Katrina L. Burchett

• Rated 3 stars

“In Book 3 of this series Perry Moss Skky, Jr graduates from Lucy Laney High School in Augusta, GA. With a heart set on following God, this young Christian begins anew at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The athletic ability the heavenly Father gifted Perry with earned him a full scholarship and for that he is grateful. However, he's left his sheltered "predominately black" world and has ended up in a place where there are way more white people than he's used to being around. He's not sure how he feels about that and he's not sure how to act. He's away from his family, his boys, his friends, and out of his comfort zone. Will he be able to adjust to his new surroundings? He's no longer a high school football star but a college freshman with teammates who are as good as he is and some who don't share his values. Will he learn how to bond with them without compromising his beliefs?
Perry is determined to be the best he can be for himself, his parents and God, but it isn't always easy to stay focused. In fact, life is downright hard sometimes with all of its problems and distractions. He deals with guilt trips from so-called friends, a selfish and inconsiderate roommate, an attempted suicide by someone close to him and he's misjudged because of the color of his skin, just to name a few things. It's good that he knows the Lord is his strength. He prays often, leaning on the Lord during times of trouble. He gives God the glory when things work out and witnesses to others without being preachy or judgmental.
This was a good read with quite a bit of drama and valuable lessons to be learned and, with all of the racial issues in this one, it seems there was a message the author was passionate about sending to readers - It's important to look at the hearts of people, not the color of their skin. ”

Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Thursday, June 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Now that he's settling in at Georgia Tech Perry Skky Jr. wants to forget his past issues and do right. When it comes to football it's a good thing that he has a coach who believes in God, reminding him that he has help during the tough times. But when he isn't in game mode, there are too many distractions and he just can't seem to keep his eyes on Jesus. His renewed relationship with his girlfriend, Savoy, is solid one day and on shaky ground the next. As a star athlete he has alot of pressure to perform on the field and the academics aren't that easy either. And serious issues arise with his peers. With all of the drama in his life it's very important that he stays Prayed Up.
I have read Books 1-4 in this series and it seems each story talks quite a bit about how great Perry Skky Jr is. How everybody knows who he is because he was a football star in high school. How people see him as a guy who has it goin' on and can do no wrong as if he's perfect. If he wasn't setting them straight, letting them know that he has faults like everyone else, that his life isn't as great as everyone thinks, I probably wouldn't have read past Book 2 because, honestly, the whole "perfect" thing would have gotten on my nerves. But Stephanie Perry Moore did not create an unbelievably, perfect character. Perry is a kind-hearted, prayerful young man who wants to please God. He doesn't want people to always put him up on a pedestal and he even doubts his own abilities every now and then. And, yes, he does mess up. Like that committment to abstinence he made in Book 1, for instance. He seems to be having a bit of a problem sticking to that.
Like many Christians, Perry Skky Jr makes bad choices then goes to God telling the heavenly Father how he messed up and he seeks forgiveness, asking God to help him to do better - because he really does want to strengthen his relationship with the Lord - and then he messes up again. He's real, I like him and I enjoyed reading this book. I really want to know what's going to happen next in Perry's life, so I do plan to read Book 5. ”

Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Thursday, June 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Essie Mae Richardson is an elderly woman who walks the path of God's wisdom. She lost her husband many years ago and has no desire to marry another man, so she lives alone. She doesn't leave her comfortable home much except to sit outside on her front porch or to go to church.
Angel Stephens is the granddaughter of one of Essie's friends who passed away some time ago. Angel and her husband, Colin, are expecting their first child.
Elaine Demps passes by Miss Essie's house most days during her morning run. She and her husband, Mason, are having problems that could end their marriage in divorce.
Jennifer Mays is a single parent who just doesn't understand why her teenage son, Jerrod, is so disrespectful toward her and acting out. Jerrod makes bad decisions - choices that aren't in his heart to make - because he's hurting. He gets caught up with the wrong people, trying to be accepted.
Seems God has put all of these people on Miss Essie's heart. At the appropriate times, she invites each of them into her life. She allows the Lord to use her in ways that helps her neighbors to deal with their problems and insecurities, start making better choices and draw closer to Him.
What a blessing it would be to one day meet an elderly woman like Miss Essie Mae Richardson. She's a prayer warrior with Godly wisdom. She reads her Bible everyday and has a way of getting important messages across to those who need a Word from God without being preachy. It was interesting reading about her and all the things that were going on with the other characters. I was most interested in the teenage life of Jerrod Mays and Elaine and Mason's marriage.
This was a good read; the story was gripping. I kinda thought it was going to end the way it did, which was disappointing because while it was touching it was also sad. ”

Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Thursday, June 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Halley and Scarlett have been best friends since they were little girls, so when Scarlett's boyfriend is killed in an motorcycle accident Halley rushes to her side. Halley comforts Scarlett during her time of sorrow and when Scarlett finds out she's pregnant, Halley is totally supportive of her friend's choice to keep her baby. But Scarlett isn't Halley's only concern. She also finds herself a boyfriend (a rolling stone who lives by his own set of rules)who expects more than she's ready to give, and she and her mother aren't exactly getting along as well as they used to.
This story is broken down into three parts. I didn't think the first part was too interesting. In fact, it was a bit boring and I didn't plan to read any further, but I kept reading and I'm glad I did because it picked up after Part I (I believe I would have been into the beginning more if I would have gotten to know Scarlett's boyfriend before the motorcycle accident)
So, this turned out to be a good read. The teen pregnancy was well-written, but the most interesting parts of the story were the conversations between Halley and her mother. Halley's father seemed to be a "passive" parent, but Halley's mother took cae of business. And I liked the chocolate shake thing.”

Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Thursday, June 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 3 stars

“Annie Myers was a Christian girl who wanted to wait until marriage to have sex. Tony Lane had been dating Annie for almost four years and the flesh was getting weak. It was becoming more difficult to wait to have sex, so when it was obvious that he wasn’t going to get what he wanted out of wedlock he proposed marriage. Then tragedy struck and Tony regretted giving Annie his late grand mom’s expensive ring. While Tony was having a hard time dealing with what happened, Daniel Lane saw it as an opportunity to get closer to his brother’s girlfriend; close enough to take Tony’s place in Annie’s life.
I liked Annie. I felt so bad about what happened to her and about all she had to go through during recovery. She was a strong girl, though. And instead of becoming bitter and angry she began strengthening her relationship with the Lord.
Why this girl was being told that she wasn’t a Christian, I really didn’t understand that part of the story. Annie said the sinner’s prayer when she was in seventh grade because she was told that was what she needed to do to be saved. I believe she mentioned twice that she’d said the sinner’s prayer. And since she wanted to be saved I would think she not only confessed with her mouth that Jesus is Lord but believed in her heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). She was attending First Christian Church, singing for the Lord, serving God as the church’s secretary, wanted to be married in the eyes of God before she had sex – sounded to me like she was following Jesus’ teachings. Yet, someone suggested to her that she wasn’t really a Christian. If she wasn’t working on her personal relationship with Jesus, not growing in Christ wasn’t really a good thing but it didn’t mean she wasn’t a Christian. If she got saved, then she was a Christian.
As for the love triangle, I’m sure it was supposed to be romantic, but I just couldn’t see it that way. I understood why Annie would choose Daniel over Tony, but if Daniel really loved his brother like he said why would he want the girl his brother loved and had been with for almost four years? Not four months, four years! Daniel claimed he wanted to be more like Jesus and there were areas in his life where he was Christ-like. But Jesus wasn’t selfish. I think it was selfish of Daniel to want a relationship with Annie. If he wanted to be like Jesus so much, why didn’t he sacrifice? Tony loved Annie. He also had serious issues and needed his brother’s support. Where was Daniel’s respect for his brother’s feelings? Even if Tony wasn’t right for Annie, he had been with her a long time. They’re brothers. There are some lines you just do not cross. Where was the family loyalty? Tony was the youngest and the troubled one throughout most of the story, yet he was the bigger man in the end and much more like Jesus then Daniel.
There were phrases in this book that popped up repeatedly – lumps formed in throats or aching throats, tightening of chests or chests aching. Besides that and the “being saved” contradiction the author wrote a good, dramatic story. And it was really good that she included Teen Challenge, letting teens and parents know there is help out there.
Sutton also makes some important points in her debut novel: True Christianity isn’t just about getting saved, but having a personal relationship with Jesus. Alcohol consumption can only make a bad situation worse. What’s in a person’s heart means much more than outer appearance. A Bible-believing church service should always include a salvation invitation so those who aren’t saved can become Christians if they choose. And Jesus can change people!
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Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Tuesday, April 7 2009. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Rachelle and Gabe Covington have been married eleven years. Rachelle had everything she could possibly want as far as material things, but she longed for something more meaningful. Tired of being in the presence of a man who just didn’t get it, she left Houston, TX and took a trip to San Diego; her childhood friend, Jillian, had requested her presence. The reason for the invite was a sad one, however, Rachelle was sure of one thing when she left – It was time to figure out who she was and what she wanted in life.
When Rachelle’s plane landed in Houston, she was not ready to go home. She got in her car and headed to Jubilant, TX to spend some time with her Aunt Irene, Uncle Charles and the rest of her family. She found them at St. Peter’s Baptist Church along with something much unexpected.
Back in Houston, Gabe was having a temper tantrum because his wife wasn’t at home where she belonged. He was about to leave for Uganda and Rachelle should have been there to drive him to the airport.
The thought came to me as I was writing this review that with all the talk of God in this book something was missing. Characters spoke of having a relationship with God, and this was good. However, there can be no “true” relationship with God unless a person accepts Jesus as personal Lord and Savior. Jesus is the key. He is the One who died for our sins. He is the mediator between God and man. He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. As characters talked about living for God and having a relationship with Him it would have been great if this extremely important point was made clear. Chapter twenty-five or twenty-seven; either would have been a perfect place for this gifted author to include it.
I did enjoy reading The Someday List. I liked Aunt Melba; she was a lively woman. Rachelle stayed in Jubilant for quite a while and during that time she resolved past issues, learned about forgiveness, and started to talk to God. And while in Uganda, Gabe learned quite a few important life lessons. The story didn’t end the way I was hoping it would, but Rachelle seemed okay with the choice she made and that was a good thing. I like how the author shows Christians are not perfect people, reminding us saved folk that we all fall short but God is always there ready to forgive and to help get us back on the right path.
This book includes an excerpt from the next novel in the Jubilant Soul series. It looks like Rachelle’s cousin, Indigo, has returned to Jubilant after attending college. I liked Indigo. I didn’t get to know her very well in this book, so I’m really looking forward to reading her story!
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Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Monday, March 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Hayden Grant, a sophomore in college, wanted to follow in her mom’s footsteps and become a member of Beta Gamma Pi. She was sure her friends Myra, Bridget and Chandra were also going to pledge Beta, but they each made a different choice. Bridget wanted to make the Mu Eta Mu line, Myra wanted to pledge Rho Tau Nu and Chandra didn’t care much for sororities.
Hayden wasn’t sure she wanted to pledge Beta without Myra, Bridget and Chandra, but becoming a Beta meant a lot to her so she pledged alone. It wasn’t long before she and her long-time friends drifted apart, but she found friends in her sorority sisters. She also found that Greek organizations didn’t always live up to their founders (those who formed these organizations to make a difference in the community, stand on God’s Word, lift each other up and get a good education) standards. Hayden wasn’t sure she was strong enough to make it when the hazing started, but she was sure she could call on God in times of need.
There was quite a bit of drama in this one - boyfriend drama, ex-boyfriend drama, sorority sister’s drama, family drama! And Soror Keisha (aka Big Sister Mean Machine), this girl had serious issues. As I turned the pages, I wasn’t eager to find out what was going to happen next, but the story was interesting.
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Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Saturday, February 28 2009. ( reply | permalink )

2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 3 stars

“Deanna Lambert lost her virginity at the age of thirteen. Her first was seventeen year old Tommy Webber. She was in eighth grade, he was a high school senior. Their relationship was nothing special; no real feelings for each other; no caring, no love. The sex meant so little to Deanna that while it was going on she escaped to a place in her head and wrote the story of a surfer girl.
Things ended between Deanna and Tommy the day her dad dragged them out of the back seat of Tommy’s car. Their sexual relationship was over and Deanna’s relationship with her father was destroyed.
Years later Deanna is still being ridiculed and harrassed by her peers. It seems Tommy told a completely different story from what actually happened all those times he and Deanna were together. As his story spread it changed into many different versions, making Deanna look like a pathetic slut.
Deanna – I really felt for this girl. Her choice to have sex was something she regretted and she thought about her mistake all of the time, so she really didn’t need others to keep reminding her of it. She lived in the small town of Pacifica and she didn’t feel good at all about that. She wasn’t happy at home; couldn’t wait to find a way out, in fact. This young girl was so dissatisfied with her life. I was glad she had her friend, Jason.
God’s name is taken in vain a lot in this book (I did not like reading that) and there is quite a bit of profanity to overlook. It was a good story, otherwise, and there is an important message of forgiveness.
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Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Saturday, February 28 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Karis Reed went to a guy’s house without her mother’s permission and she wrote about it in her journal. Janice Reed found out about her daughter’s little visit and she was not pleased. She did not hesitate to ground Karis for being with this guy in his home without adult supervision. Karis felt the punishment she received was unfair, so she decided she was going to do what her mother told her not to. She soon dealt with feelings of guilt, followed by one problem after the next.
Karis thought she was always being punished because of the mistakes her mother had made as a teenager, as if her disobedience had nothing to do with it. For a good while there it was obvious she had no clue how to take responsibility for her actions. Instead of seeing her part, the problems in her life were always someone else’s fault. Yes, there were times when her parents blamed her for things she did not do and that was unfair, but she brought it on herself with all of the scheming and dishonesty. It became difficult for her parents to believe her even when she was telling the truth.
Karis kept a journal and that helped her to cope with life’s situations; especially when she had no friends to reach out to. But when she learned to take her issues to God and to pray for others she began to care about making better choices, honoring her mother and becoming a person of integrity.
Trouble in My Way is Stimpson’s first young adult novel. She did a really good job! I loved the story, mostly because it made me laugh.
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Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Saturday, February 28 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Natalie Coleman thought nothing of pursuing a man who happened to be the husband of a woman she’d called “friend” since high school. Nor did she have a problem with using “what she had” to get what she wanted. When she met Troy Evans life was no longer about playing games or hidden agendas. This man made her feel special and the relationship brought her a sense of security she had never experienced before. Natalie had found love. But Troy, who was only comfortable with “no strings attached” relationships had a real problem with the “L” word. He left Natalie feeling rejected and hurt.
Natalie needed to get away from it all, so she went back to her hometown, the place she and her mother had fled far away from when she was a teenager. There she found comfort but also more hurt when a secret is revealed.
Secrets of a Sinner was a page-turner! It was entertaining, touching and inspiring. I felt for Natalie all through the story and I was glad to see how her life turned out. This is the first time I’ve read Yolanda Tonette Sanders’ work. It will not be the last.
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Katrina L. Burchett wrote this review Saturday, January 31 2009. ( reply | permalink )