Review: UNCONVENTIONAL by JJ Hebert

I'd hate for anyone to be in any needless suspense, so I'll just tell you I didn't like this book. It seemed to embody what's wrong not only with "Christian" publishing, but with the American church in general.

First, there's the title. There's nothing wrong with calling a book Unconventional -- and with frequent use of the word -- but if you're going to you'd better make sure it is. Unfortunately, this is possibly the most conventional and by-the-numbers book I've ever read.

Second, it just doesn't ring true. People don't act like this and what's worse according to the Bible they shouldn't. It feels less like a story growing organically from a group of characters than a bunch of characters shoehorned into an existing plot.

Most importantly,  the author seems to have confused the Gospel with the American Dream. This is essentially a Horatio Alger rags-to-riches story with enough Jesus on top that it could be sold in Christian bookstores.

This is Hebert's first novel, and I sincerely hope that he's become a better writer. As it stands, though, this book shouldn't have been published. I don't recommend it,