Book Review & Giveaway (Closed): Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce

(Winners announced here) 

I’m excited to be hosting my very first giveaway today, compliments of Bethany House Publishers, who sent me a copy of Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce. (You might remember my mention of the book in the post Fiction I’m Looking Forward To.) Bethany House also sent me three copies to give away. I am giving one to a real-life friend and the others to two of you. I’ll have details of how to enter at the end of the post. 

My thoughts on Amy Inspired:

It’s been quite awhile since I read a contemporary fiction book, so it was a treat to immerse myself in a well-written story (and it’s a little daunting to write a review!). I polished it off in three days. Bethany Pierce is a talented storyteller, and Amy Inspired was just as engaging as its predecessor, Feeling for Bones. I think the true magnetism of the story lies in the protagonist’s character development. Amy Gallagher let me into her head to the extent that I felt I knew her. Yet she was always unpredictable.

Though at times the plot felt slightly aimless, and some major themes (e.g., Amy’s relationship with her father) didn’t become apparent till near the end, the book captivated my interest all the way through. I love Bethany’s prose. Not only are there many beautiful tidbits, but her Austen-esque talent for apt, ironic statements made me laugh out loud several times.

Amy Inspired is a book about a writer. Books about writers, I am convinced, make up 50% of all books written. I still enjoyed another rehashing of the writer-figuring-herself-out theme, especially because Amy loved to make lists (like me). Don’t we all love to see ourselves in a story? And of course, Amy is more than just a writer. She is a woman exploring what it means to be almost thirty and single… her place in her family… the way she relates to men… and how her faith fits into her life.

I was disappointed by the “PG-13″ elements included in the novel. I’ve noticed in Christian fiction an increasing trend of including details that push the limits. I know it is considered old-fashioned and prudish to object to the frank mention of unmentionables and inappropriate situations, but most of them seem superfluous and unnecessary, added to please today’s readers who have an appetite for sensuality heightened by the licentiousness of our media and culture. These parts were not pervasive and offensive enough to ruin the story for me, but I wished I could edit them out.

And someday, I would love to read a contemporary fiction book that marries literary beauty with sound doctrine. Amy Inspired seems to pit fundamentalist (specifically, stale and hypocritical) Christianity against a more open-minded, less theological Christianity. I wish a story would pit stale and hypocritical Christianity against living and active and gloriously theological Christianity.

My favorite part of Amy Inspired? The ending… not because I wanted it to be over, but because it was creatively lovely and original. In spite of certain disappointing aspects, I truly enjoyed this novel and its themes of brokenness, death, eternity, reconciliation, personal growth, and love. The reading experience became what a good one always is: a refreshing stay in an imaginary world.

The giveaway:

As I said earlier, I have two copies of Amy Inspired to give away. My only specification? Please don’t enter if I know you in real life! I think that would be the best way to prevent a conflict of interests.

To enter, just leave a comment below. For extra entries, tweet and/or Facebook the giveaway, and leave a separate comment for each. The giveaway will be open until 11:59 p.m. this Friday, September 24. This is only open to readers in the continental United States.

Happy entering and happy Tuesday!