The Dangerous Book for Boys

This is for all my readers out there who have boys of their own, are still are boys at heart!



I've flipped through this at my local Best Buy (of all places). I plan on getting each of my nephews a copy of this for Christmas. It's four months away, but at least it's one present out of the way! There is a lot of cool stuff inside, as you see from the video above.

Just think how you Dad's out there could have fun and connect with your sons using the things in this book! I'll see if I can connect a bit better with my nephews. Moms can do things with their sons, too!

The Dangerous Book for Boys

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007) by J.K. Rowling

This review contains no spoilers.

Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, is back for his 7th, and final, book in the wildly popular series by British author J.K. Rowling. He is once again accompanied in his adventures by Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, along with appearances by just about every character named in all the other Harry Potter books.

The story is woven with as much magic and excitement as any other Potter book, yet you can feel the tenseness throughout the narrative as Rowling leads us through to the final showdown between good and evil. We are breathlessly drug along from one narrow escape to another as Voldemort and his Death Eaters are on the hunt for Harry now that his slain mother's protective charm has broken on his 17th birthday. Harry, Hermione, and Ron embark on Dumbledore's final mission to locate and destroy Lord Voldemort's hidden Horcruxes, magical vessels containing portions of his very soul!

Rowling revisits many locales from previous books, as well as introducing new ones. Characters both loved and hated, old and new, are showcased. Many with unexpected surprises attached.

Deathly Hallows deftly slips all the disparate threads into a solid whole. Old questions and loose ends are wrapped up nicely, leaving the reader feeling satisfied, and quite possibly surprised.

The action is ramped up in this final book. Blood flows and bodies fall as the war against Lord Voldemort reaches a stunning peak. Never is it described for shock value, garishly or grotesquely, but some younger readers may be disquieted by the amount of violence and injury. I noticed more casual swearing in this outing than previous books, as well. Nothing excessive, and it is not jarring, though I could have done without a few of the "effing" comments. One notable line seems to be lifted directly from the movie Aliens. I actually laughed a bit at it. You'll know it when you see it.

Rowling has claimed that two important characters die in Deathly Hallows. This is true. Though more than two people die in the entire story. Some are expected, some are not. All have a bit of poignancy about them.

The book is a bittersweet ending to the Harry Potter saga. It leaves you fulfilled, yet sad at the series passing, much as you may be over several of the deaths in this book. Rowling has not ruled out the possibility of future adventures in the world of Wizards and Muggles, but I expect any such revisitation to be a few years coming.

Until then, we can look forward to two more movies, both of which should be mega-hits. Deathly Hallows almost seems as if it was written with the movie version in mind. You are sure to get that Big Screen feeling while reading this non-stop final adventure.

It is truly a magical experience!

I give Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows full marks; 5 of 5 Raivynns!

Raivynn Rating

This Present Darkness (1986) by Frank E. Peretti

The battle between Good and Evil takes on a spiritually terrifying mien in this novel by Frank E. Peretti.

The title comes from Ephesians 6:12 (RSV): "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Spiritual warfare is brought to vivid life in this gripping tale of the small, quiet college town of Ashton and the demonic forces striving to take it over.

When an investigative reporter photographs the chief of police in a secret meeting during the town carnival, she is thrown in jail. The new owner of the local newspaper with family problems, a young preacher accidentally voted in to serve as pastor, and the beautiful, spunky reporter soon become embroiled in a diabolical conspiracy involving Ashton's most powerful and influential people, an enigmatic New Age professor, a mysterious New York power broker, and a desperate woman on the run.

In the spiritual realm, Principalities of the Air pit their demonic hordes against the Hosts of Heaven. Demon against angel for the souls of Ashton. The forces of Heaven are outnumbered by billions. The Faithful in Ashton must join with God's Host to battle the evil spirits and end the threat to their town - and ultimately to the entire human race.

While This Present Darkness is a Christian authored novel, it tells an awe-inspiring tale of demons vs. angels without becoming preachy. It may even make you think differently on the philosophies of spiritual warfare after reading.

The book depicts an unseen tableau of demons and angels battling for our souls in our world. Sudden urges, burdens of the heart, strange coincidences, and outright miracles are explained as being the divine work of God's Heavenly Host, or the evil machinations of Satan's demonic forces. The angels derive their strength and power from the prayers of God's people. The demons gain theirs from the fear, depravity, and corruption of we simple humans.

A tale of human corruption, fascination with the occult, demonic possession, the conquering of a small town, and the good folk who are battling the evil is woven seamlessly into the spiritual tale of guardian angels, salvation, and the power of prayer.

The story is engaging, full of thrills, chills, twists and turns. The characters are believable, spiritual and flesh-and-blood alike. It plays out almost like a fantastic movie as you read. You won't want to put it down.

You don't have to be a Christian to enjoy this book. And while the outcome of the story is never in doubt, the ride through the events leading up to the thrilling climax is wild and exciting. You won't look at religion the same again.

If certain aspects of the story were updated to contemporary themes, and given a Hollywood budget, this would make a sure-fire blockbuster movie. The main problem would be the typical watering down of the religious overtones and Christian themes by Hollywood. *sigh*

I give This Present Darkness full marks; 5 of 5 Raivynns!

Raivynn Rating

Cell by Stephen King

Cell by Stephen King (Paperback, Copyright 2006)

Some people like Stephen King's writing, others hate it.

Cell, however, is not your typical King fare.

It is seemingly his homage to the zombie horror genre, going so far as to dedicate the book to George Romero. Within a few pages, King flings you right into the action as you view the unfolding devastation through the eyes of graphic novelist Clayton Riddell. A technological horror is unleashed upon an unwary populace through the use of the ubiquitous cell phone. Clay and his small band of non-cell using survivors navigate their way through a landscape of terror as those affected by the "Pulse" become little more than mindless, ravaging beasts. Civilization begins to rapidly crumble, and Clay searches for his estranged wife and son in a Stand-like journey.

There are some likable characters in the book, and King avoids delving as deep as he typically does into their psyche. The pacing and story will keep you turning pages long into the night, eagerly following along with Clay and the other "normies" struggle to survive. There are more than a fair share of gruesome scenes, and King does not spare the gore in this apocalyptic tale. A twist in the novel brings a touch of paranormal as the "phone crazies" begin to develop telepathic abilities and form a collective consciousness, bringing a new level of interaction between they and the non-affected survivors.

The reason behind the "Pulse" is never definitively given, though allusions to terrorist technological warfare abound. Nor are the reasons of how and why the "phone crazies" gained their new abilities of telepathy, levitation, and other psionic phenomena explored in depth. And, while the book is an exciting read and rushes you to the rather predictable ending, it leaves much open and unexplored. In all, the ending was rather disappointing when compared to the frenetic pace and highly interesting mysteries King gives us.

Cell is not billed as a multi-part series, though I could see King revisiting this strange new world and continuing the tale.

Were it not for the anemic ending, I would rate this book as a Must Read. Instead, it's merely Recommended it to those who enjoy a decent horror or zombie survival story, and to the fans of Mr. King.