Stand By Me

:My random thoughts:

To speak the utter truth, I picked this little jewel up only because I wanted to test my e-reader, so I wanted to get a book from Booksneeze.
I was expected a book that tried to be meaty, but turned out to be more of a light woman's read.
I was expecting a book that I would have to kill myself to finish.
But I expected wrong.
So many things just pulled out hammers and went "BAM!" on my head in this book.  so many made me pause, and go, "Wow".  This book was so much more then my expectations thought.
So much for Great expectations.

:Publisher's Description:

"Sometimes the person you most need is the one least like you.
Kathryn Davies is a bright young woman from a prominent Phoenix family. But after making a leap of faith at a Christian music fest, dropping out of med school, and moving to inner city Chicago, her family has all but disowned her. Kat’s enthusiasm for her newfound faith tempers the sting of their rejection.
When Kat discovers SouledOut Community Church, she longs to become a part of the multi-cultural church family. But her tendency to say whatever she’s thinking and her eccentric ways step on the toes of nearly everyone she meets—especially Avis Douglass, a woman she admires but who seems distant.
Avis is known for her mature faith and her reliance on listening to God more than people. Married to a kind and successful businessman, she is the principal of one of Chicago’s highest performing elementary schools, and a founding and active member of SouledOut. But the country’s economic downturn has thrown both her and her husband’s jobs in question. And Avis hasn’t heard from her youngest daughter in months—an estrangement that gnaws at her every day. Where is God in all this?
Kat’s flamboyant zeal for living a “radical” Christian life is a stark contrast to Avis’s quiet crisis of faith. But in God’s own mysterious ways, the two women discover they need each other in ways neither of them expected."

:info to know:

Author:  Neta Jackson

My recommended age:  13+ (merely because this isn't really a book that would benefit any person younger)

Their recommended age:  NA

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

 

Number of Pages: 400

• Characters: At first Avis struck me kinda off, but, as I got to know her, I understood her better.  I've never had to go through what she did, but, I have lost a friend, and I know the agitated feeling of wondering, "What now Lord? Why?".  The thing that really I really loved was Avis' imperfection.  Everyone considered her the perfect christian example, and it is really easy to write a character that would fit that role, and just suck it up and pray, but Mrs. Jackson didn't.  Avis fell, stumbles, and cried out for God to lift her back up.  It made her more real.

 Plot:
As the book went on, what I kept hoping for changed.  And I expected to have Avis and Peter's story to end with them on a plane waving, but..well..ya know. Can't say more for spoilers.

Writing Style:
I read Dave and Neta Jackson's children books when I was younger, but it wasn't until I was nearly done with the book that I went, "DOH! This is the same Neta!".  The style was really clear and easy.

Cover:
I had an E-book..so the cover was more or less not to big for me.  No, really, I had a image about 1/2 inch long to pass for a cover.

Ending:
Different then my expectations.  This seemed to be a big theme with this book, huh?

World Building:
I want to visit Chicago and SouledOut. I hope/wish it is a real church.

Language:

None.

Drugs and Drink:

Peter and Avis have Wine on their anniversary.

Rochelle has HIV.

Romance and sexual content:

Peter and Avis are married, but nothing abject able.
Nick is sweet on...someone. Wont say who.

Violence:

                           Olivia gets banged up when a thug snatched her purse. I knew it was going to happen.

Ratings:

This book exceeded my whole thinking, it was amazing.  Really.

 {I got this book free from BookSneeze.com.  All thoughts and opinions are mine, and solely mine. I was not paid to do this review}