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O to be Like Thee: How Deep Love Runs
“But four years ago I had never known what it was to depend on God to save a soldier’s life because I had never known what it was to be completely powerless in your own strength and knowledge, no matter how much you knew. I had never known what it was to see God’s goodness through the most difficult of circumstances. I had never known that to truly be brave, you must trust the Lord, because I had never been asked to truly be brave.” Corey Schreiber didn’t want to learn those things—not like he did, anyway. It’s hard enough to deploy back-to-back without your friends—or you—becoming part of the casualties. Corey can learn pretty quickly to trust the Lord on the battlefield. Will he trust God with his broken heart? This is a military novel written by a daughter of a vet who is gifted in research. You will find that she compels your attention throughout the 300+ pages as she exalts Christ. Vets, family of vets, first responders, and anyone who is a patriot will lose themselves in this story.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 3, 2019
What. Just. Happened?
Okay, honestly, after reading some of Kassie's writing snippets, I should have known that I couldn't get through this book without my heart being laid bare and my emotions shredded. But I certainly didn't expect this book to affect me quite the way it did. Which actually may be a good thing, because if I'd known just how much loss and grief and pain was going to be involved in this story, I might have been more wary about picking it up. This book made me cry hard on multiple occasions, and I'm not a huge fan of books that make me really cry. But... *motions to rating* *shrugs helplessly*
Why is this different from my normal dock-stars-because-it-made-me-cry rating? I can't give you a great answer. I actually thought that aftersomething traumatic happened at a certain point, maybe I was over the worst. But grief and loss and moving forward are never quite that simple, and it kept coming around again in different ways and making me feel it all over. And yet somehow as hard and sad as certain circumstances were, they weren't...overwhelming? Not to say they were brushed off (which they definitely weren't) or that they were squeezed out by the more lighthearted moments, but--it's really hard to explain. Like the pain came in a sharper wave for a moment and then life moved on, and you didn't forget, but you weren't stuck there. A lot like real life, honestly, but real life lived with hope and love and Someone strong enough to carry you when it's too hard to go on by yourself.
I feel like I can't say much at all about most of the characters without spoiling something, so I'm just going to hug on Corey for a bit here. I absolutely adored his tender heart, his friendship and loyalty, and the way he clung to his faith even in the darkest of times. I know I could not have managed to sing without breaking down some of those times, and I'm still not sure how he did it... But I also loved that the strong faith message was not the typical one of questioning God before coming back in surrender. Not to say that Corey didn't have questions, but his reaction was always to turn to God, not away from Him, and I so appreciated that! Also, because I am apparently a glutton for punishment, when I finished the book, I immediately went and listened to the title song...and was completely blown away. It had been referenced in the book so many times, but I never thought too much about it, other than the fact that it was Corey's favorite. It wasn't one of those connections where the author slams it in your face so hard that you can't help but see it. But after finishing the story, listening to it, and looking back--it so perfectly summed up Corey that it took my breath away. (And made me cry again, but that's another thing.) And for no reason that I could see, made me bow my head and ask God to make this my prayer, too. Again, not because of any point-blank message in the story, or any epiphany moment, or anything besides a consistent example of a life lived in simple faith and some of the impact it had, all somehow summed up in a single hymn.
This review feels even more rambling and incoherent than usual, but that's mainly because I'm still not sure how to define what this book did to me. It's not one that I'm going to be able to go back to often, just because I'm not sure my heart could take it as a regular diet. But read it again someday? Definitely. Remember it on Memorial Day? No question. I actually have a feeling I'll be remembering it a lot more often than that. And hopefully letting it motivate me to pursue my own deeper walk with Jesus, in spite of the storms.
Highly, highly recommended in spite of the hard subject matter, which was handled with great care and gentleness. Bonus points for fans of military stories, medical characters, and great guy friendships. :)
Content--mentions of wounds, blood, and deaths; war scenes, including gunplay and explosions (not graphic)
Okay, honestly, after reading some of Kassie's writing snippets, I should have known that I couldn't get through this book without my heart being laid bare and my emotions shredded. But I certainly didn't expect this book to affect me quite the way it did. Which actually may be a good thing, because if I'd known just how much loss and grief and pain was going to be involved in this story, I might have been more wary about picking it up. This book made me cry hard on multiple occasions, and I'm not a huge fan of books that make me really cry. But... *motions to rating* *shrugs helplessly*
Why is this different from my normal dock-stars-because-it-made-me-cry rating? I can't give you a great answer. I actually thought that after
I feel like I can't say much at all about most of the characters without spoiling something, so I'm just going to hug on Corey for a bit here. I absolutely adored his tender heart, his friendship and loyalty, and the way he clung to his faith even in the darkest of times. I know I could not have managed to sing without breaking down some of those times, and I'm still not sure how he did it... But I also loved that the strong faith message was not the typical one of questioning God before coming back in surrender. Not to say that Corey didn't have questions, but his reaction was always to turn to God, not away from Him, and I so appreciated that! Also, because I am apparently a glutton for punishment, when I finished the book, I immediately went and listened to the title song...and was completely blown away. It had been referenced in the book so many times, but I never thought too much about it, other than the fact that it was Corey's favorite. It wasn't one of those connections where the author slams it in your face so hard that you can't help but see it. But after finishing the story, listening to it, and looking back--it so perfectly summed up Corey that it took my breath away. (And made me cry again, but that's another thing.) And for no reason that I could see, made me bow my head and ask God to make this my prayer, too. Again, not because of any point-blank message in the story, or any epiphany moment, or anything besides a consistent example of a life lived in simple faith and some of the impact it had, all somehow summed up in a single hymn.
This review feels even more rambling and incoherent than usual, but that's mainly because I'm still not sure how to define what this book did to me. It's not one that I'm going to be able to go back to often, just because I'm not sure my heart could take it as a regular diet. But read it again someday? Definitely. Remember it on Memorial Day? No question. I actually have a feeling I'll be remembering it a lot more often than that. And hopefully letting it motivate me to pursue my own deeper walk with Jesus, in spite of the storms.
Highly, highly recommended in spite of the hard subject matter, which was handled with great care and gentleness. Bonus points for fans of military stories, medical characters, and great guy friendships. :)
Content--mentions of wounds, blood, and deaths; war scenes, including gunplay and explosions (not graphic)
December 31, 2021
5 stars just isn't enough. This book is one of the most beautiful, sweet, heartbreaking, lovely books I've ever read.
After having read all the reviews, I decided to give it a try, although I thought it would be a little too sad for my taste. Having never read anything by Kassie Angle before, I had no idea what to really expect.
Well, it certainly wasn't this.
I went in, expecting it to be a heartwrenchingly sad story, which would have me feeling miserable for most of it and in tears for the rest. I couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, it was heart-wrenching - extremely so - and yes, it had me in tears for much, maybe even most of it. But miserable and sad it certainly was not. Funny and happy moments were woven in perfectly with the heartbreaking moments - of which there were many - leaving me never feeling like either one was overdone or too much. And I was left with the feeling that the whole thing was more sweet than sad. What I especially enjoyed was the sudden, unexpected flashes of humour, the lines here and there which had me laughing out loud in the middle of the scenes which had me crying at the same time. Despite the sadness of the story itself, the author's light, upbeat writing style balances it perfectly, making it impossible to feel depressed or miserable.
The other thing I was really impressed with was how realistic it is. The book covers four years - and in that time, the main character's development and growth is so, so natural and believable. Although a war story, it is not a suspenseful, actioned-packed adventure filled with excitement and danger at every corner - rather, it is a gentle, sweet story about the everyday life of a soldier, both in the war zone and at home. There certainly were a couple tense moments, but even those were tempered with that same light style, tying them in perfectly to the rest of the book.
As for the characters... Each and every one was so relatable and realistic you could almost imagine they were real people, and I loved every one of them. Corey, the main character and narrator, is such a wonderful character and I loved him so much. His family were all so good in their own way (I especially liked CJ), and his fellow soldiers were amazing. McKinley, Barley, Neilsen, Jett (my favourite!) - they were all so wonderful and perfect for Corey. And Kendall - well, all I can say is that I really, really hope we get a book about Kendall one day! The side characters, too... Jacqueline, Kendall's parents, all the soldiers (I loved how they were all like a big family and how they cared about and looked out for one other so much!)- they were all amazing.
I really loved the little things - Sniper, the battles in the garden, the paintball fight, Jacqueline - and most especially the thread of music and hymns running throughout. These all added to the story and made it even more beautiful than it already was.
I could go on and on, but I'll leave it at that, and just say that it's one of the best books I've ever had the delight to read. I loved every single beautiful minute, and I can't wait to read more by this amazing author. Highly, highly recommended to anyone!!
After having read all the reviews, I decided to give it a try, although I thought it would be a little too sad for my taste. Having never read anything by Kassie Angle before, I had no idea what to really expect.
Well, it certainly wasn't this.
I went in, expecting it to be a heartwrenchingly sad story, which would have me feeling miserable for most of it and in tears for the rest. I couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, it was heart-wrenching - extremely so - and yes, it had me in tears for much, maybe even most of it. But miserable and sad it certainly was not. Funny and happy moments were woven in perfectly with the heartbreaking moments - of which there were many - leaving me never feeling like either one was overdone or too much. And I was left with the feeling that the whole thing was more sweet than sad. What I especially enjoyed was the sudden, unexpected flashes of humour, the lines here and there which had me laughing out loud in the middle of the scenes which had me crying at the same time. Despite the sadness of the story itself, the author's light, upbeat writing style balances it perfectly, making it impossible to feel depressed or miserable.
The other thing I was really impressed with was how realistic it is. The book covers four years - and in that time, the main character's development and growth is so, so natural and believable. Although a war story, it is not a suspenseful, actioned-packed adventure filled with excitement and danger at every corner - rather, it is a gentle, sweet story about the everyday life of a soldier, both in the war zone and at home. There certainly were a couple tense moments, but even those were tempered with that same light style, tying them in perfectly to the rest of the book.
As for the characters... Each and every one was so relatable and realistic you could almost imagine they were real people, and I loved every one of them. Corey, the main character and narrator, is such a wonderful character and I loved him so much. His family were all so good in their own way (I especially liked CJ), and his fellow soldiers were amazing. McKinley, Barley, Neilsen, Jett (my favourite!) - they were all so wonderful and perfect for Corey. And Kendall - well, all I can say is that I really, really hope we get a book about Kendall one day! The side characters, too... Jacqueline, Kendall's parents, all the soldiers (I loved how they were all like a big family and how they cared about and looked out for one other so much!)- they were all amazing.
I really loved the little things - Sniper, the battles in the garden, the paintball fight, Jacqueline - and most especially the thread of music and hymns running throughout. These all added to the story and made it even more beautiful than it already was.
I could go on and on, but I'll leave it at that, and just say that it's one of the best books I've ever had the delight to read. I loved every single beautiful minute, and I can't wait to read more by this amazing author. Highly, highly recommended to anyone!!
July 3, 2024
5+ stars (8/10 stars). This book was not what I expected... but I think it was way better. I was expecting a dramatic, tears-pour-down-your-face book. Instead, I found a beautiful, whimsical, funny, heart-tugging, tears-drop-down-your-face book. It made me cry with emotion, not with drama. It was a beautiful picture of “normal” life as a soldier/medic. I was never really on the edge of my seat (except for when Niel is hurt!!!) but I smiled so often, at beauty or at humour. I loved the characters. I loved the storyline. I loved the lessons. I just loved this book so much... it was amazing. If you love anything military-related, read it. If you love beautiful books, read it. If you love tug-at-my-heartstrings, make-me-smile, make-me-cry books, read it. It is so good. I can’t wait to read more of this author’s works.
[Have you any idea how hard it was to choose these??]
A Favourite Quote: “When you simply trust the Lord, it is far easier to be brave.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: I was just hitting “send” when something brushed my leg and I reflexively kicked my feet into the air. Leaning over to see what it was, I blurted, “Sniper!”
McKinley, running on pure instinct, jumped up half-panicked, then froze and cocked his head at me when he realized I couldn’t’ve sighted a sniper underneath my cot curtained off inside of a tent.
“You named him, don’t blame me,” I announced, picking up our little white kitten.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review but I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest opinions.*
[Have you any idea how hard it was to choose these??]
A Favourite Quote: “When you simply trust the Lord, it is far easier to be brave.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: I was just hitting “send” when something brushed my leg and I reflexively kicked my feet into the air. Leaning over to see what it was, I blurted, “Sniper!”
McKinley, running on pure instinct, jumped up half-panicked, then froze and cocked his head at me when he realized I couldn’t’ve sighted a sniper underneath my cot curtained off inside of a tent.
“You named him, don’t blame me,” I announced, picking up our little white kitten.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review but I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest opinions.*
November 6, 2019
I don't think this is the kind of book I usually would have picked up, but when I met the author in a Camp NaNo cabin and she offered to let me read it, I said sure!
And let me say it exceeded my expectations. Well written, well-edited, and all-around a story well told. For being a topic and genre I don't have a lot of interest in, this book captivated me.
A few of my favorite things about O To Be Like Thee:
- The tone. The story is told in first-person perspective, and I really enjoyed the main character's (Corey's) voice.
- The characters. OH THE CHARACTERS. How did the author manage to make me care about them in such a small amount of time?? I felt like I was barely into the book when I encountered a scene that had me (almost) in tears over a character.
- The theme of hymns throughout. Some of my favorite moments were when Corey would sneak away to the keyboard and play and sing hymns that related to situations he was experiencing. It was something I could relate to and it just added a beautiful layer to the story.
The main take-away I have is that this story has a lot of heart. It covers a topic that matters to the author, and it shows. I think that makes the best kinds of books.
And let me say it exceeded my expectations. Well written, well-edited, and all-around a story well told. For being a topic and genre I don't have a lot of interest in, this book captivated me.
A few of my favorite things about O To Be Like Thee:
- The tone. The story is told in first-person perspective, and I really enjoyed the main character's (Corey's) voice.
- The characters. OH THE CHARACTERS. How did the author manage to make me care about them in such a small amount of time?? I felt like I was barely into the book when I encountered a scene that had me (almost) in tears over a character.
- The theme of hymns throughout. Some of my favorite moments were when Corey would sneak away to the keyboard and play and sing hymns that related to situations he was experiencing. It was something I could relate to and it just added a beautiful layer to the story.
The main take-away I have is that this story has a lot of heart. It covers a topic that matters to the author, and it shows. I think that makes the best kinds of books.
December 2, 2025
Another 5 stars and 10 bleeding hearts for the magnificent Kassie Angle.
Corey's story almost made me cry more times than I could care to keep track of. Wartime friendships are almost legendary for a reason. Maybe, though heartbreaking as it is, that's a good thing. Then it's easier for us to remember.
So that people like Corey and Kinley and Kendall won't be forgotten.
Corey's story almost made me cry more times than I could care to keep track of. Wartime friendships are almost legendary for a reason. Maybe, though heartbreaking as it is, that's a good thing. Then it's easier for us to remember.
So that people like Corey and Kinley and Kendall won't be forgotten.
July 14, 2022
Oh, wow. I just found out a new love--military Fiction!!! 😍😍
This book was SO, SO GOOD!!! I was in tears at the end.
Corey is just the SWEETEST!!
And Kendall. Eeps! 🥰🥰
A definite must-read for anyone who loves military-fiction!
This book was SO, SO GOOD!!! I was in tears at the end.
Corey is just the SWEETEST!!
And Kendall. Eeps! 🥰🥰
A definite must-read for anyone who loves military-fiction!
May 18, 2022
There are hundreds of things I could mention about this book... so I'll just say the most important one. I will never forget Corey, McKinley, Randall, or the others.
And for those who've read it, here's a little gift: McKinley's song. http://freescripturesongs.org/why-art...
And for those who've read it, here's a little gift: McKinley's song. http://freescripturesongs.org/why-art...
November 14, 2020
Seriously, this book should be a bestseller!!!
And I would love to see it as a movie! :)
If you haven't read it yet, you have to! The story was amazing! I laughed like crazy and cried a lot. It's wonderful!
And I would love to see it as a movie! :)
If you haven't read it yet, you have to! The story was amazing! I laughed like crazy and cried a lot. It's wonderful!
July 31, 2020
So, yeah, no words. I just love it though!
June 11, 2022
I guess I never really thought too much about soldiers and veterans, or the army in general.
Kassie Angle changed that.
From the moment I stepped into the story, it opened my eyes to what I hadn't seen before.
I really felt like I was right there beside the characters. I felt their happiness and I laughed along with them, I felt their sadness and heartache and I cried with them.
O to be Like Thee is one of the best of Kassie's books that I have read, and defiantly the best military fiction book I have ever read.
Kassie Angle changed that.
From the moment I stepped into the story, it opened my eyes to what I hadn't seen before.
I really felt like I was right there beside the characters. I felt their happiness and I laughed along with them, I felt their sadness and heartache and I cried with them.
O to be Like Thee is one of the best of Kassie's books that I have read, and defiantly the best military fiction book I have ever read.
January 31, 2021
Review from 2019
Okay, so I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before or not, but I love the army and I love military medical units, regardless of branch. I love a novel about medics (I mean, Seth is one of my favorite characters from my books and he’s a doctor’s aide 😉). This book combines these passions and oh! I love it so much!
We follow the story of LT Corban “Corey” Schreiber, a medic stationed in Afghanistan and his relationship with a new friend, Mayson McKinley (Already, I love this guy! Mayson…kinda partial to that name even if the spelling is different…). I used to live near a military base and I have army in my family, so this story really hit home for me.
Kassie handled topics such as blaming one’s self for someone’s death, mild PTSD, grieving a loved one and how things change after deployment for a service member. And she did it very well! Having been raised on army bases across the globe, Kassie knows what she is talking about. And her writing style is to the point and heart wrenching. Few books actually make me cry. I can think of…five that made me cry and one of them was mine, so it doesn’t count, lol! This book made me cry several times. It’s so…real. Even though the story is from Corey’s Point of View (POV), I felt I could connect with him. She did something few books I’ve read about the military have done. She made Corey human, not some larger than life superhero who can handle anything. He had struggles. He had feelings. He wasn’t a robot, but a person.
While there is some blood mentioned in the story, and injuries discussed, nothing was exceedingly graphic. I would read it to my younger siblings, no problem.
I will not forget this story. It hit home for me on a deep level and brought me to an even stronger appreciation for our servicemen.
Okay, so I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before or not, but I love the army and I love military medical units, regardless of branch. I love a novel about medics (I mean, Seth is one of my favorite characters from my books and he’s a doctor’s aide 😉). This book combines these passions and oh! I love it so much!
We follow the story of LT Corban “Corey” Schreiber, a medic stationed in Afghanistan and his relationship with a new friend, Mayson McKinley (Already, I love this guy! Mayson…kinda partial to that name even if the spelling is different…). I used to live near a military base and I have army in my family, so this story really hit home for me.
Kassie handled topics such as blaming one’s self for someone’s death, mild PTSD, grieving a loved one and how things change after deployment for a service member. And she did it very well! Having been raised on army bases across the globe, Kassie knows what she is talking about. And her writing style is to the point and heart wrenching. Few books actually make me cry. I can think of…five that made me cry and one of them was mine, so it doesn’t count, lol! This book made me cry several times. It’s so…real. Even though the story is from Corey’s Point of View (POV), I felt I could connect with him. She did something few books I’ve read about the military have done. She made Corey human, not some larger than life superhero who can handle anything. He had struggles. He had feelings. He wasn’t a robot, but a person.
While there is some blood mentioned in the story, and injuries discussed, nothing was exceedingly graphic. I would read it to my younger siblings, no problem.
I will not forget this story. It hit home for me on a deep level and brought me to an even stronger appreciation for our servicemen.
August 29, 2022
RTC!! 😍
June 19, 2024
Wow!
This book opened a whole new horizon for me. Although I knew soldiers were offering a lot up for freedom, I never really thought about some of the more “backstage players” of the army - namely, the medics.
The story was well written, even though it’s not a style I usually read. And the best part was, to my very great delight that, unlike other military related stories, this one had literally NO romance!!
It’s a pretty easy read, too, and not gory (although very sad!).
Highly recommend!
This book opened a whole new horizon for me. Although I knew soldiers were offering a lot up for freedom, I never really thought about some of the more “backstage players” of the army - namely, the medics.
The story was well written, even though it’s not a style I usually read. And the best part was, to my very great delight that, unlike other military related stories, this one had literally NO romance!!
It’s a pretty easy read, too, and not gory (although very sad!).
Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews