Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Reviewed by Lori Twichell, Radiant Lit

Genre: romance, religious, YA, supernatural

Publisher: David C. Cook

Publication Dates: February 1, 2011

For seventeen year-old Gabriella Bettarini, a trip to Italy with her mother and sister isn’t nearly as romantic or fun as some might think it would be. That is until she and her sister enter a tomb that her mother (an archaeologist) has discovered and finds herself trapped in medieval Italy with a total hottie. (Hey – she’s seventeen. What did you expect?!) So now Gabi has to find her sister, figure out how to get back, and keep from getting killed. Easy right?!

Marcello Falassi is a young knight destined for greatness in his family. His older brother, a sickly man, isn’t expected to live long enough to take over the running of the family estate, so it’s assumed that Marcello will be stepping into that role. With that in mind, his betrothal to Lady Rossi has been planned since birth. But when Gabi falls into the middle of a battle between Falassi’s knights and the neighboring Paratore family, Marcello’s future plans aren’t so certain.

Bergren has crafted a romantic adventure with characters, descriptions, and setting that all exceed expectations. Gabi is a solid voice for teenage girls who worry about clothes, society and dating.  Taking her values into medieval Italy is a fantastic way to highlight the idea of what’s important and what’s not. Suddenly who is going to the dance with whom or how to get into town to meet hot guys isn’t nearly as important as the thought of someone losing their life over allergies or asthma.  The descriptions are beautiful without being overwhelming and the plot moves quickly and keeps the action coming at a perfect pace.

A beautiful love story crafted across time, Waterfall is entertaining, romantic, delightful, and a gem of Christian fiction. With so many young girls falling for the romance of Twilight and other supernatural books, Bergren has created a worthy rival. Filled with adventure, (come on – knights and battles and castles – how can you not have adventure?) romance, and even a few lessons that teenage girls might take to heart, Waterfall excels at nearly everything. I cannot more highly recommend this book. If you’ve got teenagers who loved Twilight – try this one. If YOU loved Twilight, give this one a try. It’s definitely a keeper!

PG-13 – There are a couple of comments/situations that could be inappropriate for readers younger than 13/14. Bergren does a great job of keeping this well suited to the Young Adult audience.

Review copy provided by Wynn-Wynn Media.  Thank you Jeane.