Review of Stone of Gabriel

[janakay]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Stone of Gabriel" by Gary A. Pattillo.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Stone of Gabriel by Gary A. Pattillo is about a young boy, Kurt, and his two best friends, as he learns to control mysterious powers granted by a rock he found on a camping trip. Along the way, he is befriended by a police officer, Steve, who is investigating a series of murders. Steve possesses a similar rock and explains what he knows about the rocks to Kurt. The powers granted to Steve by his rock are different than those given to Kurt. While the powers from Steve’s rock have been documented by his family, nothing is known about Kurt’s rock. Kurt and Steve are the only ones who can see people possessed by demons, and together they fight the forces of evil, in the form of these demons. The story is a clear-cut case of good versus evil, using Christian mythology / philosophy as the two poles.

The characters, while mostly juvenile, are well-balanced and don’t come across as trite or cardboard cutouts. The emotions and thoughts of the lead protagonist are clearly expressed and are true to what I remember from that age. The writer uses transitions well, from one series of actions to the next. He even throws in a cute girl for Kurt to get tongue-tied over.

The early chapters end with transcriptions of Kurt’s dreams that provide some of the back story on the rocks. These dream transcriptions don’t continue through the whole book, which is a bit disconcerting. There is clearly a reason for the antagonist to target Steve; this backstory is never explained, leaving an overall impression that the story is being set up to be explained over the course of a multi-part series and of something missing to the story. The sub-story with the bully is a bit trite and adds nothing to the story line.

This is book is a fast read, with only a few grammar mistakes or oddities. The plot flows well, and the view of the protagonist is well presented. I give this book a three out of four.

This book would be excellent for young adults, as there is absolutely no profanity or sex, or sexual innuendo. It is also good for anyone with a good grasp of the Christian religion, as the plot revolves somewhat around Christian philosophy. However, I think this book is not tailored to the Christian-only or religious-only audience, and has a wider appeal than just young adult, or morality training. Anyone looking for a good clean book, with a happy ending would enjoy this book.

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Stone of Gabriel
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