Rating:  Summary: Good Mystery Leads to Tremendous Book Review:
Frank Peretti writes many books of mystery and excitement, adding twist of religion and God. "Nightmare Academy" is an example of Peretti's marvelous works. Two undercover detectives research and investigate a place where there is nothing. No reason, no rules, and no leaders. While undercover, the two investigators turn up missing and the trail they leave disappears. There is no sitting down while reading "nightmare Academy", you are truly left on the edge of your seat, preparing to turn each page.
The idea of right and wrong is highlighted throughout the entire book. The plot is based on this idea and the characters are formed around it. It presents a good story line while teaching people a good lesson. You not only see the thoughts of the two main characters, you get the whole entire picture from every aspect. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fast moving detective novel, and is not offended by Christianity. I really enjoyed reading "nightmare academy" and decided to read it twice because I enjoyed it so much.
Rating:  Summary: AWESOME BOOK Review: I picked up the "Nightmare Academy" in the bookstore because it seemed to have an interesting "blurb" on its dust jacket. It started of pretty well with a teenager boy being found and placed in a mental hospital because the only thing that came out of his mouth was "I don't know". Then the mysterious government agent appears and tries to have the boy moved somewhere before his parents are notified. The doctor doesn't release the boy, but instead finds the parents and when they appear at the hospital, the recovery process starts: the boy starts crying and mumbling about some Nightmare Academy, falling up, raining from the ground and other tings that don't make sense. To solve the mystery Elijah and Elisa (young brother and sister) get undercover to find and investigate the academy the boy was talking about.
As the story goes on, it poses a question of what would happen if there was no RIGHT and WRONG, but instead, the rights and the wrongs would be a matter of opinion. While the question the book raised was definitely worthy of exploring, I was greatly disappointed, that the purpose of the book was to carry the "Christian Message". While there is nothing wrong with "Christian Agenda" I think the book could've been larger that what it turned out to be. I grew up in a country that had a totalitarian regime and I know what becomes of the society where RIGHTS and WRONGS were tailored to the whims of the powerful, and I know how a society like that is formed - religion doesn't stop it from forming (people just change one god for another). Education and morals that are passed on from parents to children end up being a deciding factor between the freedom and opression, right choices and the wrong ones. So imagine my disappointment when Mr. Peretti assigned these UNIVERSAL MORALS to be HIS GOD'S GIVEN MORALS, and thus put the majority of the world's population in the villain's camp, just because they don't believe in HIS GOD and therefore those morals do not apply to them. The only reason I think Elijah and Elisa were able to keep their wits through out the ordeal is because their parents taught them what was right and what was wrong and because their parents gave them very good education that helped them not to get lost in polemics. Elijah and Elisa's ability to apply the knowledge they had (figuring out longitude and latitude of the school just by sun and stars and astronomy tables from the library book) and the ability to think critically (questioning the teachers spoon feeding the "there is no right and wrong" ideology) is what got them through, not god.
Over all, the plot started out interesting, but half way through became quite predictable; the character development was minimal if it was there at all (some of the supporting characters kept "seeing the light" and then returning to their old ways). The main characters were there only to be the vessel for the "GOD'S MESSAGE". Those who like Christian fiction with heavily handed message will definitely enjoy the book, while those who like more subtlety and more shades of gray in the characters will do better somewhere else.
Rating:  Summary: Another nice read. Review: "Hangman's Curse" and "Nightmare Academy" are entertaining and easy reads. If you've been doing heavy research or reading this is a good switch. Light, and fun, I enjoyed it after a long study program I was in.. I read both books back to back so this review will be seen under both books.I liked "The Visitation" better, but all three are worthy of your money..
Rating:  Summary: Another nice read. Review: "Hangman's Curse" and "Nightmare Academy" are entertaining and easy reads. If you've been doing heavy research or reading this is a good switch. Light, and fun, I enjoyed it after a long study program I was in.. I read both books back to back so this review will be seen under both books. I liked "The Visitation" better, but all three are worthy of your money..
Rating:  Summary: A page-turner that pummels... Review: "Nightmare Academy" is book two in "The Veritas Project" series. Reading like a mix of the old TV show "Millennium" and the "Spy Kids" movies, but with a distinctly Christian worldview, The Veritas Project books follow the adventures of the Springfield family (Dad Nate, mom Sarah, and teen wondertwins, Elijah and Elisha) as they fight the bad guys with the help of the shadowy Veritas leader, Mr. Morgan, and the imprimatur of the President himself. Summoned to aid a teen found in the middle of a rural road, his mind completely jumbled, the Springfields follow the boy's lead (during a rare lucid moment) to a youth center in Seattle. The center offers young runaways an unusual proposition, one which has potentially lethal consequences. The twins, posing as street kids in order to investigate for Veritas, are soon in the belly of the beast. After agreeing to the offer, they find themselves shuttled off to a mysterious school attempting to rewrite societal conventions, The Knight-Moore Academy. Unaware of the exact location of the school, and unable to remember how they arrived, Elisha and Elijah are forced to match wits with many other kids and their eerie instructors. The school's staff - a generation and a couple continents removed from their kindred found in "The Manchurian Candidate" - attempt to rewire the students' thinking via clever verbal manipulations (and a few physical ones, as well.) Black becomes white and truth whatever one makes of it. While their parents search cross-country for them, the twins battle the brainwashing by holding true to God and His absolutes, becoming outsiders in the student body. Soon the social engineering wreaks "Lord of the Flies"-like consequences and what masquerades on the surface as a rarified prep school soon promises a learning experience no youth could ever imagine, even in their worst nightmares. Frank Peretti's foray into youth fiction should please young readers looking for a thriller with solid, evangelical Christian values. A definite page-turner, "Nightmare Academy" has the needed creepiness balanced by biblical morality to give one the shivers without the guilt induced by reading something of questionable taste. The strong message that relativism is senseless and can only bring the downfall of our society, leaving us prey to nefarious forces, is reinforced on nearly every page. Yet while this comprises the basic theme of the entire book, it comes off being heavy handed (though, sadly, not unlike many other books in this genre.) As Christian writers attempt to counter youth-oriented lit that fails to embrace traditional biblical values with sanitized, message-driven lit of their own, they've yet to really come up with books that drive truth home with more subtlety. C. S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" is the archetype, but rarely has it been done better. Attempting to shoehorn concepts espoused in "The Left Behind " series into other writings also bedevils books like these. Rather than creating a unique vision, they merely look like copies of everything else. Even the best works are missing that magical quality that gives them life unto themselves. The result is, therefore, always mildly disappointing. So while "Nightmare Academy" is a decent escape, its fire is nearly snuffed by the unfortunate hamhandedness of the presentation of its message. Discerning readers, even the young, will get the point immediately. We just need to have it presented more deftly - less sledgehammer, more skillful storytelling. Peretti is one of the foremost evangelical novelists out there, blessed with the chops to make it work. We should expect better.
Rating:  Summary: Nightmare Academy Review: ... This spine-tingling mystery involves teenage twins, Elijah and Elisha, and their parents Nate and Sarah. This family has been commissioned by the President to investigate the Knight-Moore Academy in Idaho. They have to find out what happened, and the veritas (truth) behind the hottest issues of today. This novel was a page-turner because there were other small stories that you would have to pay attention to in order for you to get a feel for the whole novel. There was a lot on information that one was able to easily take in and without getting confused. What was noticed on a regularly basis, is that all the small details ended up making a lot of sense towards the end of the novel, and it all seemed to melt together into this great ending. This novel by Frank Peretti is anything but boring because it is not only a page-turner, but also many times a cliffhanger. In ways such as Elijah or Elisha could be in danger or a fight might be going on and then suddenly, you realize the chapter just ended and you must immediately go on the next, and the next in order to continue following the plot. In all of the different stories, one never seemed to ever feel lost or confused, the details always blended together, as previously stated. Lastly, one would definitely recommend this book to all who love to stay up late and read this breath-taking page-turner. All in all, to understand the material, the reader would recommend this novel to all teenage guys and gals. This novel by Frank Peretti was anything but boring!! Enjoy!!
Rating:  Summary: a great book! Review: A good book for all kinds of readers and has a lot of suspence that you will want to read it all nigt!
Rating:  Summary: An Amazing Book that'll keep you reading till the last word Review: An amazingly well-written book that makes you think about Right and Wrong. It shows what would happen if there was not any truth, or boundries. I couldn't put the book down till I finished readin it. One quote that stuck out to me was "Take away truth and they will lie. Scoff and virtue and betrayl will follow" It showed how a pychological goverment experiment on different personalities, can go ary and what some people are trying to figure out on how to control others. A Book that people can relate to in a way with what happens in everyday life, it will keep you thinking long after the epilouge.
Rating:  Summary: Something you can hand to your kids without concern Review: An excellent second to the series. I hope there are plans for this Project to continue. I very much like the research and scientific facts that are added to the story line. I just like this author. This guy's work is something you can hand to your kids without concern.
Rating:  Summary: "The Truth will set you free. . ." Review: Frank Peretti did it again! He has created a masterpiece that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. This book has a great message to it. Truth can't be taken out of society without lasting affects on people. Although I knew how the scientists were creating virtual reality, ... I had no idea why they were doing it. Although it is a little far-fetched, it is close to being believable. It isn't as believable as the first one, though, but that's okay. I read this whole book in nine hours. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the debates between Elijah and the counselor at the camp are fun to read. Keap up the good work, Frank Peretti!
|