Happy Monday Friends :)
I pray you all had a great weekend, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.
I've been thinking a lot lately about just how much my blog has changed from what it was when I first started it back in September of 2015.
Back then, I was much less fussy about the types of content I allowed myself to read, and I pretty much started this blog to share my love of young adult fiction with the world.
Unfortunately, as I grew more strict about the type of medias I allowed myself to enjoy, I started finding less and less books within this genre that were actually appropriate. The content in so many of them is downright atrocious, and I have to admit that I literally cringe over some of the books I used to consider favorites way back in the day.
It used to really sadden me that there weren't a lot of options for voracious readers of young adult within the Christian fiction genre, and I'm so happy to see more and more titles within this genre being released each and every year.
Last September, my family went through a really difficult time. I needed an appendectomy, and ended up spending quite a bit of time off work. Another family member needed an emergency surgery shortly thereafter, and a whole bunch of other stressors seemed to emerge from nowhere. I felt like my entire life was completely spinning out of control, and it was hard to stay focused on anything.
I was honestly struggling with feeling motivated to even continue book blogging, and then a lovely author by the name of Katherine Barger reached out to me about reviewing her upcoming young adult Christian dystopian novel.
As cliche as it sounds, this book really gave my faith such a needed boost, and I was left feeling so much hope after reading about the extreme faith in Jesus that exists for many of the characters throughout that beautiful story.
You can check out that review here:
When she contacted me a few weeks ago about reading and reviewing the second book in the trilogy, I literally jumped at the chance. Her books remind me of why it is that I came to love young adult fiction in the first place, but they also speak to the importance of needing Jesus no matter what we're currently experiencing in our day to day life.
It's not even a slight exaggeration for me to say that in my opinion her dystopians are the best ones to hit book shelves since The Hunger Games, and today I absolutely cannot wait to share my full review of the second book with you all.
The Exiles by Katherine Barger:
Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Author
Publication Date: November 2nd, 2021
Publisher: Anaiah Press
Genre: Christian Fiction/Young Adult Fiction/Dystopian
Series: The Exiled Trilogy
Synopsis:
Nothing could have prepared Nyssa Ardelone for the treachery that lurks inside Fortune’s Fall. What began as a joyful reunion with her family soon plunges into chaos, with Nyssa at the center of misplaced accusations that could be catastrophic for everyone. Confused and still grief-stricken over the friends she’s lost, Nyssa begins to question whether her journey to Fortune’s Fall was worth the cost.
When she learns that President Omri has arrested the exiles and plans to send them to the most notorious prison in America, Nyssa's convinced Omri's punishing them for her sins, and she sinks into even deeper despair. But there might be a way to save them, and Nyssa jumps at the chance to remedy what she feels is her fault.
The task is dangerous, though, and if she fails, she’ll lose everything. If she succeeds, the people of Fortune’s Fall will embrace her at last, and the path will open for their ultimate return to Maren—the home Omri stole from them fifteen years ago. With the help of family and a few unlikely allies, Nyssa sets out to make things right. But the stakes are higher than before, and her newfound faith has grown shaky. When the mission doesn’t go as planned, Nyssa faces a choice unlike any she’s ever had: press on despite her doubts, or give up and leave the exiles—and everyone she loves—to their fate.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
It may sound cliche to say, but words cannot begin to describe how much I loved the first book in Katherine Barger's Exiled Trilogy. I inhaled it as fast as humanly possible, I thought about it long after finishing it, and I gushed about it and recommended it to anyone I possibly could. So to say I was excited to get to read the second book would be an extreme understatement. I'd grown so invested in these characters, and their fight to keep the name of Jesus alive in a future world where religion has been outlawed. I was expecting great things, and I can wholeheartedly say that Katherine Barger exceeded every single one of my expectations. This book is honestly one of the best ones I've read the entire year, and I don't know how I'm possibly going to wait for the release of the third book.
If you're a fellow lover of dystopian novels, but you're not a fan of the unnecessary content that's making its way into so many of them, then you truly need to check out the Exiled Trilogy. The Exiles is full of vibrant storytelling, descriptive settings, and characters that truly come alive to the reader on the page. Nyssa is one of my favorite YA protagonists of all time, and I loved the fact that she displays both bravery and responsibility as fights to make choices that will help spread the word about Jesus and help give her family and friends the future they've long been praying and believing for.
This one definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, and it's action packed from the get go. The plot twists and turns, the reader is constantly guessing and second guessing every character introduced in the story, and yet the ending is still a massive surprise, and is executed flawlessly.
I have to say though that my favorite part of the entire story is the faith element, and how authentically Nyssa's journey is portrayed throughout the entirety of her journey. She naturally has questions as she watches her family and friends suffer, and I loved how it's clearly represented that faith doesn't mean we won't ever go through hard times, but rather that He will be with us whenever we do.
This book was everything I've been waiting for ever since finishing the first book, and I can't possibly recommend it enough. Definitely pick this one up for yourself, and be prepared to fall in love with this heart wrenching tale.
Final Rating: 5/5.
Thanks so much to Katherine Barger for allowing me to read and review this!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day, and I look forward to sharing another review with you all on Wednesday!
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