I
was excited at the opportunity to read Terri Blackstock’s newest book Twisted
Innocence, which is the third book in her Moonlighter series. This book carries on the storyline of the
Cramer family, Cathy, Juliet and Holly, who have been gravely impacted by the
illegal drug trade in their hometown of Panama City, FL. Since coldblooded murder, Leonard Miller, walks
free they continue on their relentless quest to find him and bring him to
justice.
Twisted
Innocence focuses on the youngest sister Holly, an admitted party girl, whose
life has had sudden change in direction with the birth of her daughter
Lily. Has Holly really changed her
ways? Will she make better and wiser
decisions now that she’s a mom? Or will
she continue down the slope of irresponsible decisions that impact other
people? Is her Christian faith
real? If so, how will her faith be
manifested in her life? Answers to those
questions are revealed throughout the story.
I
appreciate how Terri Blackstock weaves Christian faith into her characters and
views life from the lens of the Bible.
She also shows people as real, in the process of growing in their faith,
changing and sometimes backsliding.
I
found myself challenged in my emotional response to Holly and some of her
decisions. I think it revealed how I
feel in real life when I see loved ones making unwise decisions.
I’m
impressed with how Terri handles the relationship the girls have with their
father, a former minister who fell into sin and deserted his family when they
were still children. His sin greatly
impacted his daughters. But he’s back in
their lives now as he suffers from Alzheimer’s and is in a nearby care
facility. I think this story portrays a good
picture of how children can obey God’s commandment to honor their parents even
when their relationship has been broken.
One
thing I would have liked to have seen handled a little stronger is in a
conversation between Holly and Creed. As
they talk, Holly assures Creed that God hasn’t given up on him and is not disgusted
with him. Holly says, “I get the feeling
that He’s not made at me. He wants
better for me and for you.” Our God is a
God of steadfast love, kindness and mercy.
But He is also holy and He hates sin.
Our sin is what necessitated God the Father (who is loving, holy, just
and righteous) to send His only begotten Son to die in our place and pay the
penalty for our sin. I would like to
have had the truth that God does hate sin brought out. Without the knowledge that I have sinned
against God, I don’t see my need for a Savior and forgiveness from God whom I
sinned against.
I
highly recommend Terri Blackstock’s newest book Twisted Innocence. It’s a good read, fast paced and intriguing
with Christian faith woven throughout the book.
If you’ve not read the earlier books in this series, I think it’s a good
read on its own. Terri fills in the necessary
background of the characters from the earlier books.
I
would like to thank the people at BookLook and Zondervan publishers for the opportunity
to read Twisted Innocence in exchange for an honest review. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.
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