Review: "New Recruit" by Jill Williamson

Reviewed by Rachel Rea

THE BOOK:

New Recruit: Mission 1: Moscow

Book One in the Mission League Series

Forced to choose between military school and a Christian spy organization, skeptic Spencer Garmond signs on with the Bible geeks. But before he even boards the plane for Moscow, Spencer realizes this is no Bible club.

These guys mean business.

Stumbling onto a case involving a gang of homeless boys, a chilling tattoo, and the always beautiful Anya Vseveloda, Spencer struggles to find the faith needed to save the Mission League from enemy infiltration.

What I Loved

The voice.

I could pretty much sum up the entirety of what I loved about this book with those two words.

Yes, the plot was amazing. Yes, the fact that Spencer was iffy about what all was going on helped me really believe in what was going on (with a Christian spy organization, there has to be a teensy-weensy ounce of doubt in the beginning, right? Aesthetic distance, maybe?).

Yes, this book totally made me laugh and come home from a long day of school, school, and more school, excited about seeing what Spencer's next adventure was.

But, really, what kept me reading to discover that the plot twisted and turned was the way Spencer looked at the world.

I remember saying something along a similar vein about Martyr in Replication, but Jill Williamson definitely has her male main characters pegged. She's awesome at them. And take it from someone who is very much a girl: when an author can get me excited about what's happening in the life of a fifteen-year-old basketball rebel (with me only wanting to throw something at him once during the whole novel), that's a sign of true talent.

What I Didn't Like As Much

So you're dying to know about that one moment I wanted to throw something at Spencer, aren't you? Well, you see, Spencer isn't a Christian, but he's part of this spy organization (unwillingly, anyway).

He makes a great spy and I really like how his not-yet-faith-but-totally-now-spy-work is handled. Completely believable.

{And on the subject of believable, I did mention Spencer's skepticism of the whole spy gig at first. That was played extremely well, so that when he finally believed in the existence of the whole thing, so did I.}

Anyway, Spencer looks at life in an interesting manner as an unbeliever and there was one line where he basically calls a girl unattractive and I was ready to wring his neck. But it passed and he ended up respecting that same girl, which elevated him again in my book.

Why I Recommend This Book

For those looking for an adventure read, here's your answer. For those looking for a great birthday or Christmas gift for a guy or little brother, New Recruit would be an excellent choice (and maybe you'll want to include Spencer's necklace, too?). The ending, especially, is handled with great tact. I love it, but I won't give anything away.

You'll just have to find out for yourself.

About the Author

Shelley Shepard Gray's first Amish novel, Hidden, was nominated for the Inspirational Readers Choice award. Her book Simple Gifts won the Reviewers Choice Award. Shelley’s novel, The Protector, recently made the New York Times bestseller list. A native of Texas, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Colorado, and taught school for ten years. She lives in southern Ohio where she writes full time.