Spirit-filled fiction at its best: "The Turning" by Davis Bunn

I knew I was in for it when I was fighting a rise of emotion by page 30, and by page 66 had full on tears streaming down my face...

Read on for my full review of Davis Bunn's latest!

TAKE THE TURNING

AND WALK THE UNLIKELY ROAD

John. Alisha. Jenny. Yussef. Ruth. 5 people from completely different walks of life, inexplicably drawn together by the hand of God. Though unsure what they even have in common, they quickly begin to realize that they have heard the voice of God, and that he has called them to seemingly impossible tasks. As their lives intersect, they realize God has prepared them to join together in warring against the cultural message that people's lives no longer have purpose but are devoid of hope. The message is carried on the waves of greed and lust for power, and God has called them to stand in the void in the face of the swelling darkness. Will they obey, no matter the cost? And are they truly hearing God's voice?

I knew I was in for it when I was fighting a rise of emotion by page 30, and by page 66 had full on tears streaming down my face. It has been a long time since I have sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to me in power through a fiction novel. "The Turning" is one such book, where the actions of the characters swept me up into the beauty of the scene, and I realized anew why God is so very amazing, bringing life where there seems to be no hope. Bunn's latest book truly does fly in the face of the pervading message of our culture today, one that has our young abandoning any sense of hope and instead drowning their despair in all manner of addictions. And yet Bunn's call to carry a message of God's hope does not at all come across in a preachy way, but rather has been woven seemlessly into the fabric of the plot. The scenes are powerfully written, with characters so real I was tempted to pray for them! The plot races along, building to the powerful conclusion and an ending that came far too soon because I enjoyed the book so much.

I can honestly say that "The Turning" is one of the most thought-provoking, spirit-filled fiction books I have read so far this year. This is one you don't want to miss! 5 out of 5 stars.

A copy of the book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, River North (a division of Moody Publishers), for the purposes of this unbiased review.