YA Review - Emeline series - young adult historical fiction

Guide to Categories – YA Review – review of books for teens

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Welcome to the Blog Tour for the Emeline series by Kathy J. Perry, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Books

Title: A Journey
Series: Emeline #1
Author: Kathy J Perry
Publisher: Chickadee Words, LLC
Release Date: November 1, 2023
Genre: Christian Young Adult 19th Century American Historical Fiction

A promise made to her dying father; a struggle that tests her faith; a journey that pushes her resilience and resourcefulness to their limits

Emeline, a thirteen-year-old Missouri orphan, must set off on a quest across frontier America to fulfil her father’s last to find her grandfather in Boston.

Crossing this dangerous and unforgiving land alone, she must face challenges without losing her faith, rising to every test ahead if she’s to survive and find a home at the end of her adventure.

Will Emeline’s journey bring her the family she longs for?

Readers of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Louisa May Alcott will delight in this fast-paced adventure.

Title: Finding Strength: During the Panic of 1893
Series: Emeline #2
Author: Kathy J Perry
Publisher: Chickadee Words, LLC
Release Date: March 1, 2024
Genre: Christian Young Adult Historical Fiction

When the world around you is falling apart, you must find strength within yourself.

Three years after her father’s death, Emeline has settled into life in Indianapolis.

Then an urgent visit to her childhood farm in Missouri changes everything. Her manager dies, the economy is in recession, and the caretakers are moving back to Wisconsin. Emeline is suddenly responsible for the farm… and she’s out of her depth.

With the help of her closest allies, Emeline sets out to turn the farm around until disaster strikes and she must start again. Emeline faces her biggest challenge finding the courage to have confidence in herself.

Can Emeline’s faith and resourcefulness bring her the joy and security she’s worked so hard to find?

This coming-of-age tale is a must-read for lovers of historical fiction.

My YA Review

Perry, Kathy J. Emeline: A Journey. Kansas City, MO: Chickadee Words, 2021.

Emeline: A Journey reminds me a bit of the Little House on the Prairie series of books. It is set at the same time in history. Kathy J. Perry takes a 13-year-old girl whose father’s dying wish is for her to travel from Missouri to Boston to meet her grandfather. Her mom died 2 years previously so Emeline is an orphan. After checking with her teacher and the town’s store keeper, Emeline takes off alone on her journey across the country. She meets friends as well as foes along her journey and she makes decisions without the input of a trusted adult. The storyline seems a bit unrealistic – none of the adults in the story tried to talk Emeline out of making this journey and no one suggested sending a wire to her grandfather. I realize things were different in the 1890’s but I don’t think that adults who truly cared would have allowed her to make the trip alone.

One of the things I liked about the book was the way Emeline’s faith grows. She spends time reading her Bible and journaling her prayers which helps her to grow closer to Jesus. The book also has a companion Christian guided journal which will help girls on their own journey.

Emeline: A Journey is appropriate for a k-12 Christian school library, but I am not sure how much appeal the book will have for its intended audience of teens.

I received a complimentary copy of Emeline: A Journey. This is my honest review.

Perry, Kathy J. Finding Strength: during the panic of 1893. Illustrated by Claudia Gadotti. 2024.

Emeline Book 2

Finding Strength is the second book in Kathy Perry’s Emeline series. This book follows Emeline in her journey back to her home and all the things that happen along the way. The characters in the book are very likable and readers will care about what happens to them and feel invested in their lives.
I really appreciated the historical data given at the end of the book – it helped to verify some of the historical data in the story. I do wish Perry had included a summary of the first book A Journey at the start of this one. Because I read the 2 books back-to-back I didn’t need the reminder but those who have read other books in between would probably appreciate a reminder.

While I enjoyed the story I felt it could have had a little better editing. There were sections where the sequence of days didn’t make sense – days of the week were mentioned out of order in a sequence of events. There were also times when I think the wrong character’s name was used. Some may not notice these mistakes but they could have easily been fixed with an editor’s attention to detail.

Finding Strength could find a home in a K-12 Christian school library. I think it has the most appeal for secondary students.

I received a complimentary copy of Finding Strength. This is my honest review.

About the Author – Kathy J. Perry

Of the many jobs she’s held in the past, including thirty-five years of designing and constructing stained glass windows part-time, teaching was one of the most enjoyable for Kathy J. Perry because investing in kids is so important. To this end, she continues to encourage good character with clean, moral stories kids and teens love to read. Good books make such an impact. Writing is hard work, but there’s nothing like a good story to run off with your imagination. When things are flowing, it’s like a vacation. Sometimes the best ideas come in the middle of the night. When not writing, you’ll find her painting with watercolor, doing school visits, writing a blog, interviewing other writers, designing websites, working as an administrative assistant part-time, and renovating houses. Is this retirement? Apparently so! She loves every minute of it with her husband of 43 years.

Connect with Kathy by visiting kathyjperry.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive signed print copies of A Journey and Finding Strength, companion journal, bookmarks, and a $25 Amazon gift card plus a code for free audiobooks for both titles!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 1, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 8, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!