Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Debra G. Waltman, Wasilla, Alaska, May 27, 2008
Shane is a survivor-- a person who is not deceitful but honest in his writing and character. The book inspired me in so much that I hope to share it with some of the young people in the youth group at our church. Sometimes we all must "walk into the night," but Shane will not remain there. He is in a new season. Go forth and "write." God has given him keen discernment and I was very glad to have read the book.
The poetry is very good, and the book is one to be shared with our young generation.
Debra G. Waltman, Alaska
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Book, May 21, 2008
This is the most phenomenal book I ever read. Simply put, you absolutely have to buy this book. This book shows how and what helped the author to get through his depression, and it also helped me realize how to get through my own. It is a feel good book and it is a great read. This book will make you want to read it over and over again, and for those who do buy this book I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Power Of Personal Testimony, May 12, 2008
Teenage angst has been studied for years. Numerous experts, from psychologists to nutritionists to behavioral analysts, have attempted to isolate the true causes behind the proclivities of postpubescents, often citing such well-known factors as hormone changes and peer pressure. What many of the so-called "experts" fail to realize, though, is that the true nature of teens' problems most likely lies quite a bit deeper beneath the surface...
In All Of Satan's Men, Shane Hoffman sheds invaluable insight on such nature, providing the reader with an unfiltered, straight-ahead look into the struggles of a soul in daily flux. The autobiographical account spans a 5-year period of Hoffman's life during which he wrests with depression, familial drama, teenage love, and the deaths of loved ones. Each chapter is written as an entry in a personal journal, on which Hoffman relies as an outlet for the difficulties that continue to compound in his daily life. By recording his thoughts & feelings in such a way, Hoffman captures his ongoing internal conflict within the framework of humanity at its most personal, which facilitates the reader's ability to relate, based on his/her own personal experiences.
Most impressive about Hoffman's musings is the fact that he often utilizes song lyrics and poetry to express his innermost turmoil and pain, and he does so with a polished maturity that is rare for someone of such a young age. Witness, for example, this passage from the poem entitled "Life":
Here I go I just began
Build me up so I can fall again
Feels like I'm being cut with a knife
Here we are, this is Life
Hoping God will help me see the light
Please Jesus get me through another night
I feel my life slipping away
I wander [sic] if I'll see another day
Written at the entry point of Hoffman's slow descent into depression & confusion, such sentiments laconically convey the essence of a powerful personal struggle that defines the daily existence of dozens of everyday souls.
Throughout his battles with intensely personal demons, though, Hoffman repeatedly seeks the guidance and protection of God, acknowledging his own weakness at the same time that he petitions for the strength that he needs to endure. The importance of this act cannot be underscored enough, and it provides Hoffman's tale with the spiritual substance it needs in order to make an indelible impression on the reader: though it may be titled All Of Satan's Men, at the heart of Hoffman's story is the ultimate triumph of the human spirit over the legions of evil that plague it without respite - and such triumph is never possible without the necessary spiritual "boost" that lends us all the ultimate advantage in the perpetual war between good and evil.
All Of Satan's Men is a refreshing, empowering read. Composed by a seasoned spiritual solider, Hoffman's gripping account serves as inspiring testimony to the true power of humility and conviction in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. His narrative should be required reading among church youth groups, as well as featured prominently in high school guidance offices and teenage crisis centers worldwide.
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