Playing With Fire
The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor Book Three
by Melody Carlson
Playing With Fire is the third book I've read in this series and the author is really settling into her
characters nicely. Samantha McGregor is a godly Christian teen with an unusual gift - she gets visions from God
in her dreams. These visions aren't always clear and Samantha struggles with the insecurity of somehow
misinterpreting her visions and letting people die. It's a heavy load to lay on a high school girl, but Samantha
handles it with relatively little whining (something I appreciate in a heroine). Adding to the burden of her
visions, Samantha worries about her brother coming out of drug rehab, her mother who is trying to "get a life"
through dating and a little too much alcohol, and a friend who may or may not be using drugs. Drugs is a major
theme of this particular installment in Samantha's life, and the author does a decent job of skirting around
letting the novel become a full blown anti-drug lecture for readers. Each book also includes a reader's guide
for using the books in group discussions. That kind of thing made me twitchy as a teen, looking a little too
much like homework, but the publisher probably sees the potential of these novels in introducing teens to both
spiritual gifts and contemporary issues. Thankfully, they're also entertaining books. The characters are becoming
more well-rounded and real with each installment in the series. For teens looking for a solid Christian novel with
a contemporary twist, this series is fast-paced with generally likable characters and plenty of plot twists - the
novels feel more like mysteries than the standard "teen problem novel." I'm looking forward to future installments
in Samantha's life.
|
The Book |
Multnomah |
August 2007 |
Paperback |
1590526945 / 978-1590526941 |
Teen /Young Adult Fiction |
More at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The Reviewer |
Jan Fields |
Reviewed 2007 |
NOTE: Reviewer Jan
Fields is the editor of Kid Magazine Writers emagazine and has written dozens of
stories and articles for the children's magazine market. |
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