Customer Reviews

I Know Why the Angels Dance

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This Review contains no spoilers.

Main Characters: John Hanson (dad), Tabitha (12), Melody (mom), Dr. Phil & Myrtle, Rose (12) Grayson

I Know Why the Angels Dance is a 5-Star book told in multiple points of view about a Christian girl who guides her best friend and her best friend's parents to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

MAIN STORY ELEMENTS: The first half of the book is told predominantly from 12-year-old Tabitha Hanson's point of view. Along the way, her father John Hanson is allowed a perspective and we begin to realize that he is due for a major learning curve. There are three atheist POV characters, 12-year-old Rose and her parents, the Graysons, who you expect to eventually, see the Light. But to me, the story seems to be mostly about Tabitha as an angel-type person who teaches and guides her scholarly Christian father to a more meaningful relationship with and understanding of God.

Rose's father, Dr. Phil Grayson, is an uber-intelligent man who resists God out of his extreme logical nature. Over the course of the book - and all the way to the very last page - Phil struggles to either prove or disprove God, and people who have similar mindsets may find this book helps them to understand God's ways.

AUDIENCE: Although marketed as a book for adults, I Know Why the Angels Dance could also be for children. 12-year-old Tabitha Hanson tells the majority of the story and her perspective is that of an angelic and faith-filled little girl who loves her daddy, her sister Sarah and Jesus. My 16-year-old daughter read the book and identified with it completely, so I think children as young as 13 or 14 could read it, especially if they are already Believers. Warning to parents, though, children die in this book - and their deaths are integral to the message of faith the book is bringing. Be forewarned.

THEOLOGY: is sound. Allowing for the addition of fiction elements in Tabitha's dreams of heaven and her visions of interactions with Jesus Himself, the basic Christian doctrine is adhered to all the way. The Narrow Gate, the One Way, are clearly described.

EVANGELICAL USES: When a child dies, this book may bring comfort to those who mourn: believers and non-believers. For a staunch atheist, this book may help him/her understand God as John Hanson and Tabitha share their faith with Dr. Grayson. And for people with strong faith, this book may be an opportunity to read a sweet story about people who love the Lord and long to be with Him. John Hanson gives a lovely eulogy at a funeral for a little girl that brought tears to my eyes. Bryan Davis was definitely anointed when he wrote that wonderful scene.

TECHNICAL: The book is edited flawlessly without the distracting type-o's many books have and the cover artwork is breathtaking. I found myself looking at the cover dozens of times during the reading to once again get the lovely child Tabitha's face in my mind again.

I hope this review has helped you in your decision to buy this book. I honestly do not think you will be disappointed.

Ellen C Maze, author Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider
An undead tale of faith-vs-bloodlust for all people.

Bryan Davis, probably best known for his young adult fantasy novels, once again proves himself a master storyteller in I Know Why the Angels Dance. It is a tale of sorrow and joy, of death and eternal life, at once applying a healing balm and encouraging catharsis.

I've read his books in the past and am quite a fan of his work, but nothing quite prepared me for this newest story. Readers will be most familiar with Dragons in our Midst, Oracles of Fire, and Echoes from the Edge. And they may purchase this book, expecting a similar story.

It's not. As with all his books, IKWTAD is filled with spiritual insights, but this book is outside his usual genre. And this is by no means a negative. Instead, it is delightful to see something new from Mr. Davis, a break from the fantasy he so frequently writes. None of his passion is lost; in fact, this may well be the most powerful story he has written.

Two fathers, one in the light and one in the darkness. Two girls, the best of friends. What happens when tragedy strikes, when the joys of youth are cut short, and the laughter of childhood is replaced by the silence of the grave? What balm could possibly bring the fathers comfort? Readers will laugh and weep with the characters in this breathtaking novel that will thaw even the coldest of hearts, as they discover why the angels dance.

This book is amazing. I was able to be joyful with those who joyed. I wept with those who wept. This book made my faith even stronger. this is another great novel by Bryan Davis!!!

In the many fantasy books by Bryan Davis I have found my self captured completly by the stories. I thought that if he could do it once he could do it again. And I was right. This book took me on a ride of emotions (in a good way). It is bittersweet and I love that. From the moment I started this book to the moment I finished I found myself wondering, seeking and learning the answers to questions I had didn't know I'd been asking until I read this. The characters are so real you could almost touch them. I'm glad I know why the angels dance.

I Know Why the Angels Dance is modern realistic fiction by Bryan Davis. Readers of his other novels will find the same passion flowing through the story of two families, two daughters, and the response of faith to tragedy. While I normally prefer fantasy novels, this book held me enthralled with the relatable characters and hard-hitting questions. The back cover asks "What happens when the darkness of unspeakable tragedy collides with the infinite glory of heaven?" Something beautiful and glorious, as this book relates.

This is one of the most touching books I have ever read.
Bryan does a beautiful job in writing about the truth of joy in grief for hurting families.
It also gives those who are not walking with Jesus a lot to think about.
I am purchasing this for a couple of friends who have lost children.

I Know Why The Angels Dance is filled with tales of faith, sorrow, heartache, and love. Through the life and example of one precious little girl, these emotions overflow out of the pages and into the hearts of its readers, showing them the truth of God's love. Tabitha's harvest will bear fruit, even beyond the limits of this story. While reading this book, you will truly weep with those who weep, and you will rejoice with those who rejoice.

In 'I Know Why the Angels Dance', Bryan Davis puts down fantasy and writes an outstanding novel complete with twists and turns, which I absolutely loved. Tabitha is a young girl when her best friend, Rose, gets sick with a rare sickness and has to be put into the hospital. Rose's father is an atheist and doesn't even want to hear why he might be wrong in not believing in an awesome God. Can Tabitha and her father reach out to this family who is going through such a hard time?

I really liked this book because it shows that no matter what you are going through, God WILL be there to help you and comfort you. I would suggest that this book be read by EVERYONE.

Bryan Davis gives us a rare glimpse of heaven through a child's eyes in this moving story of death and life.


Young Tabitha experiences a series of visions and prophetic dreams that confuse the adults around her. Tabitha's dreams predict deaths, and they contain details she would not know on her own. When they begin to come true Tabitha and her pastor father, John, bear a grave responsibility, for they must work to bring lost souls to the saving knowledge of Christ before time runs out. Tabitha's childlike faith cuts through disbelief and unbelief. John struggles to overcome his glib sermonizing and truly engage the heart of his hearers.


John and Tabitha labor under the conviction that to grieve the death of a Christian who has gone to heaven can only be a selfish act. And yet, the Bible tells Christians to weep with those who weep. As the book unfolds, this basic conflict resolves in a moving and sensitive finale.


I highly recommend I Know Why the Angels Dance for its passionate and beautiful prose and timeless story. Such a book can change the lives of those who embrace its message. It can make the angels dance.

[...]

I found Bryan Davis when I bought the first Dragons In Our Midst book for my grandson. When I asked him about the book, he said, "You can buy anything this guy writes." Coming from a teen this is high praise. So, many books later, we both agree that Bryan Davis is an awesome author.

In I Know Why The Angels Dance, Bryan Davis has veered from the teen literature he usually writes to tackle the seldom discussed topic of death. Although you will not find one dragon in the book, he is still able to weave a compelling story about life, death, the supernatural and how these events connect us all.

The story revolves around a father's special relationship with his youngest daughter, and on this backdrop we are asked questions like, What happens when death visits a family? Is there a difference in the way Christians and non-Christians cope with death? What happens to a person after death? Are those who have died aware of what happens in the lives of the living?

This gripping story kept me awake late into the night. Keep your tissues handy at the end because you will need them.