‘Broken’ by Travis Thrasher – Book Review and Giveaway

‘Christian’ novels come in all different flavors. ‘Broken,’ by Travis Thrasher, shows that we live in a broken world, and the only way for us to get through this life in a satisfying manner is to follow the Lord, and to follow His precepts.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

The Tormented Tale of a Woman on the Run from Her Past, and A Stranger Who Knows Her Darkest Secret. Laila had it all – love, family, wealth, and faith. But when her world fell apart, Laila escaped New York to pursue a career as a model. Her new world of glamour turned out to be an illusion, however, full of danger that eventually led to murder.

Now, reinventing herself once again, Laila has managed to create an unassuming life in Greenville, South Carolina. Though she avoids personal connections, she can’t resist a male colleague’s persistent attempts at friendship that could lead to something more.

But even as Laila struggles to move forward, she can’t seem to forget the crimes of her past. When a stranger approaches her and says he knows what she did, Laila runs, pursued by mysterious men in dark shadows and haunted by visions of the man she killed. Little does she know she’s being hounded by something not of this world, something that knows her deepest, darkest secret that will follow wherever she goes.

Here is the biography of this author:

The author of eleven works of fiction, Travis Thrasher creates flawed characters and takes them on harrowing journeys of redemption. He and his wife, Sharon, live with their daughter in Chicago, IL.

Each chapter opens with a journal entry from Laila; they really help us to get a glimpse into the mind of this beautiful, yet troubled, woman. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 8:

What good is living in the moment when the past always inevitably overshadows it?

Sometimes I tell myself I need to find a good shrink, someone different than the ones in New York and Chicago that needed more help than they could prescribe. Sometimes I tell myself I need to find someone, anyone, that will accept and love me for who I am. But I can’t imagine – I can’t begin to imagine the layers I’d have to go through to get to the core.

And then – yes, when I hear those words “accept” and “love” and “who I am,” I think that what I need is the faith of my father. But every time I think about praying, think about going to church, think about any of that, I go back to the mess I left behind.

My problem is not wondering why God could allow bad things to happen. My problem is believing that God can do wondrous things. Yes, the Garden of Eden might have been real, and Moses parting the Red Sea and all the prophets of the Old Testament doing their miracles, and yes, even Jesus coming and dying on the cross next to a couple of criminals and surrounded by masses who mocked him. That might all be real, but to me right now, it seems like a fairy tale. Just like in all the stories of old, the stories from youth, when things worked out happily ever after. Those stories sell because people are looking for happily ever afters, and that includes people going oto see a shrink or people living their whole lives in their own bubbles of a family, or people sitting down in church and getting saved.

What are they saved from? That’s what I want to know. (pp. 44-45)

Obviously, Laila has left the faith of her family. Her younger brother, Lex, still clings to that faith. Here is an exchange between Lex and his wife, Dena, who is not happy that he is trying to track down Laila:

         “She’s missing because she wants to be,” Dena says.

         “I’m going to find her.”

         “Probably shacking up with the devil himself.”

         “Stop it.”

“That girl doesn’t deserve to be found. What’re you gonna do? Bring her home? Save her soul?”

“I can try.”

“She needs to stay away. She’s no good.”

“So was I.”

“God shined his face down on you.”

“Yeah, I know,” Lex says. “And I’m hoping He’s got some more mercy to spare. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m going to find her.”

“Heartache is all you’re gonna find. Heartache and death.” (p. 111)  

Another character in the book that has strong faith is Laila’s coworker, Kyle. Here is a conversation between the cynical Laila and the steadfast Kyle on the subject of confession of sins. Kyle begins:

         “Telling me won’t. But you can tell them to God.”

         “If He’s there He already knows about them.”

         “But you can put them before Him and ask for forgiveness.”

 “What’s that going to get me? A golden ticket to the heavenly spa up there? A get-out-of-jail card where I won’t have to worry about it anymore?”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Kyle says.

“So how does it work?”

“I don’t know, but I know what I believe. I know that I believe in God and I believe in His son, and I know this is going to sound like preaching 101 but I believe there is a way Jesus takes my mistakes. I have to believe this because if I don’t I’m hopeless.”

“What mistakes have you made? You’re a good guy.”

“We all make mistakes. All of us.” (p. 201)

I have read one other book by Mr. Thrasher – ‘Solitary’ (you can read my review here). That book is in the Juvenile Fiction category; this book decidedly is not. This book brings to the forefront the truth that this world is ruled by the enemy of our souls. Mr. Thrasher does not sugar coat life on this planet. You don’t want to read a book like this too far away from a loved one; it is chilling and not for the faint of heart. That said, Mr. Thrasher is gifted in his writing style, and puts you into the hearts and minds of his characters (cold and calculated as they may be). Fortunately, and thankfully, Laila finally sees what is truly important in this world; for that, I am grateful – and there will be no spoilers coming from me!  

You can order this book here.

This book was published by FaithWorks and provided by them for review and giveaway purposes.

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I have three copies of this book to pass along to three of you; thanks to Val at FaithWorks for generously providing these copies! 

There are several ways to gain entry:           

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me how God has redeemed your life! Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com. 

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So there are five chances to enter! Please limit one entry per option, and please include your email address, or, sad to say, the Random Number Generator will have to choose a different winner.

This giveaway is for U.S. and Canadian residents only. The deadline for entry is Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST. A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator (www.random.org) on Wednesday, December 8, 2010 and will be contacted via email. The best to all of you!