Official Review: The Evangelist by William King

Post by **Rosemary Wright** » 09 May 2018, 14:23

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Evangelist" by William King.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The Evangelist, by William R. King, is about faith, self-discovery, and spiritual awakening. Philip Ashby, a Pastor, is married with two children. During a preaching rally, he is attacked by Tracy, a brainwashed woman whom he can't recall seeing somewhere before. Miraculously, he survives the assault, and as soon as he is well enough to leave the hospital for his home, news gets out that he had a secret love affair with Tracy. Immediately his wife, Jessica, hears the accusation, she flares up and confronts him.

Being falsely accused, Philip is dejected, and instead of going home, his daughter, Claire, arranges for him to be transferred to the psych ward so that Dr. Ethan Pitney, a psychiatrist, can help him deal with the stressful events in his life. Dr. Ethan doesn't believe in God and blames God and every Christian for the loss of his wife. Having his own demons, can he help Philip through this difficult time? Is Pastor Philip a godsend for him and other patients in the ward? In a fascinating manner, this story comprises a debate about Christianity, and it shows how some of its characters are quick to blame God for allowing unpleasant things happen to Christians.

In addition, the narration proves that sometimes, God makes his children go through tough times for a good purpose. Featuring crime, characters with personal struggles, exorcism, epiphanies, and prayers, this life-changing novel is engaging, inspiring, and occasionally, hilarious. It encourages forgiveness and discourages selfishness. Impressively, it's character-driven, thought-provoking, and interesting. It has a solid, suspenseful, and fast-paced plot. Again, it shows that everyone has a right to form their own opinions, but they should be convinced and strong enough to welcome criticism. Since this book defends Christianity, some atheists may not want to read it.

The personae are well developed and relatable. Most of them are weird and difficult, and I'm pleased that, at the end of the tale, some changed their beliefs and underwent personality transformation. My favorite characters are Philip, the protagonist, and Naomi, his daughter. They are strong and have steadfast faith in God in the face of overwhelming challenges. I enjoyed reading this narrative and obtained some spiritual lessons from it, such as praying always and appreciating God's love for me. However, I saw several grammatical errors and typos. For example, "How can play a game on your phone at a time like this?" and "Naomi wryly smiled and a replied." The book needs another round of proofreading.

Lastly, this narration is a guide, and it's entertaining, enlightening, and fascinating. It ended satisfactorily, and hence, I rate 3 out of 4 stars. I couldn't rank it more because of the errors I encountered and recommend it for readers who enjoy reading fictional books with Christian themes.

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The Evangelist
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revna01 · Post by **revna01** » 11 May 2018, 03:22

The themes touched upon do sound like issues many people struggle with (Christian and non-Christian alike). Anger and blame, not to mention dejectedness and confusion are lessons none of us are immune to. Thanks for a great review!

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 11 May 2018, 06:52

Loved your review! I had a different impression about this book. The cover made me thing this was a theological book about the life of Jesus. Your comments and summary make me want to read it. Thanks.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 11 May 2018, 07:36

Wow! This definitely sounds like something that could happen in real life. All it takes is one person to make an accusation, and your life is ruined. It's a book that I'll have to look into. I'm curious how he manages to handle all of that.

Libs_Books · Post by **Libs_Books** » 11 May 2018, 11:44

The basic scenario sounds very dramatic and the plot line makes me think that Philip Ashby might be a little like Job - having his faith tested. So far, so good, but I'd find the errors off-putting. I enjoyed your review, though.

princess1992 · Post by **princess1992** » 11 May 2018, 12:01

i want to know how he survive all

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 11 May 2018, 12:51

That sounds like a well-told story of a crisis of faith.

momschellsr · Post by **momschellsr** » 13 May 2018, 09:00

I think we all, Christians or not, struggle with our own guilt and shame. If this book touches only a fraction of those things then I think I would like to read it. I wonder sometimes what another person is going through and any storyline that helps the reader get inside of another person's mind is a good book to me.
Thank you for the review.

Ashiyya Tariq · Post by **Ashiyya Tariq** » 13 May 2018, 10:58

It sounds an interesting book on faith, self discovery and awakening. Sting faith in God can solve many problems. This is what the author wants to convey. Thanks for your insightful review.

martoruky_28 · Post by **martoruky_28** » 14 May 2018, 11:47

I would love to read this book because it sounds interesting, how a man in the face of trials holds on to God and what looked like the perfect plan of the enemy became a means to heal others.

simon kioko · Post by **simon kioko** » 14 May 2018, 23:47

this has really touched be. thumb up willium

gen_g · Post by **gen_g** » 15 May 2018, 08:58

Thank you very much for your insightful review; it seems like it would be a lot better after going through editing, since reading a book with many errors is slightly off-putting.