Review of Don't Tell Me There Ain't No God

[Esther-David]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Don't Tell Me There Ain't No God" by Gary McDougall.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Don't Tell me There Ain't no God, by Gary McDougall, is a memoir following the author's upbringing, multiple near-death experiences, career, and religious journey. McDougall was born in the US to Belizean parents. His parents split when he was young, and his father stayed in Brooklyn while his mother, siblings, and he went back to Belize. The book begins here in 1961, when Hurricane Hattie struck. The devastating storm left the author's family the only survivors from their town. After the storm, the family went back to New York. The author then details his experiences with an alcoholic father, abuse, racism, school years, jobs, foray into songwriting, and religion. The author was raised Catholic, rejected God, then turned back to him.

A lot happened in this short book. I can't believe the author survived so many tragic experiences! From parental neglect to almost drowning to knife violence, it's a wonder that he survived. He described at least 8 instances where he almost lost his life. His career has been all over the place, which was interesting to read about. The author wrote that he has been a shoe-shiner, cab driver, pool shark, security guard, reality television star, songwriter, and engineer for security systems at NASA. He made it clear how his life changed drastically after he found Christ. The message the author hopes to impart on people is that God is real and working in his life.

The book is thoroughly edited; I only found a few minor errors. However, the timeline was a little bit hard to follow with all the chronological jumps back and forth. Some information was repeated because of this, which would not have been necessary had the book been more organized.

My major critique is that the book is too short! There was a lot of information delivered quickly. The length of the book does not justify the author's many experiences. Specifically, I wish the author described how he fell in love with his wife, how God works in his family's lives, and what happened to his siblings. In the first half of the book, the author spends some time discussing his tumultuous relationship with his father and fears about becoming a father. At the end, he briefly mentions his children. I would have liked to know how the author's relationship with his father affects his parenting, how he feels about his father now, and what his relationship is like with his children.

I enjoyed reading the account of this fantastical life. It made me reflect on my career and relationship with religion. One part that stuck out to me was how the author, as a security officer at Pepperdine University, filled his nights in the school library reading about Christianity. He took advantage of the opportunities he had. It was inspiring to read about how he worked his way up to his position at NASA.

I recommend this to other people searching for testimonies of God's works. People sensitive to matters of sexual abuse, physical abuse, gun violence, knife violence, abortion, and alcoholism may want to avoid this book. Nothing is described in overt detail, but the content could be triggering some people.

Overall, I rate Don't Tell me There Ain't no God four out of five stars. I deducted one star for the organization, brevity, and lack of closure.

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Don't Tell Me There Ain't No God
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[Joe Alex 2]

“Don’t Tell Me There Ain’t No God” seems like a powerful memoir, filled with intense moments and a deep reflection on the author’s journey through life. The multiple near-death experiences and career changes make it sound like a truly incredible story of survival. I appreciate that the author uses his story to convey a message of faith and personal growth, especially the part where he turned to reading about Christianity while working as a security officer. However, the book’s structure and brevity seem like they might have left some important details underdeveloped, especially regarding his relationships and how his past shaped his present. I’m not sure I’d read this one right now, but the themes of redemption and perseverance could make it worth considering for a future read.