I have a unique book to review today. It is a book and CD
combo entitled, Jeremy’s Christmas Journey by Scott A. Johnson. The music was composed
by Lyle Hadlock, Julie Hawkins and Jonah Hadlock.
The Story-
Jeremy is a youth confined to wheelchair after
a horrible car crash. He is spending Christmas looking out his bedroom window
envious of the children outside running and playing in the snow. He tries to
cheer himself up when his grandparents arrive to celebrate Christmas Eve dinner
but, he just can rise out of his doldrums.
That evening he goes to bed dejected, wondering how his
parents and grandparents can have so much faith in Jesus Christ. As he sleeps,
he dreams, and suddenly he finds himself in a courtroom in Israel. He realizes
he is in the past, several years after Jesus’ crucifixion, and a trial is being
held to ruin Jesus’ reputation.
During the trial Jeremy listens to the testimony of
several witnesses including, Mary, the mother of Jesus, James, his brother, Lazarus
and more. Each testimony is a song that can be listened to on CD. As Jeremy
listens, his heart is opened, until finally he realizes he has a strong
testimony himself and a desire to live a better life. And of course, there is a
miracle twist.
My Thoughts-
Let’s start with the book. It is a quick and
simple read, however the music added to the story is about 35 mins. long. It is
a beautiful story of a youth gaining his own testimony of Jesus Christ and
realizing why Christmas is such a special time of year.
I found it very interesting that the story is told by an
omnipresent narrator. This style worked well because the narrator injects
feelings and circumstances a reader would not catch from first of third person.
I did have a couple criticisms. First off, the story is about a kid, but you
really can’t tell how old he is until the end of the book when it’s mentioned
that he is in middle school. Jeremy’s voice is much older, and because of the
interjections of the narrator, I felt the language often seemed too mature.
I also found the first 20 pages or so of the book a bit
overwhelming with Jeremy’s expressions of depression and sorrow. I understood the situation
quickly, and then it just kept going on and on. I think what did touch me was
Jeremy inability to understand how his parents thought he was a miracle, and that
they treasured each day with him. Jeremy, on the other hand, often thought
living was a curse and wished he’d just died. As a parent it made my heartache.
The music that goes along with the story is emotional and
beautifully done. The instrumentals really struck me as well written and
played. Sometimes I did think that the words didn't flow as well as they should have, but
overall, the music adds a testimony to the story all its own.
This is a real Christmas treat. If you are looking for
something new to celebrate the Savior, you should check out this combo. It can be purchased as only a book too.
Thanks for reviewing Dorine! ~Scott
ReplyDeleteThanks Scott.
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