Every girl has a secret she hopes the light will never find—But the demons already have. Battles between unseen forces of good and evil have made unlikely friends out of high school juniors Krystal, Mackenzie, Tammi, and Sadie, who share similar secrets from their traumatic pasts. Will the relationships survive the epic spiritual battles raging around them? Or will the demons keep them chained … keep them chained to their secrets?
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This is a young adult book with all kinds of horrors for teenagers. Each of these teens has a problem like bulimia, sexual abuse and more. This is not a book for the weak at heart. You will want to read the first book in the series and I know I want to read the third book. These problems are being talked about very well. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
If you haven’t read the first book in this series, I would recommend grabbing a copy. It will help you get a feel for how powerful the author takes subjects and lays them out in realistic terms. The four girls in this story face real issues that some people feel uncomfortable talking about. The author hits subjects like depression, suicide, eating disorders, rape, incest and many other hard topics with a hard punch of realism. It is not an easy read but one that delivers a very simple message. The enemy is out there to devour our teens and will use any scheme it can to turn them away from God.
One of the things I found interesting was how the author showed an adult trying to commit suicide. This really opened the doors to revealing the hard truth of how a family especially with teens can be affected by it. We hear about teens trying to kill themselves, but what if it was a parent? How would the children react? Would it cause them to turn to something that could help them cope with a parent with mental illness? For one teen they may spiral out of control and turn to drugs or make a wrong choice and feel peer pressure trying to take over .
The book is not an easy read but one that hits home for some. The author has given a Trigger Warning at the beginning of the book, which I hope everyone will read before starting the book. Some of the subjects in the book were difficult for me but I knew that each time I face a trigger, I become stronger with God’s help.
I loved how one of the girls tells her friend , ” The Bible says we will find God and the truth when we seek Him with all our heart. So, I suggest you pray and tell God you want to understand.” It’s an important part of the story because with the enemy causing havoc in lives, we need to remember to pray and never cease praying. We are important to God and He wants to heal His children. We are not alone in our battle and calling out to Him makes the enemy weaker.
The ending is a real cliff hanger that will have readers anxious for the next book. I really thought the author does an excellent job giving us a glimpse into what teenagers deal with and how important it is to pray for them.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Uninvited
The 2nd in the series. You definitely want to read the first book. I am looking forward to the next book to see what happens.
It is battles between good and evil for the continuing story of Krystal, Mackenzie, Tammi and Sadie. They are healing from their injuries, some minor and some not. They have a lot of things going on in their family life also.
The book did keep my interest from start to finish. I did read in one sitting. Of course, not a long book. Parts of the book may be hard to read about. The author does explain this at the first of the book.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review. This is my own opinion.
This book started out kind of random with a couple of girls in the hospital and quickly dove into the deep topics such as abuse, incest, suicide and serious eating disorders. A bit of a backstory would have been helpful. I felt like I had missed something. I immediately started looking into Book One in the series and to see what happened. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I am assuming it must end in some form of a cliff hanger, so before you pick up this one to read, I would strongly suggest starting with the first book. Yes, You can read this as a stand alone, but I feel you will be better equipped to understand what is going on if you take it from the start.
Four girls, who are “friends”, are facing some of life’s toughest challenges. They struggle to find meaning through it all, and face the future after things they treasure are taken away. These are typical teens with all kinds of insecurities and ongoing drama. However, their feelings and emotions are a real part of life and make total sense.
It also had an “otherworldly” feature with demons and angels in most scenes. It was an interesting take on spiritual warfare. At times, the demons were a bit disturbing, however I do think the use of them in the book provides great insight for what may really be happening in any given situation. The demons were named names such as Abuse, Incest, Bitterness, Anger, Fear, Depression, Bulimia, and they showed up often. There were also angels, who were summoned by prayer, to drive away the demons and encourage those who prayed.
If you have dealt with the pain of sexual abuse, or eating disorders, mental illness, or thoughts of suicide, this book may, or may not be the book for you. It could certainly be a trigger if reading about those topics bothers you. However, there is also much positive insight to dwell on too, so don’t just write it off.
The book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger so you will want to be prepared to read the next book in the series when it releases. Overall, I found this book interesting in its own right.I enjoyed reading this book, and would like to read the first one to catch up, and am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next. The biggest thing I took away from this book, was how essential and important prayer is! Alot of teens in today’s society are likely struggling with these issues. However, if your teen is very “sheltered”, I would advise some parental caution, especially for younger teens.
I received a complimentary copy this book from Celebrate Lit and author. I was not asked to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
*4.5 stars
You don’t have to look far to see just how serious the attacks from Satan are on teen girls today. Uninvited takes the reader inside the world and mind of 4 teen girls including the actions of the spiritual realm. As I said when I reviewed Secrets (book 1), this series is like The Screwtape Letters for today’s teen girls and their families. Since we can’t physically see it, I think it can be easy for us to diminish the reality of the spiritual warfare around us but it’s very real and touches each of us in different ways. Satan is very crafty, and knows where our weak spots are for the most effective attacks. This story paints this in a very real and tangible way.
Unsurprisingly this book has left me in a book fog not unlike the first. I don’t think this one was was intense as Secrets, but the trigger warnings are still very real. The parts that struck me the hardest were the descriptions of how the demons creep in and slither their way into whatever situation the characters were facing. The ability to visualize it while emotionally comprehending the effects really punched me in the heart. I still feel like I’m processing it all. Take the trigger warnings seriously as this book isn’t for the faint of heart, but realize that this book is reality to the core and reveals many truths to the intensity of spiritual warfare.
I have no doubt that this book will stay with me for a long time. Currently I don’t see another book listed to release but this one ends in a way that demands a book 3 so hopefully that happens. I need to know what happens next!
*I received a copy of this book through CelebrateLit. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
This week, I read Becky Lindsey’s Uninvited.It’s the second book in a young adult series, and I haven’t read the first one (but now I think I might). I have mixed feelings about this book, but not for the reasons you might think.First, from a practical standpoint, I think you really need to read the first book. I was a little bit lost coming in. It was a reasonably short read. Sometimes the conversations felt a little contrived. The teaching was sound, if a little bit preachy at times (but clearly trying not to be). In many ways, it seemed to fall in the tradition of Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness, which is one of my favorites. Books like this put “clothes on” what the Bible teaches about how the enemy works. They help us to see how it might play out. You guys, this is so important. We don’t know exactly how things are. We can learn a lot from Scripture and from experience. But the Holy Spirit + imagination can help us picture what Satan’s manipulations might look like in our local high school or our own homes. Story helps us take notice of where God – and often the enemy – are at work in our lives.I would recommend this book, but only to certain people.The content is pretty mature – which doesn’t mean we shouldn’t read it (remember, even teens need to read books with mature content). And there are a LOT of triggers. Sex, lust, porn, rape, abuse, eating disorders, alcholism, depression, suicide…they all vie for attention in this book. The author warns us ahead of time, which is wise, especially considering the YA audience. I think we need to have good fiction about all of these issues, and even how the enemy gets involved in these issues. But I think maybe trying to fit them all in the same book might be too much. It might actually detract from the message, which is a shame, because it’s a good one.I know a little about secrets.And sometimes, we need to read stuff that might be a trigger. I know I do. The Hunger Games is one of my favorite book and movie series’. Sometimes, I don’t read it, or watch it, because the depression factor is a little too close to home. Other times, reading it or watching it is part of how God brings me healing. I think it could be the same thing with the other triggers in this books. It’s about timing. The other thing is that sometimes it’s encouraging to read something or watch something and think, “OH. It’s okay that I’ve felt that way.” It’s validating, and that can have tremendous healing potential. So, yes, I would recommend this book…to the right person, at the right maturity level, in the right timing. I think I still would send them to This Present Darkness first, though. 🙂 I know, I know, books are like children, we shouldn’t have favorites…but that one is still one of my all-time favorites!
I received a review copy of this book; all opinions are my own.