Wednesday, January 18, 2012

"Beyond the Farthest Star" by Bodie & Brock Thoene: Book Review

The authors have written an entirely different type of book with Beyond the Farthest Star from their usual reads.  Their historical novels - no matter the timeline - are always wonderful reads.  This new book  deals with characters who are flawed, deceptive, and evil.  The meanness of some of the characters literally makes my skin crawl.  I am not speaking of demons and dragons or supernatural.  I am referring to the downright meanness of the human nature of fallen men. 

The book opens with the family in Beyond the Farthest Star resettling in a small town in Texas.  The father is a preacher who began his career preaching as a young boy.  The daughter (an only child) is plagued by some troubling emotional or mental condition for which she in medicated.  Mom has issues and secrets and she loses herself in flamboyant romance novels.  They carry secrets, each of them.

Into the mixture, we have a corrupt senator and a battle of church and state.  Evil gets an opportunity to rear it's head here, too.

Supporting cast members include teens exuding peer pressure and cliques.  Rock music in garages, and drunken fathers manhandling their sons.

We also find spiritual truth prevailing,  but it seems to be slow in coming.  Revelation of secrets and the impact they have on individuals leaves the reader reeling.

Again, the Thoenes have written a very good book.  The have taken the screen play of Andrew Librizzi and novelized it.  The storyline is not one I would prefer, but it is good and, sadly, probably a very real reflection on today's world.
I received a complimentary copy of Beyond the Farthest Star from Zondervan via NetGalley for review and am under no obligation to provide a positive review.

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