Friday, November 26, 2010

The Confirmation, Ralph Reed

I received this book from B&H Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Let me begin first by saying that this author is a talented writer.

It was the first political thriller I have ever read. Although, it is true-to-life in many, if not all, aspects it was not an easy read to me. Within the first few pages the reader is introduced to a plethora of complex characters each with lengthy, tangled histories. I found myself having to turn back to previous pages to keep track of who was married to whom, who was having an affair, who broke up with who - what woman was a wife, hooker, intern, secretary, lover of so-and-so, daughter, mistress or girlfriend - and how they were all connected. Too much for me!

I worked in the political arena for a brief time and found the real-life experience nauseating and disgusting. In fact I felt dirty and dishonorable by even being in the same room as some of the senators, representatives, gubernatorial candidates, lawyers and judges. This is where I saw first hand some of the filthiest life-styles, dirtiest language and most silent christians! I hated counting money of contributors knowing some of it came at the cost of moral compromise or some promise of legislation. Leaving this arena in fact was like being liberated from a prison camp.

The characters and plots are very well developed and thought out, in fact it is like an intricate spider's web. If you don't believe in the butterfly effect before reading this book you will after. I applaud Ralph Reed for his work on this book. He was honest in his depiction of life and the truth of politics and religion. It is amazing to me how in real life and in fiction that politicians can justify the breaking (as they call it "bending", "side-stepping" or finding the "loop-hole" - all of which are dishonest) God's laws and the law of the land that they are called to uphold and protect for political, party or personal gain.

This book will most certainly keep the politically minded reader on their toes as they follow the plot and sub-plots to climax. You will love some characters while hating others and you will most certainly be in a frenzied state of wanting to find out how all this mess works out. This book has it all: war, terrorism, political and social unrest, political mis-steps, sex-scandals and cover-ups. The reader will be entertained.

Personally a good christian novel causes me to look at myself and evaluate my own actions or causes me to recognize the goodness of God. Though this did have an interesting preacher and did have a theme of God laced in it - it was overshadowed by the filth of the political arena. This just really made my stomach knot up - I was so sick of sex-scandals and the ensuing cover-up attempts and pay-off attempts that I really could have vomited. I can't stand having this shoved down my throat my newscasters in real life and don't want to read about such filth in a book. I realize it goes on - but it ought to be given less recognition unless it is to state what an abomination this is to God's sovereign law and the covenant of marriage.

Again this was received as a review copy from B&H Publishing in exchange for this honest though not positive review.

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