Book Review: Embrace Me

Embrace Me
by Lisa Samson

I was wandering through the library looking for some good Christian fiction - our library has these great little stickers on the binding that indicate it's a Christian fiction book with a glance. I saw the book Bella, which I saw as a movie, by Lisa Samson. Embrace Me looked interesting so I grabbed it, checked it out, and went home.

It read so fast. I really enjoyed the stories and how everything intertwined. It was kind of tricky at the beginning as Ms. Samson bounced back and forth between two stories - one in 2004 and one in 2008. But the story was so interesting with the circus people, the pastor who didn't feel like he really knew the Lord, and the way forgiveness is a theme throughout the book.

The book starts out with a pastor who has built a mega-church and has ran away from it. He wasn't really in love with Jesus, he was in love with power, prestige, and money. He retraces the events of the last years as he meets and writes to a priest for "confession". Then there's the "circus-freaks" that are on winter break. As the story develops you find out how the Lizard Woman knew Christ before her injury and now she is running from Him too.

It's a really different story but was so fun to read. I appreciated how it wasn't so in-you-face-Christian-fiction. Ms. Samson really develops the characters well and makes you interested in the twists and turns the story takes. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more from Lisa Samson.