Shoot the Wounded

Wounded #1

by Lynn Dove

SHOOT THE WOUNDED is a contemporary Christian novel that deals with relevant social issues such as teen pregnancy and family violence. Set in the small fictional town of Maplewood, in southern Alberta, best friends Leigh and Ronnie find their friendship and faith challenged when Jake, a good looking Christian boy, moves into their neighborhood. Leigh is especially delighted that Jake is paying more attention to her than any other girl at school or church, but what she does not know is that despite his bold declaration of being a follower of Christ, he's carrying a dark secret from his past that has the potential to destroy his integrity and have his friends question the legitimacy of his faith.

Finalist in the 2010 Readers Favorite Book Awards.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Christian

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

http://lynndove.com/
Lynn's debut novel, "Shoot the Wounded" was a finalist in the 2010 Readers Favorite Book Awards. The 2nd book in the "Wounded Trilogy" - "Heal the Wounded" was a Bronze Medal WINNER in the 2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards, and "Love the Wounded" the final book in the trilogy was awarded the prestigious Literary Classic's "Seal of Approval" and the Silver Medal WINNER in the 2013 Literary Classics Book Awards for excellence in children's literature. Lynn's blog,"Journey Thoughts", with a readership of over 13 million and thousands of followers, was the WINNER of the 2011 Canadian Christian Writing Awards, and shortlisted for the David Mainse Blog of the Year Award in 2018. (Word Awards)

Reviews

[Ellen Maze · Rating 5 out of 5]

5-Stars all the way for this moving yet delightful peek into the life of teenagers Leigh, Ronnie and Jake. The book opens with a funeral and works its way backward from there with ingenious and masterful plot-work arranged carefully so that I was never confused or distracted from the story web that was woven around me.

This book deals with how to live out your faith as a teen, face up to peer pressure, resist temptation, teen pregnancy and the stressful interpersonal relationships among different cliques. All these themes and more are covered, executed in a wonderful prose that I’m confident you’ll appreciate.

It is obvious to me that Lynn Dove is an artist, weaving words into a story as few writers can. Christian teens will be greatly encouraged by reading this book and I look forward to seeing more from her as she explores the stories God has given her to share.

As for the title, I asked my husband what it meant because I’d never heard that phrase. He said that he’d heard a preacher once say that Christians are the only people who shoot their own wounded. When asked to clarify, he said that Christians see another believer yanked into despair and sin and they berate and judge them harshly instead of lifting them up and reminding them of the love of God. In that sense, the title is perfect for this story. Well done, Lynn! Amen and amen.

Ellen C Maze
Author of Curiously Spiritual Vampire Tales
Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider
Out of the Darkness and Into the Light

[Tracy Krauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a contemporary Christian novel for youth, SHOOT THE WOUNDED delivers the gospel with enough angst that it is sure to meet with the approval of today’s teen. It delves into relevant topics such as teen pregnancy and family violence, mixed with the usual boy-girl relationships and coming of age themes common to YA fiction. In this book we see that being a Christian isn’t easy, and it certainly doesn’t mean you are perfect. SHOOT THE WOUNDED is the first in a trilogy by Canadian author Lynn Dove and sets the stage for its equaling engrossing sequel, HEAL THE WOUNDED. This is a set that should be in every school, church and public library.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from First Reads.

This book was about the interactions between high school students at a school in Canada. The main characters are Leigh, a girl who has been raised in a traditional Christian home, Ronnie, Leigh's best friend who becomes pregnant during the book, and Jake, a new kid who lives on Leigh's street and carries a dark secret from his past. The first thing that I thought when I got this book was... "Whoa. It's not even 200 pages. How good can such a short book be?" I looked in the back and saw that the author has written short stories and I was sort of let down by that... I always read huge, 500+ page books during my free time. But this book was surprisingly good for such a short novel.

I wasn't totally impressed with the first half of the book- I was leaning toward giving it three stars. But then Jake's history is finally revealed and I loved the book from then on!

The writing style was not really bad, but it wasn't my type of writing. Like I said earlier, the author had written short stories before, and I could definitely tell- each chapter was like its own little short story. That's not a bad thing though, and it would make the book an easy read for reluctant readers.

Overall, this is a great story about high schoolers showing Christian love and compassion towards others, especially the ones that society shuns the most. While I wouldn't recommend it for advanced readers (simply because I think they might be a bit bored by it) I would definitely recommend it to reluctant older teenage readers and kids 12 and up.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Jill Williamson

Best friends Leigh and Ronnie have grown apart now that they are in high school. But then Jake movies to town and seems to bring them back together. At first. Then the rumors start. And Leigh can’t believe that her friends could have done the things people say. Her heart is broken. What is it with people who claim to be Christians but don’t live like one?

This was a gripping book. I read through it in one day. What I liked most about it, and what I think makes it different from every other Christian contemporary teen book I’ve read, is that it deals with assumption. We all do this. We assume we know what’s going on everywhere. We hear something—what is truly a rumor or gossip—and we accept it as fact. We jump to what we feel is the obvious conclusion. Then we let it color our opinion of a person. I really enjoyed thinking about this as I read this story and watched what happened as people assumed they knew what was going on. This is a great read for teens.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this very emotional, riveting story. It should be read by anyone who works closely with Christian teenagers, and, of course, by teenagers themselves. Lynn Dove creates a very realistic look at teenage relationships, rebellion, the damage of rumor mills, and the contrast between the way Christians are tempted to respond to mistakes made by others and the way we actually should respond. Our response can actually make the difference in whether the person becomes stronger in their faith or turns their back on it altogether. The characters can be seen in any high school or youth group: the insecure friend, the person who thinks they need to rebel and behave differently to be accepted by someone, the jealous, vindictive person, and the person who will do whatever they need to in order to help someone else and often pays a price for it. I can't wait to read the other two books that are planned in this series, and will be telling others who work with youth about this one!

[Scarlett Sims · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I was wary of reading this book because it is "Christian Fiction" and I was ready to criticize the theology and writing. Overall, the book was better than I expected. I'll describe it in a pro/con format.

Cons:
The problem with a lot of Christian media (I'm looking at you, Facing the Giants) is that everything turns out ok in the end. I think these stories would be stronger if the characters didn't get what they needed/wanted but stayed faithful to God anyway. This story isn't as bad as some, Jake is shown as remaining faithful during rough times, but I think all of that gets a little lost.

I wasn't crazy about the writing style. It just seemed... unpolished? And there were several times where the author would launch into random descriptions of things I just didn't think were important or relevant in this type of book.

The following isn't a spoiler because you find it out in the first few pages of the book: The girl who gets teen pregnant dies. Actually it wasn't done poorly, ie it didn't seem like a 1970s "whoever misbehaves gets punished" type thing, but I still feel like there could have been more done with that character.

Pros:
The theology wasn't bad, it just wasn't all evident in the outcomes. For example, Jake telling Ronnie she can't lose her salvation. That is a biggie. The characters were also focused on forgiveness and being called to God, rather than just deciding it's what you wanna do one day.

The characters were frustratingly realistic. For example, the church rumor mill situations. However, just because the people did things that weren't so nice, they weren't portrayed as not being Christian because of it. They were people who made some mistakes and then were sorry about it, sometimes too late. So this book didn't have a 100% dichotomy of "these are good Christian people these are bad non-Christians." Pretty much every major character in the book was Christian and they were humanly flawed, except for a few times when Jake was way too good.

It wasn't a bad read, it just wasn't a great read. I think if the writing style had been a little better I would have liked it more, and I also think people need to come to grips with the fact that things don't work out perfectly all the time for Christians any more than they do for everyone else.

[Cindy Huff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shoot the Wounded by Lynn Dove the first book in her Wounded Trilogy had a great theme. Shooting the wounded is a statement often used in Christian circles to define self-righteous and judgmental attitudes toward fellow-believers struggling with sin. Lynn did a good job of making that point clear.
However, her delivery was disappointing for me. There were too many plot lines and too many POV characters. I found myself confused with so much head jumping. I would have preferred a couple of POV (points of view) to follow. According to the back cover this book is about the teens. Adding all the internal voices of the parents made this book slow moving. Seeing the actions of the adults through the teen’s POV I feel would have made it more powerful. The reader would have discovered the parent’s motives right along with the teens.

More show and less tell.The narrator was always explaining to me what the character was really thinking and why. The dialog told me so much I didn’t need to be told what the character meant by what he said. Again I was in the head of too many characters. This is a youth fiction but the dialogue seemed at times too mature for teens.Perhaps Canadian young people speak more like adults then they do here in the US.

There were excellent plot twists that tied the story up nicely. And at just the right moment when I least expected them they made the conclusion more satisfying.

I felt Jake was too perfect. And he had no interaction with his guy friends to make me believe he truly cared about them.If Mike was Jake’s BFF they didn’t have many significant scenes together. Some conversation together about Jake’s faith so the prayer scene for Mike’s salvation was more significant.
The narrator’s POV drew me away from emotionally connecting with these characters. I didn’t care about them internally.Rather I found myself wondering why the author used a certain word or why the kids used a payphone in one scene when it was apparent a few chapters later they had cell phones.

My own family has been the target of these kinds of Christian shootings on more than one occasion so I relate to this story. The facts are true in the Christian world and need to be told over and over again.I commend Lynn for taking on the task.

[Mandy Trouten · Rating 5 out of 5]

When an aunt in Canada sent me these books, I opened the package and thought "Ok, teen books. Worse case, I'll read them to say I did." Now, I want to know what happens next in Leigh's, Jake's and Tim's lives. There was a wide, very realistic, array of personalities used for the characters. Even living a country away from Lynn, there were many times when I felt as if I was reading about people in my life. Page after page, I would feel as if a character was a near mirror image of someone I know. Leigh and Jake very clearly grow up in good, solid homes, raised by parents who are, with few exceptions, loving and firm in their actions. Even if you're not Christian, they are the kind of people you would want your kids to be around, simply because they are good role models. Even so, they're not perfect. They make mistakes. They occasionally jump to the wrong conclusions and make colossal mistakes.
As an anti-abuse advocate, I love that Lynn very specifically wrote dysfunctional families, domestic abuse and peer bullying into the lives of characters. Where some authors merely mention it with the occasional scene, Lynn made it a constant part of the story line, as it is in real life. A family doesn't become dysfunctional with an individual occurrence, then move on. Peer bullying isn't defined by an individual insult or physical assault. Abuse is an ongoing thing that takes hold of the victim's and perpetrator's lives, developing with time, warping their perspectives and, by their subsequent choices, affecting the lives of those around them. I plan on reading Love the Wounded as soon as it comes out.

--Mandy
www.mandytrouten.com
www.facebook.com/mandytrouten

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the seeds of doubt or suspicion take root, they become watered with additional thoughts on it and begin to grow, soon becoming fact in our own suspicious little minds. So it goes with "Shoot the Wounded" when things appear a certain way. We are quick to point the finger and "shoot" our own. Christians are just as guilty as non-Christians in their finger-pointing. It quickly worsens when we verbalize our suspicions with others. They then add water to an already growing perceived "truth," feeling free to spread this as fact to others, sometimes disguised as prayer requests. Even when the gossip proves false, the scars remain. There could also remain some thread of doubt among the accusers. Mistrust. Wonder.

Because of the believability of a story, I haven't come across too many really good Christian books but this one hits the spot! While it's true that I almost wrote the ending of this one off as "contrived," the author pulled it together nicely.
____
March 18, 2020 -
Okay so as I’m reading this for the second time several years later, I, and I’m sure others think, most of these characters, especially Jake, don’t seem realistic. What high school student is that goody-two-shoed? Who thinks to pray at every turn?

5 stars first reading; 3 stars second reading

[Ladette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lynn Dove does an excellent job recreating a story about challenges and frustrations that many go through in their youth. Her characters have depth and come alive in this story that is mostly about three young people, Leigh, Ronnie and Jake. Leigh and Ronnie are great friends, until high school when everything changes, at least with Ronnie. She's hanging out with new friends, doing new stuff and denying her faith with her life. Leigh is hurt and frustrated as well as lonely. Enter Jake, the new kid in town. He's good looking, a Christian and seems to really like Leigh. As the year wears on, they become very close friends. Just friends and while Leigh is okay with that, she also realizes she's falling for him. Then, suddenly Ronnie is back in her life and it's like nothing has changed between them. As Leigh and Jake help Ronnie pass her classes and get back on track, Leigh notices that she is getting left out and it seems more Ronnie and Jake than Leigh and Jake. In a classic bout of jealousy and hurt, Leigh steps away just when Ronnie needs her the most, so Jake must step in and step up. Can the three work things out before it's too late? What is Jake and Ronnie's relationship really about? How will the past affect them all?

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I really enjoyed this book. Lynn Dove has done a great job with uncomfortable issues that face many Christians today, especially teenagers. I took particular notice of all the good Christian people in the book that did not handle “taboo” subjects/situations well. This book had me reflecting on my own actions as a Christian and how I had handled those situations. Any book that has me asking myself questions on how I can better myself I feel is a good book. It is an emotional book so be prepared. Although a fictional plot, this is one of those books that you could see being a true storyline in your community and/or church. Well done to Lynn Dove, thank you! Although my children are a little young right now to read this book I look forward to sharing it with them as they reach their middle school/teenage years. This book is an extremely quick read and once you get into the storyline the book is hard to put down.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. What a great giveaway program, thank you to Lynn for making this book available. I am extrememly greatful that this book made it into my hands to read. I look forward to sharing it with others.

[Bill Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, a powerful tale. High impact, covers a lot of teenage issues in a nice way. Must read for YA.

Teenage pregnancy is a major problem in our country, what about those who are Christian or in a Christian family? Is the guilt greater within such a family? Lynn Dove handles this issue with compassion and a real feel for teenagers.

What about being falsely accused of being involved with such a young woman? Matters are not always what they appear to be. Would you jump to false conclusions readily? How would you handle an explosive situation like this? Just some of the exciting and life changing questions in "Shoot the Wounded".

[Lynn Dove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoot the Wounded has been named a finalist in the 2010 Readers Favorite Book Awards!!
http://readersfavorite.com/cat-71.htm...

[Johnsimilien]

its a great book i love it and thnx Breann ryan to send to me

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good I wish more people read this type of book.

[Jessica cousins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good!! A very good eyeopener as a Christian teenage girl, i couldn’t put it down and read it in a day.

[Chas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as a First Read from Goodreads. While this is not the sort of book I would usually buy, I am grateful for the first read opportunity and was determined to approach the book with an open mind.
1) This is really a novella, not a novel.
2) Author explores themes of drug use, unwed pregnancy, Christian religion, teen angst. Probably due in part to the short length, these themes are treated superficially. Frankly, I prefer to draw my own conclusions rather than have the author draw them for me.
3) Overall, a gentle book and I hope the author matures with practice and allows her readers to connect the dots on their own.

Quibble: I find the idea that a 6 or 7 year old can knowledgeably "accept" Christ as their savior as unlikely as a child of that age choosing a lifelong political party. I am willing to concede that young children will do whatever they feel will make their parents happy. But to characterize this as "accepting Christ" is simply a non-starter. Such an informed decision presupposes one has examined facts, weighed alternatives, assigned value to criteria and employed critical thinking; this is simply not on the horizon of most 6 & 7 year olds.

[Frank · Rating 1 out of 5]

This should be an interesting read...thanks free Giveaways!

Review update...6/16
This was one of the most depressed, horrific, implied violent books I have ever read. And a Christian "save the soul" book at that!! Ever page was full of abuse, mistrust, lack of support to others...the characters read like a bunch of zombies with no brains who after every "scene" thought to themselves "gee I should have been a better person and reacted more positively with support" but they do nothing about it. There are loose ends all over the place...and I really found not one bit of happiness in this book.
I read it because I won it as a Goodreads Giveaway, but honestly, sadly I wouldn't dare reccommend it to anyone.

[Shelley Hitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally don't read many fiction novels, but decided to read Shoot the Wounded this weekend while on a camping trip. Once I started, I couldn't put it down! The story was not only intriguing and kept me reading but had deep meaning as well. I appreciate how Lynn wove in Biblical truths (loving our enemies, sharing our faith, showing mercy and compassion, etc.) as well as relevant topics to our culture (teen pregnancy, gossiping, bullying). Wonderful story with a great message. Highly recommended!

[L.T. Kodzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

COuldn't finish. Sorry. The characters were too preachy for me.