New Book Review: Rust

Tags

book to movie

Rated 3 of 5 stars

Actor, Director and Screenwriter, Corbin Bernsen, writes a heartfelt Christian novel set in a small town that’s hiding a secret. James “Jimmy” Moore retreats from his pulpit with the loss of faith nipping at his heart. He returns home in search of something stable only to find that stability is no longer there. His childhood friends and family have moved on in their lives while he ran away to grasp his dream of being a pastor. Soon revealed that his abrupt exit from the town was due to his mother’s passing and his father’s difficulty dealing with it. Anyway, upon his return to town, he realizes that his oldest friend is soon to be sentenced for arson and murder of a family in town. James doesn’t believe that his friend has the capacity to hate or murder and thus, goes on a fact-finding mission to clear his name.

The story has great points in relation to faith in God but I felt it lag in many areas because it is focused so internally on James instead of what James encounters with the townspeople. Every other character in the book seemed very one-dimensional and only as placeholders until we could get back to James’ plight with his lack of faith. The book seemed very one dimensional in this regard and even the murder/arson case did not give me any real excitement or mystery which I think is solely due to the authors choice in internalizing James, instead of telling the story in a way that readers feel saddened by the families loss or feel connected to Travis in order to care about what happens to him.

The novel is short and quick to read but it took me much longer to finish than usual because the story was not very fast-paced or mysterious. Recommended for readers who are more focused on a preacher that losses his faith rather than murder mystery or thriller lovers.

*Book received from publishers at BookCon2016 for an honest review.

Raging Book Reviews

NEW BOOK REVIEW: 13:24 A Story of Faith and Obsession

Tags

adult, bdsm, biblical

Hickmon really hits a homerun with the novel, 13:24. It has every ioata of suspense and emotion expected of a forensic thriller. Many times in the story, I was literally grimacing as I read or holding my mouth as it splayed open in shock. I was thrusted into the story of Chris, a boy who is smart enough to unearth a major criminal pornography ring and search for his own personal level of peace by caring out revenge on the people who needed it most. Josh, a man suffering from childhood psychological, physical and emotional wounds, finds his peace on the stage, reliving his horrors for his fans. These two character’s lives are parallel in many ways but being ages apart does not separate them from a dark bond that they must both endure to the very end.

I really enjoyed this book so much. It brought up so many talking points for me to have with pastors, friends and my spouse. 13:24 makes you think about what you would do and question childhood innocence and obedience. It is definitely a thrill ride from beginning to end with a twist of an unknown odd fetish.

Raging Book Reviews Recommended!

New Book Review: Oracle of Philadelphia

Tags

adept, corrigan, goodreads, oracle, published

Oracle of Philadelphia by Elizabeth Corrigan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Raging Book Reviews Rating: 3.5

Corrigan does a fairly good job with her novel, Oracle of Philadelphia. There were some really cool and interesting aspects of the novel as well as some items I felt were missed opportunities. Let’s start with a very brief synopsis. Carrie (although she’s had many names throughout the millennia) is given immortality by Lucifer himself after he kills her entire family. Carrie looks at this as a curse and continues on in life with a demon friend, Bedlam. Carrie can read people’s minds so she is considered an Oracle by many throughout the years but has yet to save a soul from their destiny until she meets a man she deems as deserving. And off the story goes into the depths of hell (in a good way).

What I really liked about this novel is that it takes you to a place we all fear…Hell. Then we get to meet demons and angels throughout the journey. The part I didn’t like was the characterization. I didn’t feel any connection with the characters the entire book. I knew their past and history but lacked the feeling that goes along with the actions of the characters. Gabriel was one dimensional and in and out so fast I wondered why he was written in, in the first place. I couldn’t even feel bad at the end for Carrie and that was supposed to be a highlight (I think). Bedlam was forced comedic relief but had the most character of them all, I felt a little something with the whole Kezeil thing. But not too much. So overall, it was superbly edited and cover is ah-mazing…but it lacked characters that would make me drool until book two.
Overall, I enjoyed the story because of the setting, uniqueness and the writing flowed well.

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New Book Review: Salome

Tags

beatrice, biblical, gormley, historical, novel, salome

Salome by Beatrice Gormley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really, really enjoyed this book. I was surprised that I even found it interesting because historical/biblical novels are like the death ray to a reader like me. I loved the way the writer kept the flow and the wording in step with the times. I do understand that some people who are raving historians may find the story lacking in some areas but if you read it with an open mind and for the sheer enjoyment, you will find yourself flipping pages so easily that you won’t realize you’ve come to the end of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Salome and her family struggles. Her mother, a power hungry, persuasive spinster, was the least likeable character for me, even more so than Antipas! I guess, the ugliness of her ways and how she used everyone around her just dug deep into me as I read like a nail in the sole of your shoe. Antipas was also power hungry and self-absorbed but he was expected to be as a ruler in that time. Gundi, Joanna and Leander were shining lights in this story. I really loved how they all fit in well with Salome’s indecisive, naïve nature and brought Salome into adulthood by showing her the err of her ways without being blatant. I loved this story and would recommend to anyone that likes to read historical/biblical novels…and people that like to read…period.

– T.R. Horne, author of Breaking Mobius and Crazy Dirty Love, blogger at www.ragingbookreviews.wordpress.com

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