Customer Reviews

Mohamed's Moon: Two brothers reunite... Two cultures collide

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Medical student Layla thinks she loves Matthew Mulberry enough to accept his ring. Yet she senses there is something he is not telling her. One day she comes face to face with Mohamed El Taher. He's Matthew's double but also a ghost from her past. After that, hers and Matthew's relationship gets even more tangled. However, in Mohamed's Moon Keith Clemons doesn't create only a love triangle but brings the world of two Egyptian expatriates into collision with a cell of calculating killers that has infiltrated America's highest office.

Clemons' skillful storytelling captivates as he whisks us between the present and the past, Egypt and California, and the viewpoints of Matthew, Mohamed and Layla. Through Mohamed we come to understand how a belief system even intent on murder can make sense and have a steely grip on mind and heart. Somehow using his writer's sleight of hand Clemons makes us sympathetic toward all three of the main characters, even though two are bitter rivals.

Clemons weighs in on some significant themes -- inequality between rich and poor (including the amusing irony of the Lexus-driving Mohamed pontificating against America's wealth to his rival, who drives a beat-up VW), forgiveness, and the clash between Christianity and Islam. Mohamed is thoroughly versed in the Qur'an and he and the cavernous-eyed professor Omar quote it often. When Mohamed obtains a Bible, its message of love and forgiveness shocks him. Could this be true?

The portrayal of life in Egypt makes this book especially rich and earns Clemons the label "atmospheric storyteller." The story is full of surprises and suspense -- a book with a taut beginning, middle, and end that's hard to put down.

This is the first of Clemons' books that I've read, but I'd definitely read more. It's not every day you find a writer who tackles a timely and controversial issue in a story so riveting and with such literary finesse.

I have to admit....I was really not expecting to like this book. The style is so different from anything else I normally read, and I just prepared myself to get through it and somehow, find something to like about it. Well, I learned something along the way, and that is simply to not set expectations until I've given something a chance. Boy, am I glad I gave Mohamed's Moon a chance! This book was just impossible to put this book down! It had such a fast pace that literally left me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, wham! I'm thrown for a loop, and have to set myself right...over and over again.

Also, it's pretty unusual to have the topic of Islam in a Christian fiction book. I don't think I've ever come across it until now, and I managed to get a little bit of an education in the process. I was not expecting to see passages from the Quran scattered throughout the book, but it really made a difference in the overall tone of the book. If the author had written, "Mohamed remembered a verse from the Quran," but didn't list said verse, it wouldn't have added anything to the book. Instead, he did interject passages from the Quran, and it put a whole different spin on things. I could now see reasons why Mohamed felt about Islam the way he did.

It also made the internal conflict that Mohamed was experiencing so much more believable. Once Mohamed meets his brother, they challenge each other to read the other person's holy book. I didn't doubt that Matthew, Mohamed's brother, would hold true to his Christian upbringing. Mohamed, on the other hand, felt that he had a little more to prove. Not only is he trying to prove to Matthew that Allah is the supreme god, but he's also got to find a way to convince Layla, Matthew's girlfriend and a Christian, that she has strayed. So, he keeps his promise, buys a Bible, and sets out on his course to convert these two "infidels" (all non-Muslims). However, I think he got a little more than he bargained for. :o)

I can say without a doubt that I'm very impressed with Keith Clemons as an author. Choosing such an explosive theme of the coexistance of Christians and Muslims couldn't have been easy, but it's definitely relevant to present times. I certainly hope he's got a sequel in the works, or if not that, something else that follows this same topic. I'll definitely be reading more about it in the future.

Mohamed and Matthew are twin brothers, separated at birth. Growing up with no knowledge of the other, one was raised as a Christian in America, the other as a militant Muslim in Egypt. Both are now pursuing college degrees, both love soccer, and when they come together suddenly, both realize that they love the same girl.

This fictional exploration of the differences between Islam and Christianity devotes more page time to life as a radical-Muslim. With the target audience consisting primarily of Christians this is understandable, it is the Muslim lifestyle and beliefs that are less familiar to most readers than that of followers of Jesus.

In addition to the suspense created by Mohamed's involvement with jihadists, there is also a certain element of mystery surrounding the past of the twins and how they are linked together. There is also a very low-key romantic triangle, but there isn't a lot of chemistry or emotional draw-in for the reader to be found here.

The character development was somewhat mediocre with Mohamed being the best fleshed out of the characters. Matthew was actually surprisingly shallow, he seemed a perpetual adolescent and the intelligence necessary to pursuing a medical career seemed to be lacking (at least it wasn't expressed in any way in this novel.)

I really wanted to enjoy Mohamed's Moon, but it proved to be only a so-so read. It was interesting enough to keep me reading but the pace was slower than expected. The exploration of Islam draws from actual quotes from the Quran that helps to lend accuracy to Clemons' work, but reading a good auto-biography from an ex-terrorist is a much meatier way to explore life from a jihadist's point of view.

What a good book! It is a total step apart from much of what I've been reading lately, but it is great. Identical twin brothers separated at birth, 1 raised in America as a Christian and 1 raised in Egypt as a Muslim. A plot to assassinate the president, take over the presidential office, mass murder and a lovely young lady caught in the middle of two brothers.

I really appreciated the way the author shows the differences and similarities between Islam and Christianity as the brothers agree to read each others books (the Bible and Quaran) in an attempt to understand each other and appease the love of their lives, Layla. There may be a lot of coincidences in the storyline, but I just settled back and accepted them. In doing so I was really able to enjoy the book. I also really liked the fact that everything isn't tied up with a pretty little bow when it is all finished - bittersweet and beautiful. Excellent book.

Wow! I picked this book up at a used bookstore and was really interested in reading it but I never thought it would be this good! This author writes a wonderful novel about a Muslim and his Christian brother who both want the same girl. The suspense is excellent and the characters are very believable and well done. The end was a shock and totally unexpected.

I know someone else posted about this as well but I loved that the author puts in verses from the Quran. This really shows a lot of what Islam teaches and I was amazed, to say the least! The Gospel message was mixed in very well and not preachy. But if you are someone who wants a book with no scripture, this is not the book for you. If you like reading about different cultures and a strong Gospel message, this is the one for you! Excellent book!!

I was torn rating this book because for a suspense/thriller it was somewhat lacking. It was my first time reading anything by Keith Clemons and I like his style and topic. However, I expected more suspense from this story. The first chapter grabbed me but then the action lagged until a climactic ending. I am glad I read this book and didn't put it down in the middle where it slowed. I believe he probably withheld some of the more chilling details until late in the book in order to maintain sympathy for some of the more challenging characters. All in all it was well worth my time. Mr. Clemons is a great story teller and the novel forced me to explore deep spiritual themes. I like a book that makes me think.

"...The sun burned like a welder's arc, cutting a white hole in the sky..."

"...A lone pelican flew by, a silhoutte on a shimmering red sky..."

"...The plane shuddered, making a tempest of the coffee in his cup..."

"...The car pulled away, disappearing into the mist like a bug caught up in a spiderweb..."

Keith Clemons, award winning author from Caledon, Ontario, is a master at creating word pictures. As I started to read through his latest book - Mohamed's Moon, I found myself captivated by his ability to write in pictures.

The cover of Mohamed's Moon suggests that the story line offers a conflict with grave repurcussions, little hope of resolution set against a back drop of a ticking clock. I was not disappointed as I read each page expectantly.

The story begins on the shores of the Nile as Mohammed and Layla - childhood best friends - - enjoy the innocence of youth. Layla's father a physician works in Egypt among those of the Muslim faith. When Layla talks to Mohammed about becoming a Christian so that they can marry one day, he tells her that all Christians are liars and infidels. A foundation is laid as it is revealed that Zainab, Mohamed's mother is actually a Christian.

The story takes off early as we enter into the distorted thought process of Khalaf, Mohamed's father, who sacrifices his life and many others for the sake of Allah. Through a series of flashbacks and clever dialogue sequences, we follow Mohamed and Layla into adulthood and become a part of the triangle that is the basis for this exceptional story.

In Mohamed's Moon, tension builds between the two brothers Matthew and Mohamed - twins separated at birth as they clash about the state of one another's culture and the expectations of Isa - Jesus - Allah - Jehovah. It is interesting to hear how some of the Muslim faith view western society. Mohamed refers to the western world as a land of gluttony rather than a land of plenty. Food for thought. This fiction story is certainly thought provoking in many ways.

At first a reader might cry predicatability and a bit of a far fetched idea for twin brothers to find each other after more than two decades and that they would both fall in love with the same girl - Layla.

But, there is nothing predictable about the plot in Mohamed's Moon. The story, interwoven with stunning descriptions that take the reader on one adventure after another, is plausible in every sense. Mohamed's Moon blends romance and suspense creating tension as Mohamed and Matthew face physical, psychological and spiritual challenges throughout the book.

Islam verses Christianity. A vengeful Allah verses a loving God. Religion verses relationship. The battle is subtle yet the profundity of faith and Who truly reigns supreme, shines through as Mr. Clemons carries his characters through one journey after another.

Mohamed's Moon is an excellent summer read and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense, a little bit of romance, high adventure, a great plot twist and a not so predictable ending. I was riveted. Congratulations Keith Clemons.

Keith Clemons has created another master work of fiction in his novel "Mohamed's Moon." Unabated suspense, fast moving action, a complex plot, awesome descriptions, and powerful character development combine to keep the reader spellbound. Keith delivers a thought provoking message in which culture, religion, and a lust for power challenge reason. He touches the heart and emotions with poignancy as his real life characters make choices that will impact the world today, and their eternal destiny.

The message of redemption and forgiveness bear evidence of Clemon's authenticity as a person and his gift as a communicator.

"Mohamed's Moon" by Keith Clemons is an incredibly suspenseful tale of twin brothers, separated at birth and raised by people in completely different cultures - one as a radical Muslim, the other as a Christian. An additional twist is that they are in love with the same woman! This story has it all: action, adventure, political intrigue, romance and Biblical wisdom woven throughout. It is incredibly well-written and thought-provoking. I think this would be a good book club discussion group pick.

The back cover calls it a modern-day Cain and Abel story. But I see it almost the opposite - these two brothers were raised to be enemies, but these characters struggle with their hatred of each other BECAUSE they are brothers! This novel is brilliantly crafted not only to entertain, but also to show a glimpse of the depth of God's love for His children.

This is a topic I have not read about before, developed into a fiction story, while carrying the comparisons of Christianity and Islam. The book jacket compares it to "a modern day Cain and Able story". CLemons does a fine job of placing the reader into the setting...a intense place to be.