Very cute story, but there is a bit of a cliff hanger ending and I don't plan on ordering book two next week.

I found it to be a bit improbable, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was set a bit further into the future.

Also, the geography is bizarre. ( )

Wow. Wow. Wow. I just don't even know how to review this . . . but I'll do my best.

This book is so incredibly *deep* it almost made my brain hurt sometimes. Brandes tackles some very good - and weighty - questions throughout, and handles them in an exceptional manner. It really makes you think - which I loved. Some of the concepts and ideas just blew my mind.

The characters were a ton of fun, not to mentioned relatable, honest, and real. The MC, Parvin, is just like any one of us. She wants to do the right thing, she wants to be selfless. She wants to trust God and have faith. But yet she's scared to death, and questions God when everything seems to be going wrong. She's human. She struggles with the same exact issues that I do, and you do. Not to mention her sarcasm was pretty awesome. XD Her character arc was masterfully done, and I knew within only a few chapters that Brandes is an incredibly talented author.
Other characters such as Jude, Hawke, Reid and Willow, were also fantastic. Jude's story particularly really caught my interest. Although did he really have to die in the end?! Really!? Was is necessary to completely obliterate my heart within pages of the end?? I wasn't really a fan of the romance between Jude and Parvin, and that's part of the reason I docked a star.
Hawke's character was pretty understated, but I know he will be far more prominent in future books, which I am really looking forward to.
Reid, though, was the very best. I may or may not have a brother-crush on that character. He was just the sweetest and reminded me in many ways of my own brothers.
The story and setting was very fascinating. There were times were the plot lagged a bit, and I lost interest, but I am glad I pushed through, as it was totally worth it. There were some aspects that I found overly-creepy, such as the albino's lifestyle? What even? Just ew . . . That first scene in the albino village had me creeped out. That, and a few other aspects were too violent for my tastes, but that's entirely just my feelings on that matter.

All in all, this book was really. really. well written. Just wow! As I said before, it is incredibly clear that Brandes is a talented author, and I look forward to reading more by her!

Recommended for ages 16 for violence and mild romance. A character gets her hand amputated (as punishment), and another an arm. There are mentions of suicide and euthanasia. Also people being held at gunpoint, shot, being attacked, etc. Also some "creepy" elements that are part of the futuristic world. ( )

“A Time to Die” is one of the first books to be published by the newly branded Enclave Publishing House. It's a very exciting time for Christian publishing.

Admittedly I am not a fan of every new genre that Christian publishing houses have made room for, but I do have a certain fondness for the speculative and dystopian divisions and so I jumped at the chance to review and help promote “A Time to Die” by Nadine Brandes.

I was blessed to have the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book. It is so refreshing to find a Christian author who writes dystopian... and it's book 1 of a series so there's more to come.

The concept behind this book is fascinating. What would you do if you had one year left to live? What would you do with your life if you knew the number of days you had? The Bible tells us that no one can know how many days they have... but what if you did?

What would you do? Would you want to see the world, fall in love, read every single book you could get your hands on?

What if belief in God was frowned upon by society at large? What if all you had to look forward to was your number of days and then... nothing? Would you be inspired to do something fantastic?

Or would you only be inspired to live a fantastic life if you had an AWESOME GOD to believe in?

It is a question this book asks and don't you want to know what the answer is...

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. ( )