Book Review: The Gift



Review by Marianne

Title: The Gift

Author: Richard Paul Evans

Rating: 5/5
Age Recommendation: 12+

Plot: Ever heard of a man who hates Christmas? Or a man whose Christmas, Thanksgiving and pretty much every holiday out there is just another day on the calendar? How about a man whose birthday is just a mental acknowledgement that he's a year older? Well, that's Nathan Hurst. Troubled by Tourette's syndrome, chronic tic disorder, and a horrific past, Nate has created a life filled with nothing but himself, work, and unpredictable "tics". That all changes when he meets Addison Park and her two children, Collin and Lizzy. Collin has leukemia and tricuspid atresia, which means one of his heart valves never developed. He also has an incredible gift. It isn't until Collin touches Nate's shoulder and his Tourette's and Tics heal -and never return- that Nate realizes the unthinkable power this nine-year-old boy possesses. 

I loved this book even more than "The Christmas Box" which is also written by Richard Paul Evans. Although it was longer than "The Christmas Box" I finished it in only two days. It was so good and I would definitely recommend it to many!

Characters: My favorite character was hands-down Collin. He was so sweet and truly wise for his age. Nate was pretty cool too, and the character development was very good. Lizzy was the funniest thing! I got a kick out of her quite often.

Emotion: Ok. I'm not gonna sugar-coat anything... this book made me sob. And I don't mean just a little sniff here and there. Nope. I mean full blown, crying all over the place, every little tear you've been holding in is let loose! Just ask Elinor. So, yes, the main emotion was sadness, but there was also a great amount of humor, victory, and just pure joy.

My Thoughts: Overall, amazing book! However there were a few things that kept me from recommending it to everyone. There was a mention of drugs, "sexual harassment," and one of the characters begins to say a sentence with a cuss word. He never finishes the sentence so, it never actually says it, but it makes it clear what he was about to say. Though these parts were very brief, they were there so, I would recommend this to an older audience. There was also a bit of violence. Otherwise, I absolutely adored this book! It was awesome!!! If you would like to read my review for "The Christmas Box" you can do so HERE!

Favorite Quotes:

"The most important story we will ever write in our life is our own - not with ink, but with our daily choices."

"It seems like the most significant events in our lives happen while we're worried about something else happening."

"Sunsets, like childhood, are viewed with wonder not just because they are beautiful, but because they are fleeting."

"Small kindnesses often, unintentionally, produce the biggest payoffs."

"Love, like forgiveness, is found in the confession of it." 



Are you ready for Christmas?







Book Review: The Christmas Box

Six days until Christmas! If you're like me and have been counting down the days since November then you don't need a little reminder like the one that I just gave, but still, I had to say something about it. Today I have a book review for everyone, and how appropriate, it's about Christmas! ;)

Review by Marianne

Title: The Christmas Box

Author: Richard Paul Evans

Rating: 5/5
Age Recommendation: 12+

Plot: Richard Evans, his wife Keri and their daughter, Jenna move out of their cramped one-bedroom apartment to an amazing mansion where they help an elderly woman named Mary cook, clean and maintain the yard in exchange for a place to live. Soon after moving there, Richard finds a small box with a nativity scene painted on the lid. After that his dreams are haunted with a stone angel that he doesn't recognize, and he hears music coming from the box. He soon realizes that there is much more to Mary than it seems.

I loved this book! It wasn't very long, there were only about 125 pages, and I finished it within a day. Mr. Evans has an interesting way of writing. His books are written in first person, and he uses the names of real people in his life, it is just a fictional story. Nevertheless this book was great and I was extremely pleased with it!

Characters: There weren't many characters in this book but the development was awesome. They were all perfectly developed and very easy to attach to.

Emotions: This book made me cry like a baby in the end! It was a great story that I will read again, it was just so sad that I'll probably read it only once a year (every Christmas).

My Thoughts: Overall, this book was absolutely marvelous and I would recommend it to anyone. I loved every part of it and it was so touching! We own two other books my Richard Paul Evans and I will definitely want to read them... after I read something a little more light-hearted of course! ;)

Favorite Quote:

"Which of the senses do you think are most affected by Christmas?" "I would say the sense of smell. The smells of Christmas.... The Smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood."