Customer Reviews

Star Chosen: A Science Fiction Space Opera for the Whole Family

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Concept/World
This tells you straight out that it's going to be a Christian sci-fi, which is fine. (I'm not a Christian myself but open to reading about other people's beliefs.) It is also very strongly evangelising which I don't have a problem with in itself since the writer is entirely up front about that, as he says "Think Star Trek meets the Bible". I love the C S Lewis Narnia series which is also, though rather more subtly, evangelical. However, there is an aspect to Star Chosen which I did not like at all - the fact that the only other religious leader of a "rival faith" turned out to be a terrorist suicide bomber. Regardless of whether this character is meant to be Muslim, Jewish or of any other faith, that just isn't something I find acceptable. Evangelising your own faith is fine, but demonising that of others crosses a line for me into being offensive.

Story
The sci-fi element to the story starts off very well with dramatic events written in a very lively, "Ka-Boom!" cartoon style. It does then become very directly evangelical for the rest of the book, following the process of conversion to The Chosen by two of the villain characters. The sci-fi element is not sustained strongly enough for readers with little interest in the religious aspect. Towards the end of the book there is a lecture on the "specialty" of the Bible which also names Mormons as a "false religious group".

Characters
The characters are well drawn.

Presentation
The front cover is eye-catching. Spelling, grammar and formatting are excellent and the book is of a high professional standard.

Overall
The quality of the writing and presentation are unquestionably a 5. However, the offensive nature of the attitude towards other beliefs does mean that I have to rate this, honestly, with a 1 star review, because I could not in good conscience recommend this book.

Recommendation: Excellent

Originality - 5/5
Writing Style - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Characters - 5/5
Aesthetics - 5/5

Fantastic!

This book comes with a rich backstory, believable characters, zany humor, and a lot of good spiritual stuff to chew on.

Imagine a future where every religion is outlawed and every work of literature, including the Bible, has been virtually eradicated. Could such a thing ever happen? Could such a thing ever stop the true believers from spreading the message of God's love?

Joe Chiappetta has delivered a truly thought-provoking and adventurous tale of courage, faith, church conflict, hypocrisy, forgiveness, and redemption. Joe's writing is natural and it is clear that he is writing from the experience of a deep faith.

The only "problem" is that the story does feature quite a bit Baptist theology when it comes to the meaning of baptism and the role of women. This isn't a problem per se, but be warned that if you are a Christian of non-Baptist flavoring, you may find yourself at odds with the author at some points.

Still, there is plenty here for every Christian to agree with and I would heartily recommend this novel to any Christian reader, whether you normally enjoy science-fiction or not. It is well-worth the read.

I give Star Chosen a well-deserved recommendation of Excellent and will be eagerly looking forward to the follow-up volume.

Star Chosen is available in Print and E-book formats from Amazon.com.

I must be frank. This book bored me to death. Firstly, the page layout made me work twice as hard to read it, and one page had two page's worth of words in it. Secondly, the writing was really underdeveloped. Dialogue, narration, and description all seemed starved of imagination and quality. I'm sorry to say that I read half of it, but couldn't finish.In what I did struggle through, the Gospel message was put forth very boldly, if not cheesily at times. A large part of the book (from what I can tell) takes place in a church, its youth group, and its mission group. Thus, the reader is "preached at" often, which could put off potential secular readers.

This book was provided free by the author. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.

The book Star Chosen by Joe Chiappetta is a fantastic novel. It's got action, drama, and humor unlike anything else I've ever read. The story told takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where history was deleted after a great war. Although it takes place in such an era, the atmosphere is still uplifting and colorful. It becomes very easy to relate to one of the many characters, and jump right into the story. It is a gripping story that makes it hard to put the book down. The tale is reminiscent of very early science fiction stories and movies, making it a fun read that will resonate with any fan of the genre, or just anyone who loves a good story. Reading Star Chosen brings up a feeling of nostalgia for an era when I was first introduces to Science Fiction, from movies like The Day the Earth Stood Still to the Star Wars saga. There are the same feelings of action and suspense, while also having the uplifting theme of hope throughout, as classic sci-fi stories such as those.

I recommend Star Chosen to anyone who is looking for a good story with good morals throughout. Any fans of the science fiction genre will find this book easy to get into. Due to the family friendly nature of the book, any age will be able to enjoy it. From an older audience looking for a good story that brings them back to the early days of science fiction, to a younger audience who are just staring to get into the genre. I would imagine this book would make a great story for a parent to read to his or her kids, and it would be enjoyable for both the parent and the kids being read to! I give this book 5/5, and I hope everyone reading this review will check it out!

An exciting page turner that is bound to shock and amaze any audiance. A must read for all ages!

The tone and style of Star Chosen reminds me a lot of the Twilight Zone. Much like Rod Serling's writings, Joe Chiappetta uses science fiction to discuss moral and social issues within the context of the story, making a clear point while weaving a compelling tale.
The writing is well-balanced, with a lot of humor, action, drama, and suspense sprinkled in so that the message never feels heavy-handed, with plenty of surprising twists and turns and quite a few funny jokes that keep the mood light.
Chiappetta's sense of humor and likeable characters makes this a very intertaining read for audiences of all ages.