Frank Peretti has long been my favorite author, but there are still several of his books I haven’t read. This is his latest novel, published in 2012, well after I stopped reading regularly. I read the synopsis and immediately put it near the top of my TBR list. And it did not disappoint. I enjoyed the book from the beginning to the end.

I enjoyed watching Mandy’s abilities develop and the mystery surrounding them unfold. The shows she puts on get more and more spectacular, and I’ll admit, I wish I could see the illusions, rather than read about them, but Peretti does a good job of explaining what’s going on, both from the audience’s perspective and from Mandy’s.

The cause of Mandy’s abilities is not left unexplained, and while it gets a bit convoluted for my mind, I still thought it all played together nicely. There are some sci-fi elements that came together in such a way that I really liked (but can’t say more to avoid spoilers).

My main complaint about the book was that the first third, or so, was filled with so many minor characters that came and went, or that were called by one name, then another later (ex. Mr. Jones at first, then Tom later), that I was really confused more than once. I can’t say they weren’t all necessary, or that the change in name use didn’t make sense, but now and then, I would have like a subtle reminder of who someone was when they showed up again after being absent for a few chapters.

The ending was exactly what I wanted it to be and then some! I was just so happy when I finished this book. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys Christian mystery, suspense, or general fiction. Also, the book definitely has a Christian bent, but it’s more in the main characters clearly being Christian and looking to God for help and comfort, then anything preachy. ( )

It was an interesting read, a little hard to get into at first. Definitely a book that needs quiet and no interruptions from children :) ( )

A bit disjointed in the beginning but it intrigued me to want to finish it and after 3/4 I couldn't put it down. I liked the suspense as it kept me turning the pages. The twist at the end was excellent. ( )

I'm not really sure what to make of this book. I really enjoyed the first half and the way the story developed, and was intrigued as to which direction the story would go. Maybe some of the descriptions of events at the magic shows were over-long but it was well written. Then when the reasons for Mandy's abilities were revealed I started to lose interest, and in the final magic scene it lost all credibility for me. I'm not sure I would read another book by this author. ( )

Magic, alternate parallel time, Christian, time travel, ( )