Review by roatanmama -- A Good Boy by Anthony Andre

[roatanmama]

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Good Boy" by Anthony Andre.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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A Good Boy by Anthony Andre is the story of a new pastor, Wesley Aames, and the ups and downs of the lives entrusted to his care. Attendance is down at the church. The congregation is divided. Fewer attendees means fewer funds available. The church is dying. Because his experience has been limited to being a Youth pastor, never having his own church, Wesley is the only pastor the New Covenant Church in Asheville, North Carolina, can afford to hire.

Rosa Lee hurls so many insults at her sixteen-year-old daughter that she commits suicide the very first day Wesley arrives in town. Even though Wesley does not particularly like Rosa Lee when he meets her, he ministers to her with kindness and understanding. Some in the church do not like him doing this. They want him to kick Rosa Lee out of the church instead. Then a firefighter dies while saving a puppy from a fire. The church he goes to refuses to conduct a funeral service because this heroic man was gay. Wesley steps up and conducts the funeral and is rewarded with protesters and small-minded people hurling insults. However, he handles the situations with quiet grace and effectiveness.

Along the way, Wesley meets several wonderfully kind people: Susie, the church secretary with a challenged son, Gary, a local fireman, Thad who wants to become a basketball star, Mamie, a cranky, elderly lady, Charles, a retired minister, and Lucky, a 3-legged, one ear, one eyed, mangy dog that he adopts.

The author creates a very believable main character with his own flaws and problems caused by a horrible series of life events, but instills him with great compassion, fortitude, a quick wit, and an abundance of humor. All of the characters come alive on the pages, each with their own foibles. I appreciated learning what fills a minister's time, and how ministers can vary from really great to really flawed.

I rate this 4 out of 4 stars. Even though there are spelling and punctuation errors, the story is so compelling and well-written, full of faith, compassion, and humor, and with plenty of stories common to all small towns, that I have to rate it appropriately high. I most enjoyed the humor that Mr. Andre instilled in his main character, and how this man was able to help so many people, from teenagers talking suicide to lonely elderly people and everyone in-between. Mr. Andre has created characters that mirror people we all know.

While reading A Good Boy, there were several times I said to myself, I did not see that coming! In addition to the humor, small twists and turns make this a most enjoyable book to read. There really isn’t anything I did not like about this book. I encourage people of all ages to read this book. It will make you think, make you laugh, make you cry, and make you wish you were more like Wesley Aames.

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A Good Boy
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