Book Review–The Covenant

About the Book:

Book: The Covenant: Book One the Messiah Brigade

Author: Terry Overton

Genre: Middle Grade Reader

Release date: November 12, 2024

Middle schooler Zeke just wants to survive school unnoticed, but his intelligence and small stature make him the target of a gang of bullies. One afternoon, he stumbles upon a mysterious old box hidden in a pile of trash. Inside are trinkets, notes, and a Bible he’s never read, all hinting at life-changing truths if he can solve the clues. With the help of new friends in the “Messiah Brigade,” Zeke embarks on a journey of faith, courage, and discovery. Together, they hope to use what they uncover to bring positive change to their school and stop the bullies.

My Thoughts:

(Review written by my mom–thanks!)

There is much to enjoy and appreciate about this book! It is well-written, and the characters feel like real children that we might have in our neighborhood. Of course if there is a mysterious box in the alley and no one has claimed it, any curious middle-schooler would pick it up and look inside! The way of getting others involved in unraveling the mystery inside, and giving the main character, Zeke, new friends in the process, seemed realistic. I appreciated the way the author presents the Bible and faith in Jesus, using those new friends to introduce Zeke to both; his many questions help with that. I also really appreciated Zeke’s respect for his single mom, who was largely absent because of long days at work, but was involved and supportive as much as possible. At the end of the book the four friends, who have founded the Messiah Brigade, have a plan of action to help solve the bullying problem in the school that is based on scripture and seems plausible. We don’t actually get to see much of it in action, but the glimpse made me hopeful that sequels will be well worth reading!

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Psychology. Her professional experience includes teaching public school, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean. She has two children, seven grandchildren, one great granddaughter. Her writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals. Her books have won Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Winner Awards, Bookfest Winner Awards, Reader Views Silver Reviewers Award, and International Book Award Finalist. Her books examine real world events with a Christian worldview. She enjoys writing for young children, middle grade readers, YA fiction, and adult level novels.

More from Terry:

My love of history, especially the WW II era, inspired me to write this book. It was an effort to combine the history of the world, specifically the cruelty of the Nazis to the Jewish people, and how bullying can result in kids taking over the culture of a school if not stopped. The three main characters decide to try to change the culture and make it a safe place from bullies. The discovery of a mysterious box of memorabilia of the WW II era sets the curious kids on their way. They find out there were three good friends who went off to fight in WW II to stop the Nazi movement in Europe. They see the parallels between their school, taken over by bullies, and Europe when Nazi forces were running over it. They soon figure out the meaning of trinkets, scribbled notes, and Scripture and use these to steer their middle school in a better direction.

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