Bad Connection

The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor #1

by Melody Carlson

Meet Samantha McGregor

She seems like your average teen, but Samantha is unusually gifted. God gives her visions and dreams that offer unconventional glimpses into other people’s lives and problems. It’s a powerful gift with a lot of responsibility…

Bad Connection: Book One

Kayla Henderson lives on the edge. She likes to break the rules, considers partying an extracurricular activity, and can’t stand her parents. So, most people aren’t surprised when she goes missing. Like everyone else, Samantha McGregor assumes Kayla has run away. But then she has a vision where Kayla is tied up with duct tape over her mouth. Freaked by the image, Samantha wonders, Is Kayla alive or dead? Was the vision real or just a silly dream? Most important, can Kayla be found before it’s too late?

Genres: Young Adult, Christian Fiction, Christian, Mystery, Fiction, Teen, Contemporary

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2006

About the author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“Meet Samantha McGregor
She seems like your average teen, but Samantha is unusually gifted. God gives her visions and dreams that offer unconventional glimpses into other people’s lives and problems. It’s a powerful gift with a lot of responsibility…
{Bad Connection: Book One}
Kayla Henderson lives on the edge. She likes to break the rules, considers partying an extracurricular activity, and can’t stand her parents. So, most people aren’t surprised when she goes missing. Like everyone else, Samantha McGregor assumes Kayla has run away. But then she has a vision where Kayla is tied up with duct tape over her mouth. Freaked by the image, Samantha wonders, Is Kayla alive or dead? Was the vision real or just a silly dream? Most important, can Kayla be found before it’s too late?”


Series: Book #1 (of four) in “The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor”.


Spiritual Content- All about Samantha’s gift of visions from God; Many, many, many Prayers; Bible reading; Many, many Scriptures are read, mentioned, quoted & remembered; Many, many Talks about God, gifts, trusting, having peace, God-things & the Holy Spirit; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Sam & Olivia are called religious freaks; Many, many, many mentions of prayers; Mentions of Bible reading; Mentions of Church, youth group & sermons; Mentions of Heaven & praising; Mentions of Christians; Christmas;
*Note: A couple mentions of New Age & being in cahoots with the devil; A couple mentions each of psychics, mediums, Ouija boards, crystal balls, horoscope chats & tarot cards; Mentions of evil.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘darn’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘screwup’, a ‘oh my gosh’, a form of ‘wimp’, two ‘crud’s, two ‘shut up’s, two ‘stinking’s, three ‘duh’s, eleven forms of ‘stupid’; Sarcasm & eye rolling; Mentions of curses (said, not written); A car accident & water (semi-detailed); Nightmares; Many mentions of drugs, dealers, highs, alcohol, drinking, jail, rehab; Mentions of meth & an officer who was killed on the job (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of murder, bruises, blood, strangulation, a dead girl, & being tied up with tape (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of bombs, knifes, & choking someone; Mentions of divorce; A couple mentions of a fake ID; A couple mentions of suicide; A mention of a slaughter; A mention of tobacco.


Sexual Content- Sam believes in saving herself for her future husband and mention of that pledge; Emma says that Kayla has slept with half the guys at school; Creeps & one saying he hasn’t hurt a certain girl; It’s hinted that Kayla was raped (no details); a ‘baby’, a ‘tramp’ and three ‘hot’s; Many, many mentions of dating, boys, who-likes-who, crushes, break-ups, boyfriends & girlfriends; Mentions of boy crazy girls; Mentions of a girl who doesn’t date; Mentions of flirting & hitting on girls; A couple mentions of kissing; A couple mentions of girls getting pregnant; A couple mentions of a s*x talk (no details); A couple mentions of getting married to have marital relations (no details); A mention of a male teacher some students think is gay, but he actually has a wife; A mention of a sugar daddy (no details); A mention of a strip-search (no details);
*Note: A couple mentions of a girl who looks “great” in a bikini.

-Samantha McGregor, age 16
1st person P.O.V. of Sam
242 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
{Add ½ to a full star for girls in Public School.}
Like nearly every other teen book written by Melody Carlson, I loved this series when I was a new teen & first read “Bad Connection”. Not completely sure why, as this series (like most of her others) deals with some heavy topics, but nevertheless, I loved this series. Lots of Spiritual Content (which is very refreshing) and a great lead into the next book of the series. :)


Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Miss Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would like to have been able to give this book more stars as it has a great idea and one that is all too rarely approached from a Christian perspective: that of a person gifted with dreams and visions from God.

But Melody Carlson's characters fall flat and while at moments they shimmer with life and realism, they all too often slide back into their cardboard cutouts, as if they were but paperdolls. And the dialogue is unbelievably preachy. Beyond what is tolerable, even going into the story knowing that it was Christian fiction. I have read a lot of that genre and throwing a mini-sermon at the reader every two pages, if not on every single one in a row, is not the way to get a message across or, in my opinion, the way to portray real people. Many of the most deeply religious and prayerful people that I know pray every day, many times a day, but they do not talk about it constantly. Because it is between them and God. They ask others to pray for them and for others, but that is not all that they talk about. And to be honest, apart from a few case details almost all the dialogue is taken up with prayers and religious scruples. I am not saying that these should not hold an important part in Sam's life, but as a story, it needs more. A lot more. More story. More focus on developing Samantha's character. I mean, outside of her family and gift, who she is? What does she care about? And the supporting characters are even given less life in the readers' eyes.

So, again, I was pleased to see someone tackling this idea, but I am going to have to wait yet again to see it handled better.

[Toby · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I've said before that I like Melody Carlson's books, since she's one of the few Christian YA authors who dares to tackle tough subjects. I'm still going to stick with that statement, but Bad Connection was a little over the top in some ways.

It deals with drugs, rape, abduction, and has a "graphic" scene or two involving death and bondage (more related to the abduction than it was to the sexual stuff).

Samantha MacGregor is a girl who has the gift of visions from God. Carlson did say in a forward that she was including more Scripture and stuff in Bad Connection than she has in previous books of hers, due to the nature of the subject. She also encouraged the kids/teens who read this book (or any of the books in the series) to not try to "create" a gift like Sam has (sadly, this makes sense to me, since I grew up in a very conservative Christian environment and I can see that happening).

Anyway. Sam was hard to relate to. The dialogue was very preachy, and honestly it was also so... similar? in a lot of ways, that it got annoying (e.g., she'd use the same phrase for multiple conversations with different people within the span of a few pages). And stuff like how Sam judged (but tried not to because it's not Christian to judge!) and said that Kayla (who is the focus of this story - she's the one who went missing) was a "normal girl" until her parents started struggling in their relationship, and then *gasp* she suddenly because boy crazy!!!!! No, no, NOT BOY CRAZY OH NO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO???

(When I read that I facepalmed.)

But I can't give this book 1/5 stars, because I did enjoy it and the 1/5 star rating is what I reserve for shitty books that I didn't enjoy at all, DNF'd, etc. In terms of enjoyment for myself personally, perhaps it was closer to a 2.5/5 or maybe even a 3/5 in some sections... but I did get annoyed enough that overall I'm keeping the rating at a 2/5.

(Note: I'm reading the third book in the series now, and it appears to be much "better" in some ways... slightly less preachy, a little less focused on "here, let's show the readers just HOW GOOD A CHRISTIAN Sam is." So yay.)

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story itself was ok, but two things annoyed me while reading this book. Every page seemed to have Bible references,people praying or discussing how God works in their lives. It was too much. Second, the author didn't seem to have the right lingo for teens. The dialogue seemed forced in some parts.

[J. Esmeralda Palacios · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating could be kind of biased because this was the first Christian book I’ve ever read. I was just a little girl and I remember feeling like God wanted me to get my hands on this book. When I read this book again, I could feel myself going back in time recalling Samantha’s unwavering faith feeling so refreshing compared to her mother’s broken faith. I was happy to have those feelings of hope that I felt as a kid as I saw the amazing changes God made in Samantha’s family throughout the book. I really enjoyed seeing the friendship she had with her close friend Olivia, the misunderstood resolved between characters, and the amount of focus there was on God being the one in control.

(Other than the typos I found in the book, amazing read. Don’t remember seeing typos in the book I got as a kid though lol.)

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Being that I am neither a teenager nor a conservative born-again Christian, it feels a bit disingenuous to be reviewing this book - I am so far outside its target audience! Regardless, I picked this up after noticing that Melody Carlson books seem to circulate well within my library system. Some of my librarian friends have been discussing what to do when the parents of 9-12 year olds who are high-level readers (or just plain don't want to be seen in the children's fiction section anymore) approach us asking for "clean" YA reads. Given that Carlson's work falls into the inspirational genre, I figured there would be very little that would be offensive and suggested it to one of my librarian friends. This was the only author I mentioned in that discussion whose books I hadn't read, and I figured I should probably at least read some of her work if I was going to do so.

More than anything, Bad Connection bored me. I couldn't invest myself in any of the characters because none of them had well-defined personalities or motivations. Samantha didn't seem very interested in the people around her apart from judging whether they were a "strong Christian" or not. And although the plot tried to be suspenseful, you pretty much know all along that Kayla, the girl whose disappearance drives the story, will be found safe and convert to fundamentalist Christianity because of the kind of story this is. So overall, it was just not especially interesting to read. There were a lot of sentence fragments that a competent editor should have fixed. I also wonder how the target audience of this book will react to the paranormal elements - Samantha insists over and over that she isn't a psychic, but it's pretty clear that her gift is more or less psychic premonition.

I suppose I was expecting something along the lines of a slightly cleaner Sarah Dessen rather than what I got. Admittedly I don't read much inspirational fiction and so can't comment on whether the quality issues I saw in this book are common. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book even to fans of the inspirational genre. Regardless of any religious elements, it's just not a compelling mystery/thriller story and none of the characters seem realistic.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Gigi Hoffman

Bad Connection, the first book in Melody Carlson’s Samantha McGregor series, is an intriguing read. It’s different than most books out there but one of the best I’ve read.

Samantha McGregor is a regular teenage girl, with a pretty extraordinary spiritual gift. She has the ability to receive dreams and visions from God.

Everything starts off when Samantha has a dream about her friend, Kayla, who has been absent from school for several days. When Kayla officially becomes missing, it’s discovered that she ran off to be with her internet boyfriend. But as Samantha has more visions and dreams of Kayla, she becomes frightened for Kayla’s life. Samantha doesn’t know where to turn—her mom is uncomfortable with the topic, her older brother is out doing who knows what, and her best friend, although she knows about Samantha’s gift, can only do so much. Samantha’s dad, the person who really believed in and supported her gift, was a police officer who died on the line of duty several years earlier. With nowhere else to turn, Samantha goes to Ebony, a police detective, and her father’s former work partner. Ebony is a strong Christian and believes Samantha’s visions. And when Samantha’s visions about another girl come up true, Ebony enlists Samantha to help find Kayla before it’s too late.

The novel is part suspense, part regular teen stuff, but one-hundred percent fantastic. Carlson takes a touchy topic and spins it in a realistic, God-honoring way. A great novel for all.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I normally don't like reading Christian books just because they normally aren't that good, but I was pretty caught off guard here. Since I go to a Christian school when we do book reports they have to be "Christian" (so obviously I normally don't enjoy book reports) so I picked this out for a book report and I read it in one or two days. I can't remember, it was a while ago. The point is, I actually liked it, and this is one of the few Christian books I do like.

[Kathryn36 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was pretty good overall, but it was also too "preachy." Whether or not you believe what she was saying it got old after a while. THe dialogue was also very proper for a tennage girl. SHe used too many big words and there was hardly any common slang or words like "can't" instead, it was always "cannot". The ending was probably the best part of the book so if you make it that far you will enjoy it.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO SOMEONE YOUNGER, MORE YA THAN MY USUAL READ.

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am already obsessed with this series and it's only the 1st book. While it does seem to be geared more towards young adults, I did find the concepts of this book thrilling. I have often wondered about spiritual gifts and despite this being a work of fiction, I feel encouraged to look up the gift of visions and dreams now. I believe it does truly exist.

Furthermore, I found the storyline to be intriguing and I'm curious to find out what happens with Zach and Conrad. Hopefully there will be some sort of follow up in the next books. We were also left on a cliffhanger that leaves me hoping that Samantha was just having a nightmare and not an actual dream.

Finally, and as a side note, I really enjoyed the font of this book as well. It's outside of the usual font and it added a cute little touch that I felt added to the overall book.

[Concetta Kellough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha has visions and dreams that come true but that can be confusing to interpret. The visions and dreams frighten her, but her dad helps her realize they are a gift from God. Melody Carlson does a good job of describing the confusion Samantha feels about the visions and her desire to keep them secret from most people. She also describes the confusion Samantha feels about having a gift that some people would consider not from God. I think this is a great read for young people. It definitely kept my interest and I had a hard time putting it down. I am looking forward to read the rest of the series.

[Christy Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Interesting look into how consistent dreams and visions from God could look in the hands of a teenager. I enjoyed the solving crimes aspect. It was written in a way that actually came across as a teenagers POV, which doesn’t always happen anymore - and even though I’m not one anymore, I appreciated that element of it.
The Christian themes were a little heavy handed. I know the story is literally about the Spiritual Gifts, but some of it felt a bit…. Pushy or messy.
The very short and not substantially addressed family with a drug problem didn’t really need to be there but it was fine.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book for girls who want to read Christian fiction. I really recommend reading the rest of this series. It really teaches about how you should listen to God and how he can be there even when it doesn’t feel like it.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rated this book 3.5 I liked the dreams portions a lot I didn't like but it happens kids going on the internet and being hurt tricked and abused by it...but the spiritual dreams and being in tune with the Holy Spirit was really good...

[Haley H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book didn't really catch my attention and I went to read the next book and that didn't catch my attention either.

[Kaelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!! You grow to love Samantha, Olivia, and just everyone's stories!!!
A must-read for any Christian teen girl!!
great read!!!!
can't wait for BOOK 2!!
whoop! whoop!!

[Katrina Burchett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Samantha McGregor is a teenage (sixteen, soon to be seventeen) Christian who has dreams and visions given to her by God. Her father understood her gift and tried to help her understand it, but now he's gone; the parent who took her gift seriously died when she was twelve. Her mother isn't comfortable with this gift from God. In fact, she's not sure Samantha's ability to see visions is something God has anything to do with. Is Samantha weird or crazy or simply a vessel God is using?

There was quite a bit I liked about Samantha: She wasn't ashamed to carry her Bible to school and she even pulled it out of her backpack, opened it and read from it not caring what anyone thought. She did not hesitate to go to God in prayer when she needed help or someone else needed help or she had questions. She had no problem praying in front of peers who weren't Christians. Even though she wasn't sure she wanted this gift that she wasn't always sure how to use, she cared more about what her heavenly Father wanted. And finding a boyfriend wasn't her main focus.

It was nice to see teen characters praying with and for each other and the author did a good job showing the life of a young Christian learning how to develop her spiritual gift and how to trust God whenever she began to have doubts.

There was something that disappointed me. Like other Christian novels I have read, this one contradicts God's Word at one point: On page 36 is the sentence - Kayla actually used to be a Christian. There is no "used to be" in Christianity... And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30 New Living Translation). Once saved, always saved. A Christian's salvation is eternally secure. They may backslide or become stagnant in their spiritual growth or let distractions get in the way and start retreating instead of advancing in their Christian walk or whatever and I'm thinking God isn't pleased when this happens, but if they confessed with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believed in their hearts that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and was raised from the dead, they are Christians and will always be.

Chapter one was fast-paced and I was eager to find out what was going to happen next but then things slowed down here and there. The story grabbed me more in some places than others so this book wasn't the page-turner I expected it to be but it was a good read and I do plan to read the remaining books in the series.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Bad Connection" by Melody Carson seems to have more parallels in its title than a little bit - not only describing the loose connectivity in which protagonist Samantha MacGregor receives visions from God about certain events in her life, but also about the choices made in the primary relationship of the girl who goes missing in this story.

When one of her former friends, Kayla, disappears from school, it's enough of a burden, and topic of conversation, at school. However, Sam's more troubled in the measure that she has unique visions about Kayla's life being in danger, and she doesn't know how to interpret them. Sam turns to her father's former partner in the police force and teams up to try to find the truth behind her visions.

The premise behind Bad Connection is well plotted, and I did like the prose when I read through it. Very fluid, very easy to understand. However, I did have to suspend disbelief many times at some of the actions/reactions that went into this story. The characters did genuinely feel flat in places, and I don't think the emotional reactions were necessarily played up enough to make it genuine/real. Granted, there are some points in the novel where the setting descriptions are well done, but I half expected the reactions to Samantha's "gift" to be met with more skepticism and cause more alarm - though it was met by resistance from Samantha's mother. The conflicts were loosely progressed. Some of them were good, others took a bit longer to get to the full thrust of the situation.

I wish that the novel had more rounded treatment of both the characters and the situations to give them more weight. I do understand this genre and have read novels in its progression, but some have actually treated it from a perspective that's incorporating for both Christian readers and those who might be outside of the faith (some might find Carson's descriptions to be somewhat preachy, but I kind of understand the effect she attempted to go toward, so it didn't feel that way to me).

I'll admit it was a decent read, in spite of its flaws, and I did like Samantha enough to continue reading the series (especially with that thread of an ending!).

Overall score: 3/5

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storyline - Since she was young, Samantha has had a gift. A gift for seeing things in dreams and visions. A gift she never really understood but her father seemed to. He also told her it was from God. Its been hard dealing with the gift since he died and with her mom not understanding it but when a class mate runs away and God starts giving Samantha hints as to what is happening to her, she has to make a decision on what to do with them. Are all the dreams from God? Should she listen to them? Or are they all messed up when she starts having dreams about this other girl? What should she do?

Positive - The main character really relies on God and always prays and asks for His help when she is unsure of what to do. She has friends who support and help her. She also makes clear what her gift is and isn't when people talk about it. Unlike some of the people she knows, Sam is not willing to go on a date with just anyone and sets a good example on how to date.

Negative - Nothing really negative except some girls are suggested that they have done things with boys that should be saved for marriage but it is made clear that it was wrong even though the girls don't believe that. The brother of the main character is also a druggie but it is shown what kind of mess one gets into with that sort of stuff. It has some grown up situations and hints that just makes this book more appropriate for a 'teen' age group.

Writing - The story was a little slow and it using words that make it in the present tense, like it is happening right at this moment, was a little irritating for me. It had a good storyline but the way it was put together and some of the word choices was not very smooth. Also, the characters continually using the same words like 'weird' got a little old.

Personal Opinion - The story had a good idea but some of the word choices were irritating sometimes and it was a little slow. But it did leave me wanting to know what happens next with Sam and her family. I also liked how the main character was a good example of a Christian girl in how she acted, dated, and differentiated on what her gift was and what more secular people might call it. I might read more of this series when I get money to buy them.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Melody Carlson's books, namely the True Color series and the Carter House Girls series, so I was excited to hear about this book. The concept sounded really cool and unique--a girl who gets visions from God? Really interesting. I really wanted to read it and was happy when I was finally able to get it. Sadly this book fell really short of my expectations.


Why I Didn't Like It:


1. Too Preachy.

Yes, Melody Carlson is Christian fiction writer. I'm perfectly aware of this and used to seeing religion in her books, BUT this book felt overly preachy, something which I dislike in fiction.

2. Unlikable Main Character.

I'm sorry, but I found Samantha to be very unlikable as a main character. It's important to like the main character, especially in first person. On top of being really preachy, I hated the times when she would get judgmental. She seemed to get really bent of shape when someone would tease her about being a psychic. I'm perfectly aware of what the Bible says, but no need to explode over it. As the book went on, I found myself caring less and less about what happened to Samantha. I didn't much care for the way she treated her brother, either.

3. Disinterest in Most Side Characters.

Honestly, the only side character I liked was Ebony. Everyone else was either unmemorable or bland.

4. Unrealistic Teenage Voice and Word Usage.

I struggle with this in my own works as well, but there were many times were the teenagers sounded very unnatural. I would pause and think to myself, "This character is a teen?"

5. The End.

The ending felt like a letdown after all of the build-up during the book. I expected some kind of climax...but it didn't feel like one at all.


Kudos to the book for:

1. Beautiful Cover. I know, I know, blame my artistic side for admiring the cover so dang much.

2. Great Idea/Concept.

3. Strong ethnic character (Ebony).

4. Realistic situations (online predators, drugs, etc.)


I can't give the book more than a star because after the first few chapters, I despised it. I kept hoping that the book would get better, but it really didn't. If you like preachy books, you'll probably like it. If not, you will probably hate it.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Carlson's Notes From a Spinning Planet series and starting Kim's Diaries (part of the Diary of a Teenage Girl series) I was excited about trying her latest series: The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor!
On top of dealing with the loss of her father and her brother's drug addiction, Samantha has been thrown another "journey" with God; but this time it's something special. Samantha has a secret: she can dream and see visions about people and things that will or might happen.
Call her physic, call her weird, but Samantha knows it's a gift from God-and when when her friend goes missing, this gift can come in pretty handy.
There's a connection, a bad one, but will Samantha be able to help in time?
........................................................................................
I've seen several teen books (if not series) about so called "physic" people who can talk to the dead or see things and helps solve murder mysteries. It may sound cool, but it give me the willies. Now, with Carlson's new series, you can experience an very real, and exordinary gift through a Christian perspective-the real "cool" way and without giving you the willies.
I defiantly recommend this book! Don't read that stuff the media likes-read this instead!.

[Books and Literature for Teens · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Carlson's Notes From a Spinning Planet series and starting Kim's Diaries (part of the Diary of a Teenage Girl series) I was excited about trying her latest series: The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor!
On top of dealing with the loss of her father and her brother's drug addiction, Samantha has been thrown another "journey" with God; but this time it's something special. Samantha has a secret: she can dream and see visions about people and things that will or might happen.
Call her physic, call her weird, but Samantha knows it's a gift from God-and when when her friend goes missing, this gift can come in pretty handy.
There's a connection, a bad one, but will Samantha be able to help in time?
........................................................................................
I've seen several teen books (if not series) about so called "physic" people who can talk to the dead or see things and helps solve murder mysteries. It may sound cool, but it give me the willies. Now, with Carlson's new series, you can experience an very real, and exordinary gift through a Christian perspective-the real "cool" way and without giving you the willies.
I defiantly recommend this book! Don't read that stuff the media likes-read this instead!.
REIVEW BY MORGAN

[Talia Dominguez Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! AMAZING BOOK! I REALLY LIKED THE STORY PLOT! THE BOOK STARTS OFF WITH SAMANTHA HAVING ONE OF HER DREAMS,A LADY DRIVING OFF THE ROAD TO THE RIVER. SHE WAKES UP AND FINDS OUT THAT IT TRULY HAPPENED.
SAMANTHA HAS A MESSED UP LIFE DUE TO HER FATHER GETTING KILLED WHEN SHE WAS LITTLE AND ONLY TELLS OLIVIA, THE ONLY GIRL BESIDES HER FAMILY THAT KNOWS AND BELIEVES; ABOUT THE VISIONS SHE HAS. SHE REALLY THINKS THEYRE FROM GOD AND ALSO BELIEVES THAT GO KNOWS WHAT IS HE DOING.
AS A CHRISTIAN MYSELF,I THINK THAT GOD HAS THE WHOLE CONTROLLING THING IN HIS HANDS. BUT ANYWAYS,ONE GIRL (KAYLA)THAT HAS BEEN NAGGING ABOUT AN ONLINE BOYFRIEND HAS GONE MISSING AND HAS ALSO APPEARED IN SAMANTHAS VISIONS. SHE HELPS THE POLICE FIND KAYLA WITH THE HELP OF HER VISIONS \.


THIS BOOK WAS SO SUSPENSEFUL, I CANT WAIT TO READ THE SEQUEL.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think over all this book was really good. It hooks you in and makes you want to keep reading. I personally really liked this book. The ending was kind of expected but some of the events that happened in the book weren´t and I think that is why I kept wanting to read it. You could tell Melody Carlson knew what she was talking about with how much detail it went into. For example when Samantha needed to turn to God for help you can tell the knows a lot about the Christian religion. I felt like this book really connected to me cause I can understand having troubles in you beliefs. Samantha didn´t know if she was just imaging the vision or if they were really from God and I have had stuggles with whether or not God is there. When I finished the book the first thing that popped into my head is whether or not Melody Carlson is a christian.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha is concerned for her friend Kayla that supposedly ran away with a boyfriend. Her concern turns to worry and even terror as she begins getting disturbing visions about Kayla’s whereabouts. Should she tell anyone about these visions, or will they think she is crazy or wanting attention?

This is a fast-paced read in which a good message is shared: not to be afraid to use your gifts that God has instilled upon you. Samantha faces many challenges teens often face at school such as not being ashamed of our faith and standing up for what you believe in. I felt this was a great book that teens will relate to whether they are in the public, private, or a homeschool setting. The mystery and suspense mixed into the storyline makes it even that much better!

[Rhayna Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always liked Melody Carlson as an author, and there are a few books that I found simply brilliant. Although I liked the concept of the gift of visions and dreams in Bad Connection, the one problem I have with this book is that it's so preachy. I'm a Christian, myself, but I think I speak for many individuals, both searching and curious, when I say that this book just seems to preach at you.

For instance, yes, I know the scripture about "where two are gathered," but it just seems a little unrealistic for teenagers, Christian teenagers even, to stop and pray aloud together frequently.

All in all, I thought that the plot was pretty good, but predictable. I will continue with the series, however, because I'm at a cliffhanger.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books might be aimed for teens, but that didn't even matter when I was reading them. Melody Carlson has to be one of my favorite authors at the moment. She is a Christian author and all of her books have that theme. Either the main character already has a relationship with God and she uses it in her life, or the main character has yet to find God, and realizes by the end how much she needs Him in her life.

In this particular series, Samantha already has a relationship with God, and a gift - she has visions.

While some find Melody Carlson's books too preachy, they always leave me with a peaceful feeling after reading them.

[Yeun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this book!!! I love the plot and it made me anticipate for the next book. I really thought this book was full of suspense and unpredictable events. What I liked the most about this book is the fact that Samantha has these visions that always gets the reader one step closer to solving the crime. Just when you think that this person is the killer, another person becomes just as suspicious. Sometimes the suspect is a total different person than you suspected. This is one of the reasons why I love this book.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading books that deal with crime and suspense.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked this better, but it didn't generate much feeling in me, sadly. I like it when books make me care. Also, it felt like there was not enough description to really *ground* me into the story.
It was a good story idea with fairly nice characters. I liked it alright, but there was no spark.
In contrast, the girl who told me about the books really loved them, so you might love them too.
I might read the others in the series, but I feel very conflicted. I liked the story, but... I don't know.