I purchased "All In" mainly because (1) what passes for Christian romance nowadays is so light and fluffy (even when it's intended to be serious) that I bolted toward any story labeled as "gritty," and (2), there is a LOT of controversy around this book because of the actions, thoughts, and dialogue of the major protagonist.
I mostly enjoyed the book for a variety of reasons: there's a cohesive plot, good characterization, and a mixture of modern-day angst and humor that's fun to read. To the people who say, "This isn't Christian fiction because the protagonist drinks, smokes, swears, and sleeps around," may I remind you that the protagonist IS NOT a Christian for the first 80-85 percent of the book, and the things that she does are not shown in a favorable light. Sin is shown, yes, but it's not glorified--it's clearly shown to cause heartbreak. This is how unsaved people (and some saved but backslidden) people live. Unsaved people abound, and sometimes--unless you live in a convent or monastery, you're going to see it. Why close your eyes? Doesn't everything about this protagonist scream, "I need God in my life"? This is someone I wanted to see changed, and I knew only God could do it. So I kept reading, and yes, she's frequently self-pitying, she's cynical, she's jaded, but I kept going because I hoped she would see the light. And ultimately, she did.
Also, the Christians she runs into are not preachy, hypocritical, or annoying; they are people who practice what they preach, and they are low-key, preferring to show her Christ's love rather than talking about it. They are non-confrontational and only answer the questions she is invariably drawn to ask. I liked that.
Only thing I didn't like about the book...and it was a game-changer for me...even though people do get saved after living lives of dissolution and misery, there are still frequently life-changing/life-ending consequences to their actions, and most people don't see miracles. (That's why they're called miracles...if they happened on a daily basis, they would hardly be miraculous, would they?) But the message the book seems to convey at the end is, "If you get saved, everything you did before, and their accompanying consequences, will not only be forgiven, but you can even escape the consequences." I found this a let-down and unrealistic. For example, years ago, I read Randy Alcorn's "Ollie Chandler" books. There was a character--unsaved--who got a terminal disease as a result of the mistakes she had made. She later became a Christian and was full of love and joy and peace, but she still had the disease. I thought this was realistic. I found the conclusion of "All In" to be unrealistic, or at least highly improbable.
But the writing was great, the story well-done, and on the whole it was a great read.
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