When a car accident leaves a famous movie star in a coma, nurse Kemp McAvoy thinks he has found his ticket to the life he’s always wanted. As a med school dropout who was on his way to becoming an anesthesiologist, Kemp has the knowledge to carry off the crazy plan he concocts: adjust the star’s medication each night and pretend to be a heavenly visitor giving her messages. He recruits her agent and a down-and-out publisher to make sure the messages will become the next spiritual bestseller and make them all rich.
But his girlfriend’s daughter, Leah, keeps telling people that she is seeing angels, and her mother and her teachers are all afraid that something is wrong.
Before it’s all over, they’ll all learn a few things about angels, love, and hope.
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This is the first novel I’ve read by Downs. It’s praised as “a warm-hearted story of mistaken identity and unlikely redemption”. I wouldn’t classify this story as warm-hearted, and I struggle to find the redemption.
The main characters are a lazy narcissist, a co-dependent single mom, and a six year-old who sees angels. Then add the child’s teacher and school counselor, both non-believers in a Christian school, a self-center movie star, her greedy agent, a dishonest book editor, and a loan shark. The only genuine character is the janitor, who eventually turns to extortion to get his way.
I found the story a bit depressing – it starts with lies and ends with lies. Instead of forgiveness and redemption, there’s retribution and manipulation.
The author attempts to touch on the issue of faith, commenting that there needs to be “a willingness to believe”. While that concept sounds nice, a willingness to believe in angels doesn’t redeem one’s soul. It’s the belief in and acceptance of Jesus Christ that redeems.
The story is well-written, but it left me disappointed. The characters all continue on in their troubled ways, not learning lessons or repenting of their wrong decisions, but finally getting what they deserve. I found this story to be less about redemption and more about consequences – you reap what you sow.
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I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
The concept sounds interesting with so much potential, but I hate it when the characters go through the story without really learning something TRUE. The nice thing about books like that is that they inspire me to keep plugging away at my own so that someday my work can join in the conversation with a different point of view. Thanks for the post!
It was an interesting read. A lot of people really liked it, but it frustrated me.