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The Resurrection
When Ruby Case, an unassuming crippled woman, inexplicably raises a boy from the dead, she creates uproar in the quiet coastal town of Stonetree. Some brand her a witch, others a miracle worker. Yet Reverend Ian Clark could care less. Dogged by demons and immersed in self-pity, Clark is being unwittingly drawn into a secret religious order--one that threatens his very life. But he's about to get a wake-up call.
Together, Ruby and Reverend Clark are thrust into a search for answers... and a collision with unspeakable darkness. For behind the quaint tourist shops and artist colonies lies a history of deceit. And a presence more malignant than anything they can imagine. Yet a battle is brewing, the resurrection is the first volley, and the unlikely duo are the only ones who can save them. But can they overcome their own brokenness in time to stop the evil, or will they be its next victim?
Together, Ruby and Reverend Clark are thrust into a search for answers... and a collision with unspeakable darkness. For behind the quaint tourist shops and artist colonies lies a history of deceit. And a presence more malignant than anything they can imagine. Yet a battle is brewing, the resurrection is the first volley, and the unlikely duo are the only ones who can save them. But can they overcome their own brokenness in time to stop the evil, or will they be its next victim?
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
9 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Mike Duran
18 books197 followersMIKE DURAN is a novelist, artist, and freelance writer. Mike writes fiction and non-fiction. He is the author of THE GHOST BOX (Blue Crescent Press, 2014), which was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the best indie novels of 2015 and first in a paranoir series that continues with SAINT DEATH (2016), and THE THIRD GOLEM (2020). He's also the author of several novellas, including KEEPER OF THE WOODS (2024), THE VISITANT (2022), and WICKERS BOG (2016). In addition, Mike has written several non-fiction titles including CHRISTIAN HORROR: ON THE COMPATABILITY OF A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW AND THE HORROR GENRE (2023) and CHRISTIANS & CONSPIRACY THEORIES (2023). Mike's short stories, essays, and commentary have appeared in Breakpoint, Relief Journal, Cemetery Gates Media, The Gospel Coalition, The Stream, Relevant Online, Bewildering Stories, Rue Morgue, Zombies magazine, and other print and digital outlets. Mike is interested in religion, science, conspiracism, media, books & monsters. You can learn more about Mike Duran, his writing projects, cultural commentary, philosophical musings, and arcane interests, at his website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 5, 2012
The Resurrection is a Peretti-style spiritual warfare novel. It takes place in a small town, with a preacher and certain members of his congregation smack in the center of the battleground.
First up--Ruby Case, church member. She's got rock-solid faith. Is she flawed? Well, she has a limp...but she's the kind of woman you would want babysitting your kids because she's loyal, trustworthy, and has a heart of gold. She really made me think about the whole "perfect Christian character" thing that is so prevalent in Christian fiction. It's actually not the "goodness" that makes those characters annoying. Ruby is "good." She doesn't have a seedy past or fatal flaw (unless you count a stubborn independent streak). Those are techniques used by some Christian authors to show that they have "flawed" Christian characters. But here's the truth--some Christians are just genuinely good people. The thing is, though, they are not pious. And the characters in Christian fiction who come across as annoyingly good are actually pious and self-righteous scripture-quoting cardboard cut-outs. Ruby is not. She 's got serious depth. So while I couldn't point my finger and say, "Look, see, he made her 'flawed' so this book is really edgy," I can say she was real.
Reverend Ian Clark...no rock solid faith here. More like rock slide. This guy is totally on the fence, full of doubts, feeling like a faker in front of his congregation. Talk about a flawed character. But it does come from somewhere. He's suffered some real loss that made him feel the way he does. My gripe? I would have liked to see more of that past. Some really emotional flashbacks that give me a clear picture of his love for and closeness to his sister whose death set him on the edge. It would have endeared him to me, and I would have connected to his pain. However, I couldn't help but wonder if Mike didn't include that stuff on purpose. Maybe he wanted us to see Clark as a big slug, so we spend the first half of the book thinking, "Man up, you big wuss."
Side characters: Jack is Ruby's loving and devoted husband, who has left the church because of its hypocrisy. Vin is Ruby's best friend. The tattooed ex-druggie has a strength Ruby wishes she could muster, and a faith that comes from true thankfulness for the grace God has shown her. Both characters added richness to the story. There are others, of course, but telling you much about them will just be giving spoilers....
The Conflict. Ruby's touch seemingly brings a dead boy back to life. The town is in an uproar. Half of them think she's a saint and people come to her with gifts and requests for miracles. The other half think she's a witch or worse. All she wants is to be left alone, and come to terms with the reason God used her. She ends up drawn into a search of the town's history, though, when echoes of her experience bring forth information about past events that are eerily familiar. Clark, of course, is turned to as the spiritual leader--but how can he fulfill this role when he holds so many doubts? Work in a section of town that seems steeped in new age religion and pagan idol worship, and a friend of Clark's who is tugging hard on his strings of doubt.
The Plot. Hm. In the end, I could say, "Well done." In the middle, I felt it was disjointed at times. Not that it was hard to follow. But there were times when I felt something was introduced, to then be dropped, and the focus shift was slightly jarring to me. But the ending brought all the threads together smoothly. Any bumps in the road were very much worth it because of the destination.
Lastly, the thing that warranted an author's "afterward" in the book. Mr. Cellophane. The spirit who haunts Rev. Clark. I will leave you with this statement, and I want you to think about the difference in its meaning depending on whether I stuck five stars or one star next to my review: "Thanks for the nightmares, Mike." ;)
First up--Ruby Case, church member. She's got rock-solid faith. Is she flawed? Well, she has a limp...but she's the kind of woman you would want babysitting your kids because she's loyal, trustworthy, and has a heart of gold. She really made me think about the whole "perfect Christian character" thing that is so prevalent in Christian fiction. It's actually not the "goodness" that makes those characters annoying. Ruby is "good." She doesn't have a seedy past or fatal flaw (unless you count a stubborn independent streak). Those are techniques used by some Christian authors to show that they have "flawed" Christian characters. But here's the truth--some Christians are just genuinely good people. The thing is, though, they are not pious. And the characters in Christian fiction who come across as annoyingly good are actually pious and self-righteous scripture-quoting cardboard cut-outs. Ruby is not. She 's got serious depth. So while I couldn't point my finger and say, "Look, see, he made her 'flawed' so this book is really edgy," I can say she was real.
Reverend Ian Clark...no rock solid faith here. More like rock slide. This guy is totally on the fence, full of doubts, feeling like a faker in front of his congregation. Talk about a flawed character. But it does come from somewhere. He's suffered some real loss that made him feel the way he does. My gripe? I would have liked to see more of that past. Some really emotional flashbacks that give me a clear picture of his love for and closeness to his sister whose death set him on the edge. It would have endeared him to me, and I would have connected to his pain. However, I couldn't help but wonder if Mike didn't include that stuff on purpose. Maybe he wanted us to see Clark as a big slug, so we spend the first half of the book thinking, "Man up, you big wuss."
Side characters: Jack is Ruby's loving and devoted husband, who has left the church because of its hypocrisy. Vin is Ruby's best friend. The tattooed ex-druggie has a strength Ruby wishes she could muster, and a faith that comes from true thankfulness for the grace God has shown her. Both characters added richness to the story. There are others, of course, but telling you much about them will just be giving spoilers....
The Conflict. Ruby's touch seemingly brings a dead boy back to life. The town is in an uproar. Half of them think she's a saint and people come to her with gifts and requests for miracles. The other half think she's a witch or worse. All she wants is to be left alone, and come to terms with the reason God used her. She ends up drawn into a search of the town's history, though, when echoes of her experience bring forth information about past events that are eerily familiar. Clark, of course, is turned to as the spiritual leader--but how can he fulfill this role when he holds so many doubts? Work in a section of town that seems steeped in new age religion and pagan idol worship, and a friend of Clark's who is tugging hard on his strings of doubt.
The Plot. Hm. In the end, I could say, "Well done." In the middle, I felt it was disjointed at times. Not that it was hard to follow. But there were times when I felt something was introduced, to then be dropped, and the focus shift was slightly jarring to me. But the ending brought all the threads together smoothly. Any bumps in the road were very much worth it because of the destination.
Lastly, the thing that warranted an author's "afterward" in the book. Mr. Cellophane. The spirit who haunts Rev. Clark. I will leave you with this statement, and I want you to think about the difference in its meaning depending on whether I stuck five stars or one star next to my review: "Thanks for the nightmares, Mike." ;)
June 4, 2013
The Resurrection was my first foray into “Christian Horror.” I won this book from the author at Christmas and it has been sitting and waiting for me to read it. I was apprehensive because I don’t like horror–it scares me. I don’t watch scary movies, and I swore off horror books after Stephen King’s Misery. But I felt I owed Mike Duran a chance (I follow his blog and really enjoy his perspective on things: http://mikeduran.com/), so I read The Resurrection. And enjoyed it a lot.
Was it scary? No, it wasn’t. Not Stephen King scary. Or Friday the 13th scary. I would label it Christian Noir instead of Horror. The Resurrection certainly has dark overtones, but that’s because it deals with the problem of the occult, not because it’s meant to be scary, per se. Are there dark supernatural forces at work in the real world? You’d better believe there are. The Bible says so. But the Bible also says that Jesus has overcome this world (John 16:33). If you believe that, then there’s nothing in this book to scare you, but plenty of things to make you think.
Theme/Theology: Go(o)d vs. Evil
Ruby Case prays over a young boy’s corpse at a funeral and asks God to have mercy on his family. The next thing she knows, the boy sits up, alive, as if he’s just been asleep. Can you imagine how people would react? Well, that’s exactly what the book is about. Some believe, some want to worship Ruby, some think she’s a witch and want to kill her. What does her pastor think? Well, that’s the thing. Her pastor has lost his way, and this resurrection is the wake-up call he needs to get him back on track, or send him over to the wrong side forever.
The Resurrection explores our reaction to miracles, as well as the supernatural warfare that rages around us.
Rating: PG-13
The Resurrection is a smart book written by a highly intelligent man. It is not fluff by any means. While I think a teen could pick it up and read it, I wonder how much they would really understand the subject matter. It’s not just Mike Duran’s vocabulary that’s challenging, it’s the lens he views the world through that makes you pay attention as you read. This book is chewy, in a good way.
Social Issues:
The occult. Politics in the church. Miraculous gifting. Universalism. Ghosts. The supernatural.
Some will read this list of topics and not want to read The Resurrection. If you’re on the fence about whether this book is for you, I will say that the topics are treated in such a way that they didn’t affect my conscience or make me uncomfortable. On the contrary, some of Mike Duran’s points both made me think and rang with truth. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how these topics are treated.
Now I can reach for the other Mike Duran books on my shelf with a bit more confidence.
Was it scary? No, it wasn’t. Not Stephen King scary. Or Friday the 13th scary. I would label it Christian Noir instead of Horror. The Resurrection certainly has dark overtones, but that’s because it deals with the problem of the occult, not because it’s meant to be scary, per se. Are there dark supernatural forces at work in the real world? You’d better believe there are. The Bible says so. But the Bible also says that Jesus has overcome this world (John 16:33). If you believe that, then there’s nothing in this book to scare you, but plenty of things to make you think.
Theme/Theology: Go(o)d vs. Evil
Ruby Case prays over a young boy’s corpse at a funeral and asks God to have mercy on his family. The next thing she knows, the boy sits up, alive, as if he’s just been asleep. Can you imagine how people would react? Well, that’s exactly what the book is about. Some believe, some want to worship Ruby, some think she’s a witch and want to kill her. What does her pastor think? Well, that’s the thing. Her pastor has lost his way, and this resurrection is the wake-up call he needs to get him back on track, or send him over to the wrong side forever.
The Resurrection explores our reaction to miracles, as well as the supernatural warfare that rages around us.
Rating: PG-13
The Resurrection is a smart book written by a highly intelligent man. It is not fluff by any means. While I think a teen could pick it up and read it, I wonder how much they would really understand the subject matter. It’s not just Mike Duran’s vocabulary that’s challenging, it’s the lens he views the world through that makes you pay attention as you read. This book is chewy, in a good way.
Social Issues:
The occult. Politics in the church. Miraculous gifting. Universalism. Ghosts. The supernatural.
Some will read this list of topics and not want to read The Resurrection. If you’re on the fence about whether this book is for you, I will say that the topics are treated in such a way that they didn’t affect my conscience or make me uncomfortable. On the contrary, some of Mike Duran’s points both made me think and rang with truth. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how these topics are treated.
Now I can reach for the other Mike Duran books on my shelf with a bit more confidence.
July 9, 2019
Okay so there’s two main points for my rating:
First, this book really wasn’t that bad. I finished it so it wasn’t that it got too boring or that it was badly written. It’s kept my attention throughout the whole thing and that alone can be a challenge, so it’s got that much going for it
But...
I totally thought this was going to be more of a ghost story. I mean it’s titled the RESURRECTION, I thought at least part of it would have some insight to what the person saw or felt while they were dead. But I didn’t really get that. And then with the mention on Mr, Cellophane in the beginning, it hyped me up and sucked me right in to this story! A scary mysterious demon that haunts around a priest in the church?! That’s interesting!!! But there really wasn’t much about that either. So I’m a little disappointed that the book was mainly focused on the priest and his past and Ruby who accidentally performed the resurrection and how she was coping with it? I felt like the beginning really hyped up the story but then didn’t go anywhere with it. It could have been an incredibly scary book but instead was just more... bleh. Mediocre. I didn’t care for the ending really. It did tie up all the ends nicely but some parts of the story just seemed unnecessary. What was the point in Vinyette’s big reveal to Ruby? It didn’t really change her character and didn’t add to the story.
I don’t recommend this book if you’re looking for a good ghost story like I was.
First, this book really wasn’t that bad. I finished it so it wasn’t that it got too boring or that it was badly written. It’s kept my attention throughout the whole thing and that alone can be a challenge, so it’s got that much going for it
But...
I totally thought this was going to be more of a ghost story. I mean it’s titled the RESURRECTION, I thought at least part of it would have some insight to what the person saw or felt while they were dead. But I didn’t really get that. And then with the mention on Mr, Cellophane in the beginning, it hyped me up and sucked me right in to this story! A scary mysterious demon that haunts around a priest in the church?! That’s interesting!!! But there really wasn’t much about that either. So I’m a little disappointed that the book was mainly focused on the priest and his past and Ruby who accidentally performed the resurrection and how she was coping with it? I felt like the beginning really hyped up the story but then didn’t go anywhere with it. It could have been an incredibly scary book but instead was just more... bleh. Mediocre. I didn’t care for the ending really. It did tie up all the ends nicely but some parts of the story just seemed unnecessary. What was the point in Vinyette’s big reveal to Ruby? It didn’t really change her character and didn’t add to the story.
I don’t recommend this book if you’re looking for a good ghost story like I was.
February 11, 2011
The Resurrection is an intriguging book. At times I was a little lost, but most of the time, it had me hanging onto the edge of my seat. You have some interesting and typical characters. A mom with a bad hip she's had since birth, who pretty much does what is expected, is involved with a prayer group, is married and has two sons. There is a minister who is just going through the motions, he lost his way years ago and can't seem to find his way back to God. There are two other women in the prayer group with the main woman, Ruby, and one is the church secretary and there are a lot of strange goings-on that no one seems to notice in the town of Stonetree.
Looking back and writing the review - there is nothing really big that happens, just a lot of little things that come together to make the book. And those things make it interesting. This is one of those books where you do have to believe in the supernatural in it's good and evil forms being at work in the world, which I do. I found the plot fascinating and love the type of stories where a small town is the battleground for good and evil and how everyday characters can make the difference with God's help. The Resurrection is this type of book.
Mr. Duran's writing is wonderful - his words flow from the page and I never found myself going back to a passage to read it again to figure out what it meant. He is able to put his words on the page in such a magical way that you don't even realize you have read 100 pages in one sitting.
I look forward to reading more of his works and thinking on the ending and the significance of The Resurrection for some time in the future. I like a book that does that, makes me think and The Resurrection definitely does.
Looking back and writing the review - there is nothing really big that happens, just a lot of little things that come together to make the book. And those things make it interesting. This is one of those books where you do have to believe in the supernatural in it's good and evil forms being at work in the world, which I do. I found the plot fascinating and love the type of stories where a small town is the battleground for good and evil and how everyday characters can make the difference with God's help. The Resurrection is this type of book.
Mr. Duran's writing is wonderful - his words flow from the page and I never found myself going back to a passage to read it again to figure out what it meant. He is able to put his words on the page in such a magical way that you don't even realize you have read 100 pages in one sitting.
I look forward to reading more of his works and thinking on the ending and the significance of The Resurrection for some time in the future. I like a book that does that, makes me think and The Resurrection definitely does.
July 25, 2012
The Resurrection by Mike Duran is a spiritual thriller in the vein of Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness (minus the talking angels). It features a small Californian coastal village that's at the center of a spiritual storm - territorial and generational spirits, demonic influences, and supernatural warfare. The story has it all when it comes to Christian-themed realities. And the book's engaging hook - a modern day resurrection! - offers a gotta-read-it premise.
Duran is a solid writer, a very good story teller, and weaves thought-provoking truths and themes into his narrative. A drawback, for me, is that he's a bit top-heavy in characterization and describing settings. Plus his characters get a little talky when they start discussing the theological and philosophical underpinnings of the town's oppression. You're in for a bit of a Sunday school lesson during the first third of the book, in my opinion.
At about the half-way mark, however, the story starts to take off and is a thrill-ride once the "evil" (that hasn't made an appearance since that opening scene) finally shows up, which prompts the likable ensemble from Canyon Springs Community Church to move into action. It's not Scooby-Doo, but I did get the feeling that the secret cabal running the town would have simply continued in their deception if it weren't for 'those darn' Christians. Which is okay. I want my Christian suspense novels to end with a win for the home team. But lest you think I dropped a spoiler, Duran's commitment to realism and his narrative touch actually win out in the end, and the denouement is more complicated than a simple victory chant might imply.
Duran is a solid writer, a very good story teller, and weaves thought-provoking truths and themes into his narrative. A drawback, for me, is that he's a bit top-heavy in characterization and describing settings. Plus his characters get a little talky when they start discussing the theological and philosophical underpinnings of the town's oppression. You're in for a bit of a Sunday school lesson during the first third of the book, in my opinion.
At about the half-way mark, however, the story starts to take off and is a thrill-ride once the "evil" (that hasn't made an appearance since that opening scene) finally shows up, which prompts the likable ensemble from Canyon Springs Community Church to move into action. It's not Scooby-Doo, but I did get the feeling that the secret cabal running the town would have simply continued in their deception if it weren't for 'those darn' Christians. Which is okay. I want my Christian suspense novels to end with a win for the home team. But lest you think I dropped a spoiler, Duran's commitment to realism and his narrative touch actually win out in the end, and the denouement is more complicated than a simple victory chant might imply.
June 25, 2011
Mike Duran has written an engaging, character-driven paranormal thriller that should be well-received by fans of the genre. It’s a strong first novel, and I look forward to his next book.
The story is well-written, leads with a creepy, suspenseful hook, and marches at a brisk pace to its conclusion, with a couple of mild twists along the way. Duran gives us likable, human characters we can identify with, and root for, as they battle the evil that has overrun their little community. There are strong themes of courage, self-sacrifice, redemption, and perseverance in the face of powerful opposition and despite personal wounds and shortcomings. Good is rewarded and evil decisively punished, without a sense of preachiness or a forced moral at the end.
The story is well-written, leads with a creepy, suspenseful hook, and marches at a brisk pace to its conclusion, with a couple of mild twists along the way. Duran gives us likable, human characters we can identify with, and root for, as they battle the evil that has overrun their little community. There are strong themes of courage, self-sacrifice, redemption, and perseverance in the face of powerful opposition and despite personal wounds and shortcomings. Good is rewarded and evil decisively punished, without a sense of preachiness or a forced moral at the end.
March 1, 2012
Pros:
I just liked Mr. Cellophane. No real reason. I just did. I know Mike caught some theological complaints for him, but I think that he was important to making the story coherent.
I quite liked all the characters. Most of them were very vivid, and very identifiable. I would've liked to see more of each of them, but as it stands - quite good.
Cons:
As novels of this genre go, it's rather short. It's also played fairly straight, and rather predictable to anybody genre-saavy enough. I would've enjoyed it to be a little bit more in the not-real category.
Mike Duran is a skilled writer - I definitely would read more of his work.
I just liked Mr. Cellophane. No real reason. I just did. I know Mike caught some theological complaints for him, but I think that he was important to making the story coherent.
I quite liked all the characters. Most of them were very vivid, and very identifiable. I would've liked to see more of each of them, but as it stands - quite good.
Cons:
As novels of this genre go, it's rather short. It's also played fairly straight, and rather predictable to anybody genre-saavy enough. I would've enjoyed it to be a little bit more in the not-real category.
Mike Duran is a skilled writer - I definitely would read more of his work.
March 3, 2014
Ruby Case touches a young man and brings him back to life. As her little town reacts, she and her pastor uncover a very troubled history for the area. What does it all mean?
While not my normal genre, and I was captivated by this story and the characters. It was a well written debut novel, and I can't wait to see where the author goes next.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
While not my normal genre, and I was captivated by this story and the characters. It was a well written debut novel, and I can't wait to see where the author goes next.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
February 21, 2021
It's been a few days and I'm STILL thinking about this book!
Okay, so honestly, this is the kind of spiritual warfare book I WANT to read. Allegories are cool and all, but they can be so disconnected and fantastical that I tend to see them strictly as fiction. But God, Satan, Angels and Demons... it's all real. And, as a Christian, I think it's incredibly dangerous to fall into thinking of demonic influence and power as fairytale. I think it's easy to think of it that way though... Okay, enough.
The Resurrection didn't just brush over thing, it dove into some serious questions and concerns regarding faith, religion, the occult, healing, miracles, doubt, and the dangers of being "lukewarm." Sometimes I feel like such themes are glossed over for the sake of not stepping on toes or not being too "religious" or "preachy." Personally, I didn't find the book to be too preachy. It explored questions and possibilities and then it made its stand with a simple boldness.
The characters were interesting, but I didn't see them as very gimmicky. I mean, they were normal people. The type you come across in daily life. There was nothing terribly special about them and I think that's why I loved them.
Reverend Clark's faith has been shaken and he's teetering.
Ruby is a simple woman who is being used in an extraordinary way. (Have you read the Bible? That's a classic God play.)
Jack is rebelling against God, yet he stays true to his wife and does whatever he can to protect her. He just thinks maybe he should protect her from God. Silly boy.
And then there's Mr. Cellophane. I will take neither the defensive nor the offensive stance on this subject. Mr. Cellophane was necessary to this work of fiction and I enjoyed the mysterious and somewhat spooky element he brought.
Finally, let me gush over Mr. Duran's style of writing. Actually, no. I don't have the knowledge or skill to accurately express my excitement over his storytelling. This is my favorite style of writing. So many modern books don't spend a lot of time describing the scenery. The modern reader doesn't have the attention span for it. *wink wink* Maybe this is why I adore old books so much? Duran told me about trees and flowers and scents and sounds and made me so happy with his beautiful descriptions of the world his characters inhabited. I swoon.
The Resurrection caught me off guard, friends. I didn't expect to enjoy it so much. When I started reading, I almost couldn't put it down. It sucked me in. And in the moments I wasn't reading, I was either thinking or telling someone about it. If you're looking for a Spiritual Warfare kind of book, I can't recommend The Resurrection enough.
Okay, so honestly, this is the kind of spiritual warfare book I WANT to read. Allegories are cool and all, but they can be so disconnected and fantastical that I tend to see them strictly as fiction. But God, Satan, Angels and Demons... it's all real. And, as a Christian, I think it's incredibly dangerous to fall into thinking of demonic influence and power as fairytale. I think it's easy to think of it that way though... Okay, enough.
The Resurrection didn't just brush over thing, it dove into some serious questions and concerns regarding faith, religion, the occult, healing, miracles, doubt, and the dangers of being "lukewarm." Sometimes I feel like such themes are glossed over for the sake of not stepping on toes or not being too "religious" or "preachy." Personally, I didn't find the book to be too preachy. It explored questions and possibilities and then it made its stand with a simple boldness.
The characters were interesting, but I didn't see them as very gimmicky. I mean, they were normal people. The type you come across in daily life. There was nothing terribly special about them and I think that's why I loved them.
Reverend Clark's faith has been shaken and he's teetering.
Ruby is a simple woman who is being used in an extraordinary way. (Have you read the Bible? That's a classic God play.)
Jack is rebelling against God, yet he stays true to his wife and does whatever he can to protect her. He just thinks maybe he should protect her from God. Silly boy.
And then there's Mr. Cellophane. I will take neither the defensive nor the offensive stance on this subject. Mr. Cellophane was necessary to this work of fiction and I enjoyed the mysterious and somewhat spooky element he brought.
Finally, let me gush over Mr. Duran's style of writing. Actually, no. I don't have the knowledge or skill to accurately express my excitement over his storytelling. This is my favorite style of writing. So many modern books don't spend a lot of time describing the scenery. The modern reader doesn't have the attention span for it. *wink wink* Maybe this is why I adore old books so much? Duran told me about trees and flowers and scents and sounds and made me so happy with his beautiful descriptions of the world his characters inhabited. I swoon.
The Resurrection caught me off guard, friends. I didn't expect to enjoy it so much. When I started reading, I almost couldn't put it down. It sucked me in. And in the moments I wasn't reading, I was either thinking or telling someone about it. If you're looking for a Spiritual Warfare kind of book, I can't recommend The Resurrection enough.
May 15, 2020
"The Resurrection" is Mike Duran's first book; I had previously read and reviewed his second book, "The Telling." Again, this is well-written Christian horror fiction. The Evangelical Christianity is slightly too much "in your face" compared to "The Telling," but it does not become a bit off putting until near the end of the novel, and even then there is sufficient suspense to keep the reader going. The plot is similar to the second book; a preacher has lost his faith due to the death of his sister in a car accident and the subsequent devastation in his life, including a divorce from his wife. A woman in his congregation prays over a man at a funeral, but has no idea that after she prays and touches him the dead man will sit up, alive and well, in his coffin. This leads to a battle between good and evil that reminds me somewhat of the plot of some old Hammer films. There is a mysterious society of intellectuals, demonic "gods," a secret altar -- the author's descriptive powers are strong, so I imagined the scenery throughout. The grouping of witches and New Age people into one Satanic group was off putting, but that is standard Evangelical fare. One interesting aspect of the book is that it raises the possibility that ghosts exist, something that most Evangelical Christians are loathe to believe. Duran, in an appendix, mentions the possibility of ghosts or other entities and suggests that Evangelicals at least be open-minded about the possibility of their existence. The ghost described in the text is sufficiently creepy, different than many other ghosts in the literature. Duran has a knack for putting new twists on old tropes. Thus within its genre, I think it deserves four starts; it is an interesting, scary, and worthwhile read.
November 21, 2023
I had previously read Mike Duran's book Christian Horror and was very impressed by his research and perspective. As a born again author of dark and speculative works, I appreciate Mike's sensitivity and respect for both the horror genre and the Christian faith, with a clear emphasis on the latter.
This sensibility shines through in his novel The Resurrection. It's a Peretti-style spiritual warfare story that revolves around a specific town and the ancient evils that it hides. The writing is great, very nice descriptions, and it is definitely a page-turner. Plenty of intrigue and suspense to keep me interested. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the ending wasn't very satisfying in my opinion. Everything gets revealed, and then the big mystery kind of ends abruptly. But the writing is so good that I was still glad to have read the whole book. Bonus points for the afterword, which gives some of the author's insight into differing Christian views of supernatural beings such as ghosts.
Overall, I would recommend this to someone looking for Christian fiction that is dark but ultimately hopeful and not full of profanity, sex, and violence. Oh yeah, and actually well-written. In my search for speculative Christian fiction, that seems to be the most rare, but this book pulls it off.
This sensibility shines through in his novel The Resurrection. It's a Peretti-style spiritual warfare story that revolves around a specific town and the ancient evils that it hides. The writing is great, very nice descriptions, and it is definitely a page-turner. Plenty of intrigue and suspense to keep me interested. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the ending wasn't very satisfying in my opinion. Everything gets revealed, and then the big mystery kind of ends abruptly. But the writing is so good that I was still glad to have read the whole book. Bonus points for the afterword, which gives some of the author's insight into differing Christian views of supernatural beings such as ghosts.
Overall, I would recommend this to someone looking for Christian fiction that is dark but ultimately hopeful and not full of profanity, sex, and violence. Oh yeah, and actually well-written. In my search for speculative Christian fiction, that seems to be the most rare, but this book pulls it off.
April 26, 2019
While this had just the right amount of supernatural material to keep me engaged, the whole premise that crystal's, sage, etc are nothing short of the devils work ruined the book for me- couple that with how Jack consistently belittled his wife- I only finished the book because Type A personality requires as such.
I looked the author up and discovered that he writes based on horror/Christianity. While I believe that any and all have the freedom of religion and beliefs, suggesting that sage is unholy is ridiculous.
I looked the author up and discovered that he writes based on horror/Christianity. While I believe that any and all have the freedom of religion and beliefs, suggesting that sage is unholy is ridiculous.
March 9, 2021
While claiming to be a supernatural suspense novel and certainly having it's creepy moments, I didn't find it excessively horrific (ie: I could sleep at night, lol). Duran told a solid tale with unlikely heroes in a manner that held together very well.
November 26, 2022
I really enjoyed the author’s style; descriptive but not overly so. Characters were enjoyable; well edited. Touches on some Christian theology; I would have liked to see a little more, But that’s a personal preference. Good piece of fiction!
May 5, 2017
Excellent book! I would compare it to Frank Peretti's "This Present Darkness". The enemy will do whatever he can to you over to his side. Believe in God and stand firm. He wins!!
December 26, 2017
For the most part, the book was excellent and kept me turning the pages. The ending was a little weak, but I would still recommend this book.
September 16, 2012
2.5 stars. It's well written, with down to earth characters and an interesting premise. Plot and ending problems reduced my enjoyment though.
One day an older woman named Ruby is struck with a vision of a green leaf on a stone tree. Shortly after, she attends a funeral and lays hands on the corpse. To everyone's surprise it rises from the dead. Meanwhile the pastor of her church is about to leave, disillusioned and seeing a ghost he nicknames the Cellophane man. These two events set off a spiritual struggle for the soul of their town, one that has very deadly consequences.
It starts out well, and it's literate, dealing with things like doubt, the loss of faith, and dealing with an unsaved spouse who is a good man yet can't believe. It's not cartoonish spiritual warfare with buff angels swinging around swords, and it's refreshing especially if you are more of a thinking Christian yet a devout one. It's not simplistic and is willing to let some questions remain, or be hard to answer.
Unfortunately there were issues that kept popping up for me that made me hard to get into the book as it advanced. One was the plot. There are some things which made me raise an eyebrow.
There were a couple of set-up problems. The event that started things was a resurrection, but I don't recall things like embalming being addressed. Considering what they often do to those corpses to make them suitable for viewing, it's odd that it isn't. Also, the actual resurrection seems matter of fact. The boy resurrected drops out of the book, with no part to play.
A second issue was Rev. Clark. World-weary priest going through the motions and not sure of God? Okay. But he also sees a ghost on a regular basis. He's used to it, but the ramifications of what this might mean seem oddly compartmentalized. Not so much for his readers, ironically, as Mike addresses his decision to include a ghost in an afterword.
The last problem was the ending and mythology. I turned on spoilers because it needs some discussion, so don't read past this if you plan on reading the book.
Spoilers.
The problem is that the interesting character is Ruby, and I felt led to believe that this was her story. It's not. Clark is actually the true focus, when he feels like he should be a secondary character. Because of this, the mythology that we've been led to believe is replaced by an inferior and possibly silly one. The ending changes focus from Ruby being in the footsteps of another miracle worker who might have to face a dark destiny, to the realization it was Clark who was the real focus of that destiny.
Ruby was far more interesting, both in her dilemma and what it revealed about people. She was worshipped as a saint or even minor deity, and the book is engaging when it examines what really happens when God uses you to do a miracle. But then the endgame shifts to Clark, and Mike plays the spiritual warfare straight. This leads to some wince-inducing scenes, like when Ruby and Clark go check out the downtown for a little spiritual dust-up, or the penultimate conflict in the graveyard with a hard to believe adversary.
While I get the mythology behind it, and it's pretty decent, I don't think the further complications towards the end really helped. The ambiguity of the start was good, but the focus at the end on "Oh look, it's really ebil syncretists" felt like it was played too straight for the intriguing idea.
END SPOILER
I'd definitely be interested in more books by Mike Duran, but when I finished this, I felt somewhat meh, and this review is more me puzzling out why. Duelling ambigious and straight ideas clash some.
One day an older woman named Ruby is struck with a vision of a green leaf on a stone tree. Shortly after, she attends a funeral and lays hands on the corpse. To everyone's surprise it rises from the dead. Meanwhile the pastor of her church is about to leave, disillusioned and seeing a ghost he nicknames the Cellophane man. These two events set off a spiritual struggle for the soul of their town, one that has very deadly consequences.
It starts out well, and it's literate, dealing with things like doubt, the loss of faith, and dealing with an unsaved spouse who is a good man yet can't believe. It's not cartoonish spiritual warfare with buff angels swinging around swords, and it's refreshing especially if you are more of a thinking Christian yet a devout one. It's not simplistic and is willing to let some questions remain, or be hard to answer.
Unfortunately there were issues that kept popping up for me that made me hard to get into the book as it advanced. One was the plot. There are some things which made me raise an eyebrow.
There were a couple of set-up problems. The event that started things was a resurrection, but I don't recall things like embalming being addressed. Considering what they often do to those corpses to make them suitable for viewing, it's odd that it isn't. Also, the actual resurrection seems matter of fact. The boy resurrected drops out of the book, with no part to play.
A second issue was Rev. Clark. World-weary priest going through the motions and not sure of God? Okay. But he also sees a ghost on a regular basis. He's used to it, but the ramifications of what this might mean seem oddly compartmentalized. Not so much for his readers, ironically, as Mike addresses his decision to include a ghost in an afterword.
The last problem was the ending and mythology. I turned on spoilers because it needs some discussion, so don't read past this if you plan on reading the book.
Spoilers.
The problem is that the interesting character is Ruby, and I felt led to believe that this was her story. It's not. Clark is actually the true focus, when he feels like he should be a secondary character. Because of this, the mythology that we've been led to believe is replaced by an inferior and possibly silly one. The ending changes focus from Ruby being in the footsteps of another miracle worker who might have to face a dark destiny, to the realization it was Clark who was the real focus of that destiny.
Ruby was far more interesting, both in her dilemma and what it revealed about people. She was worshipped as a saint or even minor deity, and the book is engaging when it examines what really happens when God uses you to do a miracle. But then the endgame shifts to Clark, and Mike plays the spiritual warfare straight. This leads to some wince-inducing scenes, like when Ruby and Clark go check out the downtown for a little spiritual dust-up, or the penultimate conflict in the graveyard with a hard to believe adversary.
While I get the mythology behind it, and it's pretty decent, I don't think the further complications towards the end really helped. The ambiguity of the start was good, but the focus at the end on "Oh look, it's really ebil syncretists" felt like it was played too straight for the intriguing idea.
END SPOILER
I'd definitely be interested in more books by Mike Duran, but when I finished this, I felt somewhat meh, and this review is more me puzzling out why. Duelling ambigious and straight ideas clash some.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2011
The characters endeared themselves to me. It’s a week later and I am still thinking about them. I read this book one Sunday afternoon without stopping or pausing for refreshment. I thought of Ruby Case as I sat behind my desk in the Church Office. I thought of Mr. Cellophane in our meeting room of which is always cold. Many of the characters in this book could easily take on the image of someone we know in church.
“A chill clung to the church office, as usual. Ruby Case shivered and yanked the sleeves of her sweat jacket over her wrists. Why was it always so cold in this building? Once again it was just the three of them, but Ruby didn’t mind. She had given up trying to generate enthusiasm in Canyon Springs Community Church. In a way she preferred the anonymity of her little prayer group. Vinyette, on the other hand, used it as motivation. “Goliath went down with one stone,” she’d say. “So’s the three of us should do some damage.” Vinyette was not one to aim low. For Ruby, it was more about doing right than getting payback. The fact that her two best friends shared the burden every Sunday morning before church made the commitment a lot easier.”
What was going on? A town with revival roots was now littered with occult shops. A veil of darkness eclipses the town; a malice that won’t go away. Ruby Case has a vision and one day at a funeral she gently touches the boy in the coffin. He rises from his coffin alive. The town erects a shrine on her front lawn bringing their sick and worshiping her as an unwilling idol. The deacons attempt to force the pastor to play down the whole affair, but what do you do when your pastor wavers between belief and unbelief? Typical church issues make them ineffective in the community. Secret occult groups work to keep it that way. Dark forces control this town. There are many subplots and plots in this book all working towards the explosive end.
“He’s a man. At least, he might’ve been one once. He’s a puppet for those guys. The way they run that church is a sin.”
She leaned back and looked at him with eyebrows raised.
“They don’t really help people, don’t get involved in the community.” Jack spoke as if he was beginning to run down a list. “They drove off old man Lawrence.”
“You mean, Reverend Lawrence.”
“Yeah, Reverend Lawrence. They made him leave just because he started tellin’ the truth about you folks. And then those self-righteous morons–.”
“Jack!”
The story fascinated me. I thought of my writing in speculative fiction and through Mike’s writing re-thought ghost stories. It’s not your typical ghost/other-worldly story. It’s a classic story of good versus evil and he really makes the villains real. We can relate to them and see them masquerading as members of our community. He shows us what a lukewarm church looks like. We have accepted the tarot cards and astrological signs as harmless, and we see evil as a reality only in books or television. It’s easy to grow lukewarm in our beliefs. He writes well and the action moves very quickly. As much as I tried, I could not find anything I didn’t like about this book. It’s earned a permanent spot on my library. Sorry, guys, no free book giveaway here.
One final thought: I miss Mr. Cellophane.
In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My reviews are always objective. I am not in any way motivated to always give a positive review
“A chill clung to the church office, as usual. Ruby Case shivered and yanked the sleeves of her sweat jacket over her wrists. Why was it always so cold in this building? Once again it was just the three of them, but Ruby didn’t mind. She had given up trying to generate enthusiasm in Canyon Springs Community Church. In a way she preferred the anonymity of her little prayer group. Vinyette, on the other hand, used it as motivation. “Goliath went down with one stone,” she’d say. “So’s the three of us should do some damage.” Vinyette was not one to aim low. For Ruby, it was more about doing right than getting payback. The fact that her two best friends shared the burden every Sunday morning before church made the commitment a lot easier.”
What was going on? A town with revival roots was now littered with occult shops. A veil of darkness eclipses the town; a malice that won’t go away. Ruby Case has a vision and one day at a funeral she gently touches the boy in the coffin. He rises from his coffin alive. The town erects a shrine on her front lawn bringing their sick and worshiping her as an unwilling idol. The deacons attempt to force the pastor to play down the whole affair, but what do you do when your pastor wavers between belief and unbelief? Typical church issues make them ineffective in the community. Secret occult groups work to keep it that way. Dark forces control this town. There are many subplots and plots in this book all working towards the explosive end.
“He’s a man. At least, he might’ve been one once. He’s a puppet for those guys. The way they run that church is a sin.”
She leaned back and looked at him with eyebrows raised.
“They don’t really help people, don’t get involved in the community.” Jack spoke as if he was beginning to run down a list. “They drove off old man Lawrence.”
“You mean, Reverend Lawrence.”
“Yeah, Reverend Lawrence. They made him leave just because he started tellin’ the truth about you folks. And then those self-righteous morons–.”
“Jack!”
The story fascinated me. I thought of my writing in speculative fiction and through Mike’s writing re-thought ghost stories. It’s not your typical ghost/other-worldly story. It’s a classic story of good versus evil and he really makes the villains real. We can relate to them and see them masquerading as members of our community. He shows us what a lukewarm church looks like. We have accepted the tarot cards and astrological signs as harmless, and we see evil as a reality only in books or television. It’s easy to grow lukewarm in our beliefs. He writes well and the action moves very quickly. As much as I tried, I could not find anything I didn’t like about this book. It’s earned a permanent spot on my library. Sorry, guys, no free book giveaway here.
One final thought: I miss Mr. Cellophane.
In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My reviews are always objective. I am not in any way motivated to always give a positive review
September 5, 2011
Let me confess straight-off I’m not a fan of most of what’s offered in today’s Christian Fiction market. That I not only purchased Mike’s book, but read it in it’s entirety is testimony to the substance of the novel and the character of the author. Mike Duran’s debut novel The Resurrection is a supernatural thriller centering around an ordinary woman named Ruby who raises a dead boy back to life, and the subsequent spiritual and physical consequences of that enormous incident.
Years ago, when Frank Peretti’s “Darkness” books were sweeping through the church world, I have to say I wasn’t nearly as impressed as most of my believing friends. Popular and ground-breaking for modern Christian fiction as they were, I found them cartoon-ish and contrived. Call me ‘crass’, an ‘ingrate’, a ‘philistine’, but I was underwhelmed. I’ll take something like Mark Frost’s “List of Seven” if I’m in that kind of mood.
That said, while Christian supernatural fiction has expanded tremendously on Mr. Peretti’s pioneer efforts, Mike Duran’s novel definitely builds on that foundation. Applying the M. I. C. E. quotient (Milieu, Ideas, Characters, Events) it’s my opinion The Resurrection is really a dramatization of a number of popular Christian-based ideas on spiritual warfare. Now that’s not a necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that I’m partial to sermons or personal testimonies if I’m considering a topic that serious.
Novel-wise, a number of the characters were quite engaging and well-developed. (Ruby, her husband, Vinyette…) Unfortunately others seemed little more than types constructed to dispense information in dialogue form. The neo-pagan (backslidden?) Professor Keen struck me as little more than an “evil liberal, anti-christ” trope, while Reverend Clark was about as sharp as a bowling ball, his lack of discernment and resolve going from baffling to painfully contrived. I wondered how he managed to graduate from high school, let alone finish Seminary or get selected for Pastoral office.
No doubt about it though, Mr. Duran can throw down some serious ninja skills when he wants: the Resurrection scene, the initial meeting with the Church Board, and several others were deftly written. The poignant struggles and sheer ‘ordinary-ness’ of the protagonist were refreshing, as were the over-arching themes of contested faith, spiritual dominion, and ultimate victory.
All in all, Mike Duran’s The Resurrection gets Three Stars for being a solidly written debut novel. I’d certainly recommend it to like-minded friends and family, and unequivocally label it safe for Christian family consumption. Available at Amazon in Trade paperback and Kindle, it’s worth your time and money. You can also follow the author at his excellent blog deCompose and join in the often insightful and spirited discussions.
I’m looking forward to his next book.
Years ago, when Frank Peretti’s “Darkness” books were sweeping through the church world, I have to say I wasn’t nearly as impressed as most of my believing friends. Popular and ground-breaking for modern Christian fiction as they were, I found them cartoon-ish and contrived. Call me ‘crass’, an ‘ingrate’, a ‘philistine’, but I was underwhelmed. I’ll take something like Mark Frost’s “List of Seven” if I’m in that kind of mood.
That said, while Christian supernatural fiction has expanded tremendously on Mr. Peretti’s pioneer efforts, Mike Duran’s novel definitely builds on that foundation. Applying the M. I. C. E. quotient (Milieu, Ideas, Characters, Events) it’s my opinion The Resurrection is really a dramatization of a number of popular Christian-based ideas on spiritual warfare. Now that’s not a necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that I’m partial to sermons or personal testimonies if I’m considering a topic that serious.
Novel-wise, a number of the characters were quite engaging and well-developed. (Ruby, her husband, Vinyette…) Unfortunately others seemed little more than types constructed to dispense information in dialogue form. The neo-pagan (backslidden?) Professor Keen struck me as little more than an “evil liberal, anti-christ” trope, while Reverend Clark was about as sharp as a bowling ball, his lack of discernment and resolve going from baffling to painfully contrived. I wondered how he managed to graduate from high school, let alone finish Seminary or get selected for Pastoral office.
No doubt about it though, Mr. Duran can throw down some serious ninja skills when he wants: the Resurrection scene, the initial meeting with the Church Board, and several others were deftly written. The poignant struggles and sheer ‘ordinary-ness’ of the protagonist were refreshing, as were the over-arching themes of contested faith, spiritual dominion, and ultimate victory.
All in all, Mike Duran’s The Resurrection gets Three Stars for being a solidly written debut novel. I’d certainly recommend it to like-minded friends and family, and unequivocally label it safe for Christian family consumption. Available at Amazon in Trade paperback and Kindle, it’s worth your time and money. You can also follow the author at his excellent blog deCompose and join in the often insightful and spirited discussions.
I’m looking forward to his next book.
July 20, 2011
There’s a struggle going on in the hearts of the citizens of Stonetree, a coastal California town. For decades, the devil has been winning as New Age businesses take over the downtown and church attendance dwindles. And there are rumors about a hanging 90 years before. A murder, resulting in a curse? Others in the town have gone missing recently.
Ruby Case, a hesitant housewife with a limp, hardly seems like a likely agent for change. First she gets a vision of a new, green leaf on the enormous dead tree that broods over the town from a clifftop. Then she prays for mercy for a dead boy at his funeral, and he comes back to life, astonishing her and the town.
Rev. Ian Clark is Ruby’s humble and confused new pastor at her moribund church, where there are only three who want to be in a prayer group, and where many–including Ruby’s husband–have sensed hypocrisy and left. In his church office, Clark gets regular and mystifying visits from what seems to be the ghost of a puzzled young man.
Clark’s ex-wife calls him and tells him she senses he is in danger. He is, it turns out, a marked man. And Ruby’s destiny may be defined by an old prophecy as well, one that seems to foretell her death. Are both of them doomed to die to appease the evil spirits poisoning their town?
This story has memorable characters. It’s well told. There are plenty of reasons to keep turning the pages. In short, it’s a good book.
Yet, when I had finished it, I wasn’t fully satisfied. I hadn’t gotten a real sense of the demons driving the story. Instead, the story focuses on their minions, the human bad guys. Also, the dead tree was too static a vision to be arresting to me, as it was to the character who experienced it. So for once, I, the thin-skinned reader, was looking for something a little scarier.
But I suppose if the story had focused on the demons, that would have knocked it into a different genre, horror, and I never would have picked it up because it would have been too scary.
I liked the author’s use of “the least of these”–a hesitant housewife and a cowardly pastor–as the Lord’s instruments for change. God does that, using the humble and weak for great ends. Read this book. I think you’ll like it.
Ruby Case, a hesitant housewife with a limp, hardly seems like a likely agent for change. First she gets a vision of a new, green leaf on the enormous dead tree that broods over the town from a clifftop. Then she prays for mercy for a dead boy at his funeral, and he comes back to life, astonishing her and the town.
Rev. Ian Clark is Ruby’s humble and confused new pastor at her moribund church, where there are only three who want to be in a prayer group, and where many–including Ruby’s husband–have sensed hypocrisy and left. In his church office, Clark gets regular and mystifying visits from what seems to be the ghost of a puzzled young man.
Clark’s ex-wife calls him and tells him she senses he is in danger. He is, it turns out, a marked man. And Ruby’s destiny may be defined by an old prophecy as well, one that seems to foretell her death. Are both of them doomed to die to appease the evil spirits poisoning their town?
This story has memorable characters. It’s well told. There are plenty of reasons to keep turning the pages. In short, it’s a good book.
Yet, when I had finished it, I wasn’t fully satisfied. I hadn’t gotten a real sense of the demons driving the story. Instead, the story focuses on their minions, the human bad guys. Also, the dead tree was too static a vision to be arresting to me, as it was to the character who experienced it. So for once, I, the thin-skinned reader, was looking for something a little scarier.
But I suppose if the story had focused on the demons, that would have knocked it into a different genre, horror, and I never would have picked it up because it would have been too scary.
I liked the author’s use of “the least of these”–a hesitant housewife and a cowardly pastor–as the Lord’s instruments for change. God does that, using the humble and weak for great ends. Read this book. I think you’ll like it.
April 7, 2011
I don't generally read Christian Fiction. As a woman who has been a Christian for 36 years I usually find books in this category to be rife with Telling versus Showing as the authors use a thin scrim of make-believe to espouse basic tenets of Christiainity familiar to anyone who has grown up in the United States. The modern trend in Christian Fiction is to have the books be edgy. What that usually means is that the characters who do the Telling smoke, have tattoos and have premarital sex.
I read this book because I "know" the author through his blog and through another CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) author. I respect Duran's opinions and enjoy his style of blogging so I purchased and read The Resurrection despite my misgivings.
Without giving too much of the story away I feel I need to explain why I gave the book four stars, when if it were published in the general market I'd give it three.
There is still way too much Telling for my taste. But in reflecting on what I've come to know of the CBA I think this is necessary. Publishers won't put anything the deem to be doctrinally unsound into the marketplace so authors are forced to find ways to tell their stories while still making it plain that This Book Is Okay For Christians To Read. It makes for an awkward spell here and there, but I think Duran handled his apologetics task better than most.
Since this book is branded as horror there are pg-13 levels of creepiness. Even though it's fairly obvious from early on what's going on in the town(at least to anyone who has read a lot of horror and suspence) the book is entertaining enough to keep you reading just to see all the pieces fall into place.
SPOILER FOLLOWS
My main objection to the book is that I felt it flirted a bit too much with racism. I actually said "Oh no!" out loud when the Magical Negro made his first appearance. Then, as he monologues his villainous intent and it becomes clear that he is a Black Magical Negro I was fairly upset. It seems that a lot of the negativity in the book is (accidentally, I trust) The Fault Of Ignorant Coloured People. I may be reading too much into that, but it does trouble me.
I read this book because I "know" the author through his blog and through another CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) author. I respect Duran's opinions and enjoy his style of blogging so I purchased and read The Resurrection despite my misgivings.
Without giving too much of the story away I feel I need to explain why I gave the book four stars, when if it were published in the general market I'd give it three.
There is still way too much Telling for my taste. But in reflecting on what I've come to know of the CBA I think this is necessary. Publishers won't put anything the deem to be doctrinally unsound into the marketplace so authors are forced to find ways to tell their stories while still making it plain that This Book Is Okay For Christians To Read. It makes for an awkward spell here and there, but I think Duran handled his apologetics task better than most.
Since this book is branded as horror there are pg-13 levels of creepiness. Even though it's fairly obvious from early on what's going on in the town(at least to anyone who has read a lot of horror and suspence) the book is entertaining enough to keep you reading just to see all the pieces fall into place.
SPOILER FOLLOWS
My main objection to the book is that I felt it flirted a bit too much with racism. I actually said "Oh no!" out loud when the Magical Negro made his first appearance. Then, as he monologues his villainous intent and it becomes clear that he is a Black Magical Negro I was fairly upset. It seems that a lot of the negativity in the book is (accidentally, I trust) The Fault Of Ignorant Coloured People. I may be reading too much into that, but it does trouble me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2011
Original review posted here
Yet another of the books nominated for the 2011 INSPY awards, and one that definitely kept me reading until the end.
When I was in college (the first time around), we lived in a town that experienced quite a bit of spiritual warfare. There were strange things that would happen, quite a few stories drifting around, and even a tragedy which made the national news. It was a place that always had me feeling as if it was dark outside, even when the light was there, and a place that saw some things happen to me which have remained with me (in not a good way) since.
I don’t know how much of that was all spiritual warfare, and how much was just plain bad luck, but this book brought to mind a lot of these events, making it a difficult read for me. The story was a fascinating one – a young woman, upon visiting a funeral, touches the boy who should not have died, and he comes back to life. The way the family has to deal with the aftereffects, the church’s method of handling things, and the town’s history all end up knitting together to create an interesting story – but also a story that needed a bit of polish to make it really good.
For example – if you are going to name your book after an event like a resurrection, I think the story really needs to center more around that specific event, rather than just using it as a catalyst for something else that’s going on. I never quite understood WHY the resurrection happened, even though I understand why everything else was happening. This is a big pet peeve for me – using a name or an event or a disability/illness as a hook into a story about something else. Although it wasn’t quite that bad with The Resurrection, I still was left a bit bewildered.
The Resurrection did not win the INSPY awards this year, but I think Mike Duran has the potential to write something that, in the future, will give that award a run for its figurative money. Overall, The Resurrection made me think, provided me with a good story, and also opened my eyes to this author and the potential he has for future books.
Yet another of the books nominated for the 2011 INSPY awards, and one that definitely kept me reading until the end.
When I was in college (the first time around), we lived in a town that experienced quite a bit of spiritual warfare. There were strange things that would happen, quite a few stories drifting around, and even a tragedy which made the national news. It was a place that always had me feeling as if it was dark outside, even when the light was there, and a place that saw some things happen to me which have remained with me (in not a good way) since.
I don’t know how much of that was all spiritual warfare, and how much was just plain bad luck, but this book brought to mind a lot of these events, making it a difficult read for me. The story was a fascinating one – a young woman, upon visiting a funeral, touches the boy who should not have died, and he comes back to life. The way the family has to deal with the aftereffects, the church’s method of handling things, and the town’s history all end up knitting together to create an interesting story – but also a story that needed a bit of polish to make it really good.
For example – if you are going to name your book after an event like a resurrection, I think the story really needs to center more around that specific event, rather than just using it as a catalyst for something else that’s going on. I never quite understood WHY the resurrection happened, even though I understand why everything else was happening. This is a big pet peeve for me – using a name or an event or a disability/illness as a hook into a story about something else. Although it wasn’t quite that bad with The Resurrection, I still was left a bit bewildered.
The Resurrection did not win the INSPY awards this year, but I think Mike Duran has the potential to write something that, in the future, will give that award a run for its figurative money. Overall, The Resurrection made me think, provided me with a good story, and also opened my eyes to this author and the potential he has for future books.
February 25, 2011
The Resurrection is a clinic for writers and an oasis for readers searching for a tale of spiritual warfare done right. For a debut novel, Mike Duran has set the bar high for what will, Lord willing, be a career that shows Christian-written fiction can be top notch without swinging any Bibles. His adept knowledge of world religions is displayed with respect for the real people that follow them, while mere references to sermons and prayers allow Mike to present a story about Christians without trying to make anyone become one. The theme of courage versus fear is one for all audiences, and has a masterful climax. After such an enjoyable intro and body, the conclusion delivers as promised, and then kicks it up three more notches! (I would advise skipping the rest of the review and just buying it already. A book of this quality deserves to be read with as little foreknowledge as possible. But if you must...)
In The Resurrection, Mike has put a worn out preacher, Ian Clark, and a stubborn cripple, Ruby Chase, at the heart of a spiritual war that stretches far beyond their little coastal town. Ruby's jarring vision during morning prayer precipitates a resurrection that aims to disrupt demonic powers who have ruled their town unchallenged for generations. Ian's diminishing faith will play a major role, but no one, not even Ian himself, knows which side he'll end up on. Ruby takes the lead on a thrilling race to reveal the source of the curse, which has been right under their noses the whole time.
Every sentence, character and scene felt like a picture I could admire over and over again. I have never read a book where the prose was so creatively refreshing without slowing down the pace. This book will sit on my shelf as a found memory waiting to be relived again and again. Books like this are why I love reading!
In The Resurrection, Mike has put a worn out preacher, Ian Clark, and a stubborn cripple, Ruby Chase, at the heart of a spiritual war that stretches far beyond their little coastal town. Ruby's jarring vision during morning prayer precipitates a resurrection that aims to disrupt demonic powers who have ruled their town unchallenged for generations. Ian's diminishing faith will play a major role, but no one, not even Ian himself, knows which side he'll end up on. Ruby takes the lead on a thrilling race to reveal the source of the curse, which has been right under their noses the whole time.
Every sentence, character and scene felt like a picture I could admire over and over again. I have never read a book where the prose was so creatively refreshing without slowing down the pace. This book will sit on my shelf as a found memory waiting to be relived again and again. Books like this are why I love reading!
August 11, 2011
Mr. Cellophane appears to be a ghost, but what is an apparition doing in the corner of a pastor’s study? Reverend Ian Clark doesn’t know, but nothing much surprises him any more. He’s only been pastoring Canyon Springs Community Church for a year, but even that has been a farce, and he’s ready to turn in his resignation. His sister is dead, his wife divorced him, and even his favorite seminary professor has turned away from the church. He’s just putting in time.
Three women in Clark’s congregation gather regularly to pray. But on this day, Ruby Case has a vision: the huge dead oak tree known as the Stonetree that overlooks the valley sprouts one bright green leaf. Soon after Ruby’s vision, she goes to the funeral of young Mondo. Overcome with grief for the family, Ruby touches his body and prays. In front of the eyes of the entire congregation, Mondo sits up in his coffin, resurrected.
The town is not prepared for this, and neither is Reverend Clark…to say nothing of Ruby herself. But all of them are caught up in the swell: Clark in facing his doubts, Ruby in facing petitioners at all hours and hero worship, and the community in facing--well, I don’t want to spoil the story for you.
The Resurrection will challenge your beliefs in the spirit world, no matter what they currently are. Author Mike Duran is not making theological claims with his take on occultic practices. In the author notes at the back of the book, he explains where these ideas came from.
What of the story itself? While claiming to be a supernatural suspense novel and certainly having it’s creepy moments, I didn’t find it excessively horrific (ie: I could sleep at night, lol). Duran told a solid tale with unlikely heroes in a manner that held together very well.
Three women in Clark’s congregation gather regularly to pray. But on this day, Ruby Case has a vision: the huge dead oak tree known as the Stonetree that overlooks the valley sprouts one bright green leaf. Soon after Ruby’s vision, she goes to the funeral of young Mondo. Overcome with grief for the family, Ruby touches his body and prays. In front of the eyes of the entire congregation, Mondo sits up in his coffin, resurrected.
The town is not prepared for this, and neither is Reverend Clark…to say nothing of Ruby herself. But all of them are caught up in the swell: Clark in facing his doubts, Ruby in facing petitioners at all hours and hero worship, and the community in facing--well, I don’t want to spoil the story for you.
The Resurrection will challenge your beliefs in the spirit world, no matter what they currently are. Author Mike Duran is not making theological claims with his take on occultic practices. In the author notes at the back of the book, he explains where these ideas came from.
What of the story itself? While claiming to be a supernatural suspense novel and certainly having it’s creepy moments, I didn’t find it excessively horrific (ie: I could sleep at night, lol). Duran told a solid tale with unlikely heroes in a manner that held together very well.
November 5, 2012
Mike Duran's "The Resurrection" is a difficult book to review for several reasons. For all intents and purposes it's beautifully-written (although, I sometimes found it overly descriptive) and the characters are well-realised but I didn't grow attached to any of them. The premise is interesting, the story thought-provoking and yet it felt too familiar. Also, there didn't seem to be enough story to warrant the length. Maybe I was looking for something different, something more supernatural. The first few pages drew me in like few books do and were more unsettling than some horror writers' works I've read (I'd put it somewhere between Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft). I just wish the book had continued in that vein. All in all, a good read with some great moments but not what I was looking for. My rating 7/10. Maybe an 8/10 if you enjoy your supernatural thrillers with minimal paranormal activity.
February 27, 2012
I must let the reader of this review know that I was really confused as to how to go into this review. Although, the book is really well written and I liked the "storyline" it was a bit too religous over the top for my liking. It is classified as Christian literature though, so that is really my problem and not that of the author's. Just know if you don't like "over the top"
religiosity in books, you are going to have a problem with this novel. I found myself skimming over alot of it because of the bible references. To me, it detracted from the great story. More than likely, I wouldn't read another book by this author. AGAIN, IT ISN'T BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF HIS WRITING, BUT DUE TO THE OVERUSE OF BIBLICAL/CHRISTIAN QUOTES.
religiosity in books, you are going to have a problem with this novel. I found myself skimming over alot of it because of the bible references. To me, it detracted from the great story. More than likely, I wouldn't read another book by this author. AGAIN, IT ISN'T BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF HIS WRITING, BUT DUE TO THE OVERUSE OF BIBLICAL/CHRISTIAN QUOTES.
March 29, 2011
I would like to mention that I won The Resurrection by M. Duran through Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I really enjoyed The Resurrection more than I thought I would. The setting and characters were all great. The story itself was surprisingly good (being a debut and all) and very creepy (gave me the chills) :). Loved that the author is from southern California, just like me. Will be looking forward to more of Mr. Duran's work.
I really enjoyed The Resurrection more than I thought I would. The setting and characters were all great. The story itself was surprisingly good (being a debut and all) and very creepy (gave me the chills) :). Loved that the author is from southern California, just like me. Will be looking forward to more of Mr. Duran's work.
April 25, 2012
Duran does a good job keeping the reader interested. I looked forward to my evening readings, and was motivated to discover how the plot resolved.
My main gripe with the story was that I wanted more supernatural elements. I guess when it comes down to it, I want a supernatural thriller to give me nightmares.
See my complete review here: http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/revi...
My main gripe with the story was that I wanted more supernatural elements. I guess when it comes down to it, I want a supernatural thriller to give me nightmares.
See my complete review here: http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/revi...
April 24, 2013
I found in the book a bit slow going in the beginning, but it picked up more as you read on. The reverend played a big part in the story, the fact that he lost his faith, but he still wanted to believe in the possibility of ruby reasserting the boy back. I was happy that along the way in the story he became a better man.
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