Goodreads link for book:
Author's website:
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Suspense, Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 5 stars
Mature Content: 2
(mild language & violence content)
Age Range: 13+
Interest level: 13-17
Background Knowledge: This band of mischievous friends practically grew up together. But they were also torn apart by war and their separate loyalties.
Review: First of all, I want to give an enormous thank you to the amazing author of this book, Ricky Dean Wyrick, for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Ok. OH. MY. GOSH. I have not read a book this good in I don't know how long. I first expected some sob war story, just about a boy who had to go fight in the Civil War and all, but this was almost the exact opposite. It had tons of plot twists, very complex characters, and much, much more. Bag of Lies really lays out lots of moral questions, like "If your best friend chooses the wrong side and seems to betray you and your guys' values, is he still a true friend?" and ones like that. It really left me pondering lots of deep questions like that, and really anxiously awaiting the sequel!
Things I Loved:
-There were amazing plot twists that caught you off guard and drew you in even more just about every chapter. Just when you think things got good, they get better.
-It has my very favorite aspect of the Harry Potter novels, deep characters. There aren't just "good guys" and "bad guys" here. Of course, there are some characters who clearly state their loyalties, but there are many others who leave you wondering who they're really rooting for.
-Don't even get me started on that cliffhanger! I need the sequel!!!
Things I Didn't Love:
-Most likely because of all the plot twists, things sometimes got a little confusing, but I figured things out fairly quickly.
In Conclusion: If you haven't read this book yet, what have you been doing?! It has all the best aspects of every good book, especially a good cliffhanger. So please, go read this book!
Recommended?: Absolutely!