Terry Overton

United Forces by Terry Overton is a Middle grade, pre-teen, teen dystopian work. It continues the story of The Underground Book Readers. Continuing the stories of Leena, Kahn, Casey, Jairus, Asher, and Conroy and introducing new characters, this book kept my interest. The youth continue to work together to survive the occupation of the World Force in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Perhaps spending time in the Blue Ridge Mountains personally helped build my interest in this series. I found the author does an excellent job describing the settings of this story.

I love how Terry Overton builds the relationships between the characters. I also appreciate how they all work together to grow food in the garden and to find books. I love the secrets that come to light in this book. The author does an excellent job of building suspense and illustrating how life might look if an enemy force occupied a territory.

I have to say this second book lived up to my expectations from the first book, and I look forward to reading whatever other books may come in this series. I have so many questions I would like to see answered from this book.

So if you are looking for an engaging book for a young person in your life, check out this book for yourself. I definitely recommend it. I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.… (plus d'informations)

I must recommend this book to everyone who has ever wondered what it might be like if the world is taken over by evil. The story is great for middle schoolers, young adults and adults. Be sure if you have not read the first book in this series to grab a copy of it. It would be helpful if they are read in order. From the book description you get an idea of what the story is about. The group of kids in the story have one goal and that is to be free from those who have taken over. Their ability to read a Bible, get food on their own or read books is forbidden. The lines are long to get the meager rations handed out each day.

As the story continues we find our group beginning to become more structured in their daily activities. They watch out for each other and are careful that no one knows about their secret place. I loved the discovery of something very important that will help them stay hidden. The group is now more determined to make a plan to escape where they are and find the place where they will be free.

I like how the author incorporates stories from the Bible which help them understand that God protects them and they can know that He is there with them. The church service they have is good as they find new songs to sing to praise God. There are also documents that they find which describes how it use to be when the Declaration of Independence was something people followed.

This story will introduce a few new characters that the group must decide if they can be trusted. I do worry that they may be adding too many people but their hearts can’t leave anyone behind. We begin to see the author expand the groups territory a little and find that maybe there are others who are out there looking for freedom like they are. I am really enjoying how authentic the story is and the details the author gives so we may be able to follow them on their quest.

I love how the faith element is in this story and lays a foundation for the group. They rely on God as they make decisions and never miss a chance to read the Bible and study it as a group. It is a good illustration for the young people to see how this group hungers for His Word. I will anxiously be waiting for the next addition in this series.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.… (plus d'informations)

The Underground Book Readers: The Secret Society by Terry Overton is a work of Middle Grades/Young Adult Christian Fiction Dystopian. Parents and older siblings have either died or disappeared. Books, education, and other signs of normalcy have disappeared. Children are living on their own with no one to rely on but themselves. But a few children come together to form a group that works to find books and support each other.

This book illustrates how important food and other necessities can be. I loved watching the children come together, learn together, and forge relationships to help others survive. I loved the pace at which the author developed the plot. I also appreciated how she developed their characters.

As a former homeschooling mom, I definitely would recommend this book. I believe it illustrates important skills such as growing your own food, the importance of books, and the importance of recognizing that learning about the past helps you make sure you don’t repeat past mistakes.

So whether you have a young adult or a middle-grade student or just enjoy reading well-written and well-thought-out stories, check out this book for yourself. I definitely recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.… (plus d'informations)

What I think you should know:
The Underground Book Readers: The Secret Society is the first book in a series by Terry Overton. It is Young Adult Christian Dystopian fiction that is appropriate for Middle grades and higher. It is set in a Dystopian version of Virginia around 2031.

What I think about this book as the Mom of a YA Reader:
This is a fun and unique book with a great group of diverse characters. I love how the author included a variety of disabilities as well as races in the small group of characters that are in the first books. While the book is dystopian fiction it does include some valuable lessons for teens . I think that this would be a fun book to read as a book for a book club.

Bonus for me:
A character with a Celiac like illness who is not portrayed as weird and is readily embraced!

What I think about this book:
This book caught my attention from the first page. Overton did a magnificent job of creating a dystopian world that will be young adult friendly, but still entertaining for other readers. I loved the variety of characters, even with a small group it had a character who most would relate to in some way or another. I love dystopian fiction so it is really nice to have a Christian Friendly version that I can read and recommend to others. My only complaint is that the book is not nearly long enough. I can’t wait to see what happens next to our small band of Heroes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.… (plus d'informations)