Michael Galloway

** I received a copy of this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway. **

This was an interesting little story. I was concerned at first when I received it and realized it was book 2 in a series but, while there were a few things that I would have liked more information about and that were probably explained in the first book, I found that I had little trouble following along. I also didn't realize how much of a religious theme there was to the overall story but that was, at least in this book, mostly in the background and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story (I generally don't enjoy books with strong religious themes). There were places where more information and description would have been nice (especially in the creation of new/updated robots) but the flow was good and the pace was steady and the was just enough excitement to keep the story moving. My actual rating is more of a 3.25 or 3.5 but I decided to upgrade because there really wasn't anything I truly disliked.… (más)

Well, this certainly wasn't a bad book, just hard to find the focus. First, I find the overwhelming religious tones to be distracting, and the authors' beliefs (question mark?) can be written into the story without being shoved in the readers face. Now that I have my biggest complaint out of the way, I can focus on the story: There are two intersecting story arcs here, both focusing on the loss of privacy in the digital age. However, they are murky and not well written. I would recommend a strong edit to the stories before going to press.… (más)

This story is about a Mars colony where the current guy in charge is against religion. He devises a system to deal with those who are religious (or are against him) using the Roman Coliseum as an inspiration for their punishment. He's thwarted by the former leader and his wife, both Christians.

Plot-wise, this book is a little thin. While the villain has awesome cosmic power, so to speak, he's all too easily taken out. Also, he's entirely against God, but persecutes only Christians. While it's plausible that the hero is a Christian, as the villain is against God, he should be against all forms of religion, not just Christianity.

The characters are wooden and one dimensional. I never managed to care for anyone. While I liked the child-genius, it occurs to me now that the genius child who can do everything the adults can't is a cliche. In fact, one of his inventions just happens to fall into the hands of the guy in the prison cell next to our hero and our hero just happens to recognize it and is able to use it to make a prison break.

All of that being said, the tale of a society where first people are categorized, then the worst are taken, then the next worse are taken, and then the moderates are taken is a morality play worth revisiting now and then. If only so we don't let it happen in our time.

I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (más)

Chase Krause is following his dreams and hope by studying to be an architect. Chase has been practicing his target shooting in preparation for upcoming hunting trip with his best friend Josh along with Josh's dad and uncle. Chase also continues to write letters to his father even though he gets no response from them. Chase's mother Karen is schoolteacher that likes to paint pictures. Karen seems to be feeling down lately and has no other plans besides what she does inside and outside of school. Both Chase and Josh seem to be a turning point in their lives yet searching for some answers any way. Hunting trip is very much an adventure for Chase and Josh. While waiting for deer to appear Chase begins thinking about his relationship with his father and how it relates to his future. Chase ponders several ideas such as whether to continue writing letters and breaking off contact completely. Chase envies Josh's relationship with his dad. Josh is going thru several changes himself but unsure how to approach his dad with them. Will Chase finally get a deer? What conclusions will Chase reach? Will Karen and Josh make a leaps of faith? Your answers await you in An Echo Through the Trees.

This truly is a coming of age story told in many perspectives that give you the whole puzzle. This book is what I call a page/chapter turner because you have to know what is next. This is surprisingly fast read for a book as well. The characters are flawed, broken, discouraged, honest, and real. I think the backdrop of the hunting trip really made this story quite complete. Every action, direction, and thought were all pieces to the puzzle. I thought the author did an awesome job creating this story. I will look for more of this author's work in the future.… (más)