Thursday, April 12, 2018

On Pills and Needles by Rick Van Warner

Back Cover:
How could this have happened? How could this sixteen-year-old, who less than a week earlier had left home on a typical Friday morning for school, now be flirting with death by overdose?

When Rick Van Warner found himself searching abandoned buildings for his missing son, he had no idea that the synthetic, pill-form heroin that had snared his teen was already killing so many. In the years of pain and heartache that followed as he tried to save his son from addiction, Van Warner discovered what the public has just recently become aware of: prescription opioids are so addictive that even short-term use can create dependency, igniting an epidemic that now claims nearly 100 American lives each day.

On Pills and Needles is one family's story, but it is also a wake-up call and crash course in opioid addict
ion. Through his harrowing personal journey, Van Warner exposes the common causes of opioid addiction, effective and ineffective ways it has been treated, and how families can walk alongside loved ones who are dealing with the daily agony of addiction.

I took a course on Substance Abuse for my BA, and my counseling courses also dealt a bit with drug abuse as well. But I never got the chance to see inside a family life that was plagued by the recurrence of drugs. We hear of the fatality rate from drugs. We see statistics and rehab programs. Maybe we even see the victims on the sidewalks. 

But until we enter their world, we don't know. 

Rick Van Warner writes honestly through the struggles of drug abuse in his son, Tommy. He recognizes his failings, but learns not to succumb to guilt of them. He learns boundaries, and sees the wisdom of his younger children. He hears wisdom and opinions, and because of or in spite of them he doesn't give up on his child. 

I learned a little more about opioids than I thought I would. How national death statistics can be the result of Big Pharma and marketing skills. How rehab fails. How each victim's rehab may be different than the last person. How parents and siblings cope. How mental breakdowns can cause physical addictions. How it's not always the person's fault for addiction, but also that they choose to fight it or not. How sometimes family relationships can be the only cause of healing. 

I don't agree with all their family lifestyle choices, and I would have liked to hear about church involvement or support for Rick, Tommy, and their family if there was any. They do profess to be Christians, and Rick does mention that Tommy seemed to lack the awareness and stability of knowing there was a high spiritual power, but I didn't see their faith playing a main role in their challenges. 

I loved reading the scenes where family members specifically chose to reach out to one another. This broke through Tommy's mental instability and gave him encouragement and a reason to keep on fighting. His dad begins to approach him in a way that he was lacking and needing before and Tommy ultimately finds freedom because his dad doesn't give up. There were many let downs and set backs. Never knowing if the ninth rehab program would work. Never knowing if you could trust Tommy. Never knowing if he was coming back in a couple hours or a couple days. Never knowing if you were seeing him for the last time. But they fought and helped Tommy fight. They took risks and decided that they were worth it if unconditional love was the basis for their actions. 

If you want something to read about, or another world to enter, or if you need a reason to be passionate or show compassion for the victims of drug use and abuse, then read this book. (Recommended for 18 and older.)



*I was given a free copy of this book from Baker Books Publishing. This review is my honest opinion and I was not required to write a positive review. 

Friday, April 06, 2018

A Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron

From Amazon: 
Broken-down walls and crumbling stones seemed to possess a secret language all their own.

What stories would they tell, if she finally listened?

Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. Of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French Resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret . . .

Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too—where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty—a castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale—Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever.

Bridging the past to the present in three time periods—the French Revolution, World War II, and present day—The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged in the hearts of men, and of an enchanted castle that stood witness to it all, inspiring a legacy of faith through the generations.


This book was an interesting one. I was excited to receive it because the cover was just beautiful and I had seen social media posts about it in several places.

First off, I love how Kristy begins the Prologue with Isaiah 58:12. Just a special passage of mine that is meant to bring hope to the Israelites in a desperate time.

I appreciate the effort Cambron went into in order to write a detailed story spanning the French Revolution, WWII, and present day. She combines several different eras and weaves them all into one story with all the loose ends tied up. I love Aveline's character. She's brought up royally, but doesn't allow that to impede her courtesy and love for others, along with practicality for herself. Robert's relationship with her is one that I love as well. He cares for her when she comes into danger and treats her respectfully, allowing to find her own interests and desires whether or not they coincide with his. Quinn, also, with Ellie, causes her to think, yet enables her to grow her trust of him in small and practical ways. Really, I think the world needs a few more men like Cambron creates in her stories.

One thing Kristy does well is creating good male characters to contrast or compliment her female characters. Robert, Julien, and Quinn all bring out the best in their relationships with female characters and they bring hope and humor (sometimes both) to the story.

I wasn't sure exactly how to write a review of this book because for some reason I didn't connect well with it. I've read both her books in the Hidden Masterpiece series and I loved them and the characters, plot, and depth resonated with me deeply. I feel like Cambron tried to cover too much history in a short amount of time and it didn't come out quite so deeply. It was a bit disappointing as I wanted to love this book, and I still haven't detailed all the reasons why I didn't quite love it (maybe some of it was the French language and lifestyle :P), but I'm happy to say that it's not because of her writing style or character development. She writes with high quality and her characters are well done. I can say that of each of the three books I've read by her. And if you love good romances and history, this is one of many books for you.


*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.