Tag Archives: Christian fiction

Only Uni (Camy Tang)

Rating: [rate 5.0]

Only Uni (Camy Tang)Senior biologist Trish Sakai is ready for a change from her wild, flirtatious behavior. So Trish creates three simple rules from First and Second Corinthians and plans to follow them to the letter. No more looking at men as possible dates, especially non-Christians. Second, tell others about Christ. And third, she will persevere in hardship by relying on God. And just to make sure she behaves, she enlists the help of her three cousins — Lex, Venus and Jennifer — the only Christians in their large extended family.

But Trish’s dangerously tempting ex-boyfriend, Kazuo the artist, keeps popping up at all the wrong moments, and her grandmother, who has her eye on his family money, keeps trying to push the two of them back together again. Then there’s Spenser, the hunky colleague at work who keeps turning Trish’s thoughts in the wrong direction.

It just isn’t fair! She’s trying to hard, but instead of being God’s virtuous woman, she’s going nuts trying to stand firm against two hunky guys. Trish thought following her three rules would be a cinch, but suddenly those simple rules don’t seem so simple at all.

So I finally got my hands onto this book — much thanks to Camy for her e-group contest and the free books! This book is signed too, so I’m definitely keeping this.

Anyway, so I read the Sushi series out of the original order, and it really doesn’t matter, except if you don’t want to know what happened to Trish at the end of this book. Nevertheless, reading Single Sashimi first didn’t spoil me of the details in this book, so it was still a fun read.

If Lex is kind of boyish and Venus stays away from boys, Trish…well, she embraces them. She’s the flirtiest among all the cousins, and it came to a point that she let her cousins down because she chose a guy over them (that was foreshadowed in Sushi for One?). This time, though, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf by making three rules based on the book of Corinthians. She can do this, right?

If only life were so easy, then maybe everyone could make up a set of rules in their life and avoid sin at all times. But life isn’t like that, and Trish had to learn it the hard way. From a roommate who gets her kicked out of her place to finding a new place that is basically a dump (with mutant mold and discount sinks)  to her ex-boyfriend wooing her again to her hunky colleague and to churchmates who couldn’t understand the way she worships (and there’s more, actually), this book is such a fun read, just like the two other books in the Sushi series. There was never a dull moment, and the faith issues were realistic and tackled head on.

The ending was quite surprising (but of course, since I’m already spoiled, it wasn’t that surprising, but I bet other people would think it is surprising for Christian fiction), but it presents a reality of life, where we have to face the consequences of our actions and be responsible for it. It’s something all Christians — be it a new one or one who has been a Christian all his/her life — should remember.

Oh, and to actually get how the ending happened, you’d have to pay attention to the smaller details in the book. I was kind of surprised when it was sprung on to Trish, but reading the past pages showed that Camy left enough clues about it. :P

So far, out of the entire series, my favorite female character is still Venus, but my favorite male character is Spenser, hands down. He’s second to Kevin Novak from the Ashley Stockingdale series. :D

I’m kind of sad that the Sushi Series is over (save for the novella about Jenn which is exclusive for Camy’s e-group — so join now!), but I can’t wait to read the other things that Camy will write! I’m sure they’d just be as awesome. :D

Blink (Ted Dekker)

Rating: [rate 4]

Blink by Ted DekkerThe future changes in the BLINK of an eye…or does it?

Seth Borders isn’t your average graduate student. For starters, he has one of the world’s highest IQs. Now he’s suddenly struck by an incredible power–the ability to see multiple potential futures.

Still reeling from this inexplicable gift, Seth stumbles upon a beautiful woman named Miriam. Unknown to Seth, Miriam is a Saudi Arabian princess who has fled her veiled existence to escape a forced marriage of unimaginable consequences. Cultures collide as they’re thrown together and forced to run from an unstoppable force determined to kidnap or kill Miriam.

Seth’s mysterious ability helps them avoid capture once, then twice. But with no sleep, a fugitive princess by his side, hit men a heartbeat away, and a massive manhunt steadily closing in, evasion becomes impossible. – From Westbow Press website

This is my second Dekker book, and because of the good experience I’ve had with Thr3e, I expected a lot from this one too. The blurb from Westbow Press explained the basic plot of the story already, so let’s get to the review.

The thing I really like about Dekker is that his characters come out like real people. Thr3e‘s characters (Kevin, Sam, Slater, Jennifer) makes me wonder if they somehow exist out there (then again, that existence is kind of weird…haha, you’d have to read the novel to get what I mean :p). Blink is no different, and I’ve grown to love Seth Border for the past 36 hours or so since I started reading it, I kind of wish he’s a real person. But then again, that may be the inner girl speaking in me — Seth seemed like the perfect gentleman, even amidst his intellect and unique gift. One particular scene that proved this was when he and Miriam booked into a hotel: he knew he had some sort of feelings for her, but he reserved two rooms so as not to take advantage of her. Then again, this is Christian fiction.

Continue reading Blink (Ted Dekker)

Thr3e (Ted Dekker)

Rating: [rate 4.5]

Thr3e by Ted Dekker

Kevin Parson is driving his car late one summer day, when, suddenly, his cellphone rings. A man who identifies himself as Slater speaks in a breathy voice: We’re gonna play a little game, Kevin. You have exactly three minutes to confess your sin to the world. Refuse, and the car you’re driving will blow sky high. End call.

Kevin panics. Who would make such a call? What sin? Kevin ditches the car. Precisely three minutes later, a massive explosion sets the world on a collision course with madness.

Let the games begin.

I saw Ted Dekker‘s books October last year during one of our school’s book fair, but I never picked up any of his books because I was (and still am) a solid Frank Peretti fan. I have to admit, I was looking for the standard Peretti formula in other Christian fiction, and as far as I was concerned, only Peretti was worthy of being labeled that.

I got motivated to read Ted Dekker because of, yes, Frank Peretti. My friend told me about Peretti’s collaboration with Dekker on House (to be reviewed next!), and since then, I was curious about his writing. But because he has written so many books already, I didn’t know where to start (plus his books are expensive :p). When I got to the OMF bookstore, I got Thr3e because it was the cheapest Dekker in the store. :P
Continue reading Thr3e (Ted Dekker)