The Priest's Graveyard - Ted Dekker

“Judge not or else you’ll be judged.”

Rating:



Summary:
On the surface, it’s the story of a man who bestows judgment on those whom the law will not touch—on those who commit the worst crimes and get away with it. He gives them the option to repent or suffer the consequences, which would most likely be death.

On the surface, it’s the story of a victim of one of these crimes who follows the priest’s path and seeks revenge for the crime against her.

On the surface, it’s a thrilling novel that captivates the reader with its riveting characters and plot about revenge and justice that gives you your book high from the first page to the last.

But that’s just on the surface.

Analysis:
The Priest’s Graveyard is a remarkable story about life and death, love and hate, and mercy and justice. If you experienced something terrible, how would you react if the authorities did nothing about it? Personally, I probably would have been right beside the woman taking vengeance out on the perpetrator.

Once again, Ted Dekker created a compelling story that kept me glued to the pages. He managed to construct personal characters who think, feel, and suffer just like everyone else. Written in first person from the woman’s perspective, The Priest’s Graveyard forges a bond between the reader and the story. My heart broke when hers broke.

But most importantly, this book teaches you something if you are willing to listen: “Judge not or else you’ll be judged.” Throughout the book, Danny judges others for their crimes, but he is as guilty as they were. His problem is that he realizes this far too late.

This book was one of Dekker’s best-written books for its highly intense and fast- paced storyline. From the first page, I was addicted and desperate to find out how it progressed. I devoured it. The only downside was how suddenly it ended. I was literally on edge until the last pages, but then it stopped so abruptly. I felt as if there should have been a few more pages to help take me off of the high.

Overall, it is an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone looking for a suspense-filled novel.

Patience Please

I've been busy and got a little behind on posting. But no fear! I have three books waiting to be reviewed. They are Psych: A Fatal Frame of Mind, Imposter, and The Skin Map. I'll try to get them up as soon as I can.

Demon: A Memoir - Tosca Lee

“One encounter changes everything…”

Rating:



Summary:
Clay is confronted by a mysterious stranger who wants him to publish his story. Clay realizes that this stranger is a demon named Lucian. Lucian tells Clay his story, starting with the fall of Lucifer to creation to Jesus. Clay becomes addicted to the story that he is told and loses his job because of it. Unknown to Clay, Lucian is bringing him more than a story. Want to know more? Check out the author’s video here. She's says it better than I can.


Analysis:
I was amazed at Tosca Lee’s story. She not only created a remarkable story but also retold the aspects of the Bible in a way that brought it to life. I felt as if I was right there experiencing creation. Demon: A Memoir is a vivid and powerful story. I was hooked on it before I even purchased it. I read the back cover and was hooked. And the book does not disappoint. It goes beyond that curious glance. It will delve into your mind and leave you with an ultimatum. What choice will you make?

Impact:
God spoke, and it was created. Out of nothing. Can you imagine nothing? If you picture darkness, that is something. I love how Lucian paints this picture and how he tells the story of creation. It puts Creation in a whole new light. Any little thing will remind me of the story. The most remarkable aspect about this book is how much I thought about it when I was not reading it. I would go through the work day contemplating what I read. It left me thinking “Why?” Why did God create us when He knew all that we were going to do? I learned one major thing; never try to figure out God. His plans are beyond my comprehension.

“But here now, is the crux of it…there are those of us damned for one single, failing moment while you have the favor of an utterly partial God, willing to offer second chances again and again and again.” (Demon: A Memoir 163)

“The clay people were a miserable disappointment, and so they would continue to be, redeemed or not. They would scoff at El’s great act of grace, and Lucifer would see to it. Lucifer, the accuser called Satan, declared war.” (Demon: A Memoir 240)

“These children of God were bursting to life like kernels of corn popping into bloom. Suddenly, El was everywhere, manifest by the sheer act of belief in this Messiah…we were forgotten, disinherited in favor of the mud race…We were bent on only one purpose: the destruction of El’s believers.” (Demon: A Memoir 266)

“…this is your life, Clay: fleeing, ephemeral, and insignificant except for one thing, that El loved you. And you have missed it. Missed it all, completely. And now, look at you. Sweating, worried about your life, your story. Did you expect to live forever?” (Demon: A Memoir 300)

8/16/10 - 8/27/10

Immanuel's Veins - Ted Dekker

“This story is for everyone – but not everyone is for this story.”

Rating:



Summary:
The year is 1772. Toma Nicolescu is sent on a special mission by the Empress of Russia to protect the two Cantemir daughters. Toma’s best friend Alek accompanies him on the mission. The first night there, they meet danger in the form of the strangers from Castle Castile. Toma doesn’t trust them but cannot place the reason for his distrust. Soon, Alek and Natasha are fascinated with this group and submerse themselves at the castle. Toma faces his greatest challenge when he must confront himself and the lord of the castle. Who will win the girl?

Analysis:
As soon as I finished reading Immanuel’s Veins, I was ready to turn back to the beginning of the book and start all over. Once again, Ted Dekker creates a story that captivates the reader. His intense writing style enlivened the story and made me never want to leave. It had me laughing, crying, shocked, and impressed within the first forty pages of the book. I did not want to put it down. I was hooked after reading the first page.

Impact:
Immanuel’s Veins is an allegory. It made me realize that God’s love is remarkable. While we hated him and spat on him and rejected him, he sacrificed His life for us. All because He loves us. This was done so that we can love Him in return. Immanuel’s Veins tells this story in a powerful and vivid way that leaves you amazed at God’s love. I will never be able to read a love story again without seeing God as the ultimate lover. This story delved into my mind and had me thinking about it constantly. God is real and so is His power. But, that also means that Satan is real and actively trying to make you stray. But God will conquer Satan and be the everlasting King.

“If I were a woman I would have loved Alek. If I were a king I would have hired him to remain in my courts. If I were an enemy I would have run and hid, because wherever you found Alek you would find Toma, and you would surely die unless you swore allegiance to the empress.” (Immanuel’s Veins 4)

“The hour was late and the rain fell with God’s wrath on those mountains. I felt like a fool for ever having doubted his existence. There was certainly a devil, for I had met either him or his offspring. If there was a devil, there must be a God, or I had no hope.” (Immanuel’s Veins 227)

“There is indeed good and there is indeed evil, and both walk the earth. But good has little to do with the forms of religion, and evil has as little to do with so much behavior condemned by religion. Both good and evil vie for the passions of the heart.” (Immanuel’s Veins 286)

“Lucine and I stood in the Castle Castile now emptied of all her evil, and together we wept. For we had found the truest love. We had found God’s blood. We had found each other.” (Immanuel’s Veins 364)

The Abandoned Room - Charles Wadsworth Camp

Rating:



Summary:
The Abandoned Room follows the tale of who killed Silas Blackburn at the Cedars. It was a dark night, and as far as anyone could tell, he was locked in the old room by himself. Mysteriously, he is found dead the next morning. The top suspect (the nephew Bobby) has no alibi and no memory of that night. He believes he did it because he has the motive. The investigating officer is ready to pin it on Bobby, but he cannot figure out how the murderer was able to get into the locked room. So he spends the night in the locked room. The next day, he is found dead and the evidence that he had on his person is gone. Now, two new investigators arrive and try to discover the culprit.

Analysis:
At first I was I was thoroughly enjoying the book until someone mentioned that the murder could have been done by a ghost. Then, I was irritated. I didn’t want to read a book when the culprit was a ghost. But I continued reading holding out in hope that the perpetrator was an actually a person. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised with who solved it and who did it. It was a well-written story with a well-planned plot that will keep you guessing until the very end.

“I knew my man had made a big mistake—the sort of mistake every criminal makes no matter how clever he is—and I had him.” ( The Abandoned Room 32 )

“You trying to make a fool of me? That isn’t healthy.” ( The Abandoned Room 35 )

“With a perfectly simple play staring me in the face I nearly made the mistake of choosing a difficult one. That would have got me in trouble while the simple one gives me the game. Why are people like that?” ( The Abandoned Room 166 )

“The shroud of loneliness and abandonment descending upon the Cedars became for them nearly ponderable. So they turned from that brooding picture, and hand in hand walked out of the forest into the friendly and welcoming sunlight ” ( The Abandoned Room 167 )

7/15/10 – 8/3/10

Northfield – Johnny D. Boggs

“Seven minutes…seems like seven lifetimes. Maybe it was, too. Seven lifetimes. Seven lives.”

Rating:



Summary:
Northfield tells the story of the James-Younger Gang and their final robbery at the Northfield bank. The story begins with a train robbery and Bill Stiles idea to go north and rob a bank in Minnesota. After some persuasion, Jesse and Frank James; Jim, Cole, and Bob Younger; Bill Stiles; Clell Miller; and Charlie Pitts go north. They separate and stake out surrounding towns to find the best bank to rob. Against their better judgment, they ride into Northfield and attempt to rob the bank. The robbery goes wrong, and they flee from the chasing posse.

Analysis:
Northfield is told from the multiple perspectives of the people involved with the Northfield robbery. Each chapter is written from a different persons’ point of view. Boggs marvelously created each character and personality. The only downside was the use of foul language. Overall, it was a great book and very enlightening.

Impact:
The outlaws have always been popularized from the stories of Robin Hood and his Merry Men to Jesse James and all the other famous western outlaws. I always thought of Jesse James and the gang as a noble gang fighting for the rights of the poor. But I realized it was the result of the media. In all actuality, the James-Younger Gang was full of thieves and killers.

“Society remains intolerant. That’s why Christ was put to death on the cross. That’s why Lee may have surrendered, but the war is not over. Intolerance. Power. Religion. Wait a few years, and we shall be fighting again, probably for the same reasons, but maybe using some other words.” ( Northfield 57 )

“I guess greed and love had brought me here. Brought me here to die.” (Northfield 153 )

“You know the difference between us…You rob the poor, and I rob the rich.” (Northfield 163 )

“There is no heroism in outlawry…and the fate of each outlaw in his turn should be an everlasting lesson to the young of the land.” (Northfield 188 )

7/9/10 – 7/15/10

Last Mango in Texas - Ray Blackston

"When Kyle Mango meets Gretchen, he has no idea that he'll be forced to choose between love and money, er, OIL."

Rating:



Summary:
Kyle Mango had it rough. His father left the family while he was still in high school. Kyle soon had to help take care of his mother and two younger siblings. Choosing a college nearby, he attends Texas Tech University where he meets the lovely, environmental friendly Gretchen. She quickly helps him escape the Greek oppression, and they become friends. Unfortunately, she decides to pursue other matters and wishes to avoid having a boyfriend until after graduation. Finally receiving his Bachelor’s, Kyle wishes to pursue Gretchen. Sadly, his uncle passes and leaves Kyle four oil wells and over 800 acres of land. Overnight, Kyle had a job and a means to help his mother. Going with a Radical Regina, Gretchen volunteers to clean oily birds in Alaska. Kyle then has to decide whether to tell Gretchen about his new occupation or keep his secret and pursue someone else.

Analysis:
Ray Blackston continues to write in his witty and zany style in Last Mango in Texas . His characters are memorable, and his plot is remarkable. This book is definitely a page-turner. I loved the chapter titles. They were interesting and intriguing. My one regret is that it didn’t have the ending words of wisdom that many of his books had.

Impact:
The main thing that has impacted me the most from Last Mango in Texas is the same thing that puzzled Kyle. What am I doing with my life? Since graduating from college, what have a done for the good of society? It’s a depressing thought as I look back and observe this past year. I hope this year is more full of accomplishments and activities that are helpful to everyone.

“I looked at God kind of like I looked at the rpm gauge on my Toyota—if I felt I’d pushed God too far into the red zone, I feared the consequences, backed off the accelerator, and made an attempt at apology. Sorry God. Didn’t mean to do that. Just having a bad day.” ( Last Mango in Texas 77 )

“…I took a moment to fold her card into a tiny airplane. I even adjusted its little wings. On its maiden voyage – a short domestic route with no meals or drinks or even a free pack of peanuts – that plane flew directly into a trash basket. No survivors.” ( Last Mango in Texas 163 )

7/4/10 – 7/8/10