• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • Complete List of Chautona’s Books
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • If You Like…
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Advertising
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Merch Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • Speaking
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What Do You Do When a Book Is Hard to Review?

by Chautona Havig · 8 Comments

Not all books are hard to review, but when they are, it complicates more than just writing. The Wonderful Yah was one such book. via @chautonahavig

Sometimes a book comes along that you just have to read. The Wonderful Yah is one of those for me. Despite a cover that didn’t appeal to me, any book that seeks to help readers understand the depths of Scripture is a book I want to dive into. The questions remain, then:  First, “Who is Yah?” and second, “Does the book help me understand Him better?”

“Yah” is God.

Will the book help readers understand Him better? The answer to that one is significantly more complicated—kind of like the book, actually.

I want to say upfront that I think my review is going to come off unfairly tipped to the unfavorable side.  This isn’t because the book isn’t worth considering. It’s more that there is much more about it that bothered me than excited me. So, I want to state now that just because I seem to have a lot against the book, that’s not quite true. It’s more that I see issues that will possibly bother readers and I want to point them out.

If there was equally as much that would attract and encourage readers, I would be including that as well.  As it is, the bottom of my review will offer recommendations for who the book might most interest/benefit.

The Wonderful Yah

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. Additionally, this book was given to me by the publisher for review purposes.  Opinions are mine.

Yah Who?

First, Wonderful Yah could use a developmental editor who knows how to organize a project like this. It seemed as if every time the book gained some momentum, I was ripped out of the text when, for example, Mr. Marx began to explain in minute detail why he chose to use one form of Hebraic spelling over another.

Additionally, more than once, he informs us of some nuance or another and then tells us how this isn’t relevant to the study so he won’t expound (much) on it. I don’t understand the purpose of bringing up something if you have no intention of actually exploring it.

Another thing Mr. Marx tried was to use a key and its formation and usage as an illustration of what the book is supposed to do for the reader.  For me, it became distracting from the purpose of the study rather than helpful.

Finally, I don’t think the author knows his true audience. He states that he is writing to scholars, academics, and theologians and hopes “lay people” will benefit from the simpler elements of his work. From what I saw in his book, it appears to me that he really wants to reach the unsaved who have not heard of the concept of a triune God and might find that confusing.

Is Wonderful Yah well written?

…ish? I found the writing style to be difficult to follow—not because I didn’t understand what he said but because of the inconsistency in style. In many places, he refers to himself as “the author” and then follows that by using a casual “we” in stating where the study of this next nuance will lead. There’s a swing between almost pretentious and conversational writing that makes you feel a bit like you’re on a yo-yo.

Additionally, his writing “voice” often comes off as condescending.  I have no doubt that Matthew Marx is a brilliant man, but like many with higher than average intelligence, he tends to “talk down” to his readers in an almost offensive tone.

All of that said, I found no typos, and each individual sentence was grammatically correct.

Did I find anything that concerned me?

Only two things were truly concerning, and both I think are more the fault of how they were presented rather than truly concerning issues on the part of the author.

First, early on, Mr. Marx informs us that because people have obscured the meaning of the Godhead with “semantics,” we’ll need to approach his book with a “childlike faith,” believing that God will show them what they need to know. While the author doesn’t expressly state it, I felt a strong overtone of, “God will show you that what I’m telling you is how it is.”

He further “translates” certain words in certain verses in order to have us read it as he understands the verse to read. While I am not saying that I disagree with his translation, even, I will say that I find having his translated words interjected into the Scriptures as if automatically verified as a true rendering of the original word meanings to hold potential danger in mismanaging Scripture.  As far as I can see, I don’t think this happened, but the cavalier way in which it is added does make me uncomfortable.

So what is this great mystery?

God’s name is Yah.  Really, that’s what it boils down to. A summary of Wonderful Yah, as I understand what of it I read (I found myself skimming when things became redundant and condescending), can be summarized in one sentence. God is one—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

That’s it. That’s what this book teaches.  It’s a long, pedantic treatise on the Godhead written with the assumption that the reader can’t possibly understand this concept without knowing the meaning of each Hebraic letter, the meanings behind them, and the different additions to the common spelling practices of Hebrew.

Conclusion?

I confess that the way things were written made me fear for heretical teaching in Wonderful Yah.  I don’t think it’s there. I think most, if not all of what he actually tries to share is Biblical. Where I take issue is that he writes as if he has unlocked some great mystery that no one can possibly understand without knowing these Hebraic origins of God’s name. I disagree.  I’ve never met anyone who had half as much trouble understanding that God is both one and three as Mr. Marx asserts.

Yes, the study is interesting. No, it isn’t anything new or amazing.  It’s simply an overly-dramatized retelling of basic Bible doctrine utilizing the roots of the Hebrew spelling of God’s name as the premise for understanding.

While this makes it sound as if I’m upset that I spent so much time on the book, I’m actually not. I’m thankful for the review copy provided to me, and while I wish I could write a more glowing, favorable review, I am not sorry that I read it.  I may even go over certain parts again. Should I find that I change my mind about some things, I’ll be sure to adjust my review accordingly.

Recommended for people who like research, who want to find ways to explain the Godhead to people who don’t yet know about our Lord God Jesus Christ, and for those who are interested in Hebrew and the Hebraic origins of Christianity.

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Related

Filed Under: Book Reviews

Previous Post: « All the Preparation in the World Won’t Write It for You
Next Post: Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. James Robert says

    November 3, 2019 at 1:46 am

    I really appreciate getting to read about your book since I have so many in my family who are huge readers. Thanks for sharing  and for the giveaway.

    Reply
  2. Melissa Wenger says

    November 2, 2019 at 7:31 am

    Thanks for the review!

    Reply
  3. Amelia says

    November 1, 2019 at 8:52 pm

    Thanks for the review!

    Reply
  4. Matthew says

    November 1, 2019 at 6:32 pm

    Thank you, Chautona, for your review. Chautona’s review nicely captures what I wrote in the “More From Matthew” section of the tour. In that section I wrote: “However, wouldn’t it be intriguing if a non-fiction book incorporated some elements of a fiction book such as mystery, suspense, and drama, with the reader brings the drama as they deal with their internal dialogue on how to answer a proposed question to help solve the mystery.” Chautona, as a reader and reviewer, brings her own “drama” and “internal dialogue” into the book and shares that in her review. Thank you, Chautona, for taking the time to review and comment on my book.
    Genuinely,
    Matthew

    Reply
  5. Dianna says

    November 1, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    This doesn’t sound like something I’d read beyond the first few pages!

    Reply
  6. Debbie P says

    November 1, 2019 at 3:58 pm

    This book sounds like a really great read. Fantastic cover.

    Reply
  7. Caryl Kane says

    November 1, 2019 at 3:16 pm

    Thank you for sharing your honest review!

    Reply
  8. Calvin says

    November 1, 2019 at 12:22 pm

    Sounds really good. Nice review!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
byChautona Havig

Nothing says fairy tale like a sweet western romance by an author like Karen Witemeyer… unless it’s a fairytale retelling set in Texas in the late 19th century, right?  Fairest of Heart takes the familiar “Snow White” and turns it on its head with retired cowboys, a self-absorbed actress, a Texas Ranger, and a sweet girl who knows the true Source of her beauty.  Listen in to see all the genius Easter eggs Witemeyer planted in this book.

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

Sometimes All a Girl Needs Is a True Change of Heart

I fell in love with the cover of Karen Witemeyer’s Head Over Heels a few years back (only to learn it’s much older than that, even), and meant to read that book.  I didn’t.  #BecauseIdiot. Well, that’ll be rectified just as soon as I’m done listening to her first book in a trilogy of fairytale retellings. I loaded it up on my Audible app tonight and wheeeeeeee. Here I go! So much for no new books until October. HA! 

Karen talks about her heart for young women today and how they’re taught by every bit of media blasting at them that they need to use their bodies to get what they need or want when the Lord has a better plan. And I can’t guarantee it, but I strongly suspect she does it without preaching. SQUEE!

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Once upon a time in Texas . . .

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters–and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young lady found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope’s acting troupe, and all evidence points to Penelope’s guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.

You can learn more about Karen Witemeyer and her books on her WEBSITE. Don’t forget the book is 30% off on BakerBookHouse.com.  

Follow Karen on BookBub and GoodReads.

And don’t forget her Posse Group on Facebook.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

  • Apple 
  • Castbox 
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn 
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
September 29, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 264: A Chat with Romance Author, Sarah Monzon
September 26, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 263: A Chat about The Love Script w/ Toni Shiloh
September 23, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 262: Chatting about The Legacy of Longdale Manor with Carrie Turansky
September 19, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 261: Chatting with Christian Youth Fiction Author, Candice Yamnitz
September 15, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 260: A Chat with Rachel Hauck
September 12, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 259: A Chat with Debut Author, Laura Conaway
September 8, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 258: A Louisiana Christmas to Remember
September 2, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 257: A Chat with Fantasy Author, N. Ford
September 1, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 256: A Chat about Summer in the Spotlight w/ Liz Johnson
August 29, 2023
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Check out the Sparrow Island novels. A tiny island with a lot of heart

independence islands series

Featured Books

A Ransomed Grete

A Ransomed Grete
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
A Ransomed Grete
Buy now!

Twice Sold Tales

Twice Sold Tales
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Twice Sold Tales
Buy now!

Under the Hibiscus

Under the Hibiscus
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Under the Hibiscus
Buy now!

Upcoming Posts

Sorry - nothing planned yet!

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • What Would Make a Tropical Vacation More Exciting? Find Out!
  • Sometimes All a Girl Needs Is a True Change of Heart
  • How Does an Intense Christmas Competition Lead to Love?

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule
Just another hour... Tea is Pumpkin Masala Chai fr Just another hour...
Tea is Pumpkin Masala Chai from Marcella's Enchanted Cottage and blueberry cinnamon roll courtesy of #6daughter
, @andralane0129 
#AmReading 
#AnnetoberReadAThon 
@teri_blake_author 
#womensfiction
Yum... seriously the best beef ever. So glad we go Yum... seriously the best beef ever. So glad we got some,  but so many missed out. 
Thanks @robsogbbq
Instagram post 18282011413151971 Instagram post 18282011413151971
If you haven't read Seek and Hide by @amandagsteve If you haven't read Seek and Hide by @amandagstevens , stop everything and order this book. Then schedule dinner delivery the day it arrives and dive in. Chilling,  inspiring,  and proof that Amanda is a stellar Storyteller.
#AmReading 
#ChristFic
Reposted from @beccawierwille Less than one month Reposted from @beccawierwille Less than one month until release day for Road Trip Rescue! 🚘 🐶 Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 24 to help me celebrate sending this story into the world. 

Also, prepare for more posts than normal. I’m excited to launch this book. 🥳
I think the moon is embracing autumn, too. I think the moon is embracing autumn,  too.
Reposted from @lisaphillipsbks Woot! Happy release Reposted from @lisaphillipsbks Woot! Happy release day, @lovereadwriterepeat
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!