Life in Spite of me

MAN! I am on a roll! 3 reviews in 2 days.  Thats what I call a successful reviewer!

Author:  Kristen Jane Anderson

My recommended age: 12+

Their recommended age:  NA

Publisher:  Waterbrook Multnomah publishing group

Number of pages: 224

Publisher’s description:

"She wanted to die. God had other plans.
Overwhelmed by wave after wave of emotional trauma, Kristen Anderson no longer wanted to live. One January night, determined to end her pain once and for all, the seventeen-year-old lay across train tracks not far from her home and waited to die.

Instead of peace, she found herself immersed in a whole new nightmare.

Before the engineer could bring the train to a stop, thirty-three freight cars passed over her at fifty-five miles per hour. After the train stopped and Kristen realized she was still alive, she looked around—and saw her legs ten feet away.

Surviving her suicide attempt but losing her legs launched Kristen into an even deeper battle with depression and suicidal thoughts, as well as unrelenting physical pain—all from the seat of a wheelchair. But in the midst of her darkest days, Kristen discovered the way to real life and a purpose for living.

For anyone struggling to find the strength to go on, the message of this heart-wrenching yet hope-building book is a clear and extraordinary reminder that even when we give up on life, God doesn’t give up on us. "

My thoughts:

 I love books like this.  I enjoy reading about Joni Erickson Tada, I love getting chill bumps as they recount the amazing things God has led them through, the way they passed the valley of the shadow of death.  Miss Anderson's account is gripping, awe-inspiring,  and all out awesome.   What Kristen went through, and her ultimate victory in Christ is just amazing.  Even though I don't suffer with suicide and decompression, it still helped me marvel at the awesomeness of our God, the ways he molds us and builds who we are.  I recommend this to not only people who are in depression, but anyone needing a pick-up on God's grace, the second chances at life -a better life- that he gives us.

Cons:

 While still in high school, Kristen is raped by her boy friend, it is a stepping stone to her eventually laying on the tracks, so she recounts it, this is what made me move it up as a read for 12 YOs or older.

Pros:

Gripping.

A testimony to the grace of God.

Wonderful.

Just wonderfully change inspiring.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

Kristen is raped by her boy friend.  She explains it with as little graphic-ness as possible, though.

Violence:

It is a book about suicide...take it or leave it.

Drugs and drink:

Before, and even after, her accident, Kristen goes to parties quite often.  Once she becomes a true Christian, she leaves that worldly style of life.

Ratings

What can I say?  I love it.  I'm not a non-fiction type, there is a few I've read that I loved that wasn't Fiction, and this one makes the mark, and might even heighten the mark.

*DISCLAIMER* I recieved this book for free to review from Waterbrook Multnolmah Books. All opinions are my own. 

How often do YOU read Non-fiction?