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CKoepp
Posted June 26, 2012
Hadassah Michelman is a teenager who's anxious to join an elite espionage group dedicated to combatting the slave trade. Capitalizing on the training provided by her mother, a former member of Israeli intelligence, Hadassah joins the Revelation Special Ops where she spends a year in training before becoming an active agent for the group. Along the way, she deals with the usual dilemmas faced by teenagers.
I enjoyed the story with one caveat. Elite of the Weak espouses a view of the end times that runs contrary to what I believe. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for me as a reader, but this note was hit with such frequency that it became a distraction in what was otherwise a very well-told tale.
In spite of that, the characters in Elite of the Weak are well done. They aren't fearless super-humans, but rather normal people with special training. Each is distinct with personalities, quirks, strengths, and foibles that make them seem like real people you might actually meet on the street. The complex plotline unfolds gradually in a logical, consistent way. The twists and turns in the story are cleverly done and quite plausible. It ends with the immediate crises solved and a larger one still looming, which is to be expected in Book 1 of a multiple-book series.
All in all, the book was enjoyable and well-written.
MaryCFindley
Posted February 21, 2012
Hadassah is an Israeli-American prepared for much more than just high school and hanging out. Her family follows Jesus Christ and looks forward to the Second Coming as earthquakes rock New York. World events, especially a rise in the number of kidnaps, and the special targeting of the types of victims, point to the end times. Some of the beliefs presented in this book about the end times and about the gifts God is using in His Church are not my beliefs, but there is an old saying, "good men can differ."
The book covers the formation of the Revelation Special Ops, the "Elite of the Weak" of the title. The name comes from I Corinthians 1:27, God using the weak to confound the mighty. Weak also means meek, and the team's mission is to create servants of God who combine the best of humility and strength for the task. The way they respond to the expected and unexpected situations in which they find themselves is very impressive.
I liked the fact that members and trainees range in age from Hadassah, who joins around age seventeen, to others in their forties. I also liked the fact that this book is filled with Scriptures and prayers, as well as danger and adventure trying to locate and rescue kindnapped family members and others. Hadassah's amazing and unintentional "dry run" in Africa proves her mettle, though all the members bring skills, plus the need for further training, to the team.
My favorite character was Hadassah's mother. I want her on my side in a crisis, and every day, in fact.
SarahTipton
Posted December 7, 2011
Set in the end times as portrayed in the Bible, this book portrays an exciting and scary future. Shining a light on the issue of human trafficking, this story follows Hadassah, a mature, resourceful teen determined to make a difference. She wants to join an organization--Revelation Special Ops--which works to free wrongfully imprisoned missionaries and girls forced into prostitution.
This is an excellently written story. There is, however, some preaching/Biblical teaching throughout the story. But it's well woven in, fitting in the context of the story, and never feels like the author is trying to stuff her agenda or beliefs down the reader's throat.
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes suspense and adventure and isn't scared of tough issues.
Overview
Crawling through an air duct in Queens...spending all night alone in an African jungle...that's normal for teenage spy Hadassah Michelman. She wants to join Revelation Special Ops, a Christian organization that works to rescue kids from modern slavery.
Hadassah's life is about to get a whole lot crazier.
The spies of Revelation Special Ops are...