Friday, November 16, 2012

If We Survive by Andrew Klavan

They came on a mission of mercy, but now they’re in a fight for their lives.

High schooler Will Peterson and three friends journeyed to Central America to help rebuild a school. In a poor, secluded mountain village, they won the hearts of the local people with their energy and kindness.

But in one sudden moment, everything went horribly wrong. A revolution swept the country. Now, guns and terror are everywhere—and Americans are being targeted as the first to die.

Will and his friends have got to get out fast. But streets full of killers . . . hills patrolled by armies . . . and a jungle rife with danger stand between them and the border. Their one hope of escape lies with a veteran warrior who has lost his faith and may betray them at any moment. Their one dream is to reach freedom and safety and home.

If they can just survive.

My review:

Maybe I am just a kid in an adult body, but I love Andrew Klavan's juvenile fiction that he writes for Thomas Nelson. This is the sixth such book I have read, and I can't get enough of them.

This book is different from his others, and is a little more Christian in content than his others, but like the Homelanders Series, it is fast paced, constant action. When I got the offer to review the book, I thought it sounded like a great book, and I was right. This might be his best book yet. It is an exciting and awesome read, something a teenager, or in my case - adult male - would enjoy. Or my tomboy 13 year old niece. :-)

I thought Klavan had a great setting, plot, and characters in the book. It was written from the first person point of view, a style that I don't love, but it works for him and I still loved the book. In this case, it is from the viewpoint of sixteen year old Will Peterson. This is the kind of book that you never know what is coming next, and it keeps you turning the page to find out what happens next.

Andrew Klavan has taken juvenile fiction to a new level on the Christian market. They aren't full of Christian content, some have more of a Christian message than others, though the theme is there, but all of them are clean, fun, and exciting reads. I definitely recommend this one.

About the author:

Award winning author, screenwriter and media commentator Andrew Klavan is the author of such internationally bestselling novels as True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood, and Don’t Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas. Andrew has been nominated for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award five times and has won twice. His books have been translated around the world. His latest novel for adults, The Identity Man, has been praised by Nelson Demille as “fast paced, intelligent and thought-provoking; a great read!” Television and radio host Glenn Beck says “Andrew Klavan never disappoints…one of the best illustrations of the power of redemption that I’ve ever read.” His last novel Empire of Lies was about media bias in the age of terror, and topped Amazon.com’s thriller list. Andrew has also published a series of thrillers for young adults, The Homelanders, which follows a patriotic teenager’s battle against jihadists. The books have been optioned to be made into movies by Summit Entertainment, the team behind the mega-successful Twilight film series.


Andrew is a contributing editor to City Journal, the magazine of the Manhattan Institute. His essays and op-eds on politics, religion, movies and literature have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Washington Post, the LA Times, and elsewhere. His video feature, “Klavan on the Culture,” can be found at PJTV.com. Andrew is a frequent media guest on television and radio stations from coast to coast, where he is known for his quick wit, humor and commentary on politics and entertainment. 

As a screenwriter, Andrew wrote the screenplay to 1990’s A Shock to the System, which starred Michael Caine, and to 2008’s One Missed Call, which stars Ed Burns and Shannyn Sossamon. He lives in Southern California. 

If We Survive is available from Thomas Nelson.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for the review copy.

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