Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Life (The Ultimate Series #2)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you read The Ultimate Gift, don't waste your time reading The Ultimate Life. I hate to start a review with a negative statement like that, but The Ultimate Life was such a disappointment after reading the first book (and watching the movie). Stovall knew he had a good thing in The Ultimate Gift, so he went back and tried to dip the proverbial bucket in the well - this time it came up dry. Oh, and by the way, this isn't a sequel to the first BOOK...it's a sequel to the movie, so if you read The Ultimate Gift but didn't see the movie, Stovall has changed some characters in this book to correlate to the movie.

In The Ultimate Life, young Jason Stevens is now on trial with his family suing for the billions that Red Stevens bequeathed to young Jason through his will in The Ultimate Gift. The various trials that Jason had to endure to learn life's most valuable lessons, he now has to reiterate and rehash to demonstrate that he, indeed, learned those lessons to the satisfaction of Judge Davis. The story is told through the eyes of Judge Davis and the attempt is made to add suspense and intrigue into the most obvious, least surprising story ever written. Young Jason wins the case, keeps the money, makes a magnanimous gesture to his "family" so they are able to keep their millions and gets married to his wonderful fiancé Alexia (again, from the movie, not the first book) and rides off into the sunset - okay, they don't ride off into the sunset - I guess that was the only thing too cheesy for Stovall in this book.

The Ultimate Life is largely an elaboration of The Ultimate Gift, in which the author faces off good and evil, but the conflict between the two is one-sided and minimal. The main premise of the book--that a court of law must decide the legitimacy of a billionaire's will--seems flawed because the whole point of the will was that his longtime friend would have the right to decide if the grandson fulfilled its requirements. So to have the outcome subsequently decided "again" through lawyers and ultimately a judge seems somewhat contrived. What should have been on trial was the right of the friend to make the decision. The characters are for the most part one-dimensional...and thus everything about the plot is predictable. Perhaps a good read for middle school and a "feel-good" book with some good examples for all to follow, but lacking in literary depth.

This book offers great messages about the most important things in life. Unfortunately, it's not the most well-written book. It gets repetitive, predictable, and trite in how it delivers its message.

The premise of this sequel to the book The Ultimate Gift (The Ultimate Series #1) is that the greedy relatives are going after the will. For each of the twelve gifts, Jason must demonstrate not only that he has earned the gift, but that he has learned how to pass it on to others.

What one can learn from this book is how to pass on the ultimate gift to others.

Like the first book, the structure is somewhat boring, but the lessons presented are excellent. If you can get around each lesson being presented in essentially the same way, the content of the lessons are enjoyable and very well worth your time to read this book.

If you saw the movie The Ultimate Gift but didn't read the book, you can jump right in with reading this book, or you can go back and read The Ultimate Gift first. I went from movie to this book and then the first book, and had no trouble with it.

This is truly one of the most inspirational books I have read this year, next to The Ultimate Gift. We as christians have practiced these pronciples, but through the journey these pages take you on our practice has truly become our reality. We can't wait for the movie!

You have to read the Ultimate Gift to really absorb the impact of this book as it is the sequel. There is a true foundation to this book and a lot to be learned about yourself and others.

Item arrived on time and in great condition. I love this book. It is amazing. I would recommend reading this book, over and over and over again. This book is great for reading with families and it lifts the spirit.

Maybe everyone else read a different book than I did, but this really isn't a sequel to "The Ultimate Gift". It is more of a rewrite of the book. It brings nothing new to the table Nearly half of the book is quotes of the first book when the Judge reviews the videotapes of Red Stevens. Then Jason Stevens recounts the stories he told in the first book about how he fulfilled the requirements of his inheritance. This book is pointless.

Another problem I had with the book is that there are numerous inconsistencies. In the second book, Jason is Red's grandson rather than his great nephew. He explains it away in a pathetic manner. Also, in the first book, the will was written ten years earlier, while in the second book, it was weeks before his death. Another inconsistency lies with the little girl with Cancer. In the first book, she is playing in the park with her nurse. In the second, she is with her mom. I could go on and on about other inconsistencies, but I won't bore you. I think the author needs to go back and read the first book then rewrite this one or just do away with this one altogether.

Jim Stovall did another excellent job of pointing out "The Ultimate Gifts" through this story. The book is a must read for everyone.

This book really makes you appreciate what is important in life. Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day stuff we forget. This puts it back in perspective without the religious tilt so often seen. It's a great book to read over and over.