Customer Reviews

The Spell (Forbidden Doors, Book 3)

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the spell was a great christian book with alot of spiritual warfare.It showed alot of satanism and curses without a great scare.i recomend this book to any adult or teen or any advanced reader!

This book provides great insight into spiritual warfare. It is a rare find that captivates it's audience and is based on sound Biblical teaching. It adresses something that is all to common in our society and modivates Christians to make a difference. I would recomend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about spiritual warfare, or just enjoy a great read.

This is a great series for kids. I'm always looking for good Christian books that will actually grab a teens attention. This series is being read by lots of kids at our school. Wonderful...

MY STUDENTS READ THIS AND GET A TRUE-TO-SCRIPTURE WAY TO HANDLE A VERY REAL THREAT IN OUR SOCIETY. GET IT AND GIVE IT TO A YOUNGSTER...BE THANKFUL TO BILL FOR CRAFTED SUCH INTERESTING FARE FOR KIDS, AND BE THANKFUL TO GOD FOR LETTING HIM

This is the 3rd book of this awesome series "Forbidden Doors". The title of this book is "The Spell". Becka and Scott Williams, along with their mother, move to California after having spent many years in the jungles of South America. They were missionaries, and their dad's plane crashed. Becka is trying to fit in to the California scene, after having spent most of her growing-up years in the jungle. Her younger brother, Scott, makes friends more easily and is less shy than she is.

In this particular book, the people in "The Society" are out to get Becka. Again. They try to put a spell on her. They try to hurt her. Will her Christian armor be enough to protect her from it? The book, via Z, tells us that we must have God's armor and weapons to protect ourselves from evilness: faith, scripture, prayer, and love. It also tells us that these bad people are not our enemies, but victims of the enemies. And it stresses that these bullies are usually people who are insecure and are looking for something to make themselves look big or important. And that the only power they have over us is what we give them. This book is very enlightening. It is so awesome.

The book also reminds teens (and people of all ages) of the importance of being in church with other believers.

Z is a mysterious Christian friend that gives Scott and Rebecca loving advice in a chat room; he seems to be very protective and concerned about them. The author gives a warning at the end of the book letting us know that when this series was conceived, there were not "bad" guys on-line, like there are now, and to be extremely careful about who you talk to on-line.

I think this series is very cozy because they are centered around a loving, Christian woman and her two Christian children. They all love each other very much. They have a very cozy home; I can just feel the coziness.

I recommend this entire series to all, regardless of age. These books deal with issues that are real, and also stress the importance of being a Christian. Because of the encouragement and enlightment, anybody can benefit from these books.

I feel these are some of the best Christian books ever written.

First of all, I have a confession to make: this is only book of the series that I have read. Thus, I'll try to focus this review on this book alone, and not judge all the others. But please bear with me if I do drift off in that direction.

As a seventeen year old Orthodox Christian, I have something I'd like to say to the current readers of this series.

Please, if you're looking for good Christian fantasy, go find some Lewis or Tolkien or, if you're okay with it, Rowlings. Narnia and Middle Earth and even Hogwarts are awash with wonderful, creative stories and beautiful, subtle Christian imagery: something the Forbidden Doors Series, or at least "The Society", does not seem to provide.

My first complaint with this book is the condescending language. With his use of phrases such as "dye job", Myers comes off like a sitcom father who tries to connect to his kids by using "hip" slang. But what kids really need is for their parents to speak in a mature and authoritative manner. Likewise, readers, regardless of their age, need authors to write in an intelligent and thought provoking style. It is understandable for Myers' teenage characters to speak in slang, but not Myers himself.

The second problem I have is with this story is the one-dimensional nature of the characters. None of the "good" kids seem to suffer any problems beyond clichéd teenage insecurities. Becka, Scott, Julie, and Ryan are the quintessential "perfect" teens who know not to make waves or act differently from anyone else. The "bad" kids come off as mini-Saurons and Jadises: characters who work fine in fantasy novels, but not in a realistic setting such as this one. Brooke is so evil it's almost funny, and Kara is the cookie-cutter seductive temptress. Also, while I'm by no means advocating their behavior, I'd like to see a more sympathetic view of the members of the Society. It is my experience that people who get mixed up in the occult usually go there seeking solace from troubled lives: they're not pure evil. Myers hints at this other dimension with Laura's character, but never develops it beyond her unemotional semi-redemption at the climax.

This brings me to another point. There are times when Myers shows an almost petty cruelty toward his negative characters. On the character descriptions section of the "Forbidden Doors" website, Brooke is said to have hair that's an "obvious dye job", Laura is in "desperate need of a tube of Clearasil", and several of Scott's fantasy-loving friends are described as "dweeby". It's clear from this book that Myers' believed in turning the other cheek. This just doesn't add up. According to the previous remarks on the antagonists, if your enemy has badly dyed hair, acne problems, or an obsessive love for Dungeons and Dragons, you shouldn't just let it go and focus on less shallow characteristics: you should harp about it whenever you get the chance.

Right.

Please, everyone. This book is not about real spiritual warfare. It's like Babysitter's Club with demons. Myers' heart is in the right place, but it's clear that his head is not.

In short, this book is insensitive, pandering, and very poorly written. Do yourself (or your child) a favor, and find something that can truly stimulate both faith and imagination.