Even though I am a Christian, I am not a fan of Christian fiction. Not really. Really not. However, I have found a couple of Christian authors that positively spank the competition with their storytelling and artistry. Mary DeMuth is one of them. Below is a recent review I did of her novel, Daisy Chain.
Fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper keeps secrets, even when they blister his insides and break his heart. When his best friend, Daisy Chance, goes missing, he adds her disappearance to the list of wrongs he is too weak to right. In a story that is as chilling as it is redemptive, Mary DeMuth’s first novel in the Defiance Texas Trilogy explores the corrosive nature of family secrets. Set in the sweaty, sad town of Defiance, Texas in 1973, Daisy Chain haunts readers with its spare depiction of adolescence, shame, longing, sin, and redemption. DeMuth’s narrative voice captures Jed’s age and situation so deftly that readers will find themselves momentarily locked in the mind of a fourteen-year-old whose hands are tied between childhood and manhood, driven by equal impulses to hide and to rescue. “Bald Muriel,” a cancer victim with a bizarre past, and Hixon, an unlikely prophet, befriend Jed as he waits for the local police to piece together the clues about Daisy’s disappearance. As a result of their friendship, Jed finds himself dragged toward other revelations about his family, his neighbors, his friend, and himself. As if holding up a sobering mirror of reality, Mary DeMuth invites readers to venture to the very edge of hatred for several characters, before revealing the frailty, fear, and regret that motivates their behavior. While Daisy Chain resolves in that it points to “bleeding Jesus” as the answer to Jed’s brokenness, DeMuth leaves room for situational and philosophical development in the rest of the trilogy. Reminiscent of the literary giants, Harper Lee, and Francine Rivers, Mary DeMuth has written a masterful coming-of-age novel which reaches beyond itself in its confident hope of redemption.
I made myself sound sort of smarter in that one. You know. For fun. It was like trying on a crazy costume or playing in Mommy's makeup.
What about you all? Anybody read Christian fiction?
17 comments:
i do! I've been reading Christian fiction my entire life. My blog is mainly Christian fiction. The genre has changed alot in the past decade. I prefer the books that aren't preachy and dare to tackle topics that are edgy and face reality.
Quick question: the buttons for the YA and Library challenges seem to have gone missing. Are you fixing them or is this just a temporary thing? I just noticed they had disappeared from my blog and then they were gone here as well.
I occasionally read Christian fiction. Used to read it all the time, but it was repetitious. The plots were all the same. Then I discovered Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti and Linda Chaikin and Francine Rivers. When I find a book by one of those authors I stop and read it, otherwise, I'll only read Christian fiction if it is HIGHLY recommended to my by my mom. oh. and uh, once in a blue moon when i want a quick fluffy read I'll pick up a book by Janette Oke.
I have read one that was good at Christmas time and it didn't seem overly Christian it was called The Christmas Lamp by Lori Copeland it was a good read.
Oh yes, to name a few...
Wisdom Hunter - thrilling
Shadow Government - revealing
God Gave Us Love - tender and sweet
Treasured - full assurance of His love
I'm currently reading a book that's Christian fiction - Daring Chloe. I didn't realize it was until I started reading. It was free on Amazon for Kindle. And I never pass up on a free book. I'm still reading the book and I am trying very hard to not let me prejudice get in the way of letting me enjoying the book. I just hope it's not preachy. That's all I ask for.
I loved Daisy Chain! Did you read any of the sequels? I don't really like Christian fiction, although I did go through a Frank Peretti phase. And a Janette Oak phase, when I was 16.
Hey Deborah--On my screen, the tabs still link to the correct page. Weird! Will you try again later and let me know if they still don't work? I haven't changed anything.
Oh, I'm glad to see that some of you have found some quality Christian fiction. I have about five authors that I've found (and a few I've heard good reviews about and want to check out). There's just a looooooot of ones I haven't liked, so I almost gave up.
I'm like you--I am a Christian, but I guess I've just had back luck with Christian fiction :P Except for a few good books (Peretti's THIS PRESENT DARKNESS and Dekker's CIRCLE books) all the rest seem kind of boring. Ohh, I bet that sounds bad! I don't know why, I just haven't had any luck with Christian fiction, so I just try to find "clean secular fiction." I'll take a look at these authors for sure, though!
I've read christian fiction off and on...for me, I have to be in the mood for it. Also, I would say there are some books in this genre that are have a true, quality story that happens to have a christian theme and others seem to have tried too hard to send a christian message and write a story around that. Does that make sense?
Also, my buttons on the left aren't working either, however, the pictures on each persons posts are for the first time ever...weirdness.
I do read some Christian authors, but not really because they are Christian.
I enjoy them because they are usually pretty tame. While not religious myself, I don't like sex scenes in books.
I do read Christian fiction and have found some really great authors. I agree with Deborah!
As a christian I've felt bad over the years that I don't read more Christian fiction than I do. I like the ones mentioned here, Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti & Francine Rivers. I've also enjoyed Jan Karon, Terri Blackstock, & Dee Henderson (The O'Mally series.)
For some reason I am not very knowledgeable about Christian authors (I am Catholic) But someone told me about SISTERCHICKS ON THE LOOSE! by Robin Jones Gunn and I can say I was pleasantly surprised and do recommend them for light, fun reading.
Sharon, I heard about Blackstock (I won one of his books by writing a brilliant haiku. You think I'm kidding. And I am--about the haiku being brilliant, but not about winning the book by writing a haiku). The book never came. Alas! I want to try his stuff, though.
This was a very in depth review!(It did make you sound impressive.)
I do enjoy Christian Fiction. I like Dee Henderson, Terri Blackstock, Catherine Palmer, Susan Meissner, Frank Peretti as some more well known authors. Just recently I read some Christian eBooks that were wonderful by Barbara Wohlschlegel, Anne Patrick, and Delia Latham.
I'm not religious but I won't turn down a book just because it has religious themes. I don't tend to like books that try to preach. I would rather the themes not be pushed upon me when I'm reading.
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