Book Review: Never by J. Grace Pennington

Buy it Here

Age Appropriate For: 15 and up for mild violence, mildly disturbing scenes, and subject of murder.

Best for Ages: 15 and up

Description: Travis Hamilton never expected to be a killer. One day he was studying to become a schoolteacher in the little western town of Spencervale, and the next he was sentenced to ten years hard labor in the Dead Mines outside town -- from which few return alive. Ross Hamilton is no detective. But when his brother is convicted of murder, he has no choice but to abandon his ranch and do all in his power to find out just what happened the night of the killing, and who is really responsible. Neither brother is prepared to be stretched and tested to his limits and beyond by an adventure that is much bigger than either of them ever imagined. But in the next few days, they will be. The only way to survive is to never compromise. Never.

Never is…Wow!

Never is…Amazing!

Never is…Thought provoking!

I really, really love Pennington’s Firmament series and thought nothing could come close to that, but I was wrong. This book is an amazing tale and is much more than just another whodunit.

This book kept me up late (we call Pennington the sleep-stealer at my house) reading, flipping pages, and second guessing myself. I was so sure I had most of it figured out at the beginning of the book. While some of my guesses were right, many were way off.

If you read some of the reviews you might be confused as to whether this book is full of Christian preachiness or if it has no religion in it whatsoever. I think the reason for the mixed reviews on this subject is because a lot of that has to do with what you take away from the story. There was no sermonizing at all, no great speeches about God, no character quoting Bible verses every other page. However, for those that want to find it, there are some amazing morals to this story, and God is to be found. To me, it was the most balanced Christian book I have read.

The characters were timeless. The brothers Travis and Ross were so awesome. Their very manly friendship and deep care for one another was evident. The side characters sparkled with depth and originality, helping to make this book unforgettable.

Another plus for many of those who follow my reviews is that there is no romance in this story. There are not even the typical bad girls that normally populate western stories.

I highly recommend this story for those who like clean mysteries, thought-provoking stories, and western tales.

Was this helpful? Please vote it up on Amazon.