Book Review: Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury

Shades of Blue
Karen Kingsbury
Zondervan
336 Pages
2009

Shades of Blue is a stand-alone title from Karen Kingsbury. It is a story of forgiveness and healing.

The story starts with Brad Cutler. He is an advertising executive in New York. He is engaged to Laura and they are to be married in four weeks. He is working on an account about baby blankets. He can't concentrate and come up with a slogan for it. Something is bothering him. He finally realizes that an event in his past with his former girlfriend is standing in the way.

He is miserable. He must resolve the issue before he can get married. He tells his fiance and then goes to North Carolina to find his old girlfriend, Emma.

Emma is having her own problems. She can't put the past behind her and move forward.

Brad and Emma work through the past and eventually find forgiveness and healing.


Spoiler Alert







This story works through some tough issues. It works through the emotional pain that abortion causes to the people who have had one. It shows that the only way to true forgiveness is through God.

This was a very emotional story. The last third of the book, I had tears running down my face constantly. It is a good reminder that unresoved conflict can eat away at us for years until we take care of it.

I think that this is one of Karen Kingsbury's best books. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.



Source: Library

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife
Audrey Niffenegger
Mariner Books
560 Pages
2004

I had heard about this book from other book bloggers and then saw that a movie was made about it. I have always liked time travel stories so I logged onto my local library's web site and placed a hold on it. It had a lot of holds on it and took about two months before I had it in my hands.

The Time Traveler's Wife is told from two peoples point of view. The story of Henry and Clare is a love story that spans time.

Henry was born with the ability to time travel. He can't control when or where he goes. Sometimes he is gone for minutes and sometimes for days. A lot of the time, he travels to places where his loved ones are. He has viewed his mother's death over and over. He meets himself many times. He instructs his younger self on how to survive when he travels.

Harry has a big problem when he travels. His clothes don't travel with him. So he is frequently naked and without money. He has to learn how to steal wallets and clothes.

There is one place that he travels to more than any other. That is to a meadow behind the house of a little girl named Clare.

Clare is the other main character in this book. She meets Henry when she is 6. She leaves clothes for him in the meadow. She brings him food. He visits many times over the years. As time goes on, she falls in love with Henry. Henry knows that this little girl will eventually be his wife.

The story does go back and forth a lot. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of who is where in time. I have to look back and see what year it is. Even so, I think that the author does a fantastic job of telling the story.

There is a sub-plot about Clare and another man that I didn't like. There is also too much sex. I would rather not read about their sex life.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Library

Book Review: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently
Marcus Buckingham
Thomas Nelson
2009
288 Pages

Marcus Buckingham is a consultant that specializes in strengths-based solutions. His newest book, Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently, grew out of a workshop he did for The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Mr. Buckingham and his team counseled thirty women to help them rediscover the passion they were missing in their work. They followed them for six months and then came back together to see what changes had been made.

It was what happened after the show aired that caused him to write this book. After the show aired, over a million (mostly) women downloaded the workshop from Oprah.com and then lit up the message boards.

Mr. Buckingham has created a test called The Strong Life Test. It asks you 23 questions and then tells you what your lead role and supporting role is based on your strengths. In chapter 7, he defines what each of the nine roles are. The nine roles are: Advisor, Caretaker, Creator, Equalizer, Influencer, Motivator, Pioneer, Teacher and Weaver.

I was very interested in reading this book. I am in the midst of a transition and have been trying to decide what type of work I should look for. For me, the best advice that Mr. Buckingham gives is to examine the times in your past that were strong moments. What excited you. What made you look forward to going to work. You must pay attention to those moments and apply what you learn to the decisions you make about the future.

I took The Strong Life Test. It said that my lead role is Teacher and my supporting role is Influencer. These are not the roles that I would have thought described me. I am not saying that it is wrong but I am going to have to think about it more and see where those roles might lead me.

I would recommend this book for any woman who is not satisfied with her work.

Reviewed for Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger Program. http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

You can take The Strong Life Test here.

Book Review: The Noticer by Andy Andrews

The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.
Andy Andrews
Thomas Nelson
2009
176 Pages

I was very happy to receive a copy of The Noticer by Andy Andrews from Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program. I have read several of Andy Andrews books and heard him speak several times.

The Noticer is a story about an old man named Jones. Not Mr. Jones as he tells everyone, just Jones. At first, he seems to be a drifter. But as the story progresses, he seems to be much more. He finds people that are at a crisis point in their life and shows them a new perspective.

He talks to a young homeless man, a married couple headed for divorce, a worrier, teenagers, an old woman who feels useless, a business man who cuts corners to achieve the "big picture" and many others. He talks to them about how they can put their life in perspective and make it into something better.

I think that just about anyone can identify with one (or more) of the people in this book. I certainly did. I intend to reread that section and apply Jones' advice in my life. There is a good study guide in the back with some very thought provoking questions to ponder.

The Noticer is a quick read. It is meant to help the reader gain a new perspective on their own life. I found it enjoyable and it gave me a lot to think about.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Book Review: Take One by Karen Kingsbury

Take One (Above the Line Series #1)
Karen Kingsbury
Zondervan
352 Pages
2009

Take One is the latest book by Karen Kingsbury. It is the first of a four book series called Above the Line.

Most of this story takes place in Bloomington, IN. During the course of the story, Chase and Keith meet the Baxter and Flanigan families that millions have come to love from Karen's other books.

There are two story lines. The first one is about the making of the movie and all the problems they encounter. The second one is about Keith's daughter, Andi, and her roommate Bailey Flanigan.

Keith and Chase are trying to make a movie that will inspire and change people's lives. They are limited by a very tight budget. Things start to go wrong right from the beginning of the shoot. One star has a fit over what is served for breakfast and another star is bitten by a dog. Then the union causes problems for the crew. Every delay is costing them money. Without another investor, they will have to close down the shoot and admit failure.

Andi and Bailey are freshmen at Indiana University. Bailey is dating Tim but has strong feelings for Cody. Andi is going through a crisis of faith. She grew up as a missionary kid in Indonesia. Now that she is on her own, she is unsure if what she was taught is really relevant in today's world. She wants to live a little.

I enjoyed this book on several levels. First, it was a good story. Plot and characters were well written. Second, I enjoyed the familiar setting. The inclusion of the Baxter family made me feel like I was seeing old friends again. Third, I was very moved by an illustration of the power of prayer. When the union is causing trouble, the community comes together to "pray until something happens".

Karen Kingsbury has again written a story that will appeal to many people. I look forward to the next book in the series, Take Two, which releases June 23, 2009.

Book Review: The Shack by William P. Young

The Shack
William P. Young
Windblown Media
256 pages
2007

The Shack was recommended to me by many people. I read reviews on book blogs that I follow. My friends and family on Facebook recommended it. Some said it was the best book they have ever read. When I checked it out of the library, the librarian told me to have tissues handy. So I was really looking forward to reading it. Now that I have finished it, I have mixed feelings about it.

First, about the book. From the back of the book:

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

This book seemed to me to be two different stories. The first story is about Mack and what happens to his family and how they deal with it. The second story is about what Mack experiences in the shack.

The first story reads like any other story of tragedy. How it effects people and how the people involved deal with it. And on that level, it is a good story.

The second part reads more like a dream. It's style reminds me of The Pilgrim's Progress. When Mack meets God in the shack, he meets God in all three persons. He calls God the Father, "Papa", even though God is personified as a woman. He is taken aback by Jesus' appearance. He is expecting Him to look like we see Him portrayed in the movies. Instead, He looks like an average looking Jewish man. The Holy Spirit is personified as a woman named Sarayu who is hard to focus your eyes on. She is colorful, translucent and rarely still. Papa, Jesus and Sarayu help Mack find his way past the pain to forgiveness and love.

The more I think about this part of the story, the more I don't care for it. God is portrayed as human-like and flawed. He marginalizes institutions like church, seminaries and even marriage. According to this book, all God cares about is relationships. If we love Him, then that is good enough for Him. It suggests that people can come to God on any path.

I feel like I cannot recommend this book. To me, this is not an accurate depiction of how the Bible describes God. I know that many people will disagree with me, but this is how I feel.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Book Review: The Great Eight by Scott Hamilton

The Great Eight
Scott Hamilton with Ken Baker
Thomas Nelson Publishers
224 pages
2009

I was very excited to receive a copy of The Great Eight to review from Thomas Nelson. I have been a fan of Scott Hamilton's figure skating for a long time. I was intrigued by the subtitle: The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (even when you have every reason to be miserable). He has certainly had reasons to be miserable.

From the back cover:

From Gold Medalist to cancer and brain tumor survivor, Scott Hamilton has experienced the heights of accomplishment to the depths of disease. But through his successes, struggles, and setbacks, Hamilton has never lost his trademark humor and honesty. But more important, he has never lost his faith and optimism. Hoe does he keep smiling?

In The Great Eight, Scott uses stories from his international career and personal life to describe the eight secrets that - through commitment and repetition - have helped him "clear the ice," get back up, and "smile like Kristi Yamaguchi".

Most of Scott's eight secrets are common sense, but very few people try to do all eight of these things. We know that when we fall (or fail), that we need to get up and keep going. Reading about Scott's approach to each of these secrets makes it a little easier to see how to apply them to my own life.

Number four on the list, keeping the ice clear, is a difficult one for me. He says that trying to please others all the time is a recipe for unhappiness. He had to learn how to have open and honest communication about what he felt and needed. Many times in my life I have felt unhappy because I didn't communicate what I needed and was left out.

Another good one is learn a new routine. Don't fight the changes that life brings. Use change as an opportunity to grow.

This book is filled with stories from Scott's life that illustrate the point that he is trying to make. The only thing that bothered me was that the life stories kept going back and forth and some were repeated several times. But then again this is not an autobiography.

It is a good book to remind us of options that we have to live happier lives.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Kiss by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

Kiss
By Ted Dekker & Erin Healy
336 pages
Suspense/Mystery
Published by Thomas Nelson 2009

Kiss is the latest book by Ted Dekker. He co-wrote it with Erin Healy. Unlike Dekker’s collaboration with Frank Peretti in House. I was not able to easily identify who wrote what. The writing was much more seamless.

From the Thomas Nelson Product Page:

Sometimes dying with the truth is better than living with a lie.

After a car accident puts Shauna McAllister in a coma and wipes out six months of her memory, she returns to her childhood home to recover, but her arrival is fraught with confusion. Her estranged father, a senator bidding on the White House, and her abusive stepmother blame Shauna for the tragedy, which has left her beloved brother severely brain damaged.

Leaning on Wayne Spade, a forgotten but hopeful lover who stays by her side, Shauna tries to sort out what happened that night by jarring her memory to life. Instead, she acquires a mysterious mental ability that will either lead her to truth or get her killed by the people trying to hide it. In this blind game of cat and mouse that stares even the darkest memories in the face, Shauna is sure of only one thing: if she remembers, she dies.

There is a good mystery surrounding Shauna. Why she can’t remember is just as important as what she can’t remember. Can she trust the man who says he loves her? What about the reporter that has gone into hiding? Will she ever gain the approval of her father? As she seeks the answers to these questions, she finds that she has developed a special kiss. She uses this ability to find out what happened. She doesn’t always use it wisely either.

I only had one problem with the story. I think it would have been better to have her father run for governor or senator instead of president of the USA. The security and media attention surrounding a presidential candidate and his family are intense. I think that many of the things that Shauna found out would have been discovered by the media or opposing party before her father would have gotten the nomination.

I think that this is Ted Dekker’s best stand-alone story. It reminds me of Blink which is on my all-time favorite list. I look forward to Dekker and Healy’s next book, Burn, which is due out in January 2010.

If you would like to read the first two chapters of this book, you can visit the official books site: http://www.thelostkiss.com/.

Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

Book Review: House of Dark Shadows

House of Dark Shadows
By Robert Liparulo
304 pages
Young Adult Suspense
Published by Thomas Nelson 2008



House of Dark Shadows is the first book in the Dreamhouse Kings Series. It was sent to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers to review.

The story starts out 30 years ago with a woman screaming. An unknown giant of a man is carrying her down the hallway of the house. Her young children and her husband try to rescue her but are overpowered by the strong man. He takes her through a mysterious door in the attic and they are gone.

Talk about starting out with a bang. I was out of breath (I must have been holding my breath), tense and ready to read more and that was just the Prologue.

Fast Forward to the present day. Xander is a 15 year old boy who is not very happy. His father has taken a new job. Xander, along with his 12 year old brother David and 9 year old sister Toria, have to move from the big city of Pasadena to a small town in Northern California. They move into an old Victorian fixer-upper.

But all is not as it seems in this house. They go into a linen closet and come out in a locker at the school. They find giant footprints in the dust. Xander and David find a secret passageway that leads to a hidden attic. In this attic, there is a hallway with a number of doors. Each door opens to reveal a small room with another door in the back. Each room has a theme. In one room, there is beach stuff. Another has snow gear.

This book then races forward with the boys discovering the secret of the rooms and find that their dad has his own secret about the house. Near the end of the book, the giant man comes back and leaves us with a cliffhanger ending.

I think this would be a good book for any young person 12 and up. There is plenty of action and suspense.

I was a little disappointed that there was no mention of God in this story. No one prays when in peril. No one seeks God’s direction or help. I would have expected a book published by Thomas Nelson to have a bit of spiritual content.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading the sequel, Watcher in the Woods.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: The Longing by Beverly Lewis

The Longing The Courtship of Nellie Fisher - Book 3

Bethany House Publishers 2008

The Longing continues the story of Nellie Mae Fisher. Her story begins in Book 1, The Parting, and continues in Book 2, The Forbidden.

Nellie is an Amish teen whose life has been turned upside down. Her people are split over assurance of salvation. Nellie and her family have embraced saving grace and joined the new order church that has sprung up. Her beau, Caleb, stays with the old order and his father has ordered Caleb to break up with Nellie.

In this book, she tries to move on with her life after breaking up with Caleb. She finds herself drawn to an Englischer, Christian. Her new boyfriend is a Mennonite cousin of Caleb's but Nellie does not know this. Meanwhile, Caleb's stubborn father is in a life-threatening farm accident. In his last days, he comes to know Christ and reconciles with Caleb. I am not going to spoil the story by telling you who Nellie ends up with.

Other story lines in the book include Nellie's sister, Rhoda. She moves out on her own and goes "Fancy". She has many struggles until she comes to terms with who she really is.

Nellie's friend, Rosanna, is also featured. Her longing for a baby consumes her. Her inability to carry a baby to term and the reversal of the adoption of her cousin's twins has crushed her. Another expectant mother offers to let Rosanna adopt her baby. Then Rosanna finds out she is pregnant again. Should she risk heartache again with a new adoption? Will she finally carry a baby to term? These are the questions that plague her.

I love Beverly Lewis's stories. I live in an area where there are lots of Amish and am somewhat familiar with their lifestyle and beliefs. Mrs. Lewis really brings you into the Amish community.

This series moved a lot slower than her other series. I do think that this last book does a better job of pacing the story. After finishing Book 2, I really did not care if Nellie and Caleb got back together. I am still not sure if I am satisfied with the ending, although I do not see how it could have ended any other way.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Children's Christmas Books

Over at 5 Minutes for Books, the Children's Classics carnival is about Christmas books for children.

On Wednesday mornings, I read to my daughter's second grade class. Last week, I read 2 Christmas books to them.

The first one was 'Twas the Night: The Nativity Story by Melody Carlson. This book is great to read aloud. It is written in the cadence of "The Night Before Christmas". It is the story of Jesus' birth from the point of view of the animals in the stable. The illustrations by Susan Reagan are very well done. I think that this book will become a yearly tradition to read out loud with our family. It is recommended for 5 and up.

The second book was Spunky's First Christmas. This book was adapted from a video that was based on a character created by Janette Oke. This story is about a puppy named Spunky. Spunky gets adopted by a boy named Mark. Mark and Spunky have a lot of fun together until Spunky gets lost. As he is looking for his master, he sees a window with a picture of a man with a dog and several sheep. He goes into the church and there is a Christmas pageant going on. Spunky ends up on the stage barking with excitement. Mark rushes in because he heard Spunky barking. Spunky was so happy to have found his master again.

The second graders liked both books. I think that they enjoyed the second book the most. They were very engaged with the story and very concerned when Spunky was lost. They cheered when Mark found Spunky.

Book Review: My Little Girl

I have joined Thomas Nelson Publishers Book Review Blogger’s Program. My first book to review is My Little Girl by Tim McGraw & Tom Douglas. Illustrated by Julia Denos. Forward by Faith Hill. 2008.

My Little Girl is about Katie and the day she spent with her dad. Her dad told her that they would have a spectacular day. She is so excited that she can’t decide what to wear. So she wears a tiara, boa, several necklaces and jungle boots. Her dog, Palio, is ready for the adventures of the day too. The first place they go is the co-op where Katie sees new bunnies and chicks. Then she dances with her dad after watching some baby ducks that looked like they were doing the samba. Next they lay in the grass and look for shapes in the clouds. At lunch, they spell out L-O-V-E with their alphabet soup. After lunch, daddy pushes Katie in the tire swing. When they get back home, dad asks Katie what her favorite part was. She replies “Being with you!”

This is the kind of book that makes your heart melt. The story is good reminder for both moms and dads that spending one-on-one time with your children is time well-spent. At the back of the book is a page where you can write your own story about your own dad and daughter day. The book is beautifully illustrated with lots of color and whimsy. I loved the cloud pictures.

My husband read this book to our 7 year old daughter. I was sitting where I could watch her face. She smiled and laughed quite a few times. When they were dancing, she started swaying with them. She thought it was a wonderful book. My husband frequently takes her out to breakfast on Saturday mornings. That is a highlight of her week.

I only had one problem with the book. There is little transition between scenes. When you turn the page it is a different scene. Twice, I thought I missed something and had to look back to see. My daughter didn't have any problem with it though. I would recommend this book for any little girl between the ages of 4 and 8.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Cast of Characters by Max Lucado

Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God by Max Lucado. Thomas Nelson Publishers. 2008

Max Lucado is a pastor and has written over 75 books. I find his books easy to understand and I always find plenty of nuggets of wisdom to ponder. He is very good at taking a familiar verse or story and showing it to me in a new way. This book is no different.

Each of the 23 chapters examines someone in the Bible that would have been considered "common" by the people who knew them. These people were not perfect. Some were rich and some were poor. They all put themselves in the hands of an uncommon God.

The chapter that most resonated with me was Chapter 6: Mary, Martha and Lazarus. The chapter's subtitle is Your Place in God's Band. He compares people in the church with marching band musicians and uses Mary, Martha and Lazarus to illustrate the point.

Some people like Martha play the drums. Martha served. She was the beat that kept everything moving. Like Mary, some play the flute. Mary worshiped. She was gifted with praise. And like Lazarus, some are the trumpets. Lazarus had a story to tell and he told it often.

I can highly recommend this book. I think that everyone who reads this book will find someone they can identify with. I found that I identified with Martha. By reading how God used her, I can see how God can use me.

5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Sunset by Karen Kingsbury

It is time to bid a fond goodbye to the Baxter family. Sunset is the final book of the Baxter Family Drama. We are introduced to the Baxter family in Redemption. There are 14 books in the series.

Instead of being focused on just one or two of the Baxter family members, this story covers all of them. It takes all the previous stories and ties up all the loose ends. If there is a primary focus, I think that it would be John (the father). His selling of the house and upcoming wedding and how each event effects his kids is one of the focal points of Sunset.

My favorite part was Kari's story. I think I liked it best because she was the focus of the first book. She is asked to deal with a part of her past and she really shows us how forgiveness should look.

My least favorite part was Luke's story. The part where Luke and Reagan are trying to work things out seemed stiff and not as believable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think that it was a satisfying conclusion to the series.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession by Anne Rice

Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession is a memoir of author Anne Rice’s conversion from atheism to Catholicism. Anne Rice is probably most known for her novels about vampires. Her first book, Interview with the Vampire, was made into a major motion picture starring Tom Cruise. Many of her books have featured vampires.

In 2005, she departed from her previous themes and wrote Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt: A Novel. She revealed that she was no longer an atheist. In 2008, her novel Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana (Christ the Lord) was published.

When I first heard that Anne Rice had written a book about Jesus, I was skeptical. I wondered why she would go from unholy vampires to the holy Son of God. So I did not read either of her books about Jesus. When I saw this memoir, I was intrigued. I wanted to find out what happened.

Called Out of Darkness begins with her Catholic upbringing. She goes into great detail describing the Catholic churches and schools that shaped her early life. She describes how much the icons and sacraments of the Church meant to her as a child.

She describes how her faith started to fade away when she went to college. She wanted to explore knowledge. She wanted to escape the sense of sin. Because she wanted away from the Church, she quit believing in God. She lived that way for 38 years.

The last third of the book describes her journey back to God. She describes herself as being “Christ haunted.” Creation spoke to her of God. Music and art spoke to her of God. She could not get away from the question of who Jesus was and why people were obsessed with Him.

In December of 1998, she came back to God. In her words, “…what I recall most vividly is surrender – a determination to give in to something deeply believed and deeply felt. I loved God. I loved Him with my whole heart. I loved Him in the Person of Jesus Christ, and I wanted to go back to Him.” So she did. She went back to church and to God.

Her story does not end there. Between 1998 and 2002, she went to church and grew in her faith. But she did not really change her writing. In 2002, she had a sort of awakening. She knew that she needed to write for God. So she wrote about Jesus’ early life.

I found the book very interesting. It seems to me that she got burnt out by all the rules and completely rebelled against God and the Church. She came back when she re-discovered the love of Jesus.

The only thing that I did not care for was the lack of continuity. She would be describing an event and then jump forward or backward in time. This happened many times. I was a little frustrated trying to figure out what order the events happened.

As I read this book, I was reminded of something that I heard in church recently. We need to pray for famous people. We need to pray for our favorite authors, actors and musicians who are not Christians. We may not have the opportunity to personally talk to them about Christ but God can use our prayers to bring other Christians into their lives.

Overall, I would recommend this book. I am also planning on reading her novels about Jesus.

4 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Sinner by Ted Dekker

Sinner: A Paradise Novel (The Books of History Chronicles) by Ted Dekker is the third novel of The Paradise Novels. It isn't necessary to read any of the previous stories before reading Sinner but it does build on what has happened in Showdown and Saint.

Sinner starts 13 years after the events of Showdown. The story focuses on Billy, Darcy and Johnny. Billy and Darcy have tried to put the events of Project Showdown behind them. But they discover that they have some very unique gifts. Their gifts get them noticed by important people in Washington who need their help.

They use their talents to amend the Constitution so that any speech that is not tolerant of another's belief is a hate crime. Johnny (Saint) goes back to the town of Paradise to take a stand against this new law. He gathers 3000 believers of the Way. The government sends Billy and Darcy to Paradise to convince their old friend that he is wrong. Johnny uses his unique talent to show them the Light.

Ted Dekker uses his stories to teach as well as entertain. In this novel, he shows us what the world would be like if we could be jailed for telling others about Jesus. He crafts the story in such a way as to make it very believable. It could happen in the very near future.

The story itself was a good read. I wasn't sure at the end what was going to be the result. I always hope for a happy ending but you never know with Dekker. It is certainly not a "They lived happily every after" ending.

I love the way he portrays the love of Jesus for those who choose Him. The salvation experience is so vivid, it nearly makes me cry every time. I usually have to stop reading and praise God for His love before going back to reading.

There are a few loose ends that don't get tied up at the end, but maybe he is saving those for his next book in the series, Green, which releases September 1, 2009.

If you would like to learn more about the themes in Sinner, visit http://www.teddekker.com/site.php?content=news_news.

4.5 out of 5 Stars