The Gift

Tears sprang to Ana’s eyes. She let them fall as she stared with increasing horror at her reflection in the mirror. How had she gotten here, all sunburned and ruined on the lavish yacht of a rich playboy? Ana’s fair skin had never seen the light of day, and now she had exposed herself like…what? Like a common harlot! Ana whirled away her the mirror pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes. In her anguish and shame she felt an overwhelming desire to talk with her mother, but that voice of wisdom was lost to her. All voices were lost. Chiveis was lost. Teo was lost. He would never want her back. Ana wiped away her tears. There was only one way to go forward. As it turned out, Vanita had been right all along. Ana decided she needed to make a home for herself in the real world, the actual world, the rough-and-tumble world in which she found herself – not the elusive world of vague hopes and empty dreams. “If I don’t provide for my future, who will?”

Book: The Gift by Bryan Litfin, Crossway Publishers, 2011

 

Genre: Fantasy/Futuristic

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 13-19 but honestly, enjoyable for anyone older than 13

Subjects: Power of God’s Word, Temptation, Loneliness, Love

Summary: Ana and Teo are wandering outside of Chiveis, but don’t have to wander through the wilderness for long. They are taken in and Ana especially is adopted by the people of a city. It doesn’t change her loneliness for all she left behind though. The more she tries to fit in with the strange new customs, the more she fights temptation to surrender all hope in Deu. Teo is torn between his vow to never leave Ana, to always protect her, and his vow to her to find the second half of Deu’s writings. Eventually, everything must come to a head and each must make a choice that determines the direction of their lives.

Notes: The first in this series was amazing and this one is as well. It’s very realistic, with faith comes doubt and temptation and trials. Ana is portrayed in the first book as having a very strong faith, but what persecution and threat of death could not accomplish, loneliness did. Teo was the weak one in the last book, but having come through his doubts and trials, is stronger for them and is now the one clearly assigned by Deu to use his gifts and skills to find and bring Deu’s word to the people. Ana and Teo are characters we can relate to in both their strengths and their weaknesses. Another strong point is the portrayal of love. Ana and Teo have to learn, the hard way, what true love looks like.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.