Swipe by Evan Angler

         This book set in the future not too long from now is a young adult book  for teens. It tells the story of  identity, of belonging to a group. All issues that young people face.  

          The story opens with a kidnapping. No one reports it. What is going on?

        What if you  saw your sister go to get marked and she never came  back? Now you are about to be thirteen and you feel you are being watched?  Why are you being watched?

Once you reach your thirteenth birthday you can get the mark on your wrist that will enable you to buy and sell without your parents authorization. You can  become your own person. Who wouldn’t want that? Everyone gets the mark. You can’t buy or own anything without it.

But you don’t want it. Do you have a choice?

There is a group of the unmarked. They must be hunted down and made to conform.

            Your best friend is acting strange. And there is that new girl who just came a few days ago from another city. She has the mark. Her dad works for the organization called Dome.

You have to find out what happened to your sister. Somehow there is a connection between the mark and her disappearance.

            This is a good beginning of a series. It shows a promise of  further adventure..

As we close the book the main character is on the run. The  building is burning. There is no turning back.

I am a reviewer for booksneeze and I received this book free from the publisher to be reviewed. I was not obligated to give it a positive review and the opinions expressed are the reviewers and not those of the publisher.

Tender Warrior by Stu Weber

         Strong men should also have a tender side to them. It rounds out their manliness. Being tender doesn’t take away from but adds  to a complete man. 

            In sixteen chapters Weber maps out the need for completeness. He dissects the areas into personal, family, friends  and occupation. He ends each chapter with discussion starters for small groups or individuals who are using this book  He titles these A Man Faces Himself and A Man Meets With His Friends.

 Weber shares  his life with the reader. It has been said that a good example is better than any lecture. In this area he does fine. He also uses Biblical illustrations of  how men acted in the period they lived. He attempts to show you are an example to others.

It is a highly interesting book. I found myself stopping from time to time in the reading to think through what I have just read.  And when I came to the discussion helps at the end of each chapter I spent some time going over them. This is something I don’t normally do. But he has such a style of writing that makes you want to respond.

 It has been subtitled Every Man’s Purpose- Every Woman’s Dream- Every Child’s Hope.

   I recommend this for all men and maybe their girlfriends. It is also useful for a small group study. Take your time. Don’t rush it.