Michael J. Sullivan (3) (1960–)

I am not a hundred percent sure if I should be reviewing this book, I didn't realize it had such spiritual, more specifically Christian, undertones. I will give it a try though and not let me own religious beliefs cloud my review.

The characters are dynamic, I can feel each and every single one of them and the writing of this author flows so well. I know the basics of Christianity and the Crucifixion and along those lines the research seemed well done. I really enjoy time travel fiction and show more this one is no exception. I liked this book a lot, knowing already the ending that Christ had, there are definitely some sad parts, loss of life in any form, especially in the way he died, is a sad thing. I definitely had a few tears going. I imagine someone of the same religion would feel the story much more deeply then I did.

My favorite line of the book: "Heartbreak is necessary for one to understand how great God's gift of time truly is" I think this sentence transcends most religions. I recommend you give this book a try, no matter your religious persuasion. show less

I started and restarted this sentence about four times, trying to figure out how to share my thoughts about NECESSARY HEARTBREAK by M.J. Sullivan with you. I’m not one to be short on words, as we all know (and hopefully love) and yet I’m having a hard time coming up with many for this book. Why? That’s a good question.

NECESSARY HEARTBREAK follows a father and daughter as they end up travelling back in time to the last days of Christ before the resurrection. When I originally read the show more synopsis, I thought it would be an interesting read for me, taking the story of Christ and throwing this new time travelling spin on it. What would it look like if we could travel back in time to witness all the wonders of the world we were curious about?

Sadly, while the synopsis caught my attention, the book couldn’t hold it.

Here’s the confusing part. This is a good book. The story is lovely and will probably be quite moving to many Christians. Who wouldn’t want to go back and witness the last days of Christ, reaffirming their spiritual faith and belief in God? This is a wonderful piece of Christian Fiction that I think will probably find a happy home on the bookshelf of many families.

So why am I having such a hard time reviewing it? I don’t tend to read Christian Fiction. This is simply a matter of me thinking a book would interest me and being mistaken about that. This is not a negative reflection on the story or author as I believe that many other people may find these to be superb. I did like the characters and I think many will love the message behind the book. Mr. Sullivan obviously put a lot of time and effort into creating this book. From an objective standpoint, if there was anything that could have made this book stand out to me a bit more despite the reading preference differences, it would have been the character development. While they were fun to read, it would have been nice to see them have a little more oomph. show less

What would you do if you found yourself transported completely by accident into the Biblical past, back to the time of Jesus' ministry just before the crucifixion? Well that is exactly what happens to Michael Stewart and his daughter, Elizabeth.

Having many struggles early on in his life, Michael now finds himself raising his daughter, Elizabeth on his own, having lost his wife, Vicki. Now Michael has turned his back on his faith in God and in a surprising turn of events, while helping out a show more food drive at the local church, Elizabeth disappears into the basement behind an ancient door in the floor. When Michael attempts to go after her, they find themselves transported into first-century Jerusalem during the last week of Jesus Christ's life.

Not exactly being dressed in local attire and coming to the aid of a man being severely beaten by Roman soldiers, Michael is arrested for interfering. He soon finds out the man he attempted to rescue was Barabbas, accused of murdering a Roman soldier. Now trapped within an ancient prison, all Michael wants to do is find Elizabeth and get back to their real home. Elizabeth finds herself the center of unwanted attention when one of the Roman soldiers, Marcus, sees a possible wife in finding her. Now she must remain hidden while the Passover feast begins and the city is swarming with soldiers and citizens. She finds shelter and security being taken in by a local woman named Leah, who knows Michael already. How is that possible if they just entered Jerusalem today?

When Michael is released from prison, he thinks it's because he's befriended by Marcus, only he is using Michael as bait to find Elizabeth. When Michael attempts to find Elizabeth in the busy city, he comes face to face with Jesus Christ as he is entering the city on Palm Sunday. Will Michael and Elizabeth ever find their way back home, or does God have bigger plans by transporting Michael back in the past to find his love for Christ again?

In the novel, Necessary Heartbreak by Michael J. Sullivan, the reader is given a great look into the historical world of ancient Jerusalem and how we might view this time in history through the eyes of Michael and Elizabeth. This is Michael Sullivan's debut novel and I was fortunate enough to read the sequel to this one first, Everybody's Daughter and immediately found the connection between the two stories. This is a fantastic series for anyone who loves Bible history and who would love to go back in time without the fear of being really trapped there like our characters from the story. I love how both characters view this opportunity to meet Jesus in this once in a lifetime moment.

I received this book compliments of Michael J. Sullivan for my honest review and once again have to applaud his talents as a writer. Even though this is his debut novel, it was well thought out and the story line is amazing. It truly holds the readers attention throughout and wonder just what the interactions will be during their trip into the past. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and if you love science fiction blended with a bit of history with a Christian twist, then this is the perfect book for you. show less

Necessary Heartbreak has a fascinating storyline that held my interest throughout the book. To take the reader back to the time of Christ and to present the possibility of being able to change history - how could one go wrong?

I enjoyed the total story, but found the characters weren't always believable. I found that somewhat frustrating as it hindered the story for me. The teenage daughter was what I would call a stereotypical teen - mouthy to her father and everyone else. When she goes back show more in time, she continues to be mouthy and doesn't seem to have any fear of anything around her. For me, this created a lack of realism and gave the feeling that I was reading a story written for a younger audience instead of an adult book.

Although I didn't always care for the characters, the book was a really interesting read, and one I would recommend to both teens and adults alike. It's still a fascinating story line, and one that would make a nice light summer read. show less