Book Review: Faith, Hope, and Gravity

Merrill Osmond and Shirley Bahlmann have written a book called Faith, Hope, and Gravity.  It is the story of a young man named Liam who occasionally has "visions" of events before they happen.  He made the mistake of warning another boy his age about money going missing and such, and the boy thinks Liam has cast a spell on him or has magic or something and he begins to bully Liam.  It goes so far as to put Liam in a predicament where he is severely injured and Liam carries emotional and physical scars from that attack for years afterward that affects him in various ways.

The book takes Liam all over the world from Hawaii, to Las Vegas, to Iceland, England, France, and Italy to name a few.  In each place he meets another "visionary" or some person that offers him advice and wisdom to works through the after-effects from his injury.  I think that's what made it a little hard for me to get into the book because just as I would get comfortable with the setting and what Liam was going through, when we'd be thrown into another setting and introduced to new characters.  It made most of the book's characters seem very on the surface to me because we didn't get to know them well before we were on to the next setting.  It was sort of like a lot of adventures all in one book.  It did occur to me that perhaps it would have worked better as little vignettes from Liam's life or just concentrating on one adventure and having the rest be subsequent books so we could really get a feel for Liam.  Regardless, there is a message that ties the book together of faith carrying you through your difficulties and we all have talents to offer the world.  Liam does go through a lot in his life, and having his gift is both a blessing and a curse for him.  He has a lot of people around him to care for him and help him and that is something we all want in our life---the common dream if you will.

Here is the back copy:

 Faith, Hope and Gravity” is the spiritual, magical adventure of teenage Liam Kane as he discovers some of the same lessons Merrill Osmond learned as the world-traveling lead singer of the Osmond Brothers. Like Merrill, Liam is often misunderstood as he helps those seeking for purpose in their extraordinary talents. Liam’s visionary abilities gain him international notoriety as “The Prophecy Boy” who swims with dolphins, dreams of a mysterious red door, and champions those who are often misjudged for their uncommon gifts. Surviving kidnapping, near-drowning, and imprisonment leads to the discovery that despite differences, when people respect each other and their wide variety of abilities, the thread of commonality that runs through mankind grows ever stronger. Turn the pages to join in this unforgettable journey.

And just for your information:

You also have the option of joining Merrill and Shirley for a BOOK BOMB CELEBRATION on August 29, 2012!

When you purchase FAITH, HOPE, AND GRAVITY from Amazon.com (softcover book or ebook) on August 29th you’ll receive several free gifts, including Merrill’s new song, ebooks, training seminars, podcasts, and additional music! Plan to help spread the word because we’ll be posting a fun contest with great thank you gifts for your support.