Customer Reviews

Chasing Fireflies: A Novel of Discovery

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Charles Martin's books contain beautiful prose, quirky characters, and vivid settings. He creates a world of believable, if unusual, characters and gently invites the reader in.

In this book, Chase Walker, who was abandoned and adopted by a man he calls "Unc", is assigned to write a story about another young boy who has likewise been abandoned. The boy is mute which makes it all the more challenging for Chase to piece together his background. Chase and Unc work together to show the boy that he is loved and accepted.

Although Unc is the most interesting character, there is also Chase's cousin Tommye, Unc's ruthless brother Jack, and the young boy to round out the cast of characters. The book shows what family and forgiveness are all about and will certainly be a favorite for Charles Martin's many fans.

Charles Martin touched my soul with his book of the heart, When Cricket's Cry. With Chasing Fireflies he has awakened hope and joy. Charles' prose is exceptional and his characters connected with my emotions in ways few authors can achieve. This is a beautiful story of one man's journey for his identity, a boy's ability to communicate without words and the honour and integrity of a man willing to make a lifelong sacrifice for those he loves. Charles' books are in a league of their own and this hardcover novel is well worth the extra investment.

Just when I think his books can't get any better -- he writes another one! The characters in this book are so well established -- so many details but never "too" many. Twists & turns;laughs & tears. Charles Martin is one of the best authors I have ever read. If you read one book this summer -- it should be this one. If you read 5 -- it should be this one plus his 4 others.

Plot/Storyline: 5 Stars

The prologue of this fascinating novel drew me into a story that kept me glued to my Kindle. The book is actually a triple storyline relating the tale of a nameless boy abandoned by the railroad tracks, the tale of another boy, now a man, abandoned at a young age, and the story of the man who brings them together. The author does a terrific job of weaving these three story threads into the large tapestry of the novel.

While the story rolls on at a slow pace, meandering through the lives Chase Walker, a reporter, there is still plenty of interest in each chapter to forward the storyline. I did figure out one portion of the `mystery' imbedded in the story, but it was still fun finding out the details.

There were also still a few surprises left that I didn't figure out. However, the author remained true throughout, never `cheating' to save the surprise.

Character Development: 4 1/2 Stars

Having Chase Walker as the narrator was a terrific choice. He was a deep and empathetic character, especially in his childhood memories. I could actually feel his feelings of abandonment and hope.

Uncle Willie was poorly developed throughout the first half. However, I did get a little more understanding of him toward the end of the book. Although I thought some of his reasoning was a little far-fetched, it still made for a good story.

The little boy and the women in the book were very weak characters.

Writing Style: 4 1/4 Stars

I had a major issue with the writing style here, and it's name is Metaphor. Now, I like metaphors, especially clever ones. Unfortunately, even though his metaphors were clever, the author spoiled many of them by giving pages of explanation for them. He would use a metaphor, then go into a long story that explains what he was trying to compare something to, often a sports one. My problem with that was simply that I understood the analogies without needing an explanation, so it was just annoying to read, kind of like sitting through a class you've already taken.

Otherwise, the descriptions, dialogue, and sentence structure were all excellent.

Rating: PG-13 for descriptions of Child Abuse

I am so glad that a friend introduced me to Charles Martins book. I fell in love with his style while reading The Mountain Between Us and have read every one of his novels since. He is a fine talented christian writer who spares his fans graphic sex and blood and guts. Hope he continues to produce more. Kate Adams

Chasing Firefires is the first Charles Martin book I've read and I found it a satisfying read. Written in first person from the point of view of Chase, we watch a young investigative reporter researching the past of an abused child paralleled with his continuing search over his own and his "uncle's" past. Add in a cousin with secrets of her own and you have a multi-threaded plot that captivates as it unfolds.

Espoused as a Christian novel, I was a bit disappointed that a redemptive message was not better emphasized. The story dilemmas, which include descriptive evidences of child abuse, and glimpses of the porn industry would preclude this book as a young adult read. The dilemmas, though hard hitting, are handled well and should not be a reason for adults to avoid reading.

I look forward to my next Charles Martin read.

I read this book for my book club. I might not have chosen it without that being our selection as I was not familiar with the author. I enjoyed the book and found it a "good read". It was great to take on the airplane with me on a trip, but the only problem that I had was that I got tears in my eyes as the book ended and didn't want fellow passengers to think that something was wrong. Luckily I could look out a window and pretend to study the clouds!
This is worth reading.

Another wonderful novel by Charles Martin......compelling characters and a touching storyline...couldn't put it down.....can't wait to read more from this fine young author!

Charles Martin has a wonderful gift for storytelling. This is a book that you should be prepared to read on a lazy day with nothing else to do, because you will not want to put it down.

What a wonderful book. I've now read three of Martin's books and love each one more than the one before. His tales are crafted in such a way that you feel the characters' pain, joy, hope and sorrow. Chasing Fireflies is a love story on so many levels. But is also a story of greed, mistrust, misplaced trust, sorrow and happiness. It's one of those books that gives you a warm feeling; a feeling of hope for the hopeless and love for the unloved. I believe this one was even better than When Crickets Cry--and I really liked that one! Charles Martin is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.