Regina Silsby's Secret War

Regina Silsby's Secret War is a young adult novel that greatly impressed me as a reader and reviewer. With its realistic language and situations, this book is one I highly recommend. Rachel's reliance on God's guidance before making the important decisions she had to make was inspiring. Mr. Brodeur brings the pre-Revolutionary time period to life in this novel, and I also highly recommend its sequel, Regina Silsby's Phantom Militia, which continues Rachel's story further. She brings along a companion ghost from the grave in the sequel, adding to the excitement and danger. I also personally think these two novels would make a great movie that would be a wholesome choice for teens.

The Old English or King's English or English or whatever it is, the style of the language, was great fun to read at the beginning. Then, you get to know the setting, Boston in the 1700s. Neat details about daily life in that time keep your interest. For example, Rachel (the protagonist) is outside in the cold doing laundry in a tub or fetching firewood. Then you get to know all the characters. There are great characters. Rachel and her family are the good guys. There is a British soldier who moves into their house. Him and his troops are the bad guys. There's townsfolk, a cemetary, horses, ships, a ghost, knife throwing... all kinds of cool stuff to make a great adventure! Then, at the end, the adventure unfolds. Like great historical fiction does, the story is intertwined with real life events; the Boston Tea Party, the American Revolution. I must say I was a bit worried that this book would be a snooze fest since it is "Christian Fiction for Young Readers". Boy, was I surprised! It is simply a great adventure story with fun on EVERY page.

I recently read "Regina Silsby's Secret War" as a primer to reading it with my 10 year old daughter and got hooked!! The vocabulary is rich, the pace is fast, and the entire story is extremely believable and engaging. My 10 year old daughter is now reading it and is thrilled with the antics and courage of Rachel, the main character. She's also excited about how well the plot ties in with her recent history lessons about the Boston Tea Party, Stamp Act, Quartering Act and the other Intolerable Acts. Kudos to Thomas Broduer for an extremely well written book that's fun to read for kids and adults!

[...] This book is a must-read and must-have for any reader's collection. It is set in the Boston Tea Party-period, and Rachel Winslow is the very likable heroine who has a clever plan of disguising herself as a ghost...but I will not give it all away, you must read the book for yourself. The writing is so elaborate, you feel as if you were really there in the story, thanks to the vivid expressions, imager, and vocabulary. You will really enjoy this book if buy it, so get your copy today!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A wonderful adventure, the book is intrigue and mystery from the start. I'm an avid reader. Regina Silsby's Secret War held my interest and contained several unanticipated plot twists which was a pleasant surprise. Historical details are woven into the story as support for the plot rather than as a boring history lesson. The characters are well developed and believable. Rachel/Regina is a positive role model for any girl 9 to 90. To help her friends and family, she faces many challenges and obstacles. Yet, despite the odds against her and the expectations of colonial society, she rises up and meets each one by faith and determination. Guys, don't pass this book by simply because the main character is a girl. It has enough adventure - cannons, muskets, evading capture - that you nearly forget Rachel's not a guy. I do and would recommend this book to everyone and am looking forward to reading other books by Mr. Brodeur.