Friday, November 2, 2012

Jungle Doctor and the Whirlwind

So, how do you like my first ever screen shot from my new iPhone? Okay, I know I'm a little late getting one, but it was finally free with my contract renewal.

A-N-Y-W-A-Y...on to the review

Jungle Doctor and the Whirlwind written by Paul White, narrated by Paul Michael on audiobook, and published by christianaudio - yep, that's the book.

So, what did I think of it?

Well, it's more like what did I not think of it? No, I don't mean that they way it sounds. Here me out.

When I first requested to review this book, I honestly knew very little about it other than the title and what the cover art looked like. I actually thought it was more of a children's book than it turned out to be, which is not a bad thing.

As I began listening to this audiobook during my commutes, I was sucked in almost immediately. Paul Michael does an amazing job narrating this book! He does the various characters' voices so convincingly that I would have thought he was a mix of Australian and Tanzanian, and was both a young and old man...and even a woman - young and old. Sound crazy? Not at all. He is an excellent audiobook narrator.

Beyond the superb audio theatrics, I was also pleasantly drawn in by the captivating storytelling of Paul White (whom I knew nothing about until the intro to this book). He doesn't just excellently and creatively weave an interesting story; he also presents and unfolds some deep, important Biblical truths in ways that make God's Word and ways tangible to the reader/listener.

White uses the comparison of a storm - a whirlwind - to our lives in that if you "sow the wind" you will "reap the whirlwind." (Hosea 8:7) He also uses analogies from nature to relate how sin affects a person from the inside out, by describing how a destructive insect can get inside of an ear of corn and eat away at it without the outside of the ear having any evidence of what the inside has become.

I can in no way recount the stories and analogies in the way Paul White does, but let me just say that he is a master weaver of a captivating story with a meaning and a purpose.

This story does specifically center around a man who is a drug dealer and is pushing and using marijuana, so that is why I said at the beginning that I do not consider it a children's book. I do, however, highly suggest it as a book for adults of all ages including young adults and even teenagers. You may, however, want to screen it first for yourself before letting a pre-teen or maybe even a teen read/listen to it. I may be erring on the side of caution, but I know some people may not prefer for their child of those ages to be exposed to descriptions of people being high and such quite yet. Realistically, most of them probably are exposed to those discussions by those ages, but again, I leave that to your discretion. And besides, you will thoroughly enjoy and be challenged by reading/listening to this book yourself first anyway.

Do you enjoy audiobooks?

Which have been your favorite/least favorite?

What do you like/dislike about them?

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook for free from christianaudio.com. No other compensation was received. The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review.

1 comment:

Christian Focus 4 Kids said...

Haelie,

Thanks for being a part of our first ever audiobook review blog tour on the Christian Focus 4 Kids blog. If you enjoyed reviewing an audiobook, you should check out the ChristianAudio Reviewers Program.