Review: Realistic retelling of a Noah's ark myth
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 22, 2013
Everyone knows story from the Bible about Noah's Ark. Stephanie Parent in her new series Neima's Ark retells this famous legend from a fresh and new perspective of a sixteen-year-old Neima, Noah's granddaughter. Told from a viewpoint of average teenage girl, process of building the arc seems like everything except an act of faith. Nobody believes in Noah's God and everyone think he is mad. So poor Neima, except usual teenage problems of first crush, low self-confidence and overzealous matchmaking cousins, has to fight against the ridicule of entire village since she is dubbed the madman's granddaughter.I liked Neima. She is not week, and although she is obedient, as it was custom in those days, she questions her elders and does not just listens blindly. And we both share love for animals. Neima's descriptions of animals that are part of arc's cargo were my favorite part. Not just baby elephants, although they were super cute, but also the tigers, flamingos and the rest. The only flaw that I could find in Neima thinking is irritating cliche of brunettes being dull as mud.If you are looking for a christian fiction where 'God will give us strength' and 'We must have faith in our lord' are motivational sentences that pop-up on every page - look elsewhere. The only religious talk you will get is from Noah and it is usually regarded with skepticism and disbelief. Forty Days is a realistic retelling of Noah's Ark myth, or at least as realistic as it can get since the rain falls non-stop for forty days.And don't be fooled by kissy cover. There is a budding romance, but it's not the center of the story, so people who are looking for a lot of steamy kisses and make-out sessions are going to be disappointed. But non-existing sexual content makes Forty Days a book that you can freely recommend to any teenage girl to read.With a little bit over 120 pages, Forty Days is quick read with cliffhanger ending that will make you check out to see when will Forty Nights, the next part in Neima's Ark series, be released. I really don't know why did they split this into duology I guess it's some illogical decision that only money-making oriented publishers can understand. I personally would have prefered to read this as one book.So if you are looking for a realistic, historical retelling of a Noah's ark myth with likeable heroine then hurry up and grab Forty Days, since until the end of the blog tour ebook will be available for a promo price of 0.99$. ;)I recommend this book to fans of: retellings of historical legends from young adult perspective; coming of age stories; animals; ...Disclaimer:  I was given a free eBook bythe blog tour host in exchange for a honest review.