Riven

Riven is a gripping story of a young man who continually makes costly wrong decisions which ultimately demands serious consequences. The other main character is a pastor who cannot find a lasting church home as influential church persons do not approve of him - can’t control him. The two characters meet through unexpected circumstances and both of their lives are deeply impacted.

These characters gripped me from the very beginning of the story. Was the pace slow? I never noticed because the characters pulled me deep into their hearts and didn't let go. I cried for Brady more than once and read the last pages through streaming tears. The ending makes you ask how such a sad end can leave you with such hope. The answer is that it reminds us of the greatest story ever told--God's sacrificial love for us all. Jerry Jenkins is a masterful storyteller and this is powerful fiction.

Riven (Jenkins) was an excellent, engrossing read. Jerry Jenkins wove the fabric of his characters in such a way that you come to really know them and care about them throughout the story. Pastor Thomas Carey and his wife, Grace, only want to serve God. But despite his deep and abiding faith, Thomas has a milque-toast personality that impedes his ability to fulfill what he believes is his purpose. Brady Wayne Darby is the bad boy that you want to cheer on when he seems to be making a "right" decision, and yell at when he reverts to the bad decisions that he seems doomed to continue to make. The confluence of the paths of these two men changes not only them and their own perspectives, but has far-reaching influence over the lives of others around them, like a ripple effect from a stone thrown into a lake. I found this to be a poignant, riveting story. The characters were alive to me, and the story truly engrossing. I loved the Christian element, as it brought to life the scriptures that brought Brady Wayne Darby to the man he was destined to become. I recommend Riven (Jenkins)to readers who like a thoughtful, enduring story.

Riven is a masterful work focusing on the human condition and redemption. Jenkins contrasts one who has tried to do right throughout his life and "failed" with another who has done everything wrong and refuses to take responsibility for his actions. Isn't that a current mindset? Surely, I am not responsible for what I have done? As the two main characters collide, a chain reaction ignites and races to fulfillment, resulting in a brilliant display of the greatest price ever paid, the ultimate responsibility. Both Christian and secular readers will find more than enough to ponder.

Pastor Thomas Carey was called at an early age to spread the Word and over the course of several years he became a pastor at different places around the United States. His last calling ended in a disaster because a layman wanted to be the power behind the ministry; something Thomas could not accept. He takes the position as chaplain at the SuperMax state penitentiary at Adamsville. Brody Wayne Darby has spent his whole life committing one crime after another starting when he stole at the Laundromat where he worked. As he grew older, he committed increasingly more serious crimes and did time. When he was released, he vowed to go straight until a woman hurt him and he killed her. He pleaded guilty and was sent to Adamsville. In the years he ministered at the prison, Thomas met no sincere inmate. He feels empty until he meets Brody; both come away from their encounters feeling as if God is working through them. Jerry B. Jenkins is one of the best Christian authors writing today. His latest work is a dark complex contemporary fiction tale driven by two seemingly opposite characters; their polar differences make each even more believable and the story line plausible. RIVEN is a memorable tale starring a man who feels he is a failure and another who only has death waiting for him in three years time. They met and both feel the Lord is working through them giving each what they need. This book will move the audience in so many ways and make them feel so many things. This is a masterpiece.