Frank E. Peretti

The Springfields are a family of investigators—Dad, Mom, and twin siblings Elijah and Elisha—for the Veritas Project, which seeks to find the truth behind strange mysteries and crimes when others are unable or unwilling to see past the surface. They're sent to a high school in Washington where kids are falling mysteriously ill with symptoms of fear and paranoia. As the family begins to assimilate into the school, they're shocked to discover how certain students are treated, both by other show more students and by the faculty. Can they discover who—or what—has the school's most popular kids seeing a ghost?

This book and its sequel, both of which I read several times back when they were new, are a large part of why Peretti has been my favorite author since high school. This is the first time in at least 10 years that I've read it, and it did not disappoint. The core issue in this book hit me a lot harder this time, maybe partly because I'm older now, but also because I read Peretti's semi-autobiographical book The Wounded Spirit last year for the first time, which describes heavy bullying in his adolescence, and that really put this book into a new perspective for me. While it certainly does not excuse the kids who have been bullied and then retaliated, it sheds a light on the incredible injustice that can be prevalent in schools.

One thing that I think could trip some people up about this book is that the very premise of the series isn't realistic. The fact that it's the president of the United States who establishes this investigative group specifically with a Judeo-Christian perspective, as well as the teenagers of the family being investigators themselves, it's not believable in this day and age. However, like with others of Peretti's books, I think it's perfectly okay to not think of it as meant to be completely realistic, and think of it more as a "what if" scenario. And in that way, it's very insightful. I also question the likelihood of a high school teacher at that time actually teaching kids that there is no right or wrong...seems pretty foolish, since at a school, they'd most likely want kids to believe that the rules are right and that breaking the rules is wrong. Otherwise, they're inviting anarchy. In today's society (only 20 years later), though, I would buy this a lot more.

One last thing I should mention is that if you have an issue with spiders, you may need to be careful reading this book. My own phobia is pretty bad, but I was able to push through. I don't know if that's an indication of how much I like the book or how un-intrusive the issue was, but it's there. I do love this book, though I don't know how well I'll be able to watch the movie. I own it and have definitely watched it more than once in the past. I'm not sure if that means my phobia has grown over time or if the movie just isn't too bad. There is one sequel to this book (man, do I wish Peretti had written more of these), and I remember liking it even more than this one, so I'm pretty excited about it. I highly recommend this book to all fans of Christian thrillers, whether you're a teenager or adult. show less

Normally I avoid Christian fiction. I have read some well-received Christian novels in the past, and felt them to be too preachy, as if the authors felt they had to show how pious or prayerful they were. As a Christian myself (though one whose beliefs are less - shall we say - strict than those who gave me the other books) I felt like those authors were preaching to the choir. So I was a little leery when my boyfriend recommended Peretti.

However, I needn't have worried. Yes, prayer and God show more were prevalent in the book. It wouldn't really have been a Christian novel if they weren't. But it was prayer as a part of certain characters' personality and beliefs. Prayer for the sake of other characters, not because the reader necessarily needed saving. Many times, it felt as if I was reading one of the paranormal books I'm fond of, only instead of good magic vs. bad magic, you have good spirits vs. bad. Instead of normal humans fighting off magic-induced possession, the possession is demonic. It often read very like a religious-based paranormal book, and I enjoyed it very much.

One thing that I found especially appropriate was the way swearing was handled. Some of the characters swore. They are humans, and humans do that. But the profanity wasn't actually written in the book, just spoken of. It was well done, and it took me a little while before I even realized it.

People who are anti-Christian will probably not appreciate this book. But for those who are Christian, or who are willing to give something different a try, this might be a good one to pick up. show less

Peretti shares with us the difficulty he went through growing up with a medical condition that caused a deformity requiring many surgeries over his first handful of years. Fighting against infections and dealing with the condition left his body unable to develop as it should, and he went through school years smaller than the rest of his classmates. This led to years of persecution by his peers, and Peretti who was left feeling like those in authority had failed him, forcing him into the show more situation where he was bullied regularly, unable to do much of anything about it.

I read this entire book in one afternoon, and I won't pretend that it left me feeling happy. I went through a range of emotions while reading, which was mostly pity and sadness, but included elation when Peretti described a turning point for him, which simply took a teacher caring enough to ask if things were okay.

More than just an autobiography about this part of Peretti's life, he discusses the failure of teachers and other authority figures to keep kids from going through the same type of thing. The mindset that "we all went through it, you can too" or "it's just part of life" is a big part of what he addresses, saying that it's not nearly enough reason to turn a blind eye. That kids (and even adults) who are bullied suffer long-term effects that can cause problems in future relationships, and can lead to the bullied later becoming the bully. There have been a lot more anti-bullying programs started in the 20 years since this was written, but it does still happen.

He even puts out a challenge for those who see themselves as the victims to examine their lives for times when they might have been the bully. Even just laughing along when friends or peers are making fun of someone makes us guilty. It's a hard thing to think about, but it really made a difference for me.

This book gave me a whole new insight into and appreciation for my favorite author and his lovable nature, joviality, brilliance, insight, and heart for God. It also puts my own life into perspective. I recommend this book for...everyone, really. show less

This is probably the third time I've read this---maybe fourth. Every other time I imagined some ministry person/pastor that I knew in the role of the main character. This time around, that main character was me. Some of the scenes, actually, were emotionally painful. The church has caused a lot of hurt with their pharisaical ways and there are lots of us who love Jesus but despise the modern church model.

Since coming to Torah I've realized that there is only one authority---Christ. I love show more the quote on pg. 475 that says, "it's only when you're willing to know him on his terms, for who he is, that you really start to know him at all." God wants us to know Him in His way. That is through His entire Word but especially through Torah where He reveals His covenants and our instructions. If we wonder why the church is falling away---it's because they have abandoned the very foundation for everything---God's Torah. show less