The Messengers: Concealed

Lisa Clark's The Messengers Series is a dystopian middle-grade novel that pits the faithful and unlucky disciples of a long-forbidden gospel against those that would silence it forever.   Plucky Simon, our hero, is still recovering from The Arena, where in the first book he stood up for his faith at the cost of his safety.  The second book finds him both  navigating a world of betrayal - where friends aren't always what they seem - and his first love interest, a very welcome addition to the series.   While the first book delivered high on the action front, Concealed falls more into the cloak-and-dagger genre, with Simon dodging a shadowy government that has infiltrated every facet of his life. Clark's strengths shine in that way that she lays out complex pillars of faith in a way that makes it easy for teens to understand the Bible. Simon and his close band of friends are noble characters for readers to root for, but are still flawed enough to be believable, and their dialog reflects their always transforming faith. Overall, fans of this series will not be disappointed; The Concealed delivers its theology with grace and it's story with teeth.  In this current day, where the future seems particularly nightmarish, Concealed is brimming with a much needed hope; a hope in things unseen.

Colleen Oakes, Author of the best-selling Queen of Hearts Saga