Smoke: A Hidden Hope
by Anna Grace Miller
Series: The Smoke Series (book 1)
Age Range: 8+
Content Notice: Frightening situations
Faith Based: Yes
ISBN: 979-8-848-40370-1
PLOT SYNOPSIS (from the back of the book)
After the death of her father, Piper only knows the life of begging to keep food on the table for her and Mother. But the king’s men will stop at nothing to keep beggars off the streets. If Piper could escape her poor life in the village she would surely find happiness and peace. But one day, the king’s men force her into the Black Forest, a place no man dares enter. A gray wolf determines to protect her from the wild animals and becomes her guide. Through their journey, the mysterious wolf opens Piper’s eyes to truths she’s never known before.
THE BOTTOM LINE
A virtue-focused novel, heavy on message and light on story.
THOUGHTS
The stated agenda of A Hidden Hope is to “encourage virtues” which it accomplishes inside a fantasy-ish world. Its story is a bit thin, and the world building is all but non-existent, but that’s fine given its audience. The talking wolf and low-key adventure plot are probably enough to keep younger readers engaged for the lessons about trusting God. On the other hand, the juvenile nature of the story along with some instances of clunky writing will keep adults from enjoying it as much as they could. This story is worth a read-through with children and does have a good message as well.
RANTS AND RAMBLES (Spoiler Warning)
At one point, a lightning bolt strikes near the main character, leaving a smell of sulfur. The problem, of course, is that lightning does not smell like sulfur. Instead, it smells like ozone which the electricity creates.