Echo

Cody disappears without a trace; Sheila and Andy start to do what they have come to do best: "blame" one another for the situation at hand. Cassie feels bad that she could see the tide was turning for the couple out in God's country. They just needed a little longer. Now this; a bad storm was moving in and it did not look good. The sheriff came and told them there has been a grizzly bear spotted not to far from where they last saw Cody. Where was God in all of this? This was the testing of Cassie and Nick's faith. Did Sheila really believe in God? Could Andy trust God with his son's life? Would Cody be found alive? How could a deaf boy make it in the wild alone? Could they capture the grizzly bear in time? This story will grab your heart right from the start, and you won't want to stop reading. Every parent can sympathize with the Ferguson's and may relate to how life had gotten so serious for them and learn why it has stopped being fun. Then the suspense takes over and you will not stop reading until you reach the end. I highly recommend this story. Nora St.Laurent Book Club Servant Leader www.psalm516.blogspot.com

Cassie Dixon is back in book two of the Sensations Series by Clint Kelly. To help their family friends cope with the trials of raising a deaf son, Cody, the Dixons embark on a camping trip in the Cascade Mountains with the Fergusons. Cassie hopes this trip will bring the Fergusons closer together and provide her with an opportunity to rejuvenate after her failed venture in the perfume industry. But Cody has other ideas. Suffocating under his mother's over protective umbrella, Cody hatches a plan to disappear in the wilderness. To show his family that, though he is deaf, he is capable. That he needs space and a chance to become the young man he knows he can be. Unfortunately, Cody didn't plan for all of the dangers lurking in the Cascades and the race is on to stay alive, drawing his family and friends into danger. Kelly pens a novel, with strong prose and interesting characters who tug at your emotions right from the start. Cody, written from the boy's point of view, captures your heart from the first page. In fact, I rarely like prologues, but this one penned in Cody's voice instantly drew me into the story. There were moments when I found Cody's thoughts to be beyond the depth of a typical thirteen year old boy, but even so he is a boy you would be proud to call your own child. Though Scent is classified as a suspense novel, and it is at times, I found the book to be less about suspense and more about the interpersonal struggles of the Ferguson family. So if you're looking for a fast paced, keep you riveted in your seat kind of book, until the second half you will be disappointed. But if you are looking for a tender depiction of a handicapped thirteen year old boys struggle for independence and a fair shot at the world that builds into an intriguing plot, this is your book.

Cody disappears without a trace; Sheila and Andy start to do what they have come to do best: "blame" one another for the situation at hand. Cassie feels bad that she could see the tide was turning for the couple out in God's country. They just needed a little longer. Now this; a bad storm was moving in and it did not look good. The sheriff came and told them there has been a grizzly bear spotted not to far from where they last saw Cody. Where was God in all of this? This was the testing of Cassie and Nick's faith. Did Sheila really believe in God? Could Andy trust God with his son's life? Would Cody be found alive? How could a deaf boy make it in the wild alone? Could they capture the grizzly bear in time? This story will grab your heart right from the start, and you won't want to stop reading. Every parent can sympathize with the Ferguson's and may relate to how life had gotten so serious for them and learn why it has stopped being fun. Then the suspense takes over and you will not stop reading until you reach the end. I highly recommend this story. Nora St.Laurent Life Way Book Club Leader