FaithWords
Hachette Book Group
Now Available
Andy Sommerville seems no different than others in his rural Virginia community, but what sets him apart is that his best friend is an angel. Andy’s world is turned upside down when a brutal attack leaves Andy burned and the boy he loved as a son dead. At this crucial juncture, the angel abandons him to loneliness and pain. The entire story is told from Andy’s hospital bed as he relives his like through memories. Each of the memories is triggered by something Andy has kept in a special box.
Dollycas’s Thoughts I started to read this book awhile ago and had to put it down because I could tell where it was headed. With its release date last week I made myself finish it so I could honor my commitment for an honest review. In the meantime, I had seen a few five star ratings, so I thought: What is wrong with me? This has to be a good book, you just have to finish it.
It is well written and definitely has strong message but it just hit me wrong and after thinking about it, I now know why.
As many of you know I had a traumatic experience myself back in 2001 when I was in a motor vehicle accident and spent 75 days in the hospital. I do not remember much after getting transported by Med-Flight to the hospital except for a few moments in the emergency room when everyone was talking how dire my prognosis was, then a solid tone from a monitor, then darkness, then “she’s back”. (Note to medical personnel, we can hear you!) The next 3 weeks are gone from my memory. I know it is a miracle I am here and that it “wasn’t my time”, but the only angels I had were humans that took care of me, rehabilitated me to move on my own and my family, friends and all their prayers. I had actual counselors to help me heal. So maybe I didn’t like the story because I felt slighted because I had no angels sent by God, at least that I know of.
Spoiler Alert
Maybe I didn’t like that Andy poured his heart and soul out to an angel and in the end after tragedy he was a better man. Coming out on the other side of an event like this does not get better overnight. Yes, Andy will wear his scars forever as will anyone who survives a terrible injury but this all just happened to easily and was tied up too nicely with a hairband in the end. Yes, I am a Christian and I believe in God and things happen for a reason but life is not easy and being disabled in life adds to the strife.
The reason I didn’t like this book is because of who I am and the life I had and the life I continue to lead. My journey is totally different than anyone else’s as are my feelings. This book just didn’t give me that good feeling that the other reviewers felt, but that is on me. Maybe my expectations were too high. You may totally enjoy this book depending on where you are in your journey. I think I may have read this book at the wrong place in mine.
The author is very good. I loved his book Snow Day. I look forward to reading his work in the future. I always say that if we all liked the same things life would be pretty boring and that is the case with this story, it just wasn’t “my cup of tea”.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”