Action-packed, bite-your-nails type of military thriller: My review of "Deployed" by Mel Odom

After her ex-husband abandoned her and her young son, Bekah Shaw joined the Marine Reserves to support her family. While home in between deployments, she comes face to face with her past, and finds herself unjustly arrested. Still trying to figure out how she will deal with this latest wrinkle in her life, Bekah then gets deployed to Somalia, leaving behind her 6-yr-old son with her granny. In Somalia, she must lead her team to hunt down terrorists inflicting violence on the defenseless, and she and the rest of the team must make a choice to align with an enemy bent on avenging his loved ones, in a bid to stay alive.

Deployed is an action-packed, bite-your-nails type of military thriller, and I found it to be a fantastic read. I was immediately captivated by the story of Lance Corporal Bekah Shaw, deeply feeling the unjust situation she finds herself in at the beginning of the book, and swiftly coming to admire her strength and courage to truly serve and do whatever necessary to fight for freedom for people who no longer have hope. The characters she gets thrown into the story with are complex and fascinating in each of their personal histories, and I loved how Mel Odom wove their story-lines together. Not only does this book crackle with tension, but it also has moments leading to introspection as well. I liked the line in the book where Shaw is trying to come to grips with the loss of a Marine, and is speaking to a doctor. The doctor remarks, "For me, I kept remembering how Jesus didn't just talk at people; he saw them in desperate need, and he reached out and did something about it". What a great reminder that faith isn't just talk, it's also linked to action, to being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world around us, wherever we are called to serve.

Not only will this book entertain you, it will make you feel deeply too. I highly recommend this book, and despite a couple of awkward sentences, fully award it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Tyndale, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

about the author...

I write in a number of fields, but always with the hope of telling an interesting tale that will incite a reader to think for himself or herself, to examine his or her own place in the world, and offer a little nudge in the direction of dreams, faith, and personal growth in spite of whatever odds a person has to face. I also believe we were all put here for a purpose. Hopefully, several purposes. I'm a father, a little league coach, a teacher, a friend, and a writer. I struggle to keep that balance, as many of us do these days, but I hold tightly to the belief that I'm doing all I can be doing, and doing what I should be doing.