The Shadowed Onyx by Nicole O'Dell

 Today we are going to do a review/interview with my teen daughter that read Nicole's book The Shadowed Onyx.

What type of a  book is The Shadowed Onyx?
The Shadowed Onyx is a teen, young adult fiction.  It is the third book in Nicole O'Dell's series Diamond Estates.  It is a deep book it deals with suicide and supernatural issues. 

Did you have a favorite character in the book?
 I liked Beatrice (Bea).  She has Down's Syndrome. She has a sweet loving spirit and outstanding faith in God.

Can you set the theme of the book for me?
Joy's a good girl, but her world turns upside down when she catches her boyfriend and  best friend kissing.  Joy goes to Melanie's house to forgive her, but what she finds isn't what she was expecting in the least bit. 

Tell me about the main character?
Joy's best friend, Melanie, has committed suicide.  Joy is struggling with this and partly blames herself.  She reaches out for help and makes a new friend in Raven; however, Raven is mixed up with some bad things and is encouraging Joy in doing them too. 

How do some of the other characters play a part on the main character.
The death of her best friend causes her to blame herself
The cheating of her childhood friend and boyfriend causes her to never want to like a guy again.

How does the main conflict in the book change the main character?
At first messing around with things like the Ouija board scared Joy, but as time went on it became harder for her to say no to doing it.  Sin has a way of doing that.

What makes this book special?
It is a pretty deep book.  It takes on such topics as suicide, Satanism, the occult, and demonic powers.  

Seventeen-year-old Joy Christianson is the life of the party.

But when her best friend commits suicide, Joy’s already wavering faith slips completely out of reach—and darkness and depression lay claim to her soul. A group of “friends” lead her to the Onyx, meant to help her let go of the past and bring her into harmony with reality, and Joy finds herself embarking on an ominous journey of witchcraft. Caught in a world of evil and shadows, Joy isn’t so sure that there’s a way out, and soon finds herself at a crossroads.

Will Joy find the hope and light her heart longs for?Or will her dejected soul remain forever in the shadows?

Afraid of letting the depression and evil take root, she decides to seek help in the haven of Diamond Estates—and tries to reclaim the Joy she once knew.

Nicole O’Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk, is a youth culture expert who writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents on preparing for life’s tough choices. The mother of six, including pre-school triplets, Nicole is the author of  nineteen books. YA fiction, like her popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the Diamond Estates Series, and non-fiction for teens including Girl Talk, a Q&A resource based on the popular advice column she writes with her two daughters, all emphasize the importance of making good choices. Hot Buttons, O’Dell’s non-fiction series for parents, pre-empts peer pressure by helping parents tackle tough issues and was recently endorsed by Focus on the Family. Visit www.nicoleodell.com for access to her bustling blog network and other resources.

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for this review post

Around the Word in 60 seconds by Mary DeMuth

 Mary DeMuth has put together a beautiful book of devotions just for the middle schooler.  The devotionals are very short and just help the kids this age get into the habit of spending time daily in God's Word with the intent that as they make the habit they will also lengthen their time in the Word daily as well.  The devotionals are  based on issues and themes that pertain to the 12-14 year old age group.  there are 52 weeks included in the book so it is intended to take them a year to get through the book. Each week is divided into 6 day settings with intents of Monday being the first day where they will read a brief themed scenario/story with a scripture and a thought for the day.  Then the rest of the days follow up with a scripture and a provoking thought for the reader to think on and possibly act upon with an over the weekend being the 6th day.  This book can also be used as a journal/diary as there is enough room for the reader to add an entry each day of their thoughts on the matter being discussed.  I believe the issues are very age appropriate and that this book could be a very good item to help the teen start off a new year.  The cover is cool and very contemporary looking with this running throughout the book. Below you can see a copy of the table of contents. If you'd like to read an excerpt of the book head over to CBD  here and check out the free excerpt they have posted.  This book may be ordered from many of the online book sites such as CBD, Amazon, Barnes and Noble you may also view the book information and places to order the book on the Tyndale home page here.

You may visit Mary DeMuth's web site here.
 
A copy of this book was provided by the author and tyndale publishing in exchange for my honest review. 

Hot Buttons (teen issues) Series by Nicole O'Dell

Nicole O’Dell helps address the Hot Buttons in teens’ lives before the issues become problems 

From dating to drugs, modesty to purity, morals to popularity, teens face all sorts of tough issues. How teens respond to these hot-button issues can have lasting effects on who they want to be and who they actually become. What if parents can help their teens prepare for these hot buttons–before the issues become a problem?

The uniquely packaged Hot Buttons Series is an accessible, quick-reference resource that parents can use to equip their children to make the right decisions, even in the face of peer pressure and outside influences. More than just another how-to manual, Hot Button Dating Edition offers practical real-life situations that parents can read and discuss with their preteens. Topics include: physical activity, missionary dating, and violence/abuse in dating relationships.

Author, mom, and broadcaster, Nicole O’Dell provides short scenarios followed by three or four responses that a teen might choose in that particular situation. Parents are then encouraged to help their children explore the issue, ask questions, and discuss the options, so when a similar situation comes up in real life, the teens are already prepared to respond.

Hot Buttons Dating Edition offers practical real-life situations that parents can read and discuss with their preteens. Topics include: physical activity, missionary dating, and violence/abuse in dating relationships.

Hot Buttons Internet Edition helps parents prepare their teens for online challenges they may face. Topics discussed include: internet activity, file sharing, social networking, and internet predators.

Hot Buttons Drug Edition braves the scary world of substance abuse, equipping parents with facts, warning signs, and real-world scenarios on: alcohol; Marijuana and other drugs; inhalants; and prescription drugs.

Hot Buttons Sexuality Edition offers the facts about teen sexuality, backed by statistics; specifics for how to talk frankly about sex with your kids, discussion about the growth of homosexuality and bisexuality among teens; and compassionate advice for guiding your teen to reclaim purity.

 Link to buy books: http://ow.ly/esojj

Are you a parent that needs information, facts, statistics at your fingertips?  Then Nicole O'Dell's books Hot Buttons are just the thing for you.  She supplies parents with just the needed information.  She discusses some really tough issues with practical advice.  Parents will learn how to approach top topics with their adolescent(s) and teen(s)  in a parent/child relationship not a friend/friend relationship.  You'll see that you as a parent need to take control of the issues and not leave it in the hands of your children.  O'Dell is a straight talker; she tells it like it is.  No beating around the bush on these topics.  She uses facts and fiction to get her point across.  These books would be good tool for not just parents, but anyone working with adolescents and teens.  O'Dell's books will equip you with the scriptural wisdom that is needed to touch on the big issues in a comfortable way. 

Want to win a copy?  I have a set of Hot Buttons' books up for grabs.  some how I received two copies of these books.  So I'm offering the extra copy to reader(s).  Follow the raffelcopter requirements and be sure to fill out the form as that is how the winner will be chosen.  


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also you may enter for a copy @ Cara Putman's site The Law, Books and Life. 



 

 Youth-culture expert, Nicole O'Dell is the host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk and the founder of Choose NOW Ministries, dedicated to guiding teens through tough issues and helping parents encourage good decisions.

On air, O'Dell covers peer pressure, dating, purity, drugs, alcohol, modesty, popularity, and anything else that comes up along the way. Nicole writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents about how to prepare for life's tough choices.
As an author, O'Dell writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her popular YA fiction includes the Diamond Estate Series and the Scenarios for Girls interactive books that feature alternate endings, allowing young girls to decide the outcome for the main character. Her nonfiction for teens includes Girl Talk, which she wrote with her two daughters based on their popular advice column.

While her YA resources encourage and equip teens, Nicole also works to bridge the communication gap between teens and their parents. The Hot Buttons series helps parents discuss tough issues with their tweens and teens before the issues pop up in real life. Watch for future Hot Buttons books on subjects like bullying, image, prejudice, friendships, politics, and more.

O'Dell, resides in Paxton, IL, with her husband and six children-the youngest of whom are toddler triplets.

Find out more about Nicole at http://nicoleodell.com.

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A copy of this book was provided for in exchange for my review and hosting this tour by...