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For the Love of Mary
A hilarious coming-of-age novel about the pain of young love, family secrets, and sick ferrets
Fifteen-year-old Jacob feels almost on the inside: almost smart, almost funny, almost good-looking, almost worthy of falling in love. His sister is too busy dating guys in Whitesnake jackets to notice, and his best friend is occupied with his own painful pubescent crisis. Jacob’s mother has just started a curious (and rather un-Christian) holy war with the church across the street, while his father has secretly moved into the garage.
Everything changes when Jacob meets Mary. Jacob thinks Mary is the most beautiful girl in the world. If only Mary’s father wasn’t the minister at the enormous rival church. If only she wasn’t dating a youth pastor with pristine white teeth and impeccably trimmed hair. If only Jacob could work up the courage to tell Mary how he feels . . .
As the conflict between the churches escalates, a peeping Tom prowls the neighbourhood, a bearded lady terrorizes unsuspecting Dairy Queen customers, a beautiful young girl entices Jacob into a carnal romp in a car wash, and the church parishioners prepare their annual re-enactment of Operation Desert Storm.
For the Love of Mary is sidesplitting satire with a surprising amount of heart.
Fifteen-year-old Jacob feels almost on the inside: almost smart, almost funny, almost good-looking, almost worthy of falling in love. His sister is too busy dating guys in Whitesnake jackets to notice, and his best friend is occupied with his own painful pubescent crisis. Jacob’s mother has just started a curious (and rather un-Christian) holy war with the church across the street, while his father has secretly moved into the garage.
Everything changes when Jacob meets Mary. Jacob thinks Mary is the most beautiful girl in the world. If only Mary’s father wasn’t the minister at the enormous rival church. If only she wasn’t dating a youth pastor with pristine white teeth and impeccably trimmed hair. If only Jacob could work up the courage to tell Mary how he feels . . .
As the conflict between the churches escalates, a peeping Tom prowls the neighbourhood, a bearded lady terrorizes unsuspecting Dairy Queen customers, a beautiful young girl entices Jacob into a carnal romp in a car wash, and the church parishioners prepare their annual re-enactment of Operation Desert Storm.
For the Love of Mary is sidesplitting satire with a surprising amount of heart.
- GenresYoung AdultFiction
340 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2016
2 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Meades
6 books117 followersChristopher Meades is a Vancouver author whose novel The Last Hiccup won the 2013 Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction.
His first novel The Three Fates of Henrik Nordmark was released by ECW Press in 2010, followed by The Last Hiccup (2012) and For The Love of Mary (2016). Fall 2017 will see the release of Hanna Who Fell From The Sky (Park Row Books).
His story The Walking Lady won the 2009 Toyon fiction prize. His fiction has been featured in The Fiddlehead, Upstreet, The Dalhousie Review, Vancouver Province, Write On, The Delinquent (UK), Welter (Baltimore U.), Inch, Cause & Effect, Inscape, Toyon, The Offbeat, Delivered (UK), The Feathertale Review, Sierra Nevada Review, Canadian Stories, The Potomac Review, The Penguin Review, Thema and Nonymous.
His first novel The Three Fates of Henrik Nordmark was released by ECW Press in 2010, followed by The Last Hiccup (2012) and For The Love of Mary (2016). Fall 2017 will see the release of Hanna Who Fell From The Sky (Park Row Books).
His story The Walking Lady won the 2009 Toyon fiction prize. His fiction has been featured in The Fiddlehead, Upstreet, The Dalhousie Review, Vancouver Province, Write On, The Delinquent (UK), Welter (Baltimore U.), Inch, Cause & Effect, Inscape, Toyon, The Offbeat, Delivered (UK), The Feathertale Review, Sierra Nevada Review, Canadian Stories, The Potomac Review, The Penguin Review, Thema and Nonymous.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 27, 2015
There are challenges of small town life. Having maximum individual autonomy
and a strong sense of community can certainly be problematic. You can, if you like, create a community for yourself in a big city in which you only have to deal intimately with people who are just like yourself. That is not possible in a small town. Everybody knows everybody.
At the same time, the blessings of a small town, can be an outpouring of generosity ...helping neighbors when they are sick...rally around a common purpose helping out in schools...and everyone attending the same local church.
Jacob and his family live in a small town. His family had belonged to a small church his entire life: "Passion Lord Church of God"....( a small country house chapel). His mother was very dedicated & loyal to THIS church. (Don't mess with mom)
A larger- church began construction when Jacob was 11 years old.
Four years later-Jacob now 15 yrs old - his mother is ready to begin war. Her little
"exclusive" church is now sparsely attended. One by one, families left for the larger modern church across the way called "Church of the Lord's Creation". Mom's on a mission now!
Living in a small town even got harder for Jacob. Jacob's mother was not only fighting a battle with the community ...( conflicts with the churches increasing), but Margaret,
Jacob's mother, was constantly trying to control her husband Donald's food choices.
Daniel asked Margaret for strawberry jam time and time again. He hated raspberry jam. Margaret refused.
"We're and raspberry jam family," she said. "If you don't like it, you can go live with the
heathens."
THE DIALOGUE CONTINUES TO BE HILARIOUS about what poor Donald can and cannot eat in his own house. This will continue to be funny laced as a side plot throughout the story.
Caroline, 18 years old, Jacob's older sister, is one of those characters you'll find yourself cheering for. There is something about her so frickin real and refreshing in this
family ...you just want to give her the gold medal. She wishes nothing more than to escape her family. She dreams of going to beauty school. She and Jacob have a
pretty cool relationship. I smiled often when they were in scenes together.
JACOB is the star of this story. Often I was saying..."Poor Jacob" to myself. I was also thinking back to when I was 15 years old 'girl'. I don't think I had any awareness in the 1967, how difficult it was being a teenage BOY! I'm sooo sorry....( this is my late apology to my male friends).
I was pretty naive myself. But...Jacob was the type of kid I would have fallen for,
maybe.. or, I might have wanted to be 'just friends'. ...,( the killer word for 15 year old guys I hear)
A girl could sense 'who he was' under his awkwardness. Decent! Good!
Jacob was smart, kind, he didn't have any addictions, he was clean, respectful,
he knew how to 'freshen up', ...in other words he wasn't a "douche bag". Yet, his best friend, Moss Murphy, a chubby kid, who use to bully him when they were 'little', was the guy he hung out with -his Nintendo buddy. ( drank 9 sodas a day and bags of cheese chips)
Moss was becoming embarrassing in Jacob's in life's. Moss is a fat-smelly-slob...
with a ferret.
Find out what happens to 2- 15 year old boys ( best friends), - with sex hormones skyrocketing for both- different as night & day...in this small town. It just might go the way you think. This story didn't move in the direction I though. ( not completely)
Let me ask the 'guys' reading this review? If you were receiving your first blowjob - looked up and saw the girl's father.. how do you think you might feel?
You won't guess what happens next.
"There's something about Mary"... ( get your minds out of the gutter--this is not
Cameron Diaz...sex goddess hanging out with the dudes), ...
*Mary*, in "For the Love of Money", by Christpher Meades, cares for Jacob.
She is smart, sweet, beautiful and most of all she cares what Jacob thinks about.
The first time Mary and Jacob meet, she asked him "whether Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the Holy Spirit embodied in the form of man"
Jacob says:
"In her heart, Mary didn't care whether Jesus was the son of God. She cared whether
or not I'd actually given it some thought".
Jacob contemplated a while. The question had frightened him -- as it was very different thinking than he had ever done before. He thought about the universe - what happens when we die- nothingness- etc.
After much pondering - pontificating - and spiritual reflection - he concluded that he didn't have a clue - none whatsoever. Questions brought more questions.
"The one thing I did knew was that Jesus gave people hope". THIS WAS THE ONLY LINE IN THIS BOOK I PERSONALLY would have left OUT in my opinion. I read that sentence several times -thought about several times. Did I get my buttons pushed because air am Jewish? ( heck, it's possible)....but I wasn't comfortable with it. Just being honest.
Very entertaining novel - satire. ..a funny story ...many funny situations ... yet there were those dark subtle themes always in the shadow.
Why write a book about churches in conflict? At times I asked myself ... "What's going on here"? What are the bigger messages? Did the author grow up in a community where he face similar situations? I'm curious.
This would make a terrific book club discussion pick! ( it would be interesting to see what different issues a group would focus on)
The author PACKED a lot of great sub plots in this story.
All the characters are very well developed...and some of issues are complex
and very compelling and thought-provoking.
4.85 stars.
Thank You ...very much to ECW Press, Netgalley, and Christoper Meades
and a strong sense of community can certainly be problematic. You can, if you like, create a community for yourself in a big city in which you only have to deal intimately with people who are just like yourself. That is not possible in a small town. Everybody knows everybody.
At the same time, the blessings of a small town, can be an outpouring of generosity ...helping neighbors when they are sick...rally around a common purpose helping out in schools...and everyone attending the same local church.
Jacob and his family live in a small town. His family had belonged to a small church his entire life: "Passion Lord Church of God"....( a small country house chapel). His mother was very dedicated & loyal to THIS church. (Don't mess with mom)
A larger- church began construction when Jacob was 11 years old.
Four years later-Jacob now 15 yrs old - his mother is ready to begin war. Her little
"exclusive" church is now sparsely attended. One by one, families left for the larger modern church across the way called "Church of the Lord's Creation". Mom's on a mission now!
Living in a small town even got harder for Jacob. Jacob's mother was not only fighting a battle with the community ...( conflicts with the churches increasing), but Margaret,
Jacob's mother, was constantly trying to control her husband Donald's food choices.
Daniel asked Margaret for strawberry jam time and time again. He hated raspberry jam. Margaret refused.
"We're and raspberry jam family," she said. "If you don't like it, you can go live with the
heathens."
THE DIALOGUE CONTINUES TO BE HILARIOUS about what poor Donald can and cannot eat in his own house. This will continue to be funny laced as a side plot throughout the story.
Caroline, 18 years old, Jacob's older sister, is one of those characters you'll find yourself cheering for. There is something about her so frickin real and refreshing in this
family ...you just want to give her the gold medal. She wishes nothing more than to escape her family. She dreams of going to beauty school. She and Jacob have a
pretty cool relationship. I smiled often when they were in scenes together.
JACOB is the star of this story. Often I was saying..."Poor Jacob" to myself. I was also thinking back to when I was 15 years old 'girl'. I don't think I had any awareness in the 1967, how difficult it was being a teenage BOY! I'm sooo sorry....( this is my late apology to my male friends).
I was pretty naive myself. But...Jacob was the type of kid I would have fallen for,
maybe.. or, I might have wanted to be 'just friends'. ...,( the killer word for 15 year old guys I hear)
A girl could sense 'who he was' under his awkwardness. Decent! Good!
Jacob was smart, kind, he didn't have any addictions, he was clean, respectful,
he knew how to 'freshen up', ...in other words he wasn't a "douche bag". Yet, his best friend, Moss Murphy, a chubby kid, who use to bully him when they were 'little', was the guy he hung out with -his Nintendo buddy. ( drank 9 sodas a day and bags of cheese chips)
Moss was becoming embarrassing in Jacob's in life's. Moss is a fat-smelly-slob...
with a ferret.
Find out what happens to 2- 15 year old boys ( best friends), - with sex hormones skyrocketing for both- different as night & day...in this small town. It just might go the way you think. This story didn't move in the direction I though. ( not completely)
Let me ask the 'guys' reading this review? If you were receiving your first blowjob - looked up and saw the girl's father.. how do you think you might feel?
You won't guess what happens next.
"There's something about Mary"... ( get your minds out of the gutter--this is not
Cameron Diaz...sex goddess hanging out with the dudes), ...
*Mary*, in "For the Love of Money", by Christpher Meades, cares for Jacob.
She is smart, sweet, beautiful and most of all she cares what Jacob thinks about.
The first time Mary and Jacob meet, she asked him "whether Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the Holy Spirit embodied in the form of man"
Jacob says:
"In her heart, Mary didn't care whether Jesus was the son of God. She cared whether
or not I'd actually given it some thought".
Jacob contemplated a while. The question had frightened him -- as it was very different thinking than he had ever done before. He thought about the universe - what happens when we die- nothingness- etc.
After much pondering - pontificating - and spiritual reflection - he concluded that he didn't have a clue - none whatsoever. Questions brought more questions.
"The one thing I did knew was that Jesus gave people hope". THIS WAS THE ONLY LINE IN THIS BOOK I PERSONALLY would have left OUT in my opinion. I read that sentence several times -thought about several times. Did I get my buttons pushed because air am Jewish? ( heck, it's possible)....but I wasn't comfortable with it. Just being honest.
Very entertaining novel - satire. ..a funny story ...many funny situations ... yet there were those dark subtle themes always in the shadow.
Why write a book about churches in conflict? At times I asked myself ... "What's going on here"? What are the bigger messages? Did the author grow up in a community where he face similar situations? I'm curious.
This would make a terrific book club discussion pick! ( it would be interesting to see what different issues a group would focus on)
The author PACKED a lot of great sub plots in this story.
All the characters are very well developed...and some of issues are complex
and very compelling and thought-provoking.
4.85 stars.
Thank You ...very much to ECW Press, Netgalley, and Christoper Meades
August 14, 2016
REVIEWS of my new novel:
"For the Love of Mary...deftly captures the uncertainties and tensions of being a teenage boy to alternately hilarious and heartbreaking effect...It's a winning coming-of-age story that seems curiously, and wonderfully, out of step with the contemporary world...The novel is a stylized, overstuffed romp, with a raunchy surface and a heart just under its sleeve. It's charming and winning, and a genuine reading pleasure, perfect for a summer afternoon." - Toronto Star
"With a style and wit reminiscent of William Kotzwinkle, Meades has fashioned an engagingly droll coming-of-age tale set against a backdrop of gentle (yet barbed) religious satire." - Publishers Weekly
“Christopher Meades has a gift for storytelling. With humour and heart and humanity, For the Love of Mary pulls you in, and then pulls you through. I didn’t want it to end.” ― Terry Fallis, author of The Best Laid Plans and Poles Apart
“Christopher Meades’s For The Love of Mary is a laugh-out-loud story of small town rivalry standing in for much deeper longings. If Stephen Leacock wrote the screenplay for a Cameron Crowe film, we just might get For the Love of Mary, a book packed with scheming youth pastors, hysterical church ladies, Peeping Toms, and all the best makings of a small town dramedy. Witty, perfectly paced, and full of heart, it’s as bright as a bush party bonfire.” ― Grace O’Connell, author of Magnified World
"For the Love of Mary...deftly captures the uncertainties and tensions of being a teenage boy to alternately hilarious and heartbreaking effect...It's a winning coming-of-age story that seems curiously, and wonderfully, out of step with the contemporary world...The novel is a stylized, overstuffed romp, with a raunchy surface and a heart just under its sleeve. It's charming and winning, and a genuine reading pleasure, perfect for a summer afternoon." - Toronto Star
"With a style and wit reminiscent of William Kotzwinkle, Meades has fashioned an engagingly droll coming-of-age tale set against a backdrop of gentle (yet barbed) religious satire." - Publishers Weekly
“Christopher Meades has a gift for storytelling. With humour and heart and humanity, For the Love of Mary pulls you in, and then pulls you through. I didn’t want it to end.” ― Terry Fallis, author of The Best Laid Plans and Poles Apart
“Christopher Meades’s For The Love of Mary is a laugh-out-loud story of small town rivalry standing in for much deeper longings. If Stephen Leacock wrote the screenplay for a Cameron Crowe film, we just might get For the Love of Mary, a book packed with scheming youth pastors, hysterical church ladies, Peeping Toms, and all the best makings of a small town dramedy. Witty, perfectly paced, and full of heart, it’s as bright as a bush party bonfire.” ― Grace O’Connell, author of Magnified World
February 29, 2016
“For the Love of Mary” is the kind of coming-of-age story that anyone can relate to. It’s also hilarious, and it had me laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe at some points.
The character development of Jacob and his friends, family, fellow parishioners, and other assorted characters is so good that it is off the charts. The reader is made to feel as if they live in the small town themselves and know the residents personally. Speaking of the town, it can be considered a character unto itself. It’s developed as a living and breathing entity, and it shows. Even a person who has never set foot in a tiny town will feel like they have lived there for much of their lives.
The plot is steady and meandering, much like the summer days of adolescence. It brings back a lot of nostalgia. I also need to mention that for anyone who lives in the Bible Belt, or anywhere with small churches that are the centers of the community for that matter, will truly appreciate the absurdity of an all-out war being started by church signs. For those of you not from those places, it’s completely bizarre, but also something that actually happens. Frequently.
“For the Love of Mary” is a great read for any adult or older young adult. It’s entertaining, thought-provoking, and sentimental all at the same time. You really won’t want it to end.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The character development of Jacob and his friends, family, fellow parishioners, and other assorted characters is so good that it is off the charts. The reader is made to feel as if they live in the small town themselves and know the residents personally. Speaking of the town, it can be considered a character unto itself. It’s developed as a living and breathing entity, and it shows. Even a person who has never set foot in a tiny town will feel like they have lived there for much of their lives.
The plot is steady and meandering, much like the summer days of adolescence. It brings back a lot of nostalgia. I also need to mention that for anyone who lives in the Bible Belt, or anywhere with small churches that are the centers of the community for that matter, will truly appreciate the absurdity of an all-out war being started by church signs. For those of you not from those places, it’s completely bizarre, but also something that actually happens. Frequently.
“For the Love of Mary” is a great read for any adult or older young adult. It’s entertaining, thought-provoking, and sentimental all at the same time. You really won’t want it to end.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2016
I have a soft spot for coming of age books. For The LOVE of MARY is THE feel good book of the year. It not only made me smile, it brought me back to when life was complicatedly simple. As my little life rushes on at a crazy pace, getting lost within the pages of For the LOVE of MARY was wonderfully nostalgic.
I think the publisher’s blurb is spot on :
“A hilarious coming-of-age novel about the pain of young love, family secrets, and sick ferrets.
Fifteen-year-old Jacob feels almost on the inside: almost smart, almost funny, almost good-looking, almost worthy of falling in love. His sister is too busy dating guys in Whitesnake jackets to notice, and his best friend is occupied with his own painful pubescent crisis. Jacob’s mother has just started a curious (and rather un-Christian) holy war with the church across the street, while his father has secretly moved into the garage.
Everything changes when Jacob meets Mary. Jacob thinks Mary is the most beautiful girl in the world. If only Mary’s father wasn’t the minister at the enormous rival church. If only she wasn’t dating a youth pastor with pristine white teeth and impeccably trimmed hair. If only Jacob could work up the courage to tell Mary how he feels . . .
As the conflict between the churches escalates, a peeping Tom prowls the neighbourhood, a bearded lady terrorizes unsuspecting Dairy Queen customers, a beautiful young girl entices Jacob into a carnal romp in a car wash, and the church parishioners prepare their annual re-enactment of Operation Desert Storm.
For the Love of Mary is sidesplitting satire with a surprising amount of heart.”
So, I went along for this weird roller coaster ride with Jacob, with his Cheetos eating friend, met the bearded lady, had a first row seat to the weird Desert Storm re-enactment and so on. Throughout all this, I just couldn’t help but love all the awkwardness. I rolled my eyes at Jacob’s mom, wanted to give him a much needed hug and I may have wanted to punch someone in the gut. I don’t normally laugh out loud when reading, yet Christopher Meads made me do it !!
The novel is not only wonderfully written, it helped me travel back in time to my own coming of age moments… and that fairy-tale instant when life (as I knew it) seemed to completely change. Reading this book was such a comfort and brightened my spirits when the day just seemed to be going all wrong.
For the LOVE of MARY is a truly endearing novel. If you don’t know what to pick up next, I’d highly recommend bringing a little Christopher Meades’ For the LOVE of MARY into your life. This was my first novel from Meades and my shelves will definitely be getting a little heavier as I fill them with more of his novels.
I think the publisher’s blurb is spot on :
“A hilarious coming-of-age novel about the pain of young love, family secrets, and sick ferrets.
Fifteen-year-old Jacob feels almost on the inside: almost smart, almost funny, almost good-looking, almost worthy of falling in love. His sister is too busy dating guys in Whitesnake jackets to notice, and his best friend is occupied with his own painful pubescent crisis. Jacob’s mother has just started a curious (and rather un-Christian) holy war with the church across the street, while his father has secretly moved into the garage.
Everything changes when Jacob meets Mary. Jacob thinks Mary is the most beautiful girl in the world. If only Mary’s father wasn’t the minister at the enormous rival church. If only she wasn’t dating a youth pastor with pristine white teeth and impeccably trimmed hair. If only Jacob could work up the courage to tell Mary how he feels . . .
As the conflict between the churches escalates, a peeping Tom prowls the neighbourhood, a bearded lady terrorizes unsuspecting Dairy Queen customers, a beautiful young girl entices Jacob into a carnal romp in a car wash, and the church parishioners prepare their annual re-enactment of Operation Desert Storm.
For the Love of Mary is sidesplitting satire with a surprising amount of heart.”
So, I went along for this weird roller coaster ride with Jacob, with his Cheetos eating friend, met the bearded lady, had a first row seat to the weird Desert Storm re-enactment and so on. Throughout all this, I just couldn’t help but love all the awkwardness. I rolled my eyes at Jacob’s mom, wanted to give him a much needed hug and I may have wanted to punch someone in the gut. I don’t normally laugh out loud when reading, yet Christopher Meads made me do it !!
The novel is not only wonderfully written, it helped me travel back in time to my own coming of age moments… and that fairy-tale instant when life (as I knew it) seemed to completely change. Reading this book was such a comfort and brightened my spirits when the day just seemed to be going all wrong.
For the LOVE of MARY is a truly endearing novel. If you don’t know what to pick up next, I’d highly recommend bringing a little Christopher Meades’ For the LOVE of MARY into your life. This was my first novel from Meades and my shelves will definitely be getting a little heavier as I fill them with more of his novels.
May 4, 2016
First, thank you to Netgalley, the Author Christopher Reades and ECW Press for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.
The premise of this book is what grasped my attention when I was first requesting this book. It sounded like a story about a boy who is trying to figure out life with a religious journey built in there.
To my surprise this book was actually really funny! I laughed through the entire book. Jacob and his friend, Moss, are a really funny duo! They are typical teenage boys that are really trying to figure out life (and girls!). The main plotline has to do with churches and battling about their beliefs of a certain topic. I enjoyed that the "battles" between churches were pretty harmless and almost laughable a times. To me it made me feel like we shoudn't take ourselves too seriously.
I think that this book also goes through the different kind of relationships that people can have. You see Jacob and his father bond over a certain "secret" his Dad has been hiding. You also see Jacob's sister, Caroline, and him start to become closer as they become interested in the same ideas.You also see how romantic relationships can take all different kinds of turns but they always end up coming back together.
I really enjoyed this read - it was pretty quick but it took some serious topics and made them laughable which I think made the book way more appealing.
I would recommend this book to friends who want a good read about relationships!
The premise of this book is what grasped my attention when I was first requesting this book. It sounded like a story about a boy who is trying to figure out life with a religious journey built in there.
To my surprise this book was actually really funny! I laughed through the entire book. Jacob and his friend, Moss, are a really funny duo! They are typical teenage boys that are really trying to figure out life (and girls!). The main plotline has to do with churches and battling about their beliefs of a certain topic. I enjoyed that the "battles" between churches were pretty harmless and almost laughable a times. To me it made me feel like we shoudn't take ourselves too seriously.
I think that this book also goes through the different kind of relationships that people can have. You see Jacob and his father bond over a certain "secret" his Dad has been hiding. You also see Jacob's sister, Caroline, and him start to become closer as they become interested in the same ideas.You also see how romantic relationships can take all different kinds of turns but they always end up coming back together.
I really enjoyed this read - it was pretty quick but it took some serious topics and made them laughable which I think made the book way more appealing.
I would recommend this book to friends who want a good read about relationships!
December 28, 2015
I had the pleasure of reading an arc from this book kindly provided by net galley. The premise of this book really interested me and it sounded like a fun and easy read.
And I was partly right. The book was a very easy read and sometimes it was quite fun. Unfortunately I had some trouble connecting to the story. It might be because I am not an American reader. The plotline of this book is centred around two rival churches: Presbyterian and Methodist. These are forms of believe where I am not familiar with. Thank the lord for google who gave me some clarity about this subject. But due to my lack of background I think quite a few jokes might have been lost on me.
For the love of Mary is also a satire on the whole going to church experience and the underlying relationships between parishioners and different church communities. Again this was a little bit lost on me. Coming from a country where most people only visit church for a wedding, a baptism or a funeral. It is not an issue that lives among our community, so that made it harder to get into this story and invest in it.
On the other hand, every story is about people, love, friendship and relations. That is universal, so I can relate to that part of the book. I mentioned it before but I thought the funniness of this novel was sometimes a bit lacking. A little bit too slapstick for my tastes. At times I have chuckled while reading, but now, after finishing the book only a couple of hours ago I can’t recall a single really funny laugh out loud scene. So that says enough, I think?
This novel is all about relationships and I was surprised that I found the most touching relationships the one that are not the important ones. I was really pleasantly surprised by the interaction between Jacob and the father of Prina. Also the relation between shotgun and Zelda was truly memorable. Their relationship is interwoven into the story in a very sneaky and intelligent way. Only at the very end of the story, you get the full picture as a reader.
So yes, I really enjoyed these minor relationships in the book. So what about the friendships and romance that this story is centred around? Well to be honest they fell kind of flat for me. The only relationship that stood out was the one between brother and sister. Maybe it is because I liked Caroline as a person? But she was a strong character in this book and I think she deserved to be fleshed out a little more. After all what she did for Jacob and his friends I think she deserved a little more gratitude from him. (Like stop checking your watch every 5 seconds, when your sister is making you part of her future plans!)
Christopher Meades writing style is on point. It is fast and flowing and at times the word games he plays are really brilliant. I enjoyed his writing enormously. I also enjoyed the time setting of this story. I am a child of the 90’s myself and I quite enjoyed the little references to pop culture in the 90’s!
Let’s talk about something completely different before I wrap this review up: the cover! Please don’t chance the cover because it is perfect in all his simplicity! I love the little white board that chances God into Mary. And I can’t help but think of the Sistene chapel when I look at the hand that holds the plaque. The bright colours and stars make the book so inviting. I would pick it up in a bookstore without have second thoughts!
So all in all a decent read. I might have enjoyed it more if I came from a similar background or if I would have been younger!
A complete review of From the love of Mary will be published on my blog at the 1ste of juni 2016.
And I was partly right. The book was a very easy read and sometimes it was quite fun. Unfortunately I had some trouble connecting to the story. It might be because I am not an American reader. The plotline of this book is centred around two rival churches: Presbyterian and Methodist. These are forms of believe where I am not familiar with. Thank the lord for google who gave me some clarity about this subject. But due to my lack of background I think quite a few jokes might have been lost on me.
For the love of Mary is also a satire on the whole going to church experience and the underlying relationships between parishioners and different church communities. Again this was a little bit lost on me. Coming from a country where most people only visit church for a wedding, a baptism or a funeral. It is not an issue that lives among our community, so that made it harder to get into this story and invest in it.
On the other hand, every story is about people, love, friendship and relations. That is universal, so I can relate to that part of the book. I mentioned it before but I thought the funniness of this novel was sometimes a bit lacking. A little bit too slapstick for my tastes. At times I have chuckled while reading, but now, after finishing the book only a couple of hours ago I can’t recall a single really funny laugh out loud scene. So that says enough, I think?
This novel is all about relationships and I was surprised that I found the most touching relationships the one that are not the important ones. I was really pleasantly surprised by the interaction between Jacob and the father of Prina. Also the relation between shotgun and Zelda was truly memorable. Their relationship is interwoven into the story in a very sneaky and intelligent way. Only at the very end of the story, you get the full picture as a reader.
So yes, I really enjoyed these minor relationships in the book. So what about the friendships and romance that this story is centred around? Well to be honest they fell kind of flat for me. The only relationship that stood out was the one between brother and sister. Maybe it is because I liked Caroline as a person? But she was a strong character in this book and I think she deserved to be fleshed out a little more. After all what she did for Jacob and his friends I think she deserved a little more gratitude from him. (Like stop checking your watch every 5 seconds, when your sister is making you part of her future plans!)
Christopher Meades writing style is on point. It is fast and flowing and at times the word games he plays are really brilliant. I enjoyed his writing enormously. I also enjoyed the time setting of this story. I am a child of the 90’s myself and I quite enjoyed the little references to pop culture in the 90’s!
Let’s talk about something completely different before I wrap this review up: the cover! Please don’t chance the cover because it is perfect in all his simplicity! I love the little white board that chances God into Mary. And I can’t help but think of the Sistene chapel when I look at the hand that holds the plaque. The bright colours and stars make the book so inviting. I would pick it up in a bookstore without have second thoughts!
So all in all a decent read. I might have enjoyed it more if I came from a similar background or if I would have been younger!
A complete review of From the love of Mary will be published on my blog at the 1ste of juni 2016.
November 11, 2017
As an evangelical Christian, I was poised to raise my defenses and endure whatever mockery ensued for the sake of reading my friend Christopher's novel ... and to my delight, what I found was a comical and honest coming-of-age tale that had me giggling at virtually every page turn. Who are we as human beings if we can't poke fun at ourselves in a respectful fashion? Christopher Meades' "For the Love of Mary" was charming, amusing, and pure joy to read. He carefully crafted each character with individuality of Biblical proportions, and you were truly drawn into each of their worlds - Jacob's awkwardness, Moss' transformation in the name of love, Margaret and Donald's marital peaks and valleys, Mary's pensive soliloquies ... Ultimately, you wanted to see everyone's happy ending. Meades' use of similes was particularly alluring, comparing Jacob's final epiphany to that of a key change in a Bon Jovi song. This was the most enjoyable novel I've read in recent years, and I wouldn't mind taking a trip to Parksville to await the next changing of the church billboards. Bravo, Chris.
July 27, 2016
I picked this up because the cover caught my eye, and the first few pages were kind of funny. Two churches across the street from each other waged a "war" against each other, by posting opposing messages on their billboards. This was a coming-of-age story about 15-year-old Jacob, a member of the smaller church, and that should have been my first clue that it was aimed at a YA audience. But with words like "humor, heart, and humanity" and "laugh-out-loud," I thought I'd like it better than I did. Ultimately, I got about half-way through and stopped reading.
October 3, 2016
I loved this book! It was a lot of fun to read. The story is about a young teen and his first love. And a big part of the story is about a sign battle between a small hometown church and a mega church built across the street. It was a very entertaining story....I had a lot to laugh about. And it was enjoyable to read about all the colorful characters in the family and in the churches and town. I highly recommend this book, you won't forget it. Thanks to the publisher for providing the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2018
This book was so much fun! I had a great time reading it- it was such a delightful novel. The author's wit, jokes and references were spot on for me. I was truly interested in the characters and this book brought me back to the way my adolescent mind worked before life as an adult took over. I thought the author did a great job of creating a fun and entertaining world that kept me reading to find out how it would all play out. The premise had me wondering if I could really get into the story but I was fully immersed and loving every moment of it.
April 16, 2018
I’ve been reading a bunch of heavy-themed books lately, and this was the perfect silly read! I laughed out loud almost every chapter. It’s a coming of age story about a teen boy, two rival churches in a small town, and just a bunch of quirky people. Definitely some “inappropriate” moments so it’s not a Christian read despite the book subjects.
May 7, 2017
It had me at Mario Cart's Rainbow level. The mid-90s pop culture references were great.
November 1, 2016
Jacob is a normal, if hilarious, 15 year old boy who doesn't feel terrible about himself. He considers himself "almost"- almost funny, almost good looking, and almost worthy of falling in love. But there's really no one there to help him figure it all out. His best friend is going through his own issues with body issues and romantic feelings, his sister is wrapped up in her dating life and his mother is waging a crazy war with the (much larger and better built) church across the street from hers. Between billboard arguments and throwing shade a Santa, plus being roped into being a "mole" Jacob has enough on his plate.
And then there's Mary, the big church minister's daughter. She is smart, kind, funny and gorgeous. Jacob is instantly in love. In the process of trying to win her, he is attacked by a bearded lady for his ice cream. He also learns about the dangers of becoming addicted to the nudie bars, and why you shouldn't peep in windows. And then there's Youth Pastor Glen, Mary's boyfriend to contend with. The path to love is fraught with peril.
Okay, this book was completely off the wall in the best way. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style here. The descriptions were especially good. I found myself laughing out loud, and shared quite a few quotes that made me smile to my Litsy account. I loved the plot, and the crazy characters. I loved the interaction between them all. It was over the top, but it was so much fun. Now I will say that it is getting mixed reviews on Goodreads, which forced me to put as much thought into the purchase of this book as some people put into the buying of a car. I waffled back and forth for what felt like forever and was in reality probably less than a month. I am so glad I bought it though! Seriously, five stars, plus one for creativity.
I can't let go without just a few quotes:
(on sexuality- Mary talking to Jacob) ..."We're all given these physical cravings, and Lord help us, they start when we're teenagers, sometimes even preteens, so we don't know what to do with them. And then our parents tell us to keep it in our pants. And meanwhile my grandmother is writing erotica. Don't laugh. I'm not kidding. When I caught them doing it, my sister told me she'd found a short story grandma was working on. It was straight-up erotica."
(on noticing his mother's moods) 'My mother's jaw was clenched. I'd seen this look before, that night when my father came home from a bachelor party smelling of perfume, whisky, and shame, unable to explain the patch of stripper glitter on his shoulder.'
(the same) 'Mom looked over at Dad, who was quivering like a frightened gerbil.'
On the adult content scale, there is some fairly light sexual content and some language. Nothing major, as it is geared toward young teens. I give it a three.
And then there's Mary, the big church minister's daughter. She is smart, kind, funny and gorgeous. Jacob is instantly in love. In the process of trying to win her, he is attacked by a bearded lady for his ice cream. He also learns about the dangers of becoming addicted to the nudie bars, and why you shouldn't peep in windows. And then there's Youth Pastor Glen, Mary's boyfriend to contend with. The path to love is fraught with peril.
Okay, this book was completely off the wall in the best way. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style here. The descriptions were especially good. I found myself laughing out loud, and shared quite a few quotes that made me smile to my Litsy account. I loved the plot, and the crazy characters. I loved the interaction between them all. It was over the top, but it was so much fun. Now I will say that it is getting mixed reviews on Goodreads, which forced me to put as much thought into the purchase of this book as some people put into the buying of a car. I waffled back and forth for what felt like forever and was in reality probably less than a month. I am so glad I bought it though! Seriously, five stars, plus one for creativity.
I can't let go without just a few quotes:
(on sexuality- Mary talking to Jacob) ..."We're all given these physical cravings, and Lord help us, they start when we're teenagers, sometimes even preteens, so we don't know what to do with them. And then our parents tell us to keep it in our pants. And meanwhile my grandmother is writing erotica. Don't laugh. I'm not kidding. When I caught them doing it, my sister told me she'd found a short story grandma was working on. It was straight-up erotica."
(on noticing his mother's moods) 'My mother's jaw was clenched. I'd seen this look before, that night when my father came home from a bachelor party smelling of perfume, whisky, and shame, unable to explain the patch of stripper glitter on his shoulder.'
(the same) 'Mom looked over at Dad, who was quivering like a frightened gerbil.'
On the adult content scale, there is some fairly light sexual content and some language. Nothing major, as it is geared toward young teens. I give it a three.
August 19, 2016
There was a new huge church being built across the street from Passion Lord Church of God. The old church had lost over half it’s parishioners because of the new more modern group. Jacob’s mom was really mad every time a family left to go to church across the street. In July a slur from the church across the street Jacobs mom went to war with the new church. Jacob was a fifteen year old boy and his mom the mom fighting with the big church. Jacob’s mom wanted to live in a bigger house and uses controlling the food allowed in her home no matter what her husband Daniel said. Jacob’s older sister Caroline only wanted to get away from her family and go to beauty school. Jacob meets Mary and really cares about her and she cares about him. But Mary is the daughter of the pastor of the new church across the street.
I grew up in a small town in Central New York and i went to a small town and went to the smaller of the two churches there but I never had the experiences jacon and his family had regarding church. Thank god. I felt like I was there I did feel Jacob’s mom went overboard as isn’t it about worshiping God but that wasn’t the real gist of this story. But some of the things did remind of when i was in the town I grew up in.especially the picnic as my church had one. But this story did not WOW me. It was okay. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. I did like the characters for the most part even if Jacobs mom was a little extreme but also a church is all about Jesus at Christmas not Santa. This story dragged in different places to through out the story.
I received an ARC of this story for an honest review
I grew up in a small town in Central New York and i went to a small town and went to the smaller of the two churches there but I never had the experiences jacon and his family had regarding church. Thank god. I felt like I was there I did feel Jacob’s mom went overboard as isn’t it about worshiping God but that wasn’t the real gist of this story. But some of the things did remind of when i was in the town I grew up in.especially the picnic as my church had one. But this story did not WOW me. It was okay. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. I did like the characters for the most part even if Jacobs mom was a little extreme but also a church is all about Jesus at Christmas not Santa. This story dragged in different places to through out the story.
I received an ARC of this story for an honest review
February 18, 2016
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from ECW Press in exchange for an honest review, as part of their Shelf Monkey program.
It's a nice change to read a rollicking comedy; I kept waiting for some sort of tragic twist, and was relieved to find none. Meades managed to keep me interested in the entire large cast of characters, and (usually) see them as something more than caricatures in spite of their outlandish situations. The pacing was an issue here and there: I would have gladly sacrificed some more repetitive scenes (most involving Moss Murphy's gastrointestinal tract, for instance) in order to slow down the rushed finale. Meade's use of the church rivalry hints at a bigger statement about organized religion itself, Nevertheless, I was genuinely entertained throughout.
It's a nice change to read a rollicking comedy; I kept waiting for some sort of tragic twist, and was relieved to find none. Meades managed to keep me interested in the entire large cast of characters, and (usually) see them as something more than caricatures in spite of their outlandish situations. The pacing was an issue here and there: I would have gladly sacrificed some more repetitive scenes (most involving Moss Murphy's gastrointestinal tract, for instance) in order to slow down the rushed finale. Meade's use of the church rivalry hints at a bigger statement about organized religion itself, Nevertheless, I was genuinely entertained throughout.
July 31, 2016
I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.
There's nothing I dislike more than a book—or a movie or any other type of media—that leaves next to no impression. This isn't a bad novel, it just felt so utterly bland to me that its positive elements barely stood out. As a coming-of-age story, it's forgettable with characters that aren't all that interesting or well-written. It felt like the author was blending a bunch of disparate sitcom plots together, and the result is over-the-top without the fun you'd expect from that. As a satirical look at religion and self-righteousness and church "culture" as a whole, it has a few scattered moments that stood out as clever. You can feel it building toward some smart observation or funny scene, but it sputters out before it gets there.
I don't think this is a very good book, but the worst thing about For The Love Of Mary is how unremarkable it is.
There's nothing I dislike more than a book—or a movie or any other type of media—that leaves next to no impression. This isn't a bad novel, it just felt so utterly bland to me that its positive elements barely stood out. As a coming-of-age story, it's forgettable with characters that aren't all that interesting or well-written. It felt like the author was blending a bunch of disparate sitcom plots together, and the result is over-the-top without the fun you'd expect from that. As a satirical look at religion and self-righteousness and church "culture" as a whole, it has a few scattered moments that stood out as clever. You can feel it building toward some smart observation or funny scene, but it sputters out before it gets there.
I don't think this is a very good book, but the worst thing about For The Love Of Mary is how unremarkable it is.
September 24, 2016
If you like the t.v. show "The Goldbergs" or "The Real O'Neals" you will probably enjoy this book. When I first started this book I was laughing out loud and loved this book. It would've been an automatic 5 stars.
It stopped there however. Even though the writing was clever and fun to read it was so crude and inappropriate. It talked about sex throughout the whole book in a very juvenile way. I get that the main character is 15 and that is where he is speaking from but honestly I felt like the author was 15. (And he wasn't - he is a grown up man with 2 daughters. Sorry girls, I'm not excited for you to read your dad's book someday.)
It stopped there however. Even though the writing was clever and fun to read it was so crude and inappropriate. It talked about sex throughout the whole book in a very juvenile way. I get that the main character is 15 and that is where he is speaking from but honestly I felt like the author was 15. (And he wasn't - he is a grown up man with 2 daughters. Sorry girls, I'm not excited for you to read your dad's book someday.)
September 6, 2016
I had the privilege of meeting Christopher Meades about 4 years ago. After reading both of his other books right away I had to wait a very long time for this new book. I'm hoping I won't be made to suffer the same fate before his next novel is released. I enjoyed For the Love of Mary very much. As a teenager/young adult in the 90s I found the references very relatable. I also learned a few new scriptures to add to my bible references. Any book that leaves me feeling nostalgic, laughing out loud and waiting for the next one has got to be a good book!!
February 6, 2017
The book was an enjoyable read. I love the fact the main character was an average teenager, living an average life and discovering who he can be.
November 3, 2016
Loved this coming of age novel. Could not put it down, and I don't say that too often. You just really feel a part of the main character's world and cannot wait to read what happens next to him and his friends. The author does a great job of connecting you with several characters in the book...felt like I was there, witnessing their experiences and seeing the highs and lows that they faced together. Highly recommend!
November 17, 2015
I've had the pleasure of reading yet another hilarious, unique work by Christopher Meades. This time, we dive into the world of teenage boyhood, the chaos of family life, the perils and meaning of unbiased, life-changing love. I laughed out loud, smiled, and felt my heart melt in this amazingly well-written coming of age novel.
May 31, 2016
Fantastic book. So well written. I am on the fence as to whether or not to classify it as young adult or not. This story was incredibly amusing and insightful. He pulls you in from the first page with laugh out loud hilarity, yet you keep reading as you are deeply invested in the characters and their individual story lines. An incredible and quick read as you will not be able to put it down.
June 5, 2016
I highly recommend this laugh out loud read! It will bring back memories of your youth (especially for men I assume) and have you cringe at those awkward moments we all want to forget! You'll get a kick out of the quirky supporting characters. Overall, another great work by this funny Canadian author!
August 7, 2016
A wonderful read. Numerous times per sitting, I found myself chuckling as the zany circumstances characters found themselves in were charmingly relatable. It was nice to be refamiliarized with the parts of religion from my childhood that I hold both nostalgia and disdain for. Meades tempered this line perfectly balancing comedy and inquiry in careful measure. Lovely!
March 4, 2016
I love this book! I was a teenager back in 1996, when this book is set and the whole era brings back good memories. Jacob is a lot like every teenage boy but everyone around him is interesting and relatable, even when they do bizarre things.
January 22, 2017
A fun, fast read. Laugh-out loud funny.
September 19, 2018
You know a book is good when you hit the last page and feel sad that you won't be able to keep reading it anymore. This book was like that for me. I love the humour, the family dynamics that we can all relate to and the hilarious '90s references (*69, anyone?). It's great writing when an author can make an adult woman relate to the angst, humiliating moments and puberty filled thoughts of a 15 year old boy.
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