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[Following is a volunteer review of "The Sparrow" by Denna M. Davis.]

The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis is the first novel in the sci-fi/fantasy Emaji Nation series. Amanda is trying to prepare herself for a mundane summer spent with her grandparents, Rose and Billy, in Minnesota. Her grandparents were acting strange, but Amanda would have never believed in her wildest dreams the reason behind their behavior. Rose and Billy knew this, so they simply handed her a letter and told her to follow Rose down a hidden chamber. Upon exiting the chamber, Amanda found herself in a mysterious new world in which her life would completely change forever.

This new world is full of people of all colors and patterns, people with wings and gills, strange animals, beautiful landscaping and elaborate buildings. Amanda must not only process this strange and unknown place, but also learns of a prophecy that is said to be her true destiny. Will she accept this fate and save the people of Emaji? Will she accept her savior and soulmate or return to the familiar safety of Earth?

I really enjoyed The Sparrow. Amanda was a very relatable character and perfectly portrayed a teenager thrown into an unimaginable situation. Young readers can learn a lot from her, for example, how she grows from her experience and becomes incredibly brave. I also liked her grandmother Mimi-Rose because she added a nice touch of humor to the story. The authors descriptive writing really brought Emaji to life; I could picture it in my head as if I was watching a movie. The end of the book tied everything together perfectly while leaving me wanting to jump straight into the next book in the series. I honestly can’t think of anything that I did not like about the book.

I would recommend this book to fans of sci-fi and fantasy novels. Although it may seem like it is geared more towards young adult readers, I think others will enjoy it as well. There is a touch of romance so those readers who enjoy that will like the book as well. There are some gory torture scenes so it may be best to use caution when allowing younger people to read it.

The Sparrow was a truly enjoyable novel to read and kept me turning the page throughout the entire book. I only found a few minor errors that could have easily been overlooked if one became engrossed in the story. For these reasons and the fact that I couldn’t find anything I disliked about it, I am giving it a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Sparrow
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This sounds like a very interesting book to read. I like books that I have trouble putting down. Thanks for the review!

This sounds like a very interesting book. Excellent review!

I also read this book for review and found it a pleasant read. I can't say I found it engrossing, but it was a nice, easy read which was well written. I'm glad you liked it as well! Great review!