Callum's Compass

by Sara L Foust

[phyllish]

It is very hard to believe that this is Sara L. Foust's debut novel.  I have read many a novel by an author who has published scads of books that were not as well written an interesting as this one was.

With a word in the book's description like "gruesome", I did hesitate before reading this book.  I am not a fan of violent books or those that are gory.  I am so glad that I didn't skip over this book.  The genre is certainly Suspense, but the story was not gruesome or gory.  I would consider it to still fall under the "Clean" category of writing.

The book was a great blend of suspense and adventure, with a little romance thrown in as well.  The various elements of the story were woven together well and the details were revealed at a very appropriate pace.  I loved how the author used the compass throughout the story in such significant ways.

Though the book wasn't in any way preachy, the message of forgiveness and salvation was clearly presented.  Prayer and the need for salvation were interwoven throughout the story, but not in such a way as to overpower the story itself.

I was a little mad at Kat's family.  They all knew that she carried guilt over her brother's death, yet in the 20 years that passed, they never talked to her about it or attempted to let her know that she wasn't responsible.

For those who might have a concern, drug use and drug-making (Meth) were an element in the book, but the drug use was not described - it was simply a person who had ruined his life by using them, and the Meth was a minor plot element and was mentioned in a way that made it very clear that there is nothing good about it.

This review was originally posted on Among the Reads

I am grateful to Sara L. Foust for giving me a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.