Customer Reviews

John 3:16

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

 

 

3:16 by Nancy Moser is about what can happen when one person holds up a sign at a football game. How many times have you seen someone at a football game hold up a John 3:16 sign? I've seen them for years and always thought of it as pointless. Who is going to take the time to pay attention or even look it up to see what it means? But Moser's book made me re-evaluate my thinking. When Jesus died and God lost his only son, the world was changed forever. What could happen when a man who loves Jesus dies, taking someone else's only son? How many people could one person's faith change? Moser's novel attempts to answer that question by writing the stories of several people: 33-year-old Maya who is so desperate to have a child she has sacrificed her integrity, Roman the father of a college football player who in his hatred of God has chased away his only son, Velvet the 40-something head of concessions at the football stadium who is suddenly confronted by the sins of his past, Lianne her daughter who is making her mother's mistakes all over again, and Peter a college student who has veered away from his values in order to please a girl. All of these people are so different, and yet they will all be forever changed by the death of a man. Moser captures each of the stories with compassion and honesty, even when the characters are often unlikable. She presents a view of life that I think sometimes only God gets to see. The reader can see the threads connecting each person and how one event changes everything. It's a poignant book about change, sacrifice, and love.

How does everything suddenly go from okay to despair? For so many people? Even our acting for the good of another, could cause despair in the lives of others.

Roman lives football vicariously through his son Billy (William). He isn't happy with Billy's choices.

Velvet's past choices collide with the present.

Lianne is faced with new choices.

Peter might not get a choice at all.

How much thought went into Maya's choices? An old friend changes Maya's thoughts to a new direction.

I neglect to tell why I give this a 2 star since I don't want to give away the story. Suffice it to say that fairy tales have similar endings. I don't find myself running back to this. Some romance but nothing gooey.

Nancy Moser has lately become one of my new favorite authors. She is gifted in writing in several different genres but is able to maintain wonderful storytelling throughout. I thought it was absolute brilliant how all the characters were somehow connected to each other, even the minor ones. There was one character I could not figure out how he was connected until halfway through the story. Then I was like "Aha!" and felt like I had solved a mystery. As powerful as the story was, I found myself having trouble with some of the characters. They were understandably flawed which would eventually tie into the story. I just didn't like the way their attitudes came across. I really did not like Lianne at all. I understood that she was not living in a happy situation but I detested her attitude. Like Peter said, did she not know the meaning of tact? I didn't agree with everything Peter's parents did but if I was meeting my boyfriend's parents for the first time I would be polite. At least make a good first impression. She was downright rude and seem to want to make them not like her from the beginning. Also when she told Peter her news that involved their future, I did not like the way she treated him afterward. I mean if you heard news that would change your life, you would be in shock at first. She treated him horribly in my opinion, especially with her revelation at the the end. Honestly she was one of the most annoying characters I have ever read in a book.Which thus goes to show how good of an author Nancy Moser is. To make a reader feel so deeply about a character shows how well the writing is. As I said before, the story is brilliant. It really moves you as you read it and you can almost picture yourself being there in the football stadium on that day with the rest of the crowd.

Ironically Nebraska was playing football this weekend and we watched it on TV. Sadly though we were rooting for the other team, Virginia Tech. But since the game was held at Nebraska, I could picture the characters at the game with the faithful sign being held up for all the world to see. This is one of Moser's best words to date. HIGHLY recommended.

John 3:16 is a great book and it is especially great for young Christian believers whether your young by faith or young by age. I find this book uplifting and beautiful. It allows everyone to see God's beauty and love no matter what situation you are in. I would absolutely recommend this book, the storyline will keep you wanting to find out more!

Nancy Moser has a gift for creating real characters -- characters with flaws, hurts, and uncertainties. In other words, her characters are three-dimensional, like real people. And "John 3:16" is full of real people -- confused, dishonest, unethical, struggling, afraid, assured, convinced, judgmental, loving people. Like us.

The novel is four intersecting stories, all building toward an individual tragedy that transforms the characters involved: an over-achiever fired from work, a sales manager whose life is his football-playing son, a concessions stand manager hiding her past and hiding from it, and a college student whose oddball girlfriend is pregnant. The oddball girlfriend may possibly count as a fifth story. Moser draws and develops them and the supporting cast perfectly -- they all are people we know. The story begins slowly, like a roller coaster just beginning its first ascent, and then becomes a devouring kind of read -- you can't put it down until you see what happens (I finished it at 1 a.m.).

From the cover and promotional blurb on the book, I expected the John 3:16 sign at the football game to occur much earlier than it does. But it's not so much the starting point as something closer to the conclusion. The only nit is that Moser ties the story up a bit too neatly at the end -- she loves the characters she's created and wants to save them all, so she does. But this is minor; overall, "John 3:16" is a powerful, realistic story of love and redemption.

I loved the story line of this book. It causes people to think about God and how He sent His Son to save the world. The Gospel is clearly presented with people coming to know the Savior. Anyone reading this book can easily identify with the characters; from people who don't believe in God, to believers who have sinned, to Christians who have kept the faith. The power of one verse of Scripture, John 3:16, is a constant reminder through out the book. This book contains tragedy, excitement, and miracles. It shows how the faith of one individual can have an enormous impact on others, even after he's dead and gone. It's a powerful book with a message that hits the target of the human heart.

I just finished this book in two days and it is the best Christian fiction I have read. I loved the fact that the characters were flawed and that there were complexities to each one. The plot was completely plausible and compelling. I am so tired of trying to read most of the "inspirational" fiction out there that is really chick-lit packaged as Christian fiction. Thank you Nancy Moser, for writing something that seems real and has a message for all of us, Christian or not. By the way, I'm a native Nebraskan and enjoyed reading a book set in Lincoln, and of all things, connected to a Cornhusker football game. Go Big Red!

"We don't know what the future holds but we know who holds the
future". I've been a Christian for awhile now, and had forgotten so
many of the special moments and hard decisions that I had to make once
I gave my life completely over to the Lord. It may sound funny
sometimes when I try to explain my decision to surrender control of my
life and give it over to the Master but I have not regrets. Please
don't judge this book by its cover; it is so much more intriguing than
the cover of a guy lifting up the John 3:16 sign at a football
stadium.

Nancy Moser quickly engaged me in this story with different people
living live large and on their own terms. Nancy follows the lives of
several people: Carrie, who is William Paulson's girlfriend; William,
who is a football player for the small town; Maya Morano, who is out
to be the number one sells person her company at all costs; Maya's
husband Sal, who loves his wife with all his life; Roman Paulson,
Maya's boss; William's father, John Gillingham, a bestselling author
and Velvet, his lost love; Lianne Skala who finds herself with an
unexpected pregnancy; Peter McLean, who is going to college because
his parents hope he will take over the family's farm business when he
graduates. Everyone in this town is going about
business as usual, until there is a fatal tragedy in their town that
affects everyone. People start to think about what's important in
life for the first time. It may seem hokey to some about how Nancy
Moser describes the situation of how ONE person's life reaches so
many, it made you think - I really believe we don't know how our lives
affect others around us. Look how the life of Jesus affected the
people back then and how He is still affecting people today.

It was good to be reminded of the meaning behind John 3:16 and how the
characters lives are affected by that one simple, but powerful verse.
Not everyone in that town is very excited to hear the message behind
John 3:16 and Nancy shows that. Not everyone jumps up and down for
joy because you became or are a follower of Jesus!! We are all called
to do our part - to be a planter of the seed. It's God's job to
water the seed until it ripens for the picking. I love how one of the
characters reacts after hearing the message of the John 3:16, she says
"You're talking mumbo jumbo...like it's magic. What do I have to do,
say it 3 times while standing on my head and my life will be
perfect?...Give me a break."

Nancy Moser's message is honest, sensitive, funny and entertaining.
It's a great way to talk about our faith without being pushy. It's a
great reminder (especially in these uncertain times - when everyone is
filled with fear ) of who holds our future; no matter what we struggle
with!

I have to tell you that some sections of this book cracked me up and
reminded me of the movie "Evan Almighty". Remember when God was
trying to get Evan's attention and get him to start building the ark?
It seemed that everywhere Evan went, his eyes were opened to the signs
and he could see things clearly for the first time. It was so funny!!
Nancy has God nudgings in her book as well. It was great! It's
comforting to know that God is at work around us whether we see him or
not!

Christian or not, you will enjoy this story which talks about peoples'
lives and the decisions they make that affect themselves and those
around them. You will see how one life has affected so many. This
ONE person gathered all the love notes that God sent him each day (not
only in the bible, but in the beauty he saw around him) and passed
that love on to others. It's a great comfort, reminder and story!!
Don't pass it up!!

Finding Hope Through Fiction
www.psalm516.blogspot.com