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Something Better
Tom Schneider’s inner demons have cost him dearly. Still emotionally scarred from his abusive childhood, he fears he may never be the supportive husband and parent his family needs. After his wife takes their daughter and leaves, he wallows in his pain until his estranged father reaches out with a final dying wish. Coping with his trauma and hopelessness, he returns to his Southern hometown in search of redemption. As he takes the winding path to self-discovery, he finds solace in a local church. But it’s a chance encounter that might just renew his faith in a brighter future. Will Tom forgive the sins of his past and open his heart to happiness? Something Better is an inspirational Christian fiction story about the transformational power of redemption. If you like flawed heroes, tests of faith, and heartwarming journeys of rebirth, then you’ll love Dustin Renz’s second-chance saga.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2018
30 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Dustin Renz
9 books6 followersDUSTIN RENZ is the founder of Make Way Ministries and the author of the non-fiction work “Pile of Masks: Exposing Christian Hypocrisy,” as well as the novel "Something Better." He writes with a passion to connect people with the truths of the Bible in a life-impacting way. He currently resides in Ohio with his wife and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 4, 2019
Something Better is one man's journey from the pit of despair to a faith- and love-filled future of hope. The story is told in the present with frequent flashbacks to Tom's past that landed him in the predicament he's in today. At the beginning, he is not a likable or relatable character as he struggles with selfishness, depression, and hopelessness. I appreciated his coming of faith and the resulting changes in his character and behavior.
Two things kept this from being a 5-star read for me: 1) It was very long, longer than I think it needs to be to tell the story without repetition and filler, and 2) His acceptance of Jesus as his Lord was almost like a magic wand that solved all his problems.
I firmly believe that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. However, He's not a fairy waving a magic wand that solves all our problems immediately.
Two things kept this from being a 5-star read for me: 1) It was very long, longer than I think it needs to be to tell the story without repetition and filler, and 2) His acceptance of Jesus as his Lord was almost like a magic wand that solved all his problems.
I firmly believe that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. However, He's not a fairy waving a magic wand that solves all our problems immediately.
May 10, 2018
Such a good book! It’ll make you laugh and cry! It will encourage you! The plot is something everyone can probably relate to. Highly recommend this book. I couldn’t put it down!
July 24, 2018
This is a contemporary Christian novel that feels a lot like the adult version of the famed ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’. Altogether, its a story about a man’s journey into his complicated past, but its full of smaller stories along the way.
Tom Schneider is our protagonist who has just run into a brick wall. Seemingly all at once, his life falls to pieces when his wife takes their daughter and moves out. As if that wasn’t enough to break him, Tom has to struggle down memory lane as he faces all the troubles and unsettled matters he thought he’d left behind. Fortunately for him, there is a light at the end of this tunnel as this broken man finds himself and his faith and pushes forward.
Something Better is written well and full of raw emotion. There’s a lot of pain in this story but there’s also a lot of joy, hope, and inspiration. As a Christian I definitely enjoyed the faith aspect and how often the author stressed our need to hold on to hope and to use our struggles as an opportunity to dig deep and grow in many different ways and areas. We got to see Tom, a grown man and a father, learn how to love and how to accept himself and others all over again. It was a very heartwarming and sometimes bitter journey, but it was one that readers of all backgrounds need to see.
If I had to choose a criticism I’d say this book is incredibly long. Length is something I pay a lot of attention to because I really don’t like when books tend to go on much longer than necessary. While there was a lot of drama and emotion in this book, I felt like it was a good 200 pages too long. It wasn’t boring, but it did last longer than I expected. Another thing I really wish would have been different was how typical the story was.
Don’t get me wrong, it was an emotional ride and it has the potential to make you laugh as well as cry, but it was SUCH a Christian story. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression… I’m a Christian, I enjoy Christian books. But I have to be honest, Christian writing tends to follow a very cookie-cutter lineup. At its core, this is just another story about a man finding his faith. Everything is perfect … then everything goes wrong … then he finds his faith … and everything gets better. The end.
The book is good…its great! But it is EXACTLY what you would expect from a Christian author. You can easily mistake this book for any of the thousands just like it in the Christian contemporary genre. There were no surprises, there were no lines crossed, no limits pushed, no heart-pounding moments. I’m not asking for a violent fight scene or a raunchy sex-crazed love story, I’m just saying I’d like to see a bit more edge in Christian fiction and I think great authors like Renz are more than capable of bringing that to the table. Overall, it is a wonderful read that I will gladly recommend to Christian audiences of all ages and anyone who enjoys a good contemporary beach read.
Tom Schneider is our protagonist who has just run into a brick wall. Seemingly all at once, his life falls to pieces when his wife takes their daughter and moves out. As if that wasn’t enough to break him, Tom has to struggle down memory lane as he faces all the troubles and unsettled matters he thought he’d left behind. Fortunately for him, there is a light at the end of this tunnel as this broken man finds himself and his faith and pushes forward.
Something Better is written well and full of raw emotion. There’s a lot of pain in this story but there’s also a lot of joy, hope, and inspiration. As a Christian I definitely enjoyed the faith aspect and how often the author stressed our need to hold on to hope and to use our struggles as an opportunity to dig deep and grow in many different ways and areas. We got to see Tom, a grown man and a father, learn how to love and how to accept himself and others all over again. It was a very heartwarming and sometimes bitter journey, but it was one that readers of all backgrounds need to see.
If I had to choose a criticism I’d say this book is incredibly long. Length is something I pay a lot of attention to because I really don’t like when books tend to go on much longer than necessary. While there was a lot of drama and emotion in this book, I felt like it was a good 200 pages too long. It wasn’t boring, but it did last longer than I expected. Another thing I really wish would have been different was how typical the story was.
Don’t get me wrong, it was an emotional ride and it has the potential to make you laugh as well as cry, but it was SUCH a Christian story. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression… I’m a Christian, I enjoy Christian books. But I have to be honest, Christian writing tends to follow a very cookie-cutter lineup. At its core, this is just another story about a man finding his faith. Everything is perfect … then everything goes wrong … then he finds his faith … and everything gets better. The end.
The book is good…its great! But it is EXACTLY what you would expect from a Christian author. You can easily mistake this book for any of the thousands just like it in the Christian contemporary genre. There were no surprises, there were no lines crossed, no limits pushed, no heart-pounding moments. I’m not asking for a violent fight scene or a raunchy sex-crazed love story, I’m just saying I’d like to see a bit more edge in Christian fiction and I think great authors like Renz are more than capable of bringing that to the table. Overall, it is a wonderful read that I will gladly recommend to Christian audiences of all ages and anyone who enjoys a good contemporary beach read.
October 26, 2021
I really enjoyed this story, although I am a Catholic we believe in the same God and worship the same Jesus.
I highly recommend this book to married couples weather experiencing difficulties or not this will help you. Well written.
I highly recommend this book to married couples weather experiencing difficulties or not this will help you. Well written.
September 5, 2018
An inspiring story of a man who endured a painful, abusive childhood and the obstacles he overcame to save not only his past but also his marriage. Something better is a story of hope. The reader will experience the hurt and pain that reaches beyond the physical for any person that has suffered abuse. How Tom dealt with the lasting effects of such violence and the way he came to the realization that forgiveness gave him freedom.
I immediately felt I could relate to Tom and his situation. The character was written so clearly and very realistic. I especially like reading his side of the story of his marriage issues and how he attempted to mend the rift in his marriage.
I immediately felt I could relate to Tom and his situation. The character was written so clearly and very realistic. I especially like reading his side of the story of his marriage issues and how he attempted to mend the rift in his marriage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews