Book Review: Astray by J.F. Rogers

[image error]Astray by J.F. Rogers is a young adult Christian fantasy fiction book. The main character, Fallon, is an orphan who receives an amulet on her seventeenth birthday from a neglectful and abusive grandmother. The artifact leads her through a portal to a mythical realm in which she learns that her mother is still alive and held captive by her vampire uncle. She meets many interesting characters pulled from Scottish folklore and comes to a saving knowledge of the one true God.

This was a fun light book that I was able to read in a day. Fallon develops and changes through the course of the book, and the mythical world was intriguing. The plot is very straightforward which is typical of folklore and fairytales. The Christian theme is evident but does assume some knowledge of Christianity to grasp the significance of some of the events that progresses Fallon into a saving relationship.

I especially loved the Scottish folklore and the very subtle hints of Scottish accents scattered throughout. I personally would have liked the accents to have been stronger, but I know with my own writing how strongly people dislike that. Editors go crazy correcting lovely accents as well. Still, a beautiful Scottish accent is so fun to hear and read. The hints of Scottish folklore would not be obvious to most American readers, but I enjoyed it like one finding hidden Easter eggs. Again, I would want more: more folklore, more culture, more everything.

The ending of this story does resolve the central conflict of this story, but it definitely leads to a sequel. The love interest was a bit of a frustration to me, and it teases the reader. The vagueness in the relationship is more realistic than most young adult novels who progress very quickly so I can appreciate waiting until future books for things to grow clearer.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and found it a fun book appropriate for teens through adults.