Playing with Fire (The Secret Life Samantha McGregor, Book 3)

by Melody Carlson

Book Overview

If your vision led you straight into the fire, would you follow it anyway? Samantha's brother, Zach, is finally home after a ninety-day rehab for his meth addiction, and life seems to be getting back... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590526945
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Multnomah
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 0.7" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

Offers hope and light in dark situations.

In Playing with Fire by Melody Carlson, Samantha McGregor, the girl with the spiritual gift of prophecy, has a vision that hits close to home. Her brother, Zach, was into drugs but is home after being in rehab for three months, and everything seems to be going okay. However, Sam starts having dreams and visions about dangerous situations and drugs. It seems like tons of kids at her school are using drugs, and Samantha has some frightening visions about someone she knows. If that weren't enough, Sam has a vision about a burning cabin and someone who has been shot. She knows Zach is somehow involved, and she tries to figure it out on her own without Detective Ebony Hamilton's help. But will Samantha be able to do it on her own? Will she be able to save her brother and her friends? Sam is a strong, three-dimensional character and offers hope and light in dark situations. Her faith in God gets her through the difficulties in life and she stands as a good role model, even as a fiction character. This is a must read!

Good mystery

Everyone has dreams, but Samantha McGregor's dreams seem to be warning ofthe future. She wakes feeling she has lived through something horrible, with a sense of being in danger. Samantha believes the dreams come from God, but how can she be sure? Sam and her friends Oliva and Garrett go to a party where Oliva sings with the band and Sam and Garrett are just there to provide support and encouragment. When the police raid the party, Sam and her friends are arrested, althought they weren't involved. Sam has other problems, too. Her brother, Zach, who is fresh out of rehab seems determined to go back to his old ways, and her mother has a new friend, like in boyfriend. Melody Carlson's books are about serious issues and it's easy to find kids with similar problems among the teens I know. In Playing With Fire she touches on the supernatural and the gifts God gives. Never preachy, but with a strong faith message and lots of suspense, Playing With Fire is an interesting story teens will enjoy.

deep Christian police procedural

Although Zach completed his time in rehab for his meth habit, his sister Samantha worries he has no positive beliefs such as in the Lord being there for him. Instead she fears he will just step back into the same situation that led to his addiction. However, she has no idea what to do so she does nothing until she dreams about a meth lab explosion that she thinks might be a warning from God to intervene. Out of fear that her brother might go to jail, Sam decides not to offer her services to her mentor Detective Ebony Hamilton, but goes undercover at the high school as an informant to the police meth task force. She looks for the link between meth and other illegal drug sales and her high school as she hopes to help her brother and her friends before they say yes to drugs but is unaware of the danger she places herself in. The third Secret Life Samantha McGregor tale contains plenty of action and a deep look at what is spiritual understanding as Sam struggles to interpret her visions that she assumes come from God while having mortal issues especially involving Zach. Sam, as she did with BAD CONNECTION and BEYOND REACH, makes the tale with her caring about others. Young adults will appreciate PLAYING WITH FIRE as its relevant theme; drug use amongst teens makes for a fascinating spin to a Christian police procedural. Harriet Klausner

Where There's Smoke

Samantha McGregor's brother, Zach, has come home after being in drug rehab. She thinks that everything will be alright now and her family can begin to live a normal life again. However she starts to see signs that Zach is backtracking and not following steps to a full recovery. Plus there are rumors of drug uses running rampant in her high school and Ebony, her police contact, wants her help to try to find where the teens are getting their meth supply from. Sam even gets accused by the police of being a drug user. Then she has a vision of a burning cabin and her brother being dead as a consequence of his actions. She doesn't want to involve the police because she's worried they will make Zack really pay for his actions this time. This book hits closest to home for Samantha because it deals with her brother and his ongoing drug problems. This book will appeal to families that have suffered with a family member in this same situation. This book focuses on the dangers of drug use among teens. There is no preachy "Just Say No" campaign forced on the reader. Carlson seems to understand why teens would possibly be tempted to use weed or meth or other drugs. Of course there a valid reasons why you shouldn't but Samantha, Olivia and other characters don't act like they are better than those who use them. I really liked how the party in the beginning was show with lax parental supervision. It is sad at how many parents turn a blind eye to their underage kids drinking, having sex or smoking because they figure if it's done at home, it won't be a problem. I'm glad that Samantha and Olivia were mature enough to get out of that situation without making a big scene. I really like the two girls, if I were still in high school I'd want to be friends with them. The writing again is top notch, I'm able to see how the characters feel and understand their actions. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.