Book Review: The Song by Chris Fabry (Based on the screenplay by Richard L. Ramsey)

Book Title: The Song

Author:  Chris Fabry

Publish Date: January 1, 2015

 Why I Read this Book: I recieved this book for review from the publisher (Tyndale House Publishers) as part of Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Jed King's life has been shaped by the songs and mistakes of his famous father. He wants to sing his own song, but the words and melody are elusive. Haunted by the scars inflicted by his broken family, Jed's dreams of a successful music career seem out of reach . . . until he meets Rose.As romance quickly blooms, Jed pens a new song and suddenly finds himself catapulted into stardom. But with this life of fame comes temptation, the same temptation that lured his father so many years ago.Set in the fertile mid-South, this quest for success leads Jed and Rose on a journey that will force them to deal with the pain of loss, failure, and the desire to be who God created them to be.Lyrical and deeply honest, "The Song" asks the hard questions of love and forgiveness. When even the wisest of men are fools in love, can true love persevere?

Review

The premise of this book is fantastic!  The main male character, Jedediah King, is from a broken family and finds that the sins of his father haunt him as he tries to start a career as a Christian country musician.  He then meets Rose, the daughter of a vineyard owner, and they quickly fall in love.  

The Song is a story about love and forgiveness. The main characters have problems in their marriage and must learn how to overcome them.  The Song illustrates how Christians should and should not deal with temptations and I enjoyed this underlying message.

According to the foreward, The Song is meant to be a modern adaptation of Soloman's life in the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes, but I did not see this connection.  As a novel, the book was great.  As a modern adaptation of parts of the Bible, I felt that the book fell a little short. Also, the story line was somewhat predictable.  

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys heart-wrenching Christian romances. 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 16+ (mentions of drugs and sex)

Overall Rating: 4/5

Book Blast (with Giveaway): Numbers Game by Rebecca Rode

Numbers Game by Rebecca Rode

Treena is nervous for Rating Day. A single number will brand her forever—a valuable citizen, or a pathetic waste of space. Her top-Rated boyfriend is confident their scores will coincide so they can attend the academy together. But when the big day arrives, her true number shocks everyone.

To get her life—and boyfriend—back, she must go undercover and expose a military spy. Doesn’t sound too hard, except that someone wants her dead. And then there’s Vance, the mysterious soldier with a haunted past and beautiful brown eyes. Together, they discover a dark numbers conspiracy, one that shatters the nation’s future. Treena must join up with Vance if she is to survive the dangerous game of numbers—and the terrible war that rages within her heart.

Amazon

Excerpt

“Your Rating is wrong,” Vance said. “Their precious Rating system says absolutely nothing about you and what you’re capable of.”

I shook my head. “So far, everything I’ve done has proven my number absolutely correct.”

“Treena.” His tone softened. “I don’t know why you that happened to you. But I do know one thing.” He stopped on the step below me, and I whirled to face him. We were the same height now, and his expression was fierce. “You are the most loyal, the most determined, and the most fascinating girl I’ve ever met. No number could ever describe you.”

The deadness inside cracked, and the pain came flooding back. I felt like a five-year-old again. Falling, grasping for a handhold, for something to save me. “It doesn’t matter now. Tali's dead.”

He gave me a long look. Then he sat down, right on the steps, easing me down next to him. I lay my head on his shoulder and let him pull me close. The warmth of his embrace felt completely and utterly right. For a long moment, I allowed myself to forget about the past few days. There was no empress, no punishment mode, and no mission. There was just us. The world was cool and dark, and his touch sent my heart pumping as if it had just awakened from hibernation.

“Dying isn't the worst thing to happen to someone,” he continued thoughtfully. “Anyone coward can die. The hardest thing is being left behind, trying to make sense of a world without them.”

I tilted my head back and allowed myself to look up into Vance’s eyes. They were dark, pulling, as if absorbing all the light that entered, saving it for some future purpose. His eyebrows were choppy, untrimmed, and his lips chapped. But somehow, it worked. It was simply . . . him. No surgeries, no tallies of volunteer hours and checklists. Vance just took life one day at a time, keeping his family safe, trying to put the pieces of himself back together. I could see it, the pain in his heart. It was something we shared now.

A warm feeling spread through my chest until I thought it would burst. This was who he really was. The tumultuous battle within him seemed to have trickled away, leaving one gallant, vulnerable boy. A boy who was looking at me as if I were something precious—who looked at me, instead of at my Rating. His eyes flitted between mine, his confidence replaced with uncertainty.

“It feels good to finally choose sides, doesn’t it?”

“Whose side are you on, then?”

His chin was just above mine, and he lowered it until our eyes were level. Then his hand tilted my chin upward toward his. His fingers brushed the side of my face, cradling it gently in his firm hand. I felt his breath on my face, felt the battle within him as well as I felt it in myself. But something pulled me toward him.

“Yours,” he said. He closed the distance between us, slowly, then paused.

And our lips met.

Praise for the Book

"Gripping, from beginning to end . . . a tale as action-packed as Divergent yet as introspective as The Giver. . . . Sure to be an instant classic in the genre." –R.J. Craddock, author of The Children of Cain series

“Fluent and engaging . . . brimming with fabulous characters and intrigue that will keep you flipping pages. Can't wait to read the next book in this series!” –Adrienne Monson, author of the Blood Inheritance trilogy

“Had me hooked from the first page to the last . . . Thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend!” -Randy Roberts, BoredShorts TV (Kid History/Kid Snippets)



Author Rebecca Rode

REBECCA RODE is an award-winning author and journalist. She is the author of the inspirational book, How to Have Peace When You’re Falling to Pieces, and writes for Deseret News, KSL.com, FamilyShare, and Provo Daily Herald. However, her true love is writing for teenagers. She enjoys playing with her four children, traveling, reading, and martial arts, and she has a ridiculous addiction to her husband's chocolate-banana shakes.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Blog

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Blog Tour: Love is Everything by Elsie Hillman-Gordon

Book Title: Love Is Everything

Author: Elsie Hillman-Gordon

Genre: Fiction, Inspirational, Christian, Romance

Book Release Date:  May 30, 2014

Paperback: 106 pages

ISBN-10: 1496112458

ISBN-13: 978-1496112453

About The Author

Award-winning author Elsie Hillman-Gordon published her first fiction novella, Love Is Everything, in May 2014. Her book received the Gold/1st Place award for *Best Short Story* in the 2015 Feathered Quill Book Awards Program.

Elsie lives in Washington, DC with her husband. She holds a BA in English and executive graduate certificates in editorial practices and marketing. She has worked for several media organizations, including NPR. In her free time, she stays busy supporting community outreach projects sponsored through her sorority, church, and non-profit organizations.

Elsie’s passion is creative writing, but she also enjoys live theater, movies, reading, and long walks on autumn days. She believes in random acts of kindness and encouraging people to reach for their dreams.

About The Book

Do you like to read inspirational fiction? Do you believe that people who have loved and lost can find true love again, that a hurting heart can heal, and that God’s love will see you through difficult times? If so, you’ll enjoy reading Love Is Everything.

It’s the story of thirty-five year old Vanessa Dennison—a woman struggling to find joy in life and doubting her faith in God after losing her parents in a tragic accident. But after reluctantly accepting a blind date with Elliott Reeves, a handsome widower with a strong faith and young daughter, she embraces anew her relationship with God and the power of love.

Sweet and emotional, this tale of rediscovering love, faith, and hope is sure to touch your heart. It’s a must read for anyone who’s ever loved and lost, especially those still reluctant to take a chance on love.

2015 Author Questionnaire

Who designed the covers? 

I used the custom cover services of CreateSpace—an Amazon company. I worked closely with the design team, selected the final cover photo and worked with them on the colors and font types.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

Yes, I do read reviews.  I’m feeling particularly blessed because so far they’ve all been positive.  In February 2015, Love Is Everything won the Gold/1^st Place Award for Best Short Story by The Feathered Quill Book Award Program. As you might imagine, winning an award has certainly boosted my confidence, giving me something to lean on to offset any negative reviews.  J   

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 

I want my writing to inspire and encourage readers to have faith in God and to know that in one way or another, everything’s going to be alright in the end—the love of God, family and friends will see us through our challenges.

Can you share your current projects?

Many readers are asking for a sequel to Love Is Everything—they’re not ready to let go of the characters.  And honestly, I’m not either. So, I’m mapping out ideas for a sequel, and also ideas for a non-fictional inspirational book.

What books have most influenced your life most? 

I wish I could point to specific books, but I can’t. I do enjoy autobiographies; stories of people who overcome challenges to realize their true potential or life’s work.

Do you ever experience writer's block?

I experienced writer’s block several times while writing Love Is Everything. And when it happened, I stopped writing until I felt a rush of news ideas.  I was under my own timeline to finish the story, not anybody else’s, so I gave myself the freedom to relax and go with the flow. 

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? 

I’m currently reading a novel called Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. It’s interesting and I might eventually read her other books.

While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters? 

Yes, I connected with my main character, Vanessa, who is dealing with grief following the loss of her parents in an accident. While writing the story, I was also dealing with the loss of my mother.  So, a lot of the emotions that Vanessa experienced were quite real to me.

What are your expectations for the book?

As a first-time, independent author, I never expected to win a top book award, so you can imagine how thrilled I was (and still am) over the news.  Honestly, I just want readers to enjoy and be inspired by the story. 

Do you write an outline before every book you write?

I used an outline and intend to use one with future books. I can’t imagine working without one. 

Social Links:

Website: http://elsiehillmangordon.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElsieRenae

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elsie.hillmangordon

Buy Links:

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1LECK1i

Amazon: http://amzn.com/1496112458

Tour Hosted by Write Now Literary www.wnlbooktours.com

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