Living with Fred

Living with Fred by Brad Whittington is the terrific sequel to Welcome to Fred. We've met Mark Cloud, son of a Baptist preacher in small town Texas as he tries to fit in with not just the world around him, but also God's world. Whittington does a wonderful job of getting into the head of the average teenager. Events like getting asked out by Jolene or a conversation with his father are major dramas described with intricate detail. Major events in the world at large like a murder trial or the destruction of a neighbor's life are treated with less importance and only as they relate to Mark. Sounds like the average teenager to me! But Mark starts to mature after he reads In His Steps and starts to ask himself What Would Jesus Do? That question leads him to some hard decisions and ultimately to learn more about himself and forgiveness. Whittington's wit again shines through in Mark's outlook on girls. This book is truly enjoyable to read. Some Christian fiction is hard to read, but this is a book I couldn't wait to sit down with and smiled often while I read it. Escape to Fred, here I come!

Very few books live up to the cover. This one will suprise you. I can't wait to read "Escape from Fred". Be sure to read "Welcome to Fred", the first in this series.

Like Welcome to Fred, reading Living with Fred has raised the bar for all other literature that I plan to read next. Thus far, "Living..." has proven to be a hard act to follow for my summer reading list. Reading the last paragraph was much like bidding a close friend farewell, only made slightly less bittersweet with promises of one last visit with Mark Cloud in the approaching third ( and sadly, last) installment. Loyal Fred-onians will find LIVING WITH FRED a perfect cure for that homesick gnaw they experienced at the last sentence in "Welcome to Fred", while those who have never had the great fortune to kick back on one of Fred's dusty porches will find it the perfect summer get-a-way ( in which case I reccoment BOTH books) Furthermore- if you are in any way, shape or form a PK- this is required therapy for your soul :) "There's no place like home....or Fred!"

Whittington broke onto the scene with his award-winning debut, "Welcome to Fred." Quirky, honest, and wise, that book served notice that this guy had stories worth telling to a grand audience. Hopefully, with the release of "Living of Fred," that audience will grow. The book's central character, Mark Cloud, is a northern kid, stuck in eastern Texas, carrying the burden of being a pastor's son. He's disdained by Deacon Fry, he's shunned by the local hooligans, and he's buddies with a suspected murderer. That's not enough? He's also smart, funny, spiritual, and someone we can all relate to in some way. He wants to fit in. He wants to know God's will. He doesn't always get the girl--but then again... "Living with Fred" teased smiles and tears from my face, but, mostly, it got me laughing. It's a book to savor, a book to speed through. Underline your favorite parts, memorize your favorite lines, but don't pass it by. Brad Whittington has more stories to tell, and Mark Cloud will be back in book three. That's good news ya'll.

Living With Fred picks up where the award-winning Welcome To Fred left off...only the prose is more delicious, the plot is much thicker, the word pictures more vivid. And the funny parts are, well, funnier. (And I loved Welcome...) Brad Whittington's work is stellar. This is a literary tour de force that tackles ethical and moral questions without preaching. Fred is populated with gritty, quirky, lovable, and not-so-lovable characters with real problems. And the solutions are never easy. Midway through, the plot starts to sizzle and never lets up. A fantastic writer and a truly great book.