Beyond the Cross and the Switchblade

Author: David Wilkerson

Genre: Conversion, missions, life, evangelism

Series: It is the sequel to The Cross and the Switchblade, and it should be read after that. So I guess it might be the Cross and the Switchblade series...

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Non-fiction

Number of pages: 191

Time period: 1970's

Main characters: David

Exciting events: Gang life

My overall opinion: It was an excellent follow-up to The Cross and the Switchblade. This one had a long chapter/letter about End Times that was intriguing. And also some good marital advice...though obviously that's a bit pre-mature for me. :P If you've read and enjoyed the first book, you'll like this one too!

Thicker Than Blood

Author: C. J. Darlington

Genre: Adventure/mystery/conversion

Series: Well, its sequel is Bound by Guilt, but it's said to be a "stand-alone" sequel. So.

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 376

Time period: Present

Main characters: Christy, May

Exciting events: This book is full of them!!

Passage from book: Christy Williams didn't see the cop until his red lights flashed in her rearview mirror. By then it was too late. He was tailing her, and she had no choice but to ease her Honda Accord onto the snowy shoulder of the freeway and let the cruiser slide in behind.

My overall opinion: And so it begins...a wonderfully exciting story! This is Darlington's first book and I think y'all should read it! A delightful book.

The Cross and the Switchblade

Author: David Wilkerson

Genre: Missions, evangelism, conversion

Series: I believe there is a sequel, but it's not a technical series.

Number in series: It would be the first.

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9.5

Type: Non-fiction

Number of pages: 226

Time period: 1940's, I think! Though really, in a way, it could be now.

Main characters: David

Exciting events: Gangs and what they do! Sad...

My overall opinion: This is an amazingly moving book, that really reminded me of Child of the City, though it was different. Very moving, I really think you should read it! It's sure to impact you. A little more about the story. Okay. This man named David is called to go and work with the teens in the gangs of New York. It's life-changing to read how he encountered near death and worked with the teens who were on serious drugs and would kill without a second thought. It's ... amazing.

Child of the City

Author: Tito Matias

Genre: True story, conversion

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Non-fiction

Number of pages: 199

Time period: 1960's

Main characters: Tito, Paul

Exciting events: Several.

My overall opinion: Okay, you probably saw that I gave this book a high rating. It's because I really enjoyed it! Now before you rush out and buy it, let me caution you: this is not a book for kids. Tito lived in Chicago. Chicago is gang-heaven. There are mentions of shootings. As you get into the book, you learn Tito had a really rocky past. Namely, other men forced themselves on him in the wrong way twice. I hope that's clear enough, I don't want to type more explicitly. There is no detail, but you know. I didn't know much (anything?) about gangs prior to reading this book. It was an excellent read, but don't let your 9 year old read it.

EDIT: re-reading, you need more detail. :) It's the story of Tito, a boy of Chicago, who goes to a place called Inner City Impact, and learns about Jesus. He's a great athlete and participates in AWANA. A man named Paul really helps him. He ends up finishing high school in Montana, at a high school my grandma went to. Though I don't think she knew him. So.