This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
In Victoria Bastedo’s Zugadu’s Heart, after being found living alone in the woods, Oskar is taken in by Stu and Marla, a couple who give him a place to stay while bringing him into Stu’s off-the-books work, collecting proof of illegal activity. While traveling, Stu tells Oskar a separate story about a man named Zugadu who is paid to guide people safely through violent situations and force those pursuing them to stop. As Oskar begins joining real operations, he is sent alone into a youth center to warn a teenage girl about a man who plans to drug her and pressure her into illegal work. Inside, Oskar must convince strangers to trust him while the danger approaches, placing him in the same role he has been hearing about.
Victoria Bastedo’s Zugadu’s Heart is Christian fiction, and Stu and Marla walk the walk in bringing Oskar into their home, and a routine molded by church attendance and local relationships. Oh, and low-key spying. I like Oskar, and the fact that Bastedo makes him rough around the edges. He feels real, and because of that, we want to root for him. The most fascinating character to me is actually Marla, who can quote scripture and circumnavigate being dangerously isolated in a diner. Bastedo fleshes every character out, and the story is all the better for it. The writing is simple and straightforward, with strong visual settings, like a claustrophobic attic and a house hidden in the surrounding woods. Bastedo’s gift for atmosphere is really wonderfully textured. Overall, this book is perfect for readers looking for unlikely heroes and stories shaped by faith, as well as casual readers who just want to be entertained. Recommended.
