The Invisible Friend

Viking Quest #3

by Lois Walfrid Johnson

Deep in the Norwegian fjords the Viking ship comes to shore. Mikkel, the prideful young leader, is home, but Briana O'Toole faces a new, uncertain life. What will happen to her and the other Irish prisoners? Soon Bree feels sure that Mikkel is hiding a dark secret from his father. When Bree finds mysterious messages that seem meant for her, she longs to be what she is--the respected daughter of an Irish chieftain. But the cold winds of autumn sweep down the Aurland Fjord, and its people wait for the last ship out. Bree wonders, Can my brother Devin possibly bring ransom before winter? In the midst of a growing threat, will Bree and Devin find God's courage to win? Who is their invisible friend? And what does it mean to be truly free?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Christian Fiction, Historical, Adventure, Middle Grade

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2004

Reviews

[Amanda Tero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book much better than the first two. It felt a little more complete, whereas the first two were kind of "introductory" feeling. The characters' growth in this one was good (and not all about anger). I especially liked Bree and Grandmother. That added a nice touch to the story.

The comparison of the one true God with the Vikings' gods is intriguing. It does not go in depth with pagan religions, but mentions some of the differences, always acknowledging Jesus Christ as the true God.

The author did take some spiritual liberties, such as diseases being healed.

A few threads from the former book were completely lost, unresolved. Was Alf tried? And what happened to Red Shirt?

Still, no boy/girl stuff yet!

[ForgetMeNot(Katie Cooley) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard this series read out load as a little girl and I still love it as a young adult! I highly recommend this book to young readers! This book has alot of my favorite scenes in it and the character development is top tier!

[Rachel Stadem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!



there is 2 more but they whernt on the search!

[Ian Cooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and a half stars

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Christian book for tweens! The story line was easy to follow with adventurous characters. Through this story, the sovereignty and omnipresence of God was explored.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've officially made it past the point I had stopped the first time I read these! I had mixed feelings about this one. The concept of Bree being in slavery is a very heavy topic that was definitely toned-down for the younger audience; that created a weird dynamic because her feelings and anger at being in slavery were very justified, but the behavior of her captors weren't exactly matching it. I did not understand the reasoning or actions of the adults in this book.
Also, if I were Bree, I would be pretty mad that my parents didn't come to free me?? There was no explanation for why neither of her parents made the trip with Devin. You'd think that after losing two of their kids on the Viking raid, they would 1. Go themselves to rescue one of them when they found out where she was, but 2. When one of them comes home, they would not just let him march back to the captors by himself??? He's fourteen! Did it never cross their minds that maybe it would be dangerous or that, you know, he might get thrown in jail and almost die once he got there?
I did like watching the development of the relationships between characters. Mikkel's internal monologue is pretty funny because he can't seem to realize that he actually cares about Bree.

[D.T. Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved all the Lois Walfrid Johnson books I've read, and this one was no exception. I'm looking forward to the last 2 books in this series.

[Sommer T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet! My favorite of the series so far!

[Mariah Zielke · Rating 1 out of 5]

The series is very repetitive, Book 3 in the series was identical to Book 1. Overall, it was a interestring story line.....but totally NOT one of my favorites...

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one wasn't as 'adventurous', but it had a lot of character growth. We also find out more about Mikkel's brother and the dynamics of their family, and it was nice to see Mikkel struggling with what kind of person he wants to be-drawn to greed and power, but also wanting to change, but not wanting to give up his old ways. We get to know some more people in Mikkel's family and community. I really like Sigurd, Hauk is interesting, but not well developed so far(I guess none of them area really that well-developed, these are really short books and meant for probably elementary aged kids, but there's distinct personalities) and I'm curious why Gna is so awful.

As for Bree, she is selfless, faithful, and trustworthy still, despite her circumstances. She does struggle with anger and lack of forgiveness, but she turns to God to help her through. She learns to trust God even when things aren't going the way she wants them to, and to use her bad situation for good.

Won't give away any spoilers, but the ending was good...bittersweet, but heartwarming.

[La Tonya Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic series. This is the third book of a five book series. Briana and Dev, brother and sister, are reunited in Aurland Fjord. Dev has the ransom money to pay for Bree's freedom. Further, Bree and Dev have found their sister Keely was stolen away by the Vikings six years prior. Dev has learned to trust Mikkel. Siguard, Mikkel's father, has learned to trust in Bree and Dev's Irish God. Through the cold Nordic winter Bree learns that her invisible friend is a God you cannot see. Simple lessons....learned through faith.

Quote:

"No!" Sigurd said. "You're a slave to whatever you serve."

Truth.

Mikkel laughed. "We're pleasing the gods we know. And we're praying for the last ship out."

When the wind blows fair, I'll be gone.

Their quiet ways did not mean they loved less. Nor did their quiet ways mean they couldn't express their thoughts well.

[Taylor Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seemed more like a complete story than the first two, and I really liked it! I was a little concerned about how some lies and false claims would turn out, but the end of the book was so good! I'm excited to see how the characters’ lives and faiths will grow in the next book, those familiar with the Bible and those new to the faith. I did think that Devin felt more like a side character in this book than the previous ones, and his big goal was glossed over quite a bit. I can't say too much without spoilers, but in books 1 and 2 he's really working for something, and then here in book 3, it just … happens. It was a little odd, but didn't really take away from the story. Can't wait to read the rest of the series and see how everything ends!

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve already read this book before, but I absolutely loved reading it to Esther. She and I enjoyed the story immensely. She told me, when we finished, that she would do “anything” if I would just start the fourth book, right away. I’m super glad she likes them and am excited to see her reaction as the story continues to unfold in the rest of the series. Yay to more reading!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even believe how quickly I read this book! I really loved it. The family love, trusting God, and all the good morals and lessons within it were shown in a way that wasn't preachy, making this a fun story to read while including them.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great continuation of the series. It's so nice to have a young female character that is very strong in her faith, but still struggles. It's a healthy dose of reality (plus, history) for my 9 yo daughter.

[Lunarwaterpanther · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book was one of the most interesting so far. There are new feelings between the characters and new adventures ahead. Especially between Mikkel, Bree and Devin. But before you read this book you should read the first two books.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!

[Ferson (Jefferson) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book! It was very well done and the story was great.
I have loved the books so far and this just added on to it!
Highly recommended!!

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly good series, may say this with each book, but I am enjoying them.

[George Slane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite of the series. I love how Bree's godliness comes out in this book. I love her sacrifice for her sister at the end. I love the love shown between herself and her brother.

[Mh Weyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine. Not excellent but good for elementary, maybe middle schoolers. Displays forgiveness and other Godly virtues.

[Rebekah Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teaches kids who is with them all the time, when they are scared or happy.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so good. I felt a bit like the storyline wasn’t moving quite as I’d hopped in this one, but still wonderful. I love a good middle grade novel!

[Lindsay Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is severely lacking but the story is fascinating enough and kept all my kids’ attention.

[Beza · Rating 5 out of 5]

👍

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in the series, it's just as good as the first two.

[Katie Kouba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing my nostalgic rereading of this series!!! This is a good one

[Kristy Hetzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids are loving this series and I really appreciated the character building demonstrated in this one.

[M.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Invisible Friend by Lois Walfrid Johnson, Bree O’Toole arrives at the Aurland Fjord as a Viking slave. Mikkel, the leader of the crew that captured her, has her in mind as a gift to his mother. Bree, however, has no intention of being a slave and immediately begins making plans for escape. But when she spots a familiar face, she is forced to barter a chance for freedom for the opportunity to search for a long-lost family member. And when Bree’s brother Devin appears in Norway with a ransom for her, things become much more complicated…
This is a really, really good book. Bree’s struggles are realistic as she faces doubts and hardships in her new home. Her questions about God and His faithfulness to her are ones that anyone can relate to. And her realization that God is her “invisible, always-with-me Friend” is inspiring. The story itself is very interesting and never drags, even when Bree spends her first harsh winter in Norway cooped up inside. There are surprises all the way to the end, and the ending is very sweet. It was also interesting to see Mikkel’s family and get a glimpse of who he is in his homeland.
I have a couple of complaints about the book, but neither of them are major. First, it’s a bit disappointing that Lil never makes much of an appearance in this book. She was a major character in the last one, but in this one she only gets a few sentences of dialogue. But on the other hand, this is a children’s book, and it is about Bree, not Lil. All the same, though, I would have preferred to see a little more of her. Second, though the ending is very good, it came rather abruptly. It wasn’t anticlimatic at all; there were just a whole bunch of surprises at once.
Overall, though, this is a great book. Mrs. Johnson is a very good author and clearly knows God and His Word. Like the first two books in this series, The Invisible Friend is inspiring and exciting, guaranteed to be a fun read for anyone who enjoys good Christian fiction and surprising adventures.

[Sienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!