Customer Reviews

Trespasses Against Us (John Paul 2 High)

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

 

 

Good fiction expressly written for Catholic teens has been a rarity - until now. Author Christian M. Frank has developed a series, John Paul 2 High. Book one in the series is Catholic Reluctantly and now he has written book two, Trespasses Against Us. Both books are available at The Catholic Company. Even if you don't have any teens in the family, I highly recommend that you buy the books for your local Catholic junior/senior high school. They will be very appreciative.

Trespasses Against Us is a thriller, often instructing the reader about Catholicism without being preachy and presents real life issues all teens face. The series takes place in a newly founded Catholic High School with a very small number of students. Celia is the girl who has a strong prayer life, is very modest and attends Eucharistic Adoration. George, Celia's best friend, asks Allie to be his girlfriend and he wisely seeks the counsel of a priest in confession. Allie has transferred from the local public school and doesn't really understand much of Catholic teaching and often even makes fun of it. Liz is a girl who sneaks behind her parents to spend time with a boy from another school who, like Liz, has no interest in purity.

As a parent, I appreciate the sensitivity the author uses in discussing troubling situations. One student talks with another about 'hickeys' and the girl is portrayed as a rather tragic case. Constantly ignoring the guidance of her friends and parents, she ends up realizing later in the book that perhaps she didn't know best. She seeks the help of Celia, the girl she used to mock because of her strong values. George and Allie, though dating, keep their relationship in check and guard themselves against the temptation to sin. At one point, Allie's stepfather attempts to give George something 'in a small package' out of his wallet. George, flustered, tells the stepfather that their relationship is not like that. Other students are not allowed to date yet and their parents have raised them to understand that dating is for preparation of marriage.

If your children have contact with others who are teens, even if you are a homeschooler, they will encounter children at some point who either rebel against the fine counsel of parents or their parents encourage inappropriate behavior. This book makes it clear in the end that those who call on God for help in difficult situations, frequent the Sacraments and honor their parents are the ones who emerge in the light.

I mentioned that the book is a thriller and thus far I haven't put a fine point on that. There is someone who is sending Allie threatening text messages and e-mails and they are getting more upsetting each time. George wants to be her protector and decides not to go to the police. He thinks he knows who is doing the harassing and believes that talk and reason will put an end to it. He ignores the guidance of his confessor and ends up over his head. I don't want to spoil the story but will just say that there is some violence at the end of book. All of the characters you have grown to care about are in a perilous situation and a person you do not care for ends up not being who you think he was.

I look forward to reading more of the series and highly recommend the book for mature pre-teens through adults. If parents are concerned about some of the topics in the book, I suggest you read it yourself first. Kids are longing for books that are exciting and Catholic at the same time and this is THE series. I asked my 11 year-old if he was interested in reading the book and he soon was deeply immersed in the plot line, rarely putting it down. Here is what he had to say about the book:

"I give this book 5/5 stars. The good thing about this series is that you can start with any book. This book is highly recommended for ages 14-19." A boy of few words.

This is the second book in the John Paul 2 High series, and this one is even better than the first. Lots of action, the story moves along quickly and kept me up late turning pages so I could find out what happens next.

The ending leaves you hanging, but you'll have to hold on to that thought until Book 3 becomes available. You'll be hoping, like me, that it's going to be soon.

Trespasses Against Us (John Paul 2 High), by Christian M. Frank, is the second in the John Paul II High series, and I must have forgotten how excited I was back when I read the first in the series. Since putting it down, I've been contemplating writing a letter to the author. The letter starts, Dear Mr. Frank, GET WRITING! As a writer myself, I know that's no easy mandate. As I understand it, he has a new baby and a grueling schedule.

But the way this book ended, I'm pretty much unable to think of much else. Once again, we have a plot that's edgy and engrossing and characters who are concrete and likable (except for the ones who aren't, of course). We have Catholicism as a seamless part of the fabric of the book; it's more than incidental, but very much NOT shoved down the reader's throat. Though my first thought on sharing these books are Catholic teens in my life, the other teens I know aren't far behind.

This book has all the ingredients of a great novel, and I'm going to be just as eager to read the next in the series as I was to get the latest Fairy Tale Novel.

Highly recommended for you AND the young people in your life.

This is the 2nd book of a series I bought for my niece and she loves it. She read the whole book within 2 days and is eagerly awaiting the next one to come out. The book provides some good lessons and moral direction without being preachy or condemning. Any book, show, movie etc that will be a postive and moral influence for kids gets a big thumbs up from me!

My son (13) was done with this one the morning after we received it from Amazon! He couldn't put it down. After the first one, which was a quick read for him (because he couldn't put it down!) he begged me to buy this one for him. I have read the first 2 chapters and I can tell already why he likes these books, and I can also tell you why I like them! The action is quick and fun, but more importantly, it gives my son a reading experience with true to life orthodox Catholic teens. This is how he wants to be - these are the friends he wants to make. It helps him to know that it is possible to love and live our faith in this broken world.