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Liked It “This is a good read. It taught about the power of forgiveness and how important it is to practice it.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“This is a good read. It taught about the power of forgiveness and how important it is to practice it.”
Renee W wrote this review Monday, September 28 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“EXCELLENT READ!”
Author, Lacricia wrote this review Monday, August 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Good read. If you enjoys a good read, you'll enjoy Illusions. Fantastic ending!”
ruth e wrote this review Saturday, July 11 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It was a great book. It had many ways of learning how to forgive and to receive deliverance.”
sweetness1 wrote this review Thursday, July 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I admire the author for writing about pornography--a neglected subject matter--in this Christian fiction novel about an African-American pastor and his wife. The plot flows nicely, and I chose to stay up late to finish it. I wanted to see how it turns out. I'm glad that I made that choice.
SmilingSally wrote this review Thursday, April 2 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The characters are beautifully written. Denise and Bryce are a couple in love with a serious problem to solve. I found myself rooting for their marriage to succeed. Benny and Lucinda cause some chuckles with their snappy dialog. Erin, the good friend, is quite believable; Jonas, though, is too good to be true.
The scenes at church are well written--even to the point of putting on the "church faces" and using the "church voices." Sins are sometimes hidden, best in churches.
I loved the metaphor of the ivy hedge.
However, there are some grammatical errors. Additional editing needs to take place, That said, it is still a worthwhile read.”
“Illusions by Wanda B. Campbell
Echelon Book Reviews wrote this review Friday, February 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Review by Tavares S. Carney
Amazon Rating: 5
Wanda B. Campbell’s second novel, Illusions, brings us into the lives of Pastor Bryce Hightower and First Lady Denise Hightower. Supporting her husband as he shepherds the flock at Word of Life, Denise discovers her husband is dealing with his own demon. Facing a myriad of emotions, both Pastor Hightower and First Lady Denise, are forced to deal with and confront their respective insecurities as they struggle to save their marriage.
Pastor Bryce Hightower blames himself for the downward spiral in his marriage, and for putting his ministry in jeopardy. First Lady Denise is confused as to whether she should continue to live the illusion of the “happy, perfect first family” or divorce her husband who seemingly can’t shake his habit. Wanda Campbell does a good job showing intense emotions of a couple on the brink of disaster, from Bryce’s guilt, shame and depression to Denise’s bitterness, anger and attempt at “payback.”
Bryce’s humility after “digging up the ivy” and Denise’s unwavering love for her husband and willingness to forgive him, proves that with God all things are possible. Supporting characters, Benny, father figure to Bryce, and Lucinda, Denise’s mother, add wisdom and humor to the storyline. Confronting their insecurities head on and committing to surrender to God’s will, Bryce and Denise are able to save their marriage.
This was an enjoyable read for me. Pastor Hightower’s and First Lady Denise’s characters were very believable. While both were strong in their spiritual convictions, the author was still able to show through these characters that God does, indeed, still use those he calls to minister to others to deliver his Word in spite of their weaknesses. By exposing their wounds, Pastor Bryce Hightower and First Lady Denise were ushered into their healing process and propelled others at Word of Life into theirs. This book will provoke readers to think about what they would do if faced with similar circumstances. Would we stand in judgment or would we stand until delivered?
Review by Tavares S. Carney for Echelon Book Reviews”
“I love an honest story told with passion and conviction. Illusions has that. I also love a story with rich dialog and believeable characters. Illusions has that as well. The characters literally jump from the page. I felt like I knew them all by book's end. The storyline was very compelling, but I did get a bit lost a third of the way through the story due to a lot of head hopping. In some scenes you knew what everyone was thinking. I find that hard to follow. Plus, sometimes the characters' inner thoughts seemed more like the author instructing the reader than what the character would really be thinking. Not one to give up easily, I started reading again and tried to focus on the heart of the story.
MichelleSutton wrote this review Wednesday, February 25 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
So back to the good points...Illusions was at times so gut-wrenchingly honest it moved me to tears. I loved Bryce and I loved Denise. I wanted to see them happy together. I also wish more books told the truth like this one. The author did a fabulous job of exposing hypocrisy and lies in the church. The story also made me think. There are so many people who get respect by their leadership position in the church, but are they really serving God, or merely hiding behind Him? That's something to ponder. Also, the theme of digging down to the root of the "ivy" as the only way to completely heal was a powerful lesson.
The ending scene at the church also made me cry. It was beautiful and so true. If more people would allow themselves to trust and be transparent, God could do so much more with His people. So, bottom line is I loved the story...but the writing style? Not so much. Regardless, I highly recommend this book to people struggling with addiction and who are too ashamed to deal with it. This novel clearly shows how sickness only spreads when it's kept hidden.
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“I commend Ms. Campbell on an excellent book. This book is a serious topic that is prevalent in many churches today. This is a topic that many people don't want to talk about. I encourage everyone to read this book. Good job. Ms. Campbell”
Ellowyn wrote this review Monday, February 2 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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