Reviews written by C.J. Redwine

The short synopsis I read of this book said teens age 13-18 could be Unwound. I figured I was buying a dystopian, and eagerly started to read. The premise is actually that the pro-life and pro-choice camps took up arms and fought a second civil war. The way they ended...

In this installment in the Chronicles of Narnia, we get to return to Narnia, only this time we go with Eustace and a school friend instead of Lucy and Edmund. The danger is real, the world is magical, and the stakes are high. Another fabulous adventure!

This is one of my favorites in the entire Chronicles of Narnia series. Such a fun adventure! So much vivid imagination! I love the different worlds they encounter. And of course, the way Eustace changes throughout the course of the book is really sweet. Love this book!

This story is a fascinating sequel to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I enjoyed that time runs so differently in Narnia than it does on Earth. The world Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy land in this time bears little resemblance to the Narnia they left behind. Caspian makes...

This book is a spine-tingling, nail-biting ride from the first word. Holy. Cow. I couldn't put it down. Dru is tough, courageous, and haunted. Graves is smart, funny, and loyal. And Christophe? Hmm ... I haven't decided if any of us should trust him yet. This...

I read this book so much while growing up, the cover fell off. The story is sweet, the characters interesting, and the world is far enough removed from our own times that it feels like a treat to peek in the window of a time long gone. The romance between...

I read and re-read my copy of The Little Women so many times as a girl, the cover fell off. The book is a lovely treasure trove of family relationships, growing up, romance, and learning how to celebrate even during the pain that sometimes happens in life. Alcott has an...

This book kicks off one of my all-time favorite series. I think reading the Chronicles of Narnia was the first time I realized what my imagination was truly capable of doing. It's an amazing book! The world-building is superb, the characters are distinct, flawed, and interesting, and the stakes are...

This book is lyrical and lovely. Grace and Sam are beautiful together, and the mystery of what will happen to Sam hangs over their heads the entire time, lending a sense of urgency to their romance. I felt like there wasn't any plot beyond Sam and Grace spending time together...

What an incredible world J.K. Rowling built. I loved it, and was officially addicted to all things Harry Potter by the end of the book. Hogwarts is magical, the villain is scary, and despite creating a huge cast of characters, Rowling is able to make each character distinct and interesting....

I enjoyed the premise of this book. Very unique from all the dystopian and paranormal I usually read. :) The author does an excellent job of building a gladiator culture and steeping her story in it. Lyn is a smart, brave heroine, and I agonized with her over her situation....

While I enjoyed this book, I wasn't crazy in love with it. The plot is awesome, and so is the thoroughly constructed werewolf culture. I also enjoyed the characters (for the most part), and I wanted them to succeed. I got bogged down sometimes by either lack...

I couldn't wait to read this sequel to The Dark Divine. It's possible I went into the book with too many expectations (since I love the first book so much), because the plot didn't quite feel as cohesive as I wanted. Or maybe it felt like that because of the...

Rowling continues the saga of Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts in the 4th installment of her 7 book series. I love that as the series grows, the kids age appropriately, and so does the relational and external conflict. The Tri-Wizard Cup competition provides an intense and interesting vehicle...

I didn't love this as much as I loved Hunger Games because it felt a bit like Ms. Collins hit a "reset" button on the plot during the first half, but I still devoured this book whole. I swear this entire series is literary crack. It's addictive! ...