Loved reading this! I wasn't sure what to expect, but this book is so much more than I first thought! So good!

I'm sad that I wasn't able to read this book, because it was too much at the same time. I guess that his book was amazing and I would love to try and read it.
Now i will have to buy one!

This was a great read, good story. I could not put this book down, because I just had to know what would happen next!

I just couldn't get into this book, too cliched - at least in the first couple of chapters - and the characters were hard to believe.

This novel about the last days is a bible study in disguise. The intention - drawing people to Jesus and preparing Christians for the times of tribulation - are good, the result not so much. The novel lacks suspense and Carissa's thoughts and actions are more than naive and not always relatable. It's an important issue and deserves better narration.

The novel is clearly written from an Adventist point of view and anti-Catholic.

The Casting of Crowns
by Betsy O. Borchardt

First Edition Design Publishing


Christian , Teens & YA
Pub Date 23 Jul 2018


I am reviewing a copy of The Casting Of Crowns through First Edition Design Publishing and Netgalley:

The Book Of Revelation comes to life in The Casting Of Crowns!


Carissa Williams a young, serious intelligent College student who decides to join a Bible Study despite the fact she knows it has been banned. She majored in Religious Studies but that too has been Cancelled by the New World Order, so she finds herself seeking meaning through Philosophy, and friendships through the Bible Study! Carissa soon finds herself winning souls for Christ, as does Sally Sullivan daughter of UW-Oshkosh's Dean and Bible Study Leader, Alex Richardson. The groups efforts cause them to be in constant danger. Soon Carissa falls in love with John while continuing to grow in Christ.



Eventually Carissa must make a decision that will forever change her life .



I give The Casting Of Crowns five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I'll be honest I am not religious at all. I found the story to be intriguing but I'm not a fan of the writing. I felt a little bored reading this but it may be due to my religious beliefs. Would I recommend this to someone who is Christian, yes I would.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. I'm still giving it an extra star for being a Christian YA, which can be hard to come by and is always a breath of fresh air in comparison to the teen books that feel the need to sneak in adult material.

Where to begin....first of all, the writing is bad. Really bad. It just felt a little too much like a middle school essay to me. Too simplistic. Sure it may be fine for a 8 year old, however, since it is labeled as YA, I would assume it would read a bit more articulately.

Next, it is just entirely too cheesy. The characters feel too cliche and they also are rather annoying since I found some to be too "in your face preachy". Don't get me wrong, I love Christian fictions and frequently read them, however, I don't think the characters have to consistently repeat that they are Christian and pray with everyone they speak to. That just felt a little too over the top for me.

The whole book just felt really clunky and boring. I'm assuming this is a debut novel, so hopefully the author is able to improve upon some of these issues if she writes another since I would love to see some more good Christian fictions.

Imagine being a college student during the time of the New World Order when the Christian faith is being characterized as a threat? The Pope is seen as a powerful world leader in league with the President of the United States who can outlaw the Bible and they both have the full support of the U.N.
Carissa and her friends think that they are Christians, they are very concerned about a new law that has just surfaced that states that anyone possessing a Bible after next week will be arrested, considered to be an enemy of the State, and put in prison to await execution!
Carissa, Sally and Holly are invited to a Bible study and they learn about knowing Jesus and giving themselves to Him, but as they keep going to Bible study, they hear some things that are strange to them about Heaven and those who have gone there.
Carissa wants to know more about Jesus even though Christians are starting to suffer severe persecution.
You will have to read the book for yourself to find out if the girls decide to follow Jesus, and what happens in world events.
This book has Seventh Day Adventist teachings about death, Heaven and the Sabbath.

This is a well written book for YA. I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you NetGalley and First Edition Design Publishing for the copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.