Official Review: The Secret of My Triumph Over Evil Chaos...

[Christabel Uzoamaka]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Secret of My Triumph Over Evil Chaos and Pain" by Hector Rivera.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Secret of My Triumph Over Evil, Chaos, and Pain by Hector Rivera is an account of the circumstances that led to the author being a convicted felon and of his experiences in the several prisons he was taken to during his forty-month sentence. Hector Rivera, a Mexican, came into America to build a better life for himself and his family. After starting and running his own business, he gets arrested for food-stamp fraud and other charges. It is then that his life changes forever. While in jail, Hector’s eyes are opened to how wondrous God is, and he begins a journey to get closer to Jesus. While on his journey as a devout Catholic, he also realizes the importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Many miracles happen for Hector, and he shares the secret of his faith in this book.

Rivera shares his story like he is at a group meeting. He addresses the reader directly, making it seem like you are having a real-life conversation with him. This was my favorite aspect of this book. The sentences flowed well, which retained my interest in Rivera’s story. The author’s unwavering faith in God is beautiful and inspiring to read. As a Catholic myself, I must say that the author gave me more insight on strengthening my trust in God. The author also included Bible passages that are comforting and eye-opening. With personal testimonies of God's miracles in the writer’s life, readers are sure to be amazed and spurred to remain faithful to God.

However, it seemed that the author merely glossed over parts that could have made him look bad. For instance, when narrating why he was put in jail, he says that he was accused, amongst other things, and it made me wonder at first if the policemen were falsely accusing and abusing him. And when he mentions that he did those things, he quickly goes over it. Maybe this is for the sake of the book’s brevity, but I felt that he should have been more open about the wrongdoings he committed.

Also, the author, based on his strict religion, condemns sins such as homosexuality, worshipping idols, abortion, and so on. But he mentions something I find hypocritical and inconsiderate. He says that it was right for Pope Leo IV to build walls in Rome to keep “barbarians” out. His rationale is that it is for the protection of people within. But Rivera is an immigrant. He knows, firsthand, the despair one feels when they are about to be deported. His encouraging building walls seemed out of place.

I recommend this book to Christians, especially Hispanic Catholics. Hector’s story will give you additional insight and increase your faith. His testimonies are beautiful to read and can give you hope if there seems to be none in your life. Rivera is a manifestation of God's grace. I would give specifics of all that God did for him, but I do not want to give spoilers. I rate this piece 3 out of 4. Even though I enjoyed the intimate delivery of Hector’s story and the professional editing, my complaints are serious enough to deduct a star. Readers who are skeptics or cynics should steer clear of this piece, as they may be agitated by some of Hector’s opinions.

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The Secret of My Triumph Over Evil Chaos and Pain
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[Chigo Nwagboso]

I love that the book exposed lot of bad things that should be prohibited. This book indeed has Alot to teach readers. Thanks for a detailed review.

[Alice Fu]

I appreciate this review, it's good to know that Hector was able to transform his life and make a change to his ways through finding God as a convicted felon. It makes me wonder how he lived out his life after leaving the suffering, though the lack of explanation as to how he got there in the first place makes me wonder if there's something he wants to hide in able to have the audience empathize with him more.