Building Blocks

by Kevin Domenic

Think back to your school days. Do you remember the kid in the back of the classroom? That quiet one who was different from everyone else? Maybe he didn't dress the same as most kids. Maybe he had a different haircut or liked different music. Perhaps he came from a poor family and his clothes were often dirty. You picked on him for being different. It was no big deal; everyone else did it. You giggled at him and called him names. You knocked his books off his desk and pretended it was an accident. You shot spit-wads at him. You excluded him from games at recess. It was funny to you, and that's all that really mattered.


Remember that kid?


That was me.


Now, I'm about to relive my past in an attempt to understand why God, the God of peace and love, permits the cruel injustices of the world.

ebook

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Been writing since I was fourteen years old. I first got the urge to write when I finished Final Fantasy III for the Super Nintendo, and I didn't want the story to end. So my first attempt at writing a book came in the form of a Final Fantasy III sequel. After that, I thought it might be cool to try to create something entirely original. That's when I started writing my first novel.

And I haven't looked back!

Reviews

[Raymond Mathiesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

To start out I have to say that this is a very heavily Christian influenced book, so if passages about religious philosophy is not your thing this is definitely not the book for you. I am not a Christian, but I am interested in the human experience which this book is basically about, so I kept reading to the end. I found that the author is really good at depicting the troubles people face in life, so those bits, which make up the main are good. The author really showed how life can 'suck'. Where I really part ways is the 'answer' proposed. Philosophy just doesn't match the hardness of life. I guess people have been debating 'the problem of evil' for a long time and it is not going to be solved in one novel. At the end the book morphs into complete fantasy and I am afraid that is where the philosophy went. I just couldn't believe it.



I am afraid this book only gets 3 stars from me.

[Margaret Radisich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for those who are trying to understand rebellious kids. There are so many factors in a child's growth that cause their behavior to be bad, good, or indifferent. Kevin Dominic has written a novel that understands these factors; whether or not these are his life experiences doesn't matter, but he understands them better than most and is able to put the story in to a fantasy-novel form. The star character of the book shares his feelings about many things including the God who seems not to care.

My favorite quote from his book is: "The fact that there are Christians who do not follow God's commands does not mean that God, Jesus, the Bible, or Christianity must be lies designed to milk the public out of their cash. People are imperfect. We make mistakes. We make bad decisions. We don't always do what is smart, fair, or right. We are imperfect beings, and we always will be imperfect beings. None of that has any bearing on whether or not God and His Son are real or whether or not He loves us."

His imagination is wonderful and had me believing in time travel. This is not only a great Christian testimony, but a heart-breaking story of an abused child and the child's understanding of "why" bad things are happening to him.

I highly recommend this book, many of us have been though various abuses and many have not, but we can all understand our fellow human beings better after reading this novel.

[Elizabeth Proske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building Blocks should be required reading for middle school and high school aged kids! It gives a close look at how bullying affects the victim, and even offers some insight into what causes the bullying behavior, in a fascinating fictional account that is filled with Biblical truths. The story, which is supposed to be the main character's journal, opens with Herbert contemplating suicide. With the help of his psychiatrist and a time machine, Herbert revisits bullying incidents from his life, starting with his early childhood and following himself through high school and his first job. Herbert learns how God used each of these events, no matter how unpleasant, to form his character, hence the name “Building Blocks.” Doc also gives Herbert glimpses of how these same events served to shape the lives of others, as well, including those who were doing the bullying. The twist near the end is not entirely unexpected, but still satisfying, and some of the childhood scenes were a bit too contrived. The novel is set in the near future, where televisions have been replaced by “holovisions” and automobiles have given way to aeromobiles, probably to make the concept of time travel more acceptable, but neither the time period nor the time travel add anything to the story. These are minor issues, though, and the book is definitely enjoyable and worthwhile.

[Marie roderick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking

I liked the writer's style. Instead of preaching it was more of a story. Very thought provoking ,inspiring and enlightening.