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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

When You Root for the Wrong Team: Out of Darkness

by Chautona Havig · 15 Comments

Go… go… GO!  Get the—”

A hand claps over my mouth.  Red faces all around me. Glares.  Snickers. Angry fans who turn to give me their  .02 until they realize I’m five.

Yeah.  I was rooting for the wrong team.  You know… my brother is playing for one.  We’re on “our” side of the bleachers.  But I’m rooting for the other team?  Yeah.  That scenario.

What can I say?  The guy intercepted the ball and took off way ahead of the pack of players determined to tackle him.  They had no chance, and my little five-year-old self couldn’t stand it.  Too exciting.

But I did wonder if Bear would ever speak to me again.

It happens in books and movies, too, you know.  People draw lines with who they want “shipped.”

See, that term always bugged me.  I  mean, “Shipped.”  It sounds like “Two ships passing in the night” to me.  And that is never a happy ending.  I like the happier ones.  But fortunately, that’s not what it means.  So instead, you have #TeamEdward and #Team-insert-name-I-cannot-recall-here or as in the case of The Vintage Wren #TeamJoel and #TeamEvan (is ANYONE on #TeamEvan?).

When You Root for the Wrong Team: Out of Darkness

Note: links in this post may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Additionally, I requested a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit as a part of their blogging program and chose to review it.

When You Root for the Wrong Team: an Out of Darkness Review

I’ve never read anything by Erynn Newman, but when Celebrate Lit offered the opportunity, I jumped at it and requested a copy to review. The synopsis—riveting.  The concept—cool. I knew I’d enjoy the book. And I did.

Despite knowing all along that I’d  love and be disappointed in the ending.  Both.

What did I think?

Over all:

Out of Darkness is a suspenseful novel that actually begins rather slowly compared to some.  And, frankly, that’s part of the suspense. While there is a huge inciting event right at the beginning, we spend three years getting to know some of the primary characters and anticipating the kick-off of action. Newman uses the beginning chapters both to establish characterization, increase sympathy, and build tension for the story to follow. Every time the pace slows a bit, there’s a reason for it and it serves only to amplify the pace and tension of the next section.

Characters:

Ms. Newman has mostly written some interesting characters who worm their way into your heart and settle there.  My take on just a few?  Well…

Drew:

Don’t get me wrong. I like Drew. Strong, of good character, loyal, and loving, Drew isn’t “too perfect,” but a few times he does dance that line. Where I give Ms. Newman kudos is that she didn’t try to combat that with pseudo flaws that really aren’t anything but a defense against the charge.  Because of that, she keeps the reader’s interest in a character that otherwise might have become a little flat—like the shiny, happy people in many stock photos.  Thankfully, she avoided that.

Elisabeth: 

You know, a funny thing about her.  I never was able to associate her name with her.  I don’t know why.  But through the whole book, she felt disconnected from her name to me.  But that’s my fault rather than the author’s.

Elisabeth is rather a Mary Sue. The author treats us to constant references to her beauty and her perfection in everyone’s eyes.  This is where things become fascinating. Aside from a few places where I did kind of want to say, “I get it. She’s gorgeous. Can we learn something else about her instead,” Newman did such a fabulous job making us care about her and who she is that we don’t really care that she’s so “plastic.”  Because really, she is.  We just don’t really notice it unless we think about it.

Gabe: 

Seriously, he was my favorite character.  I knew all along exactly what his role would be, what he’d do, how it would work out—everything.  I mean, it’s obvious from the synopsis.  But that didn’t keep me from cheering for him and booing anything that thwarted his purpose.  In fact, one of the best teaching moments in this book is also my biggest objection to the novel.  I have to be careful about how I share this, so if it’s too ambiguous, I apologize.  Not willing to do spoilers here.

But Newman makes a point at the end of the book regarding Gabe’s relationship to Christ that is just spot on and beautiful.  Alas, after all, she set up among the characters, the resolution felt rather like a cop-out. And that became my number one objection to the book.

Some might accuse me of being frustrated for “rooting for the wrong team,” but I really don’t think so. I mean, I am, but my objection actually comes from another source. I really do feel like Ms. Newman used it to neatly tie up a rather sloppy package.  And it doesn’t work for me. Still, read her words about it in the author post below.  I think she explains why it works even when it doesn’t.

Viktor: 

He’s a bad guy.  And I love him. He’s fabulous. You love to hate him and don’t want to at the same time. Seriously, I think he is one of Ms. Newman’s strongest characters. I’d love to learn more about how he came to be who he is.  But I suppose that’s just silly.  I just really liked him as a villain.

Faith:

The deep faith demonstrated and shared in this book will encourage and enrich anyone’s reading experience. Between the discussions, the prayer, and the scripture shared, you might expect that the story became preachy.  But it didn’t.  And I find that rather impressive.

Recommendation: 

I recommend this book for people who love romantic suspense and stories that are character rather than plot driven.  The characters drive the plot in this book. Because of that, some sections will feel slow for those who prefer plot-driven stories.  I loved it, however.

Caveat: 

Being the prude that I am, I both loved and hated how she showed her married characters as delighted in each other both physically and emotionally.  I did.  I think too often we try to strip our characters of their sexual sides.  That’s not “clean” writing, it’s “sanitized.”  That said, it did become a bit much at times.  While Ms. Newman always faded to black rather quickly, I just became uncomfortable with how much there was. How often.  Details danced the line a bit too often for my taste.  But she didn’t actually cross it, and for those much more comfortable with physical affection demonstrated in Christian fiction than I am, they probably won’t even notice.

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Comments

  1. carylkane says

    August 28, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I’ve enjoyed following the tour and reading the different views of this book.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 28, 2017 at 2:35 pm

      I have, too! Funny thing is I really haven’t disagreed with anyone–even those who kind of disagreed with me. It’s a very unique book, but everyone seems to agree that it is VERY well written.

      Reply
  2. MH says

    August 25, 2017 at 1:58 am

    I’ve heard so much about this book from bloggers and the synopsis is something out of Mission Impossible movies (which I do love). Sounds really interesting and would love to read it.

    Reply
  3. Susan (DE) says

    August 24, 2017 at 10:54 am

    What is a DVR?? All I keep hearing (from husband) or see (online) is digital video recorder. ???

    For Chautona: Elisabeth (with an SSS). 🙂 I have a heads-up here, because I have a daughter named Elisabeth (with an S). 🙂

    And for Erynne: Tell me, please, please. How to you manage to write when “everyone else” is sleeping AND get up with your little boy? Do you take naps? Not get enough sleep? ???

    Reply
    • Author Erynn Newman says

      August 24, 2017 at 12:08 pm

      Hey Susan.
      You got DVR right. It’s that function some cable providers offer where you can record and store your favorite TV shows to watch later. I never get to watch anything live, so I save them up to binge when I’m caught up with editing clients.

      And Yessssss to Elisabeth. I don’t know why it matters so much to me, but I so much prefer it with the S. It’s like Anne with an e. You’ve got to have it.

      So, I work from about 10 p.m. to 2 or 3 a.m. And then I sleep until 9:30 or so. I let my 4 year old stay up until 9:30 or 10, and then he sleeps until around 8:30 or 9, and I let him climb in bed with me and his tablet for that last hour or so until I’m ready to get up. Sometimes I do catch a quick nap during the day, but most of the time I’m able to make it through on 6-7 hours. Probably not ideal, but it works for us.

      Reply
      • Chautona Havig says

        August 24, 2017 at 3:07 pm

        Someone with my schedule… ISH! I love it! I just love it!

        Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 24, 2017 at 3:08 pm

      You know, as I crawled into bed last night, I was thinking and went, “Oh, dear. I think I used a Z instead of an S.” Mom’s a Z in her middle name, so it’s my default. I’ll fix that.

      Reply
  4. Author Erynn Newman says

    August 24, 2017 at 7:37 am

    Thanks, Chautona. I loved your thorough and thoughtful review. You’re in good company on team Gabe. I was really tempted that way myself once or twice. I mean, who WOULDN’T love Gabe? He was definitely the surprise of this story for me.
    I think my (and Elisabeth’s) complete devotion to him stems from knowing their history. So reading First Light before Out of Darkness really helps with that.
    Thanks so much for reading and hosting me today.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 24, 2017 at 3:10 pm

      I had a family emergency that didn’t allow me to read First Light before the book. I’ll be reading it now. I might change my opinion after that. But I doubt it. What you did so well is make us love it even while we hated where it went… but wanted it to go for her sake, but not. LOL. How’s that for convoluted.

      Reply
  5. Lori Downing says

    August 24, 2017 at 6:06 am

    I’m looking forward to reading it!! It sounds like something I would love!!

    Reply
    • Author Erynn Newman says

      August 24, 2017 at 6:38 am

      Thanks! I hope you WILL. Make sure to snag it before the end of the tour when the price goes back up. And read First Light first if you want a little more insight into Drew and Elisabeth (and a fun Gabe cameo).

      Reply
      • Chautona Havig says

        August 24, 2017 at 3:12 pm

        And that Gabe cameo is why I’ll MAKE the time to read it as soon as I can. Also, you would be an INCREDIBLE author if you could make me root for Gabe and Alessandra. Dare you.

        Reply
        • Author Erynn Newman says

          November 4, 2017 at 10:15 pm

          EEek! Somehow I missed my notifications of your replies. Man, I WANT to have a great story for them, but it hasn’t come to me yet. And I will NOT give Gabe anything less than an amazing story.
          Hopefully you’ll have a better time with Nick and Cara in my next book. No triangle!

          And do let me know if/when you get the chance to read First Light. Maybe it will help you to root for Drew a LITTLE bit more. 😉

          Reply
  6. Aryn says

    August 24, 2017 at 5:57 am

    Well first I have to address the Vintage Wren, since you brought it up. I just wanted to thank you SO much. I am now completely incapable of doing anything at all on Wednesday mornings. Until I read about Cassie’s day! Just FYI. 🙂 and I haven’t made up my mind about whose team I’m on yet…

    Out of Darkness sounds fascinating. That much drama, trauma, and pull on the heart would be hard to take, but fun to read about in fiction! I have added it to me to be read list.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 24, 2017 at 3:13 pm

      OOOH! A #TeamUndecided. That is AWESOME. I wonder if there are any #TeamKents out there.

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 145: A Chat with Debut Women's Fiction Author, Sara Brunsvold
byChautona Havig

Debut Author, Sara Brunsvold, is bursting on the Christian Women’s fiction scene with an amazing book, The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. With characters who have captivated my heart from page one (and enough quirkiness to keep my attention to the last), Sara Brunsvold is sure to become a favorite author, and this book is already on my top five of the year before it’s even released!

Note links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

This Novel Isn’t Even Available Yet, and It’s in My Top 5!

If you’d told me that I’d fall so in love with two chapters of a book that it would push that book into my top five of the year so far, well… I’d have laughed.

The joke’s on me because it happened with Sara Brunsvold’s The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. This debut women’s fiction novel has a bit of a split-time element and is set in Kansas City. Trust me when I say that meeting Clara was one of the most fun introductions to a character I’ve ever had. I just love this woman, and I’m drumming my fingers to get to read more about her.  Not surprising considering it won the ACFW Genesis’s award a couple of years back. 😀

Sara says her passion is intergenerational stories, and you definitely get this with Aidyn and her “assignment,” Mrs. Kipp.  But you also get inter-cultural and ideological influences in this book as well.

And then there’s that next book she has coming out.  You know, the one about a gal cooking her way through her grandma’s German cookbook?  Yeah.  The one we have to wait until early 2024 for?  Yeah. That one.  Sigh.

When Sara told us about her favorite authors, a lot of things made sense.  Just sayin’. Find out which of Katherine Reay’s books are her favorites and how she fangirled over Reay’s response to an email (and why you should email your favorite author!).

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care.

But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her–but she’s going to have to work for it.

Debut author Sara Brunsvold delights with this emotional multigenerational story that shows that the very best life is made up of thousands of little deaths to self. You’ll want to be just like Mrs. Kip when you grow up!

This book is 40% off with free shipping from Baker Book House. That’s less than the Kindle version if you like paper!

You can learn more about Sara at her WEBSITE (and sign up for that newsletter so you can get Mrs.Kip’s 8 Rules to Live By). Oh, and if she does those videos of her cooking through that book, you’ll want to know when/where to find them.

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Episode 145: A Chat with Debut Women's Fiction Author, Sara Brunsvold
Episode 145: A Chat with Debut Women's Fiction Author, Sara Brunsvold
May 20, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 144: Chatting about Restored Grace with Kathleen J. Robison
May 17, 2022
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Episode 143: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Mary Alford
May 13, 2022
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May 10, 2022
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Episode 141: A Chat with Elizabeth Goddard about Critical Alliance
May 3, 2022
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Episode 140: A Chat about When the Meadow Blooms by Ann H. Gabhart
April 29, 2022
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Episode 139: A Chat with Middle-Grade Author, RM Ruiz
April 26, 2022
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Episode 138: A Gush about a Good (more like GREAT) Read & GoodReads
April 22, 2022
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Episode 137: A Chat with Contemporary Romance Author, Mandi Blake
April 19, 2022
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Episode 136: A Chat with Middle-Grade Historical Author, Marie Sontag
April 15, 2022
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Reposted from @beckylewis345 Life can be hard. Ent Reposted from @beckylewis345 Life can be hard. Enter cozies like A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink. Clean, with a sweet romance, whose amateur sleuth runs a delectable shake shop. A dog, a child, precocious twins who work for the shake shop, and lovable Papa Luis. Plus, of course, plenty of suspects. “Murder, mayhem, and milkshakes. Who’d a thunk it?”

Trinidad Jones becomes someone I truly care about in this book. I am amazed at how she and Gabe’s two other former wives forgive each other and actually become friends. Not just friends, but family, as thick as blood. Now there is a small cluster of characters to follow and enjoy in this town of Upper Sprocket. Fun!

I enjoy the inclusion of dogs, children, and special-needs people, and Dana Mentink brings them all to our Shimmy and Shake Shop story. Noodles is old, but what a loyal companion, and, wow, does he have an amazing ability or two! Little  Felice adds warmth and vulnerability to the tale. Doug, the special-needs brother of Trinity’s love interest, Quinn, adds reality and complexity to the novel. 

Mentink has a good sense of humor and I laughed out loud several times. Just what I want out of a cozy. Mystery, romance, great characters, laughter. A fun occupation that the sleuth actually works at. I am happy to report I made it through the book without indulging in ice cream! But, can you?

I am looking forward to more murder and mayhem in Upper Sprocket! Plus more Freakshakes! 

———————————————————————
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. (I also bought my own copy.) No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
———————————————————————
Notable Quotables:
“He was merely a friend the way a Ming vase was just an old pot.”

“There’s your plan and God’s plan, and your plan…” “Doesn’t count,”

“Maybe it’s one of those weird small-town happenings.” “A body in your trunk isn’t a happening, it’s a horror movie,”

“It wasn’t an easy thing to command the heart to feel what the brain ordered.”

“Rumors carry so much more weight than the truth, sometimes.”
Giveaway on blog in bio.
#celebratelit
#danamentink
#frozendesserts
#justdeserts 
#justiceforsprockett
#amreadingcozies
Reposted from @celebratelit Did you know that When Reposted from @celebratelit Did you know that When the Pilot Falls by April Hayman from the Ever After Mystery series is 25% off with the Celebrate Lit Summer Sale? 

More about the book: 
In 1923, there aren’t many pilots, but Willie Labeau didn’t let that stop… her.

A bear of a man, Hugh Taylor, needs a stunt plane pilot, and despite their rocky introduction, Willie sets off for golden California and a new life as his pilot. There’s just one little thing she has to do in addition to flying.

Leave his past alone. Period.

When the flame of her own curiosity becomes fanned by encouragement from Willie’s sister, the feisty pilot can’t help but do just a little investigating.

And Hugh vanishes.

Friends rally around her, and with all the information she can find in hand, Willie sets off to rescue Hugh and battle the evil family holding him hostage.

A fierce air race, a sincere act of humility—are they enough to free Hugh and give Willie a chance to be with him… forever?

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. When the Pilot Falls offers a retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch hearts soar and daring dos.

Link in bio! 

#aprilhayman #whenthepilotfalls #everaftermysteries #celebratelit #christianfiction #historicalfiction #bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #readersofinstagram
Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used recliners and old, broken wagon wheels.  She can't help it if folks keep asking for help with their love lives... can she?
See the lengths Wade goes to in his quest to behave like a rational guy.
Releases Tuesday, May 24. Available on 
#Kindle
#KindleUnlimited
#PaperbackBooks

#ChristFic
#YouAreOnTheAir
#ContemporaryChristianSweetRomance

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And tomorrow the GoodReads Giveaway begins!
How does this author celebrate a finished book? By How does this author celebrate a finished book? By reading someone else's finished book. 😀 
#amending
#needicecream 
#onthemenu
#freakshakes
"Murder, mayhem, and milkshakes. Who'd a thunk "Murder,  mayhem,  and milkshakes.  Who'd a thunk it?"
@dana_mentink 
#shimmyandshakeshop
#cozymystery 
#needicecream
Love it when publishers use plays on words. #amend Love it when publishers use plays on words.
#amending
#cozymysterybooks 
@dana_mentink
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