REVIEW: WATERMAN'S FIRE by Angela Nowak!

Hey everyone!  I recently had the privilege of reading and reviewing Angela Nowak's novel, Waterman's Fire, a Christian YA novel that's full of suspense and faith.  Before I get into my review, here's some info about Nowak as well as her novel!  

BLURB

THE WAR ON DRUGS IS REAL.  WHO WILL BE THE WINNER?

Sixteen year old James groans a half-expectant prayer.  To his surprise, the answer is more than what he bargained for - James is recruited to act as a decoy to bring down Mexico's ruthless drug barons.  As his faith in God grows, James is determined to do something even more challenging than helping to catch criminals.  He is about to face his estranged father whom he must forgive.  Is God still going to help him?  Will his friends see the reality of God's power in his life?  Can he win over Ruby's heart once he is back from Mexico?

Available for Kindle and paperback from AMAZON 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela Nowak is a YA and historical fiction yet-to-be author.  From her native Black Sea coast via Moscow, all the way to sunny California and now to rainy, rural Suffolk, in England, with five kids besides, she enjoys her adventures in life.  Little did she imagine what the future holds when her mother used to say: "Someone has to write this story down!"  Found by God, she mines her inspiration from the Bible.  A good sense of humor and some dark chocolate is a must in life.  So far, she penned down, with her younger ones in mind, Big and Brave and with her older ones, Waterman's Fire.  Stay tuned.  

Follow her on INSTAGRAM

MY REVIEW

This book is a unique novel for the YA genre, and covers several difficult topics that young adults face in today's society.   For me, the first chapter took a bit to get through, but the plot picked right up after that, and did so especially in the second half of the novel (it's divided into two sections).  The novel follows James on what begins as his summer vacation, but quickly turns into something much bigger when he finds something important on the beach.  In the second half of the book, the reader's attention is divided between Ruby (a local girl who catches James' eye) as well as James as they find themselves in different parts of the world for the time being.  It's a novel with a bit of globe-trotting, a good bit of suspense, and a healthy dose of faith, with great themes of forgiveness and maturing as a young adult.  Nowak's descriptions of the different landscapes the characters see were especially enjoyable as well; very nicely done.  I've never been outside of the United States, but felt like I could almost be on the beach or in Mexico along with the characters!  It was a fairly quick read as well, especially once you get drawn into the story and invested in the characters.  While some parts of the story did feel a little "bumpy" - in that they seemed a bit rambling or didn't flow with the rest of the book - it was still enjoyable to read and, as I mentioned, easy to become attached to the characters.  

Do you plan on picking up a copy of Waterman's Fire?  What are some of your favorite globe-trotting novels?