Official Review: The Making Of A Soldier by Adriene Odom

[VictoriaMcMillen]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Making Of A Soldier" by Adriene Odom.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Making of a Soldier reads like an autobiographical, self-help book for followers of the Christian faith or those striving to. It is listed in the family and relationships genre. The tenacious veteran, Adriene Odom, is the author of this definite eye-opener. The short book quickly brings us through many of the hardships she has faced, as she allowed herself to be molded by the hands of God. The author is hoping she can help other women to also see their worth, in the eyes of God, and in themselves.

Deployed on a tour in Afghanistan, the author is terrified and plagued with flashbacks of the traumatic life she left behind. From childhood, she consistently faced adversity and turned to God for consolation and direction. A hard life can make for a broken soul, a wavering faith at times. We can stumble and make many mistakes. Several times, the author finds herself in out-of-control situations and learns to turn it over to God. Through her faith, she is able to make positive changes in life. The struggles she faced were some that many women today can identify with such as death, rape, domestic violence, and even abortion. Not to mention, the lack of trust and depression that follows such traumas.

The book raises the hot-topic issues of sins that some may believe to be inexcusable. It must have taken a great deal, to put these stories on paper and share them with the world. Many believe they cannot be forgiven or are not worth forgiveness. This woman’s journey and faith in God was able to help her to feel forgiveness for those sins, to move past them. I enjoyed this theme of the story and believe others will too. It is very likely, that this book will help someone who needs to hear they are forgiven; they have a chance and a choice.

The book’s introduction was longer than most of its chapters. After reading the book, I honestly thought that it was too much of a summary and more should have gone directly into the chapters. My advice, to readers, is to skip the introduction and get to the full story right away, either way, it’s up to you. I found the book to only have some minor grammatical errors. Otherwise, the book is well written and quite the page-turner. You can sense the author’s motive is NOT to have you take pity on her but to share just enough to help you realize that God can help you survive anything. I expected to see more detail in some instances but understand that enough was divulged to make an impact. I believe had some of the author’s stories been more detailed they would have been a much more powerful, impactful.

The book, as it is, will have a lasting effect on me as it was terrifyingly personal. I found myself relieved that she was able to find guidance from God. The mental strength that can come from a belief in a higher power is a great tool to use in healing from trauma. Within my Human Services background, we are trained to support client’s cultural and religious beliefs as a positive coping mechanism. In a time of high rates of violence against women, literature like this is greatly needed.

I am rating the book The Making of a Soldier 3 out of 4 stars. The novel was a quick and enjoyable read, at roughly 64 pages total, but no doubt a highly impactful one. Had the author given more depth and if there were no grammar issues, the book would have earned the 4 stars. The author’s intentions were well received, when you have faith in something higher than yourself, you can survive anything. The book did have some graphic violence with the abuses that she endured through her life. I would recommend this book for adults, adolescent women, anyone struggling with their faith, and possibly believe they have gone too far to be saved.

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The Making Of A Soldier
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Like VictoriaMcMillen's review? Post a comment saying so!

[stacie k]

What a strong woman the author is! I’m glad she was willing to share such personal stories to benefit other women. We all could benefit from the truths (such as forgiveness) and inspiration this book has to offer. Thanks for a great review!

[Mercelle]

I like it when self-help books are brief and to the point. The author did get this right. Her sharing her personal story adds a realistic touch to the words.

[Libs_Books]

Thanks for the review. This book sounds powerful, and potentially very moving, but I'm just a bit confused about its status. You describe it as autobiographical, but it's listed as 'other fiction'. So, is it a case of 'mainly true, but names have been changed' or do you think that some of the episodes have been invented? Are the author and the book's narrator actually one and the same person?

[KLafser]

It's really tough to put the 'hard stuff' out there, what a brave person. Very thoughtful review!

[VictoriaMcMillen]

Thanks for the review. This book sounds powerful, and potentially very moving, but I'm just a bit confused about its status. You describe it as autobiographical, but it's listed as 'other fiction'. So, is it a case of 'mainly true, but names have been changed' or do you think that some of the episodes have been invented? Are the author and the book's narrator actually one and the same person?

Yes, The author and narrator are one in the same. I also believe you are correct in assuming the names have been changed. The author explains that this is her story and see is sharing it in hopes of helping others. Thanks for your comment. I hope this clears the confusion.

[Libs_Books]

I hope this clears the confusion.

Yes, thank you.

[kfwilson6]

This is an excellent review. I really like the author's motive for writing this book and agree that many people struggle to realize that EVERY sin is forgiven. The author is a brave woman for sharing her struggles in order to strongly convey this message. This sounds like a difficult book to read, but sometimes you need to read difficult things because they will touch your heart in a way you wouldn't expect.

Thank you for writing this review. I saw this book on my list of options to review but wasn't quite sure what it was about. Your review cleared up all of my confusion.