4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not at All What I Expected, October 29, 2009
This review is from: Days of Little Texas (Hardcover)
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I started reading this book with some skepticism. I get very tired of books that are sappy and "over-Christianized" so as to deviate from reality and the world as we know it. I also get very tired of books that make Christians out to be idiots and hypocrites simply because they're Christians.
So as I said, I started into this story as a skeptic because the main character is a child evangelist--words that make me want to hurl. The first page caught me off guard, though, as it starts with a quasi wet dream as experienced by our child evangelist. There was no detail, thankfully, but it made me read further than I would have otherwise. I'm glad I did, because what this book does is tell a coming of age story about a young man who is experiencing normal teenage feelings and trying to put them into the perspective of his faith.
Little Texas lost his parents at a young age because of alcoholism and a host of other dysfunctions. He went to live with his aunt, Miss Wanda Joy, who is no joy to anyone living or dead. His "gift" is discovered and he goes on the road, preaching and healing, along with Miss Wanda Joy and two elderly black men who befriend and mentor the young boy. As his preoccupation with sexual urgings and thoughts grows, Little Texas questions his faith and his worthiness to be used by God.
What we find out about Little Texas is that he's the real deal. He really is used by God to bring a message and healing to the people who come to his tent meetings. One night, he is unable to heal a little girl and that's when the story begins to take off. Little Texas finds himself involved in something bigger and so far outside of his understanding that he must rely on his heart and a ghost, or spirit, whichever you prefer, to guide him. The climax is emotional and life changing, not only to the main character, but to the reader as well.
The elements of slavery and enslavement (2 different things in this story) are woven throughout. Through the spirit guide and the spiritual warfare that he has to face, Little Texas learns that truth is actually bigger than his Christian training had allowed him to believe before. Just as black slaves were in bondage to their masters, and just as the masters were in bondage to their sin, Little Texas was in bondage to his limited view of God and the definition of truth he had been taught to embrace. At the end of the story, his character is changed and his faith is intact.
Throughout the story, the author never criticizes Little Texas' world view or makes his faith appear to be his biggest problem. Even at the end of the story, his faith remains, even though his understanding of God and truth grows significantly. I have to say, I have never read a story quite like this one and I respect the author for telling it without making political or religious commentary about the Christian faith.
Finally, I recommend this story for middle schooler, teenagers and young adults. There is no profanity and very little sexual inuendo--only enough to bring authenticity to Little Texas' experience. Very well written. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Elmer Gantry comes to the modern age., September 7, 2010
This review is from: Days of Little Texas (Hardcover)
Some teens probably won't know who I'm talking about when I refer to Elmer Gantry, but that's what I was reminded of when reading the first part of Days of Little Texas. Initially, this book expertly captures all the feel of an old time revival meeting. I thought this book was taking place in the thirties and kept getting jarred back to present day by casual references to things like rest stops and the Iraq war. Smack dab in the middle of this old time story is a modern day 16 year old kid who will just break your heart. His struggles with adolescence while he deals with the burden of leading a ministry and being seen by thousands as a modern day miracle worker are poignant and heart wrenching.
The story really gets moving when Little Texas is called upon to heal Lucy, a young girl brought to him suffering not from a chronic illness, but in the midst of a medical emergency. He performs the healing, but knows that this time was different and has a gut instinct that Lucy didn't survive. It's when she then begins to appear to him as a ghost, that the second, supernatural part of the story sets in.
The author has written a real humdinger of a ghost story here. While there's virtually no action till the very end, there were moments that were so scary and so expertly written they made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! I love it when authors create images that can be visualized so clearly.
The characters of Little Texas, Wanda Joy, Certain Certain, and Sugar Tom are all so vivid and real that they carry this story. They practically leap off the page and are right at home in a book that while it may be short on action, is rich in atmosphere. Everything winds up to a huge climax pitting Little Texas against the forces of evil. There are plenty of surprises at the end, and while I was left wanting to know more, more, more, I was still very happy with the resolution. This is a recommend for teens 14 and up. Adults will find quite a bit to enjoy here too, so don't pass this one by.
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