At Odds with the Other Reviewers So Far
I actually enjoyed the book. It was an interesting premise, I enjoyed the characters, and basically liked the whole book. For a first book, I didn't pick it apart - I just read.............and, to me, it was worth reading. Is it a classic? Probably not, but I certainly wouldn't discourage others from taking the time to read it. Lots of Catholicity (if people object to that), but I think MC Hackett writes about what she knows..........My two cents........
Rated of 5
by Carol T. (Ankeny, Iowa)
Fast read, Good analogies
While some of Hackett's scenes are contrived and she frequently resorted to telling her readers what they should have gotten from a story or scene when she might have trusted them to "get the point" from what she was showing, the book is a good, fast read, with good analogies - searching and finding, what constitutes a family, the pain and pleasure of unconditional love. An excellent book for book clubs, or just for a few friends to read and discuss.
Rated of 5
by Lisa G. (Riverwoods, IL)
Proof of Heaven...Lifetime movie?
I found this book disturbing on many levels. I did not believe that a young child would have that much insight into God and heaven and wanted to shake the mother and say wake up, your son is DYING. I found it creepy that the author named the main character after her son which she says is her favorite boy's name. The relationships were predictable and I found the use of the Catholic Church to justify the mother's unwavering belief in miracles overused. The author's comments at the end of the book were interesting and helped explain why she wrote this book. I would not recommend it to my book groups.
Rated of 5
by Cam G. (Murrells Inlet, SC)
Proof of Heaven
Proof of Heaven is a story about a single mother whose strong Catholic faith pushes her to search for a solution or miracle to save her terminally ill son. Colm, "pronounced Col-um", is the wonderful little boy who knows he may die soon and desperately wants to meet his absent father. Through their quests, along with the support of his uncle and doctor, they come to know love, peace and acceptance. While I had some problems with this book; i.e, Colm's wisdom and maturity at such a young age, and his mother's sometimes obstinacy, this was a lovely, sad but uplifting story.
Rated of 5
by Catharine L. (Petoskey,
Good choice for book clubs
I personally did not like the book. It reminded me of The Shack. The first chapter was great, but after that the characters weren't developed, and the plot was predictable. I felt it was written on a Young Adult level. However, there are lots of discussable issues - Do miracles happen? Does heaven exist? Is religion necessary? I think book clubs would have lots to talk about.
Rated of 5
by Dianne S. (Green Valley, AZ)
What Happened?
I wasn't sure I liked this book in the beginning because of the amount of religion information shared. It seemed as though the author was preaching. In the middle I began to care about all the characters after they returned from Italy. Then I was lost again at the end. I titled this review "What Happened" cause the ending was so abrupt and weird that I really couldn't tell.
Rated of 5
by Sylvia G. (Scottsdale, AZ)
Poor Proof
I really didn't like this book. It was overly sentimental and didn't follow the cardinal rule of good writing, show.... don't tell. By laboriously explaining every thought and motivation of each character, it made the book dull and doesn't involve the reader in the process of discovery. The dialogue often felt stilted and very unrealistic. I would have given it one star, but the afterward showed how close the book was to the author's own life and that was the most interesting part of the book.
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by Deb Y. (Blanco, TX)
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by Lisa G. (Riverwoods, IL)
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by Sylvia G. (Scottsdale, AZ)
