Tuesday, October 2, 2012

BOOK REVIEW: The Reason by William Sirls




Win an Autographed Copy 
of this Book

Enter the drawing for an autographed copy of The Reason by William Sirls. Here's how:

Leave a comment here with your email address – up to 4 entries (one for this post and one each for the next three days of author interviews.)
Be a friend  of William Sirls on Facebook -- 1 entry
Be a follower of the Christian Bookmobile -- 1 entry
Share this review on Facebook -- 1 entry
Share this review on Twitter -- 1 entry

Be sure to leave comment here to let me know how many entries you are eligible for. Drawing will be held October 15 and winners will be announced here.

REVIEW

I often begin a review with "This is a story about", list the main character and describe the story from that character's viewpoint. That approach doesn't work with The Reason, by William Sirls. There is no main character. Instead, there are many lovable, memorable characters.

The story is centered around Alex, a five-year old who is diagnosed with leukemia early in the book. He and his mother Brooke, a single mother who was never married, live with Jim and Shirley Lindy. Jim, who has been blind for twenty years, is the pastor of St. Thomas Church. Their son, Charlie Lindy, is thirty-eight, seven-feet tall, weighs 355 pounds and has never said a word. He is a giant filled with love and a special tenderness for others. He is the one who found pregnant Brooke beaten and left for dead in the woods and carried her home.

Carla Miller is Brooke's twenty-seven-year-old friend who is struggling with alcohol abuse. She was sexually abused by a father who killed himself when Carla told her mother about what he was doing. Oncologist Macey Lewis and nurse Kaitlyn Harbey as well as Dr. Zach Norman, get involved with Alex before they know he is sick because they volunteered to help rebuild the church's cross that had been severely damaged during a storm. Treating him becomes even more difficult after they grow to love him and his extended family.

The Lindy's, Brooke and Alex are all believers of Jesus Christ and active in church. Still, Alex's illness is hard for them to understand and accept. Especially for Brooke. Carla, Macey, and Kaitlyn are believers too, but have been inactive for so long they are not used to praying. Zach helps the church for the publicity it gives him and the hospital.

"Only believe" is a theme repeated over and over in the book. This is a story about what happens to people from a variety of backgrounds and levels of belief when bad things happen to good people.

I enjoyed getting to know these people and following along with them during the painful and intense journey they faced. I have to admit to crying as I read and not knowing how the story would end. I feel my faith is stronger for reading this fantastic story and I hope everyone will read it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.






Read Part 1 of the three-part interview with William Sirls here: http://christianbookmobile.blogspot.com/2012/10/part-1-q-with-william-sirls-author-of.html


14 comments:

  1. This book sounds awesome in the ground it covers. I know people who hold on to mere fibers, not even a thread of faith, but a little goes a long way with a big God. I would love to read this book.

    From the explanation of entries, I think I am good for two: 1)for this comment; and, 2)for being a follower of this blog.

    The link on the e-mail was not all highlighted so some people may not get to this posting. You may want to fix it and resend so everyone can easily see this review. More competition that way, too.

    Thank you for entering me. The trailer was good to watch, also.

    Blessings, Janice
    jsmithg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Janice. I've got you down for two entries.

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  3. Wow, The Answer sounds like a great book of faith and hope. Great review.

    1 for comment
    1 for following blog
    1 for tweet
    https://twitter.com/misskallie2000/status/253472100675883008

    1 for FB share (Brenda B. Hill)
    https://www.facebook.com/#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=530747520273143&id=357539154290399

    1 for Friend of William Sirls on FB

    Thanks for opportunity to enter giveaway.

    Are you writing sequel to The Vengeance Squad? Loved that book.

    misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

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  4. Thank you Brenda. I put you down for the five entries. You can get three more by commenting on each of the three parts of the interview with the author that starts today. Glad you found how to follow William Sirls and I appreciate your tweet and FB share. Great way to get the word out about this wonderful book.

    Thanks, too for your comment about The Vengeance Squad. I have just completed the sequel to Where Love Once Lived and will start on the sequel to The Vengeance Squad soon. I have a good outline. I'm tentatively calling it The Vengeance Squad Goes To England.

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  5. Thanks for the opportunity to get this book

    Lyndie Blevins
    lyndieb@sbglobal.net

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  6. Thank you, Lyndie. Comment on the interviews with the author on this blog for additional chances to win. This book is worth it.

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  7. Great review of a fabulous book. I enjoyed it--especially the characters, who are very authentic and real. I love when stories give you spiritual insights to the very things you’re struggling with. The Reason made me really think about some deep questions—why does God seem to answer some prayers but not others, what is the nature of healing, why do bad things happen to good people? Anyone wrestling with their faith, trying to “only believe,” should read this book!

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  8. Thanks for stopping by Christian Fiction and adding more reasons to read this book.

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  9. Sirls seems to have created real life characters for a real life story. Only in real life does faith survive the horrors of tragedy and suffering. Seems like a book I should read

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  10. I've posted comment, tweeted posted to my facebook page and like Williams' page.

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  11. This sounds like one I'd love to read. I've tweeted, followed on facebook, and followed blog--definitely worth following!
    sheiladeeth at gmail dot come

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  12. I really appreciate the kind of topics post here. Thanks for sharing us a great information that is actually helpful. Good day!

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