I picked up this book when it was a Kindle freebie some time back but just got around to reading it. I actually am not generally a fan of Christian fiction, but didn’t realize this fit that genre until I was already hooked.

This book has some moments when you ask yourself “Really??” and you have to entertain some pretty hardcore suspension of disbelief. The main character, Russell, is a pretty tortured soul in an unhappy relationship, stuck in a job he hates and more than a decade later, illogically blaming himself for his twin sister’s death. The plot has many twists and turns and mysteries. An aging dog Russell parties with, a dysfunctional family led by a quacky, washed up faith healer dad, an alcoholic mother and an untrustworthy older brother. Burned out on religion, Russell runs into some characters and situations that make him question his lack of faith. Despite his shortcomings, Russell is very forgiving, and by the end of the book seems to be a bit surer of himself and what he wants out of life.

A professor once told me that a book needs to have a “satisfying” ending. I’m a bit bothered that not all the loose ends were tied up in this one and that I still had some lingering questions. But it’s not so bad that I regret reading the book either.

I like the author’s writing style, the interesting characters, and the lack of a “holier than thou” tone. It wasn’t perfect, but it kept my attention, I enjoyed it, and I finished it in two days. Definitely worth the read. I gave it a 4 star review on Amazon.