Book Review of Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann
From the author's website:
An inseparable bond. An insatiable force.
Battling his own personal demons, Police Chief Jonah Westfall knows the dark side of life and has committed himself to eradicating it. When a pair of raccoons are found mutilated in Redford, Colorado, Jonah investigates the gruesome act, knowing the strange event could escalate and destroy the tranquility of his small mountain town. With a rising drug threat and never-ending conflict with Tia Manning, a formidable childhood friend with whom he has more than a passing history, Jonah fights for answers—and his fragile sobriety.
But he can’t penetrate every wound or secret—especially one fueled by a love and guilt teetering on madness.
From best-selling author Kristen Heitzmann comes a spellbinding tale of severed connections and the consequences of life lived alone.
What struck you the best about the book?
It is definitely in the category of suspense! From the very beginning, action keeps the reader’s attention. One tense moment leads to the next. Character development is outstanding. Although there are many characters, each one is distinct. None of them are passive in that they all change throughout the story. Without spoiling it, I can say that Jonah, Miles, Piper, Tia, and the secondary characters each have pivotal moments throughout the story. More than one plot speeds the action along. It’s like reading several mini stories all interwoven into one.
Kristen’s phraseology is amazing. “The breeze titillated the trembly aspen and bore the scent of golden banner and Queen Anne’s lace.” She uses words to describe scenes, emotions, actions in a way that is different and unique.
What struck you the worst about the book?
I expected a Christian novel. What I found is a smattering of Christian philosophy and truths scattered throughout what could otherwise be considered a secular novel. Much emphasis is placed on women throwing themselves at Jonah. References and even flat-out statements regarding sensuality don’t seem to fit the genre. Although no actual foul language is used, more than once a character swears. Whether this is true to life or not, the purpose of a Christian book should be to encourage the reader to aspire to living a more godly life.
How did the story make you feel?
The story stirs up the emotions. Getting involved with the problems in each character’s past draws the reader into the emotional aspect of the story. What I found difficult is that there were few places a reader could recuperate emotionally to prepare for the next problem. The characters constantly faced one dilemma after another. If one character dealt with a problem, the next character had a worse problem to deal with.
Part of the ending is unexpected. Another part of it I guessed about a fourth of the way through the book. I’m not sure if the last chapter is supposed to leave the reader with a feeling of contentment since the one plot throughout the story is resolved. However I don’t know how to take the last line of the book. Maybe it was meant to leave the reader unsettled. Maybe I’m just missing the meaning.
Overall, I would recommend this book to most people, but I won’t be putting it in my classroom library for my high school students to read.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. It in no way influences my review of this book.
HERE'S THE GIVEAWAY PART
When this entry receives 10 or more comments, I will have a drawing for one person to receive this book. Please leave your email using [at] and [dot] so your email can't be spammed. I will not use your email for any reason other than to contact the winner. THE DEADLINE TO COMMENT IS TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2011.
Please take a moment and click this link to rate my review.Thank you!
From the author's website:
An inseparable bond. An insatiable force.
Battling his own personal demons, Police Chief Jonah Westfall knows the dark side of life and has committed himself to eradicating it. When a pair of raccoons are found mutilated in Redford, Colorado, Jonah investigates the gruesome act, knowing the strange event could escalate and destroy the tranquility of his small mountain town. With a rising drug threat and never-ending conflict with Tia Manning, a formidable childhood friend with whom he has more than a passing history, Jonah fights for answers—and his fragile sobriety.
But he can’t penetrate every wound or secret—especially one fueled by a love and guilt teetering on madness.
From best-selling author Kristen Heitzmann comes a spellbinding tale of severed connections and the consequences of life lived alone.
What struck you the best about the book?
It is definitely in the category of suspense! From the very beginning, action keeps the reader’s attention. One tense moment leads to the next. Character development is outstanding. Although there are many characters, each one is distinct. None of them are passive in that they all change throughout the story. Without spoiling it, I can say that Jonah, Miles, Piper, Tia, and the secondary characters each have pivotal moments throughout the story. More than one plot speeds the action along. It’s like reading several mini stories all interwoven into one.
Kristen’s phraseology is amazing. “The breeze titillated the trembly aspen and bore the scent of golden banner and Queen Anne’s lace.” She uses words to describe scenes, emotions, actions in a way that is different and unique.
What struck you the worst about the book?
I expected a Christian novel. What I found is a smattering of Christian philosophy and truths scattered throughout what could otherwise be considered a secular novel. Much emphasis is placed on women throwing themselves at Jonah. References and even flat-out statements regarding sensuality don’t seem to fit the genre. Although no actual foul language is used, more than once a character swears. Whether this is true to life or not, the purpose of a Christian book should be to encourage the reader to aspire to living a more godly life.
How did the story make you feel?
The story stirs up the emotions. Getting involved with the problems in each character’s past draws the reader into the emotional aspect of the story. What I found difficult is that there were few places a reader could recuperate emotionally to prepare for the next problem. The characters constantly faced one dilemma after another. If one character dealt with a problem, the next character had a worse problem to deal with.
Part of the ending is unexpected. Another part of it I guessed about a fourth of the way through the book. I’m not sure if the last chapter is supposed to leave the reader with a feeling of contentment since the one plot throughout the story is resolved. However I don’t know how to take the last line of the book. Maybe it was meant to leave the reader unsettled. Maybe I’m just missing the meaning.
Overall, I would recommend this book to most people, but I won’t be putting it in my classroom library for my high school students to read.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. It in no way influences my review of this book.
HERE'S THE GIVEAWAY PART
When this entry receives 10 or more comments, I will have a drawing for one person to receive this book. Please leave your email using [at] and [dot] so your email can't be spammed. I will not use your email for any reason other than to contact the winner. THE DEADLINE TO COMMENT IS TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2011.
Please take a moment and click this link to rate my review.Thank you!