Official Review: Faith Hope and the Giant by John Callison

[Samantha Gayle]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Faith Hope and the Giant" by John Callison.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Rich Valley has everything someone could ask for in a home. The land is lush and fruitful. A beautiful river runs through the valley, providing water and life. Yet something sinister looms over the village of Rich Valley. Villagers fear the weather; they fear running out of food. Fear of illness looms over them. Children aren't out playing, and windows remain shuttered. Any strangers that come through are mistrusted and judged.

Long ago, an evil wizard with hate in his heart put a curse on the valley. He saw all of the happiness in the village and became enraged. He cursed the people of the land to forever live in fear. One day a giant comes through the valley looking for acceptance. At the same time, a new family comes to settle and make Rich Valley their home. These unlikely characters may come together to change this valley.

Faith, Hope, and the Giant, by John Callison, is a lesson in love, understanding, and triumph over fear. The most prominent aspect of this novel is the message. There is no particular protagonist as everyone has a part to play in saving the valley. It is a beautiful tool in teaching compassion and acceptance of others despite their differences. It also teaches us how to persevere and work together in the face of fear. The author does write with religious undertones throughout the novel. There are biblical names, and the "creator" and prayer are mentioned in the book. I don't think that it detracts from the book, and it doesn't specifically mention Christianity, but I wanted to note it, so future readers are aware of the spiritual tones.

There was very little I disliked about the book, but some characters seemed underdeveloped. For example, the evil wizard is mentioned very generally, and you're left wondering if there is more to him and his curse. There is a "shining" character that appears once to speak to the giant. I think getting his message across was more critical to the author, so this lack of development didn't heavily impact my feelings. I happily give this book a 4 out of 4 stars.

The book is professionally edited, as I found no grammatical errors. There are beautiful illustrations at the beginning of each chapter that further enrich the novel. This book is for all ages. However, I would be mindful of the religious undertones I mentioned, if that would concern the reader. This book was an enjoyable read with a powerful message, and I would highly recommend it to family and friends.

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Faith Hope and the Giant
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Ada Ling]

"in love, understanding, and triumph over fear. " - interested in seeing how these elements turn out from a valley. Thank you for the nice review!

[TCG]

Rich Valley reminds me of the Garden of Eden in the Bible. The beautiful descriptions are lovely. Thanks for the simple use of language.

[Samantha Gayle]

"in love, understanding, and triumph over fear. " - interested in seeing how these elements turn out from a valley. Thank you for the nice review!

Thank you for the compliment! It is a lovely read if you have the time!

[Samantha Gayle]

Rich Valley reminds me of the Garden of Eden in the Bible. The beautiful descriptions are lovely. Thanks for the simple use of language.

You are correct in that comparison! A very beautiful place where there is no want. Thank you for taking the time to read my review!

[Ify_Reviewer]

It sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the detailed review.

[Chigo Nwagboso]

......... What an evil witch. This one is just a sadist. Seems to be an interesting read. Great review!

[Samantha Gayle]

It sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the detailed review.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review; it is very much appreciated!

[Samantha Gayle]

......... What an evil witch. This one is just a sadist. Seems to be an interesting read. Great review!

Evil for the sake of evil! He probably doesn't even remember why he's evil. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review; it means so much to me!