldn’t predict.

Unfolding by author Jonathan Friesen is an atmospheric and creepy tale combining the supernatural with a mystery about secrets and the extent a town will go to to keep them hidden. Reading it, there were more than a few times, I found the tale confusing and somewhat disjointed. The one redeeming factor that kept me reading despite my occasional inability to keep track of the storyline was Jonah. His character is complex and sympathetic – his frequent bouts of self-pity are offset by his sense of humour, his loyalty and honesty. Overall, I can’t say I loved the book but I did like it enough to read it all the way through so, to be honest, I’d give the plotline 2 stars but the character of Jonah 4, so an average of 3 stars it is.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less