This may be the strangest review I have ever written. In reading the reviews for this one you will find a whole lotta people who loved it. There's a great message here about life, death, evil and good. This novel takes the tree of life and in black and white leads the reader into a journey of a young boy, Sam, whose mother dies in a tragic accident. He doesn't want to say goodbye. Doesn't want to live without her. We see his pain as he now must live without the love of his mother.
As the novel begins he comes face to face with three carnival fortune-tellers. It is here that he begins his search for the tree of life. He wants to bring back his mother.
His friend, Abra, is always at his side. She is the character I most enjoyed. She is filled with encouragement and love. We also have Mr. Tennin and Mr. Jinn. Of these characters he learns who to trust and where to make a stand. There too is the Amarok. The search for it and trying to kill it. Kind of a coming to age journey in who to invite into our life and where to place our boundary for protection.
When I opened this novel and began reading the first chapter I was excited to see where it was going. Sam is old in age and is now telling his story in first person. The chapters go back and forth from Sam in old age to Sam years back when he was a twelve year old boy. I loved the telling of the story when Sam was old in age. What I loved even more was the ending of this novel. The last chapter where the secret is coming to life. Okay, there is a second novel coming. This one is with Abra's story. This first novel feels like a first part to a larger more prevalent story.
This is a YA novel. The first novel for author Shawn Smucker. I kept waiting to be pulled in and have a greater understanding of the message. Yes, there's good and evil, the tree of life, and life and death. But I just couldn't connect with this story. Something was missing for me and I cannot even pinpoint what that is. Now, you may pick up this novel like others have and find it to be fascinating. I hope you do!! For me, it just didn't grab me. Maybe I wanted more of a message about the tree of life and salvation.
We are given the message that there is no fear in death. But there is a greater message there that for me wasn't relayed strong enough for an understanding of really knowing the meaning of the tree of life. There is no fear in death when Christ is our Savior. Without Him fear is present. Maybe that's it.
This is one I may go back and read again. Maybe in another setting, another mindset, I would really enjoy it. I am curious to see the next addition to this story as we journey more with Abra.
As the novel begins he comes face to face with three carnival fortune-tellers. It is here that he begins his search for the tree of life. He wants to bring back his mother.
His friend, Abra, is always at his side. She is the character I most enjoyed. She is filled with encouragement and love. We also have Mr. Tennin and Mr. Jinn. Of these characters he learns who to trust and where to make a stand. There too is the Amarok. The search for it and trying to kill it. Kind of a coming to age journey in who to invite into our life and where to place our boundary for protection.
When I opened this novel and began reading the first chapter I was excited to see where it was going. Sam is old in age and is now telling his story in first person. The chapters go back and forth from Sam in old age to Sam years back when he was a twelve year old boy. I loved the telling of the story when Sam was old in age. What I loved even more was the ending of this novel. The last chapter where the secret is coming to life. Okay, there is a second novel coming. This one is with Abra's story. This first novel feels like a first part to a larger more prevalent story.
This is a YA novel. The first novel for author Shawn Smucker. I kept waiting to be pulled in and have a greater understanding of the message. Yes, there's good and evil, the tree of life, and life and death. But I just couldn't connect with this story. Something was missing for me and I cannot even pinpoint what that is. Now, you may pick up this novel like others have and find it to be fascinating. I hope you do!! For me, it just didn't grab me. Maybe I wanted more of a message about the tree of life and salvation.
We are given the message that there is no fear in death. But there is a greater message there that for me wasn't relayed strong enough for an understanding of really knowing the meaning of the tree of life. There is no fear in death when Christ is our Savior. Without Him fear is present. Maybe that's it.
This is one I may go back and read again. Maybe in another setting, another mindset, I would really enjoy it. I am curious to see the next addition to this story as we journey more with Abra.
This novel was a gift from Revell for sharing my review with you.
Shawn Smucker lives with his wife and six children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Day the Angels Fell is his first novel. www.shawnsmucker.com
