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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Faith That Works" by Teresa Stith.]

A Faith that Works, by Teresa A. Stith, is a self-help book focused on helping people find a way to make their faith work for them. She talks about her own experiences being downtrodden and bitter, and how drastically things have changed for her since rediscovering her faith.

I went into A Faith that Works as someone who was raised a catholic and went to catholic school, but never really bought into it. That said, as much as my upbringing failed to instil actual belief in me, it did give me an appreciation for religion and the role it can play in people's lives. I was hoping for a book filled with fascinating insights into someone bouncing back from rock bottom and genuine, actionable life advice. Ultimately what I got was a 100 page sermon.

I can imagine Stith being an absolute firecracker at the altar. The way the book is written tells me that she's probably a fantastic orator, one who could really get the congregation fired up. Sadly, many of the skills that go into a fantastic speech don't work on paper. The whole book has a weird spoken quality to it. Stith frequently starts sentences with “see”, and everything feels very loose and stream-of-consciousness-like, as though it was transcribed from a sermon. That's not even to mention the overabundance of exclamation marks. There are more exclamation marks in this book than there are pages, and the majority of them come in groups of three. It's hard to take Stith seriously when the formatting is often akin to the diary of an excitable eight year old. Page long paragraphs abound which are just hard to read, and they're peppered with words in capitals for emphasis, overused exclamation marks, and general formatting woes.

None of this is to say anything about Stith's words. As I said, I can imagine her being a cracking preacher. She's got some great advice, as long as it gets to the right people, and an interesting perspective. I found some of it confusing, namely the idea that you should give up trying to solve your problems and leave it to God but at the same time not expect God to give you everything you want. It's possible I've misunderstood Stith grossly there but I found the formatting genuinely challenging to get through.

My understanding of A Faith that Works's message is that people need to accept the reality of God having his own plan for everyone and stop worrying. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away but it's all for the best in the end as long as you don't let disappointment and anger lead you off the path. It's not revolutionary theology by any stretch, but there's a reason it's been a mainstay of Christian thought for so long. People find it comforting to know that everything will be fine and that they don't need to worry. That's the idea that is reiterated and really hammered home throughout the book, and it's a message that works and that people in bad situations find comforting.

I suspect A Faith that Works was written over the course of a few days, with comparatively little time spent going back and editing it for clarity. With half the exclamation points and double the paragraph breaks, this book would be so much better and Stith's genuinely well-intentioned and (to the right people) valuable advice would have a much better chance of making an impact. As it stands, it's a perfectly reasonable self-help book that's absolutely hamstrung by a lack of editing.

I give A Faith that Works one out of four stars. I was torn, because the advice would be valuable to someone who's in a dark place and has had their extant faith in God shaken. However the formatting makes it all so opaque and genuinely difficult to read at times that I cannot imagine anyone who'd benefit from this book sticking with it long enough to get that benefit. If the author came back with a heavily edited but essentially the same second edition, I can imagine this getting three stars. As it stands, I can't justify anything higher than one.

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A Faith That Works
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From your descriptive review, I may share similar beliefs with the author. Having said that, I probably wouldn't enjoy reading a hundred-page sermon either. I can understand being disappointed that she didn't share practical hands-on advice. I can also relate to your hesitance about the book's low rating. I just finished a review with the same rating. It was my first time to rate in the lowest category, and I found it really difficult. I appreciate your honest review.

I really appreciate your honest evaluation of this book. It is one I might have picked up had I not seen a review. I would have been put off by the hyperbolic writing style and the inadequate editing. I recently read a book with so much underlining, highlighting and bolding that I couldn't pay attention to the message. Editing is not the place to shave expenses. Thanks again for the great review.

That's really a shame that the author couldn't have worked a little harder to make it better as a book. I wonder what the author is like as a person when you describe the way she writes. Nice review, I'm glad you're honest. As a Christian, I struggle with the very thing you pointed out in your 4th paragraph. To let God solve all your problems and then remain happy and faithful if it doesn't work out the way you hoped it would. Hope your reading goes up from here!

I too hold similar beliefs, but see where I would probably disagree with quite a bit of what the author writes about. I don't understand how people can totally disregard problems by just saying it's in God's hands. Do I believe that God has everything in his control, yes. However, I also believe there is a fine line to saying he will help us and saying don't worry whatever happens is meant to be. To some extent, I believe, we hold the decision in our power. God gave us free will, so while he may control things, our actions sometimes determines the outcome. I'm sure there are many that would look at me negatively for saying that. Anyways, I took know the pain you feel giving a religious book 1 star. I don't think that gives them a free pass to higher stars, and I appreciate you giving an honest review. This book and I would clash, I believe, so I'm going to pass. Thank you!