Jerry Zehr

I don’t normally read Young Adult books, but this short and thought-provoking book is an excellent introduction for Young Adults on the importance of recognising that one’s faith in God is not necessarily restricted to the religion in which one was raised. Thomas, a young man from a strict religious background, goes off the rails when he heads to LA to fulfil his ambitions. Luckily, the Christ-like figure of his mysterious boss, Mr C, is there to act as a moral compass.

The strength of the story lies in the author’s ability to weave a very real story of a young man’s struggle to be good in a world in which it’s all too easy to be bad. Thomas’ struggle could be any young person who longs to make it rich quick at the expense of a relationship with God. Zehr’s open-minded approach to different faiths is appealing and well-integrated into the main plot.

BLURRING THE LINES is slow to start, and at times there is some repetition (for example, in the dialogue with between Thomas and his girlfriend Jennifer), but the formatting was clean and the book an easy, enjoyable read.

Thomas’ journey appears set to continue in future stories and it’ll be interesting to see how the mysterious Mr C (whose foster parents were Marie & Jose – I couldn’t help wondering if there’s a significance to these names, given Mr C’s Christ-like attributes!) helps Thomas evolve towards his personal theosis: finding the Divine Grace that will transform him spiritually.

Because there is no sermonising and no judgement of young Thomas’s mistakes, and the spiritual questioning is simply stated, BLURRING THE LINES is an important story for young adults who are searching for a faith that will sustain them in today’s dangerously materialistic world.… (altro)

Fun, short little book! Thomas, a naive young man from an Amish heritage, moves to Los Angeles hoping to pursue a career in acting. The Amish connection isn't overplayed; Thomas is a pretty normal fellow, but breaking into this business is tough, and earning enough money on the side to survive proves difficult. He falls in with the wrong crowd, and his innocence plays against him until his experiences begin to bring more than shame; they land him in danger, both for his life and with the law.

Thomas is lucky, though, to have developed a special friendship with a man who encourages and provides spiritual guidance, while downplaying Thomas's mistakes. We can assume Thomas would drift ever deeper into darkness were it not for this mysterious acquaintance. The ending is surprising and memorable, though in retrospect, I really should have gathered enough clues during the story to guess the climax.

This is Christian literature, though Zehr's outlook is not conservative and the language is a bit rough. Part of Thomas's growing-up includes learning to look at God differently. Nothing monumental or overly deep, though, and the story's brevity prevents a fully-developed plot. This is a good book for teens.

On the downside, the book starts out in quite passive prose, so it doesn't grab you from the opening. Do keep reading! Also, I was given a pre-edited version, and a few editing and formatting corrections would be expected for the published version.… (altro)