The Shadowed Onyx

Title: THE SHADOWED ONYX
Author: Nicole O’Dell
Publisher: Barbour Books
December 2012
ISBN: 978-1616265595
Genre: Young Adult/witchcraft

Teenager Joy Christianson always was the life of the party, but all that changed when her best friend committed suicide. Now all Joy wants is to reconnect with Melanie. She wants to know WHY. She needs closure. When some of her new friends tell her how she can find these answers using a Ouija board, Joy is torn between thinking it's a game and being creeped out, but she can't resist the lure.

She slips deeper into the occult as she seeks meaning in her life. The old answers from her parents and her church don't seem sufficient any more. As depression and oppression take hold, any sort of meaning slides further and further away.

What will it take to jolt Joy into a new path, one where she genuinely seeks help?

THE SHADOWED ONYX is the third and final book in Ms. O’Dell’s A Diamond Estate Series. I was able to read one book in the series, The Wishing Pearl, and enjoyed it. THE SHADOWED ONYX is hardcore stuff, addressing issues of witchcraft and the occult.

It’s a super scary spiritual world out there (but very real), and this book delves into it, teaching teens about the dangers of messing with the occult.  This is not a beach read. This is serious stuff.  I really have to admire Ms. O’Dell for addressing the issues teens need to know about.

If you are looking for a book for your teen daughter, this is one to consider. Detailed chapter by chapter discussion questions are included, as well as the plan of salvation. Recommended for teens and their parents. $10.99. 368 pages.

Bio: Nicole O'Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk, is a youth culture expert who writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents on preparing for life's tough choices. The mother of six, including toddler triplets, she’s author of YA fiction, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the Diamond Estates Series, and non-fiction for teens including Girl Talk, 2/1/12, based on the popular advice column she writes with her two daughters. Hot Buttons, O’Dell’s non-fiction series for parents, pre-empts peer pressure by tackling tough issues and was recently endorsed by Focus on the Family. Visit www.nicoleodell.com for access to her bustling blog network and other resources.

Book Blurb: At age seventeen, Joy Christianson is the life of the party. That is, until her best friend commits suicide. Joy’s already wavering faith slips completely out of her reach; darkness sets in, and her smile fades. Her “friends” lead her to the Onxy, meant to help her let go of the past and bring her into harmony with reality. Joy embarks on a dark journey of witchcraft. Eventually, afraid of letting the depression and evil take root, Joy decides to seek help in the haven of Diamond Estates—and try to reclaim the Joy she once knew.

Series Description:

Diamond Estates. Three girls are on a journey to find hope and healing. Each coming to Diamond Estates seeking solace… Each with her own unique set of struggles… And each capturing hearts and challenging the faith of teen girls.