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Knowing: A Series of Gifts
Sixteen-year-old Ember Matthews is tired of being the person everyone else wants her to be. Although she is nervous about moving to a small town and leaving behind the comforts of her old life, Ember welcomes the opportunity to escape the mistakes and pain of her past. Ember truly wants to change, but when faced with temptation and peer pressure from some new friends, she finds herself slipping into the same old patterns.
As she reconnects with God, Ember begins to realize that she is no ordinary teenager. She sees things that no one else sees, and knows things she has no business knowing. Will Ember learn to use her God-given gift, or will the burden of her calling be too much for her to carry?
As she reconnects with God, Ember begins to realize that she is no ordinary teenager. She sees things that no one else sees, and knows things she has no business knowing. Will Ember learn to use her God-given gift, or will the burden of her calling be too much for her to carry?
208 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2012
8 people are currently reading
386 people want to read
About the author
Tammy Hill
6 books8 followersTammy Hill is a homemaker with a love for reading, photography, and writing who grew up in the South. She and her husband were stationed throughout the U.S. and Germany with the Army. A few years ago, they decided to trade an ordinary, comfortable life for a full life in Christ. This book is just one of the many exciting results of that decision. They now live with three of their six children and two poodles in the South of France.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 18, 2013
Stick with this story! Sixteen-year-old Ember has a troubled history that’s only hinted at and frustrating nightmares that seem to have no basis. Through the first half of Knowing, the reader lives with Ember as she settles in a new town—her temptation to stay a “plastic,” to wow the boys and impress the new kids—the type of girl she wishes she left behind.
Getting the news her mom had divorced her stepdad and was moving them away from Atlanta, Georgia, is both a shock and a blessing. Ember has a close relationship to her mom, but is also a typical teenager with moodiness, and equal bouts of thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness. They move a few weeks before school starts and Ember gets acclimated to the new town quickly when she meets Cade, a young man who stops to help unload boxes. Cade and Ember become an immediate item, and Cade’s gal pal, Missy, and Ember hit it off as well. As Ember starts getting to know more kids and getting involved in church activities, the reader may wonder where all this is going…but hang on, Knowing is not your typical teen angst story.
Ember is endowed with a special gift, as the title implies, and choices to make. Those choices are engagingly revealed through the second half of the book.
Hill’s book flows very realistically with natural dialogue and believable characters, from the teenagers to the adults in all situations. I appreciated learning about both sides of the debate regarding the Spiritual Gifts, which are shared without judgment. Nicely done. Teens and their parents who are curious about or are involved in charismatic faith practices will find much to like about this book.
Getting the news her mom had divorced her stepdad and was moving them away from Atlanta, Georgia, is both a shock and a blessing. Ember has a close relationship to her mom, but is also a typical teenager with moodiness, and equal bouts of thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness. They move a few weeks before school starts and Ember gets acclimated to the new town quickly when she meets Cade, a young man who stops to help unload boxes. Cade and Ember become an immediate item, and Cade’s gal pal, Missy, and Ember hit it off as well. As Ember starts getting to know more kids and getting involved in church activities, the reader may wonder where all this is going…but hang on, Knowing is not your typical teen angst story.
Ember is endowed with a special gift, as the title implies, and choices to make. Those choices are engagingly revealed through the second half of the book.
Hill’s book flows very realistically with natural dialogue and believable characters, from the teenagers to the adults in all situations. I appreciated learning about both sides of the debate regarding the Spiritual Gifts, which are shared without judgment. Nicely done. Teens and their parents who are curious about or are involved in charismatic faith practices will find much to like about this book.
June 19, 2012
Here is my review of this book!
Going from a life of luxury living with a rich step-dad, to a small cozy home with her mom should have been a difficult move for Ember Matthews, but in truth, she welcomed the change. You see, Ember Matthews has a gift that most people don’t have. With her special gift, she is able to see things, and know things that no one else does. As Ember grows closer to God this gift blossoms. But will Ember be able to use her gift, or will she be overwhelmed at what it involves? Join author Tammy Hill in her debut novel, “Knowing: A Series of Gifts.”
Ember’s story is very interesting and intriguing! From the first pages, you will find yourself engrossed in the story of her life as she seeks to do what she feels God wants her to do with her gift. Tammy created a wonderful cast of characters that tell the story in a way that keeps you interested and keeps those pages turning until the very last one. You will certainly enjoy reading about this teenager and the unique spiritual gift that the author so wonderfully writes about.
I encourage you to grab a copy of “Knowing” to read for your own enjoyment. You will not be disappointed, and it is well worth your time!
Going from a life of luxury living with a rich step-dad, to a small cozy home with her mom should have been a difficult move for Ember Matthews, but in truth, she welcomed the change. You see, Ember Matthews has a gift that most people don’t have. With her special gift, she is able to see things, and know things that no one else does. As Ember grows closer to God this gift blossoms. But will Ember be able to use her gift, or will she be overwhelmed at what it involves? Join author Tammy Hill in her debut novel, “Knowing: A Series of Gifts.”
Ember’s story is very interesting and intriguing! From the first pages, you will find yourself engrossed in the story of her life as she seeks to do what she feels God wants her to do with her gift. Tammy created a wonderful cast of characters that tell the story in a way that keeps you interested and keeps those pages turning until the very last one. You will certainly enjoy reading about this teenager and the unique spiritual gift that the author so wonderfully writes about.
I encourage you to grab a copy of “Knowing” to read for your own enjoyment. You will not be disappointed, and it is well worth your time!
January 24, 2015
This review is going to be different than all my other reviews. I’m not going to be doing my normal layout, just a note. Plus, I’m doing spoilers in this review, I’m not holding back. So. Here we go.
First off, the two important characters:
Ember, age 16: Hm. I think I like her. I liked how she had the desire to read her Bible more (note: none of the Scriptures were actually quoted though). I liked her name. What I didn’t like was all the secrets, especially near the end. (She killed a guy?! What? Huh? Who? No. details. Which some might like that there’s nothing about it, but I found it annoying. Taunting.) Her nightmares were…odd…detailed in a part but not clear in the overview picture.
Cade: {Okay, technically he isn’t a main character but I need to point things out about him.} Him. I felt like I should like him—oh but wait, no you shouldn’t—oh jk, he’s fine—nevermind, scratch that! I mean, it was like the author was struggling with what is character should be. Plus he was almost Atheist, yelling at Ember about how the “church freaks” are brainwashing her. Nice equally-yoked relationship he and Ember have. *sarcasm* Though, they do break-up mid-ish way.
The whole book was detailed in the scenes. (How someone looks, etc.) Normally, I’m okay with details! I’m a detailed person! But the actual plot line wasn’t detailed. The actual important part of the story wasn’t detailed!
There’s also many kisses (most being semi-detailed) and many touches (semi-detailed) There the mentions of the girl who was molested by her father. Clothing is worn by Ember with strapless & spaghetti straps. A ‘hot’;
Minor cussing including: a ‘suck’, three forms of ‘screwed’, five ‘stupid’s.
Mentions of divorce, Boy scouts, liquor, stores, designers, singers, and songs.
Here’s another thing: Ember goes to visit a Holy Spirit church (note: it doesn’t say what kind of church or what the name of the church is. Just that a teen from another church says that they play with snakes), she haswhat I want to call a “moment” a prayer with ends up with her praying “in the Spirit” and everyone around her going nuts. Oh, plus she ends up with a gift of the Spirit of knowledge. Like looking at person and knowing their story. Which happens (and one person was a war-vet (he ends up killing himself), a girl who was molested by her father and then a teen guy who cuts himself) and freaks herself and the person with her out. All these feelings Ember has are detailed and makes you know the author obviously this happen to her. Or that the author has an active imagination. My Momma went to a Holy Spirit church for a few years ago, I asked about all this and if it was legit. I mean, I know the Bible story about the flames over the head. This book lead into discussions about all that and what they believe.
Here’s the main part that drove me mad, which I’m still trying to get over. Ember asks “Pastor” Eric (I put quotes around that because this conversation makes me rethink calling him a Pastor) if he believes miracles happen in today’s world. Here’s what he says: “What I believe, and the belief of this church, is called Cessationism.” He goes on to say “In a nutshell, it means that the miracles, prophecies and such in the Bible existed to help grow the church. They don’t exist now because we don’t need them anymore.”.
I have many opinions on this, so I’m breaking it down:
• WHAT?! So we don’t need miracles anymore because in today’s world we so don’t need to “grow the church” anymore because everyone is the world is a Christian and knows the Lord. Smh.
• I’d like to note that my Word Document isn’t even recognizing “Cessationism” as a word. Just sayin’.
• Prophecies. Like the prophecies about Jesus coming back? Is this “Pastor” seriously saying that Jesus isn’t coming back because “we don’t need them anymore.”. Smh. (Shaking my head)
• {Here’s my main thought on this:} Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (NASB) You know what is verse is saying? The Son of God the Bible Prophecies and talks about did Miracles. We know this. This verse is saying that He will not change. Ever. I think it’s pretty clear on that! It’s written right there. FOREVER. Forever means Never changing. It doesn’t say that that He’ll only be the same in the time this Book was written. It doesn’t say that only when He’s walking around will He be the same. It doesn’t say that He’ll change randomly and stop doing Miracles. This verse doesn’t say anything about any of that! It says He is the same FOREVER. So why would Miracles not happen anymore?! Tell me. And don’t say it’s because of this sinful world. It was bad back then too! (Hello, Noah?) I mean, come on now! Why would Jesus Christ not be the same? The Scripture says it point-and-blank. It’s right there. When I think of Jesus, I think of what He did—Miracles—and what He did for us, for our sins—Died on the cross.
First off, the two important characters:
Ember, age 16: Hm. I think I like her. I liked how she had the desire to read her Bible more (note: none of the Scriptures were actually quoted though). I liked her name. What I didn’t like was all the secrets, especially near the end. (She killed a guy?! What? Huh? Who? No. details. Which some might like that there’s nothing about it, but I found it annoying. Taunting.) Her nightmares were…odd…detailed in a part but not clear in the overview picture.
Cade: {Okay, technically he isn’t a main character but I need to point things out about him.} Him. I felt like I should like him—oh but wait, no you shouldn’t—oh jk, he’s fine—nevermind, scratch that! I mean, it was like the author was struggling with what is character should be. Plus he was almost Atheist, yelling at Ember about how the “church freaks” are brainwashing her. Nice equally-yoked relationship he and Ember have. *sarcasm* Though, they do break-up mid-ish way.
The whole book was detailed in the scenes. (How someone looks, etc.) Normally, I’m okay with details! I’m a detailed person! But the actual plot line wasn’t detailed. The actual important part of the story wasn’t detailed!
There’s also many kisses (most being semi-detailed) and many touches (semi-detailed) There the mentions of the girl who was molested by her father. Clothing is worn by Ember with strapless & spaghetti straps. A ‘hot’;
Minor cussing including: a ‘suck’, three forms of ‘screwed’, five ‘stupid’s.
Mentions of divorce, Boy scouts, liquor, stores, designers, singers, and songs.
Here’s another thing: Ember goes to visit a Holy Spirit church (note: it doesn’t say what kind of church or what the name of the church is. Just that a teen from another church says that they play with snakes), she has
Here’s the main part that drove me mad, which I’m still trying to get over. Ember asks “Pastor” Eric (I put quotes around that because this conversation makes me rethink calling him a Pastor) if he believes miracles happen in today’s world. Here’s what he says: “What I believe, and the belief of this church, is called Cessationism.” He goes on to say “In a nutshell, it means that the miracles, prophecies and such in the Bible existed to help grow the church. They don’t exist now because we don’t need them anymore.”.
I have many opinions on this, so I’m breaking it down:
• WHAT?! So we don’t need miracles anymore because in today’s world we so don’t need to “grow the church” anymore because everyone is the world is a Christian and knows the Lord. Smh.
• I’d like to note that my Word Document isn’t even recognizing “Cessationism” as a word. Just sayin’.
• Prophecies. Like the prophecies about Jesus coming back? Is this “Pastor” seriously saying that Jesus isn’t coming back because “we don’t need them anymore.”. Smh. (Shaking my head)
• {Here’s my main thought on this:} Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (NASB) You know what is verse is saying? The Son of God the Bible Prophecies and talks about did Miracles. We know this. This verse is saying that He will not change. Ever. I think it’s pretty clear on that! It’s written right there. FOREVER. Forever means Never changing. It doesn’t say that that He’ll only be the same in the time this Book was written. It doesn’t say that only when He’s walking around will He be the same. It doesn’t say that He’ll change randomly and stop doing Miracles. This verse doesn’t say anything about any of that! It says He is the same FOREVER. So why would Miracles not happen anymore?! Tell me. And don’t say it’s because of this sinful world. It was bad back then too! (Hello, Noah?) I mean, come on now! Why would Jesus Christ not be the same? The Scripture says it point-and-blank. It’s right there. When I think of Jesus, I think of what He did—Miracles—and what He did for us, for our sins—Died on the cross.
June 8, 2013
Ember is unwillingly stuck in Smalltown, Georgia (pop. 15,000), when her mother divorces Bill. Ember is a Christian, although you wouldn’t know it based on her behaviour over the last four years. She strikes up an immediate friendship—and romance—with Cade, and through him is introduced to Mouse, who invites Ember to her church youth group.
As Ember unpacks and settles into her new home, school and church, she finds that she attracts attention not just as the new girl, but as the strange girl. Because something strange is happening. Sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes when she sees someone, she knows things about them—private things, things no one else would know. This gets her in trouble at first, but then one person believes her. And things change.
Knowing isn’t just a standard Christian novel with an evangelical bent. It goes further than that, as Ember comes to know and understand that the miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit detailed in the Bible weren’t just for Biblical times, but are for now. In that, the novel is more Pentecostal than evangelical, yet it manages to dispel some myths about Pentecostals and normalise them. Us.
Those who don’t believe that God gives people these gifts and talents today might be tempted to discount this novel, but they’d be missing something. And think about it: the doctrine of Cessationism is that “miracles, prophecies and such in the Bible existed to help grow the church. They don’t exist now because we don’t need them any more”.
Yet we live in a society where church attendance is declining rapidly, where large portions of Africa and Asia are run by governments that are rife with corruption and human rights abuses, and where the War on Terror against Islamic militants in the Middle East has been continuing for more than a decade.
God is being dismissed as irrelevant by the majority of the population. At the same time, large portions of the church believe we don’t need His miracles any more, because we don’t need to grow the church. Are we stupid, or merely ignorant? Hmm. (Rant over.)
The title, Knowing: A Series of Gifts, implies this is the first book of a series covering some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as seen in I Corinthians 12:8-10. Ember has shown us the gift of messages of knowledge. I look forward to seeing what’s next.
Thanks to Tammy Hill for providing a free ebook for review.
As Ember unpacks and settles into her new home, school and church, she finds that she attracts attention not just as the new girl, but as the strange girl. Because something strange is happening. Sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes when she sees someone, she knows things about them—private things, things no one else would know. This gets her in trouble at first, but then one person believes her. And things change.
Knowing isn’t just a standard Christian novel with an evangelical bent. It goes further than that, as Ember comes to know and understand that the miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit detailed in the Bible weren’t just for Biblical times, but are for now. In that, the novel is more Pentecostal than evangelical, yet it manages to dispel some myths about Pentecostals and normalise them. Us.
Those who don’t believe that God gives people these gifts and talents today might be tempted to discount this novel, but they’d be missing something. And think about it: the doctrine of Cessationism is that “miracles, prophecies and such in the Bible existed to help grow the church. They don’t exist now because we don’t need them any more”.
Yet we live in a society where church attendance is declining rapidly, where large portions of Africa and Asia are run by governments that are rife with corruption and human rights abuses, and where the War on Terror against Islamic militants in the Middle East has been continuing for more than a decade.
God is being dismissed as irrelevant by the majority of the population. At the same time, large portions of the church believe we don’t need His miracles any more, because we don’t need to grow the church. Are we stupid, or merely ignorant? Hmm. (Rant over.)
The title, Knowing: A Series of Gifts, implies this is the first book of a series covering some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as seen in I Corinthians 12:8-10. Ember has shown us the gift of messages of knowledge. I look forward to seeing what’s next.
Thanks to Tammy Hill for providing a free ebook for review.
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June 4, 2012When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. For a while I thought, great, just another teenage drama book... just what the world needs. And then, it opened up into a whole other realm of spiritual understanding. Ember has a gift that she neither understands nor is sure she believes in... but she knows there is more to life than what she's living. Every night she has a nightmare and wakes up crying and trembling. Every day she goes through life just looking for what's more and what can fill the aching hole and need in her life. When she moves to this small town, she decides that she will be different and she will be more... but how and more what? She meets a few people in town and she feels like she is going back to the same old Ember that she was in the last town, until she is invited to a different church. She is warned not to go to this church because they are weird, but the draw is too great and she goes anyhow. That's where she meets God again. During this meeting she speaks in a heavenly language and she can really feel God. Thinking that this would be the change she's been wanting, looking for she heads into life with a new attitude and outlook. Then it happens. God uses her gift to speak into someone's life and instead of the warm reception and welcome, the recipient is angry and threatening.
Wow and wow. I have never seen a young adult book that approached the Spiritual Gifts and I am so glad to see it. While I definitely believe in the Spiritual Gifts, I really don't have much knowledge about them because the modern church chooses to ignore them (or at least the denomination I am in doesn't put much emphasis on them; they are more cessationist in their beliefs regarding miracles). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one (yes, I have emailed the author about when the next one will be available, but I can't tell you the answer!). While the book is about spiritual things, I still found it enjoyable, not overwhelming or bogged down with the spiritual or "Christian-ese."
I would recommend this book for Teens, young adults, and adults. It is a fairly quick read (I read it in about a day around my regular routine).
Wow and wow. I have never seen a young adult book that approached the Spiritual Gifts and I am so glad to see it. While I definitely believe in the Spiritual Gifts, I really don't have much knowledge about them because the modern church chooses to ignore them (or at least the denomination I am in doesn't put much emphasis on them; they are more cessationist in their beliefs regarding miracles). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one (yes, I have emailed the author about when the next one will be available, but I can't tell you the answer!). While the book is about spiritual things, I still found it enjoyable, not overwhelming or bogged down with the spiritual or "Christian-ese."
I would recommend this book for Teens, young adults, and adults. It is a fairly quick read (I read it in about a day around my regular routine).
December 19, 2012
For a 1st-time author, this was AMAZING!!! Tammy's an extremely talented storyteller, so I hereby promise to persistently beg for more and pray for her courage to unleash her next report.
My complaint is that I don't want to be 16 again, please don't remind me of who I was (or wasn't) at that age.
If we only knew...really knew...the full extent of the possibilites of life in the Spirit, and we realized the confidence we can have in Christ, would we live life to the fullest extent?
I admit, I'm guilty of seeing the awful truth that so many people try so desperately to cover up. Not guilty for knowing, but for aiding & abetting the lies by my silence. Sharp claws & gnashing teeth are the usual response to public exposure (even just a one-to-one), and I'm a coward. I want the courage to proclaim how desperately Father loves us despite our [insert imperfection here].
If we really knew the width, the depth, and the heights of this love...
My complaint is that I don't want to be 16 again, please don't remind me of who I was (or wasn't) at that age.
If we only knew...really knew...the full extent of the possibilites of life in the Spirit, and we realized the confidence we can have in Christ, would we live life to the fullest extent?
I admit, I'm guilty of seeing the awful truth that so many people try so desperately to cover up. Not guilty for knowing, but for aiding & abetting the lies by my silence. Sharp claws & gnashing teeth are the usual response to public exposure (even just a one-to-one), and I'm a coward. I want the courage to proclaim how desperately Father loves us despite our [insert imperfection here].
If we really knew the width, the depth, and the heights of this love...
September 9, 2012
I received this book through the author for review.
With that said, I really enjoyed this book. The storyline was believable and the characters were likeable.
My attention was grabbed in the prologue. I've read so many poorly written books recently, I had sadly forgotten how well written a book could be. The author uses very descriptive language and has such a grasp of the english language. It was truly a pleasure to read.
This was a refreshing YA novel. There was no bad language or sexual scenes, which is unfotunately frequent in most YA fiction.
I'm a new Tammy Hill fan!
With that said, I really enjoyed this book. The storyline was believable and the characters were likeable.
My attention was grabbed in the prologue. I've read so many poorly written books recently, I had sadly forgotten how well written a book could be. The author uses very descriptive language and has such a grasp of the english language. It was truly a pleasure to read.
This was a refreshing YA novel. There was no bad language or sexual scenes, which is unfotunately frequent in most YA fiction.
I'm a new Tammy Hill fan!
July 23, 2012
This was an awesome read! I loved how down-to-earth the plot was and how the easy it was to relate to the characters! Highly recommended! :D
July 20, 2024
As a homeschool mother who loves to write, I have a soft spot for doing book reviews where the author has that similarity to me. Maybe it’s my longing to actually finish my own writings and get published some day that has me feeling that connection. Or, maybe I am seeking inspiration and affirmation that a homeschooling mother can write a novel and still meet the needs of her family.
Overall, I enjoyed this title. There were a few times early on as characters were being developed where things seemed a little awkward. However, that feeling soon passed and I was interested in seeing where the story of the teenaged Ember would lead. She has managed to capture some of the angst and concern commonplace to a teenager finding their voice in this world and growing into the person God desires them to be.
I have always believed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit being alive and well in the church. Reading a story about a teen discovering her own gifts was moving. Some of the scenes during the story reminded me of my own previous experience in the charismatic movement within the Catholic Church. That group seems to be at a whole different plane of experiences compared to the mainstream church and that dichotomy is felt as Ember finds herself at odds with new friends that learn of her gift of knowledge.
I will be interested to see if Tammy Hill takes this initial work and grows it into more for the future.
Disclaimer: I was provided with an advance reader copy to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own.
Overall, I enjoyed this title. There were a few times early on as characters were being developed where things seemed a little awkward. However, that feeling soon passed and I was interested in seeing where the story of the teenaged Ember would lead. She has managed to capture some of the angst and concern commonplace to a teenager finding their voice in this world and growing into the person God desires them to be.
I have always believed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit being alive and well in the church. Reading a story about a teen discovering her own gifts was moving. Some of the scenes during the story reminded me of my own previous experience in the charismatic movement within the Catholic Church. That group seems to be at a whole different plane of experiences compared to the mainstream church and that dichotomy is felt as Ember finds herself at odds with new friends that learn of her gift of knowledge.
I will be interested to see if Tammy Hill takes this initial work and grows it into more for the future.
Disclaimer: I was provided with an advance reader copy to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own.
July 1, 2013
99% of the books I read are nonfiction. I'm glad I deviated from my norm this time and read Tammy's awesome fiction book, Knowing - A Series of Gifts. This is an important book that emphasizes the relevance of spiritual gifts for today. Tammy is a great storyteller with a penchant for writing about the supernatural.
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