My Review of "The Stone Traveler" by Kathi Oram Peterson

Sixteen-year-old Tag can’t believe he’s in this much trouble. He’s n

ot actually a member of the gang known as the Primes — all he did was spray paint some graffiti that caught their attention. In all honesty, ever since his dad and brother left, Tag just wants to be alone. And it’s certainly not his fault that the Primes nearly beat up his goofy cousin, Ethan. But his mom is furious about these gang-related activities and insists that Tag spend the whole summer at his grandpa’s lakeside cabin, which is not Tag’s idea of a good time. So he does what any self-respecting teenager would do: run away. But he doesn’t get far before he encounters three strange men carrying an even stranger object — a stone that glows with radiant light as bright as a thousand sparklers. Tag doesn’t steal the stone — not exactly. He feels like he is supposed to take it. But he doesn’t expect the stone to transport him through space and time to a place he’s never seen before — a place that looks an awful lot like the ancient lands described in the Book of Mormon. And he definitely doesn’t expect to join Sabirah, the entrancing daughter of Samuel the Lamanite, on a quest t

o rescue her father and brother from the evil King Jacob. And he absolutely doesn’t expect to be captured by Jacob’s minions and prepared as a sacrifice to the evil idol of the city. But just as Tag faces his death, a terrible storm begins to break, and the ground cracks into jagged pieces. And he’s not sure which event will impact his life more: his captor’s knife coming at his body, the violent tempest sweeping the land . . . or the men who later appear, glowing even more brightly than the traveler’s stone.

The Stone Traveler is an enjoyable read, but it is also a very moving experience. It has so many things that readers of the Book of Mormon will enjoy. I have come to love novels that bring the Book of Mormon people to life. Kathi also combines something I also love to read about, time travel! I also was impressed with the way Kathi used the stone as the means of time traveler; hence the name of the book.

I also want to mention that "The Stone Traveler" is well written. I have enjoyed all of Kathi's previous books, but she has outdone herself with this novel. Kathi switches back and forth between the viewpoint of her two main characters. This is very effective, as Tag and Sabirah have very distinctive voices. I also want to mention how Sabirah is a very strong female character. I enjoyed reading about her and her struggles to save her family and friends.

Some of the themes in this book center on loyalty, trust, service and forgiveness. Tag is sixteen and he learns so much along the way. It is the kind of growth that we all need to do sometime in our life. Great characters, lots of excitement and a satisfying ending; what more could you want?

I wanted you to see what Kathi posted on her blog today:

I thought I might give you this stone to help you on The Stone Traveler's blog tour. It's very much like the one Tag, the sixteen-year-old protagonist in my story, was given that sent him back through time.

Might I suggest that you take good care of it.

If the stone starts to glow and becomes warm in your hand you might find yourself in a different place and time. You never know where the stone might take you.

Remember: Kathi is hosting a HUGE contest for her blog tour. Read the post below for details of the prizes you could win(including a chance to win a KINDLE) if you comment on this post and other reviewers of this book.

Visit Kathi's blog at....http://www.kathiswritingnook.com