Review/Giveaway: The Resurrection

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: The Resurrection
Author: Mike Duran
Genre: Christian suspense/fiction
How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.

Entry deadline: April 10, 2011

Restrictions: Open internationally!

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway.  This is my review copy, so it has been gently read.

---------------

Publisher: Realms

Physical Description: 320-page paperback
List Price: $13.99
ISBN: 978-1616382049
For More Info: http://mikeduran.com/

Synopsis:

Unassuming Ruby Case creates an uproar in her quiet town when she raises a boy from the dead. Joined by Reverend Ian Clark, she searches for answers---only to realize that the secrets she unleashed now threaten to destroy them all. Can they overcome their own brokenness before they become victims of an insidious evil?

About the Author:

Mike Duran is the author of the supernatural thriller THE RESURRECTION (Realms, 2011) about an unlikely woman who raises a boy from the dead and rouses something beyond her control. Mike's novels explore the boundaries of belief, the fragile tether between science and superstition, the depths of despair and the reaches of faith. You can learn more about Mike, his writing projects, favorite music, cultural commentary, and arcane interests, at http://www.mikeduran.com/.

What I Liked: 

God can't be explained, but He can be trusted.  If I was to sum up the underlying theme of the book, this quote would be it.  I absolutely believe in supernatural events that can't be explained by what we humans call "natural" causes, so found this book to be rather fascinating and unplifting.

 

And I love Ruby, the main character.  I find her totally genuine and someone I can relate to.  She's got a sweet set of friends, too, and I find myself rooting for her husband all the way.

 

An interesting adventure with lots of twists and turns.

 

What I Didn't Like: 

This is one of those books which leaves me with mixed feelings.  I admit I have theological issues with some of the events in the book, but I do appreciate the author's bravery in stretching the boundaries of commonly accepted theology.  Some might find the storyline dark, but I think the redemptive aspect overwhelms the dark.

I kept looking for answers to the minister character, Clark's, questions about what kind of God would allow his sister to die and his wife to leave him.  It seemed to a degree that God's character was explained and elevated by its contrast to evil, rather than dealing with those elemental questions so many of us struggle with.

I think what disturbed me the most was the ease in which the author moved between the "natural" and the "supernatural" realms.  I've read books in a similar genre, but the whole story seems to be from the paradigm of the supernatural.  This book grabs me into the everyday mundaneness of the life of the characters, and when I'm wrapped up in it, I'm plunged into the supernatural, and it leaves me feeling a little stressed.  I'm not saying it's good or bad, just uncomfortable.

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

More Stops on the Tour:
Noah Arsenault
Brandon Barr
Red Bissell
Book Reviews By Molly
Keanan Brand
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Wanda Costinak
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Janey DeMeo
Cynthia Dyer
Tori Greene
Nikole Hahn
Katie Hart
Joleen Howell
Bruce Hennigan
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McNear
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Joan Nienhuis
Nissa
John W. Otte
Gavin Patchett
Sarah Sawyer
Andrea Schultz
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Dave Wilson