review...The Stone Traveler by Kathi Oram Peterson

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The Stone Traveler
Kathi Oram Peterson
LDS Fiction,YA Fantasy
August 2010
Covenant

Sixteen-year-old Tag can’t believe he’s in this much trouble. He’s not actually a member of the gang known as the Primes—all he did was spray paint some graffiti that caught their attention. In all honesty, ever since his dad and brother left, Tag just wants to be alone. And it’s certainly not his fault that the Primes nearly beat up his goofy cousin, Ethan. But his mom is furious about these gang-related activities and insists that Tag spend the whole summer at his grandpa’s lakeside cabin, which is not Tag’s idea of a good time. So he does what any self-respecting teenager would do: run away. But he doesn’t get far before he encounters three
strange men carrying an even stranger object—a stone that glows with radiant light as bright as a thousand sparklers.

Tag doesn’t steal the stone—not exactly. He feels like he is supposed to take it. But he doesn’t expect the stone to transport him through space and time to a place he’s never seen before—a place that looks an awful lot like the ancient lands described in the Book of Mormon. And he definitely doesn’t expect to join Sabirah, the entrancing daughter of Samuel the Lamanite, on a quest to rescue her father and brother from the evil King Jacob. And he absolutely doesn’t expect to be captured by Jacob’s minions and prepared as a sacrifice to the evil idol of the city. But just as Tag faces his death, a terrible storm begins to break, and the ground cracks into jagged pieces. And he’s not sure which event will impact his life more: his captor’s knife coming at his body, the violent tempest sweeping the land . . . or the men who later appear, glowing even more brightly than the traveler’s stone.

My review:

Beneath his tough guy, gang member exterior—dyed black hair with black eyeliner and fingernails to match—Tag Quincy is a modern-day teen battling feelings of guilt and shame. He believes he doesn’t fit in anywhere, and his sense of worthlessness leads him to make choices that impact him in negative ways. Landing in trouble he is exiled to his grandfather’s Idaho cabin for the summer. A strange turn of events ultimately causes him to consider his life in a new light and helps him realize how much he loves his family.

At the first of the book, Tag’s voice doesn’t resonate with me—words and phrases he uses seem unnatural for a sixteen-year-old. However I was drawn into the book by the Kathi’s vivid descriptions and her talent for keeping up a lively stream of action as her characters face daunting trials and obstacles.

Tag becomes acquainted with a girl from another time—Sabirah—who is fighting for what she believes in. He joins her on a mission to piece her family back together. The author weaves historical detail from the Book of Mormon together with page turning adventure in this time travel saga, and also touches on some powerful emotions. As Tag endeavors to help those he comes in contact with, he learns that he is of value. He finds genuine joy in his relationships and discovers the importance of his life. It is here the author really shines. As in her other works, Kathi demonstrates her ability to portray her characters vulnerabilities in a heart-rending manner. In the final chapters of the book I felt Tag’s voice begin to ring true and I was touched by his transformation.

Though targeted for young adults, this book is suitable for all ages. My twelve-year-old also enjoyed it and remarked that it is on her to-read-again list.


CONTEST

Kathi is holding a Stone Traveler contest! Click here for details on how to win fabulous prizes including a Kindle!!!










Click here for my review of Kathi's last book, An Angel on Main Street, and an interview I did with her. Find out if she likes dogs or cats, chocolate or vanilla!

38 comments:

Glynis Peters said...

Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving this link,Lori. You saved me so much energy. I have not had to fight off crocs, float a canoe or fend off snakes to get here.

No doubt Kathi will make me work for it tomorrow. LOL :)

Lori said...

Welcome, Glynis. Glad you're here!

Christina Dymock said...

It's been a great blog tour. I'm glad we ducked in here! Way cool blog.

Lori said...

Thanks for dropping by, Christina. Glad you're enjoying Kathi's tour, and I appreciate the comment.

Anonymous said...

I love how this whole tour was put together.

Emily M said...

This has been a fabulous tour, perfect for a wonderful book! It's been great to see all these different blogs!! Very enjoyable!

Elizabeth Morgan said...

Sounds like a really fun book!

Ben Spendlove said...

Excellent review. I like how each reviewer has something different to say.

Carol Kilgore said...

Kathi, looks like you have a hit on your hands. Thanks for hosting her, Lori.

Redhead said...

I think I got a cold from the river! :(

Laura S. said...

Great review! It's interesting to read how everyone perceives Tag's character. The characters are what intrigue me most, so I'm looking forward to reading about Tag!

MTeacress said...

I never thought I'd enjoy a blog tour - but Kathi's made it a lot of fun so far and I like discovering new-to-me blogs. Thanks for the review! :)

Christina Dymock said...

Great review. I love the name Tag. Thanks for the stop-over on the tour!

Tracy Loewer said...

I think my kids are really going to enjoy this book as well. Thanks for the review!

Annette Lyon said...

Sounds like something my older kids would enjoy!

Chantele Sedgwick said...

Great review! Love your blog by the way!:)

Why Not? Because I Said So! said...

Lori, I also really liked Tag's transformation at the end. It felt good to see how his relationships changed at his return . Great review.

Danyelle Ferguson said...

I really enjoyed The Stone Traveler. Thanks for posting your thoughts about it as well. Thanks Lori!

M.R.Bunderson said...

Thanks for posting your review, I'm getting anxious to read it myself.

Taffy said...

I'm looking forward to reading this book!

Peggy Urry said...

So fun to find your blog! My mom was here last week and had your books to show me (Fred and Eileen are my grandparents). Loved them (cried over the one and had fun with the other).

The Stone Traveller sounds like it would be an interesting read. So glad you did the blog tour!

Samantha Vérant said...

So Tag's voice didn't resonate with you in the beginning. Perhaps it was dark? And as he grew, you liked him more? Hmmm. Interesting review. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this review and how you touched on Tag discovered his importance in life. Can't wait to read this book.

Lori said...

Carol, EM, Elizabeth, and Christina: thanks for your comments. Kathi's tour has been a lot of fun.

Thank you, Ben.

Carol: It's been a pleasure to host Kathi.

Redhead: Hope you're warming up now.

Thanks, Laura. I know you'll enjoy reading about Tag.

Thanks for commenting, MT.

Tracy and Annette: I'm certain your kids will enjoy the book--mine sure did.

Sincere thanks for you comments, Chantele.

Thanks, Sheila. Tag is a great character.

You're welcome, Danyelle. Good to see you!

M.R.: The book is an exciting read!

Thanks for stopping by, Taffy.

Lori said...

It's wonderful to meet you, Peggy. Your mom is a treasure. She told me all about your writing!I look forward to meeting you in person one day. Thank you so much for your comments on my books. I'm glad you enjoyed them.

It's been great hosting Kathi and meeting so many new people.

Take care and stop in again soon!

Lori said...

Flsongbyrd, I'm glad you enjoyed the review. Thanks for stopping participating in Kathi's wonderful blog tour.

Lori said...

Hi Samantha. It's Tag's inner dialogue--words and phrases he uses that make him seem much older (maybe mid-twenties) than a teen--that doesn't ring true for me. I work with that age group. The word choices weaken him as a tough guy, and ultimately steal from the edge his transformation could have had. I think a combination of getting used to the way he talks, and the author getting more comfortable in his head as the book progresses, lends to my overall acceptance of him as a teen by the end of the novel.

Thanks for the great comment!

brendajean said...

I enjoyed your review. Much more depth to it than a usual review. I'm excited to read this book.

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Thanks for your review, Lori. And I agree with you on Tag's voice - it didn't really settle into itself until the end of the book.

Ann Best said...

Thanks, Lori, for commenting just now on my blog, which brought me here. This is your previous post, but it caught my eye. I read the review of Kathi's book. It sounds interesting and I intend to look it up. And I'm glad you pointed out what bothered you at the beginning of it; sometimes I think we're reluctant to point out "flaws" in our friends' work. But if we're not honest in our critiques, then what good IS a critique?
Ann

Jenn Adams said...

Thanks for the great review. Any time a teen puts a book on a "to-read-again" list, that gets my attention! :o)

Elise said...

I loved this book! I especially like Sabirah's character. Thanks for the review.

Jilly Bean said...

Added this book to my list! Can't wait to read it.

Jilly Bean said...

Cool blog. Thanks for the review

Elise said...

Tag simply sounded like an intelligent teenager. I know many 16 year olds don't speak the way he does in the book, but I do! So it seemed normal to me. :) Thanks for your review!

Lori said...

Thank you, Brendajean, Krista, and Ann.I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

Jenn: My daughter is now on her third reading!

Thank you for your comments, Jilly Bean. The Stone Traveler is an exciting book. Kathi has another hit!

Catia: Good point. My daughter agrees with you completely and, like I mentioned to Jenn, is now reading it for the third time.

Lori Bottomley said...

A nicely written review and I really really want to read about Tag's inner journey! Fun stuff!

Valerie Ipson said...

Great review!

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