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Jordan Casey Kerrigan began writing her best selling spy series when she was pregnant with her son, Zack—and Zack has grown up despising her ‘work’. Zack, even though he is in college, rebels the only way he knows, with drugs and alcohol. Jordan doesn’t know how to care for or even how to reach her son. When she is asked to teach a creative writing class, Jordan agrees, and begins a story in class, different than anything she has ever written. She hopes that the story will change Zack—but when Zack threatens suicide, Jordan is driving to the point of panic. Will she be able to reach Zack before it’s too late?
William Case is a character created by Jordan for the writing class, but he is taking on a life of his own. As an employee in an arcade games factory, he is supposed to design new games. All the doors are left unlocked in this town, except one, and William is confused why that one is locked. No one seems to know or care. So William determines to unlock the door and find out. What William discovers behind that locked door will change his life—and the course of the book—forever.
THE NOVELIST is a very cute story with lots of writing advice written in as Jordan teaches the class. It is almost like attending a mini-writing conference. Jordan struggles with finding time to write and reaching her way-ward son and is discouraged that she won’t be able to manage either with the class preparation time needed. The way Jordan tries to balance her life is very realistic and the reader will be able to relate to her easily. I couldn’t quite get a grasp on Zack’s behavior, or Jordan’s husband, as the story was written in first person and I wasn’t privy to their thoughts.
There is actually two stories included in THE NOVELIST, intermingled in it’s pages, the other being William Case’s story. William is also realistic – but not as easily related to as Jordan. I hoped he would make the right decisions. The faith message is expertly woven into both stories, even though in William’s case it is more of an allegory type.
I thoroughly enjoyed THE NOVELIST and recommend it whether you are a budding author or not. My attention was held throughout the entire book and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
Reviewed by Laura
for The Road to Romance
March 15, 2006
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