Christian Author & Story
Red Rock Mysteries - Haunted Waters
VERDICT: HIGHLY Recommended
(with caution)
Concern Level: Medium-Low
Christian Parent Review
Concern LevelMedium-Low
Concerning & Potentially Concerning Content
This book keeps its target audience in mind and never gets too intense, but the fact that it is set in such a normal setting may drive some fear in some more sensitive readers. The worst of this comes at the action climax when the twins and stepdad are forced off the road and are trapped in a submerged vehicle. At one point they see the bad guy lurking outside their cabin that he eventually robs. There is a preview of this at the very start of the book when we hear the bad guy saying he “didn’t mean to kill them” (they survive). As a part of the backstory we also find out their father died in plane crash. The main characters certainly could have been a bit better examples. While they do come across as somewhat new in their faith there are times when they do things like roll their eyes, have bad attitudes towards school, sneak to check their phone during class, encourages crying in order to get sympathy. This is disappointing compared to other series we have reviewed (e.g., the Baxter Family and Moody series) where the author took the opportunity to show excellent examples that many of us see in our children who have been impacted by their faith). The most disappointing comment comes when the author has one twin say they “usually gag when she (mom) turns on the Christian station with slow music, but tonight the old songs felt good to hear” (this is such a bummer given how awesome worship and contemporary Christian music can be for a family). Local police are not always shown in the best light. The word “fattest” is used once. There is one odd comment where one twin says, “It’s like monsters in your closet or under your bed. You knew they were there, but you didn’t want to look”.
VerdictHIGHLY Recommended
Our Thoughts
We should say right up front… the book has nothing to do with “haunting” and this is a very unfortunate and curious choice for a Christian book title. This is the first book in a series that spans 15 total books from one of the authors of the Left Behind series. This is a faith-centric book that, while not perfect (see above), does provide a fast-paced solid mystery and adventure focused option for Christian families. This story features a family where the mom’s salvation leads to the two twin main characters, Ashley and Bryce, becoming interested and eventually being saved themselves (a part of the backstory). This faith content is sprinkled throughout the story (e.g., when they cry out to Jesus, pray for the unsaved stepdad and sister-in-law, write in a journal to God, address friends whose lives don’t reflect their expressed faith and when one of the twins references Jesus teaching to turn the other cheek). The insight that naturally comes from having a Christian author makes such a difference. One of our favorite parts is when the daughter finds herself in a really challenging moral situation and fails. She is at a friend's house and the parents are not there as she expected and informed her mom. Even more surprising, the friend invites her to just come and watch the quick last few minutes of a movie, which turns out to be very inappropriate. While this would not even be given a second thought or handled poorly in so many books today, instead we see the daughter wrestling with guilt and eventually coming clean to her mother, who handles it very well and encourages her to go talk with her friend. This turns into an opportunity to share about her faith. Beautiful. Such a good example of why we encourage and try to help parents find these faith-based options. This is also one to consider for developing readers as the book takes the format of very short chapters that gives a sense of incremental fulfillment and keeps interest. As a side note suggestion, look for the newer covers when purchasing these. It may be hard for your child to get past the, in our opinion, really poor choice for a cover image in the original printing.
Plot SummaryNote: This information is typically from the publisher.
A crazy, wild ride from a deserted mining town makes it clear that someone’s after Bryce and Ashley Timberline. Will they survive long enough to find out who it is? Watch out! The Timberline twins are on the loose. Bryce and Ashley are ATV-riding tweens from Colorado who unearth action-packed mystery and adventure wherever they go. From clearing the name of a local miscreant to thwarting a gold-stealing heist, the twins’ growing faith and the strong example of their parents guide them through even the most life-threatening situations. With the trademark page-turner style used by Jerry Jenkins and Chris Fabry in the Left Behind: The Kids series, these fast-paced books will keep even reluctant readers on the edge of their seats. Readers will definitely be hooked! Perfect for ages 8-12.
Purchase LinkAbove Reproach: We intentionally do NOT use referral links on this site. Purchase Book Convenience Link
Other Reviews for this Book
Squeaky Clean Reviews
Pretty solid short review that is worth reading through.
Read ReviewChristian Books for Tweens and Teens
Less of a review and more of a product listing. Does not get into many concerning elements.
Read ReviewChristianbook (parent reviews)
While they can be helpful, always use parent reviews with caution.
Read ReviewScripture Reflection
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
— James 4:7-8
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