๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ•๏ธ๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ Where The Road Bends (2020) ๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ๐Ÿ•๏ธ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ - Book Review #WRBPrism

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Where the Road Bends
By David Rawlings
Christian Fiction
Hardcover, Audiobook & ebook, 304 Pages
June 2, 2020 by Thomas Nelson

Fifteen years after college graduation, four friends reconnect to keep a long-ago promise and go on a trip of a lifetime in the Australian Outback.

Eliza needs to disconnect from her high-powered fashion job to consider the CEO position sheโ€™s just been offered. Lincoln hopes to rekindle a past relationship and escape from another one. Bree looks forward to a fun getaway from home and her deeply buried disappointments. Andy wants to disappear from the mess heโ€™s made of his lifeโ€”possibly forever.

Dropped at a campsite in the middle of nowhere, the friends quickly discover they arenโ€™t the same people they once were, and they begin to confront hard truths about one anotherโ€”and themselves. Then a bizarre storm sweeps across their camp, scattering them across the desert. Wondering if they are part of some strange escape game, each of the friends meets a guide to help them find exactly what they need: purpose, healing, courage, and redemption.

But theyโ€™ve already traveled far down the road of life and course-correcting to become the people they were meant to be wonโ€™t be easy.

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About the Author


David Rawlings is an Australian author, and a sports-mad father of three who loves humor and a clever turn of phrase. Over a 25-year career he has put words on the page to put food on the table, developing from sports journalism and copywriting to corporate communication. Now in fiction, he entices readers to look deeper into life with stories that combine the everyday with a sense of the speculative, addressing the fundamental questions we all face.


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My Review

Thank you in advance to the publisher, Thomas Nelson/TNZ Fiction, as well as Prism Book Tours for providing an advanced review copy. A positive review was not required and all words are my own.

The cover is one of the striking things about this novel, other than the blurb. The stars above and the red dirt road of the Australian outback feature four people on a journey. Immediately questions come to mind โ€“ what are they looking for, what will they find, will they like what they find?

This is one of those โ€œspiritual journeyโ€ novels that begins with graduation from college, culminating in a โ€œ15 years later tripโ€ to Australia for four friends โ€“ Lincoln, Andy, Eliza, and Bree. Due to life experiences they are obviously not the same people they were when they arrive. Are they even who they want to be, or are meant to be?

But โ€œhowโ€ did they arrive there โ€“ that is the key question in this novel and the entire premise. In addition โ€“ where are they going? What do they want next?

To be honest, this was a brilliant idea. I truly loved where the author went with this story. Yet, the execution has several weaknesses โ€“ some that truly affect how well the novel works, or could work. The stunning and brilliant writing saves this novel. The amount of imagination and passion the writer has are indeed strengths and you can read it in every page.

For the reunion, Lincoln has planned a camping trip to the Australian Outback. Basically being dropped in the middle of nowhere โ€“ or so it seems right then.

For Eliza, the trip is โ€œsignificantโ€. Bree is hiding a secret, and Andy is just trying to hide.

The characters were indeed flawed, unique, and realistic. I couldnโ€™t relate to the characters but I honestly understood some of them. I was drawn to the story to see how it was all going to play out. As someone who skipped her 10 year high school reunion (for more than one reason), it was an interesting plot to see how these people would have fared 15+ years down the road of lifeโ€™s experiences. How close would they be considering how they were in the beginning.

That is quickly established.

Eliza mentions a term โ€“ โ€œwalkaboutโ€ โ€“ which is a journey of self-discovery. From the way the characters are at the beginning of this reunion, they could definitely benefit from it. However, their โ€œtourโ€ guides, particularly Eddie, mention they donโ€™t exploit culture and donโ€™t use the term anymore because it has been misunderstood and used to explain something that it wasnโ€™t and painted to describe a picture of people who werenโ€™t like that. He refers to the trek as a โ€œjourney with a purposeโ€.

According to one finding, โ€˜go walkabout โ€“ (of an Australian Aboriginal) wander into the bush away from white society in order to live in the traditional mannerโ€. Which is why the two men, Eddie and Sloaney, say โ€œitโ€™s not appropriate to exploit cultural heritage for touristsโ€ almost at the end.

In a later campfire session, Eddie is playing a yidaki which Eliza thinks calls a didgeridoo. Again, Eddie is quick to point out the original name. This was definitely an interesting look into an unknown part of the Australian culture. It was definitely fascinating to read and learn about.

Of course what happens at that campsite changes the four friends and causes them to reevaluate the current course theyโ€™re on. That doesnโ€™t happen until about halfway through the novel though.

They start off camping and learning about the area โ€“ everything seems to be going great, but each one with their own baggage they donโ€™t want to unpack. But, the longer they are together, there is something that threatens them โ€“ mainly their own issues in their lives and how they feel about each other.

It starts with a campfire argument and the four people yelling at each other. One interesting note is that Andy blames Lincoln for how his life turns out. This is a result of a โ€œgamblingโ€ tip in college that then sets about Andyโ€™s downward path in life, as well as where he his at this point in life. The tip was actually successful, however as most gamblers know โ€“ even one small success can be dangerous and lead to a darker path.

The argument culminates with a rare storm that forces them into taking cover which scatters them in different directions. They each wake up in a different area and try to find their way back to the campsite, or civilization โ€“ only after theyโ€™ve completed their โ€œjourneyโ€.

The lessons/guides are simple:

1st โ€“ Lincoln. He is LOCKED in a train station with no train that comes by. He canโ€™t find his way out until a woman asks to be let in.

2nd โ€“ Andy. It is his problem that is the most bizarre and readers at the end will be left wondering โ€œwhat happenedโ€, perhaps even in a scary way. This was perhaps the most disturbing part of the novel itself.  

3rd โ€“ Eliza. She meets a guide, Grace, who quickly surmises what Eliza knew โ€“ she is missing something in her life; but what exactly? Was it a failed chance with Lincoln?

4th โ€“ Bree. Her biggest โ€œdemonโ€ is self-doubt due to a failed attempt at a major event just after college, while happy, she still wrestles with the โ€œam I good enough?โ€ question.

This is a great story that really takes the reader on more than a journey in self-discovery. Told in third (3rd) person; the POV switches from Lincoln, Eliza, Bree, to Andy.

I honestly couldnโ€™t put it down; I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and couldnโ€™t wait to find out what was going to happen to them.

Through their individual โ€œguideโ€ journeys; most of the group learn purpose, healing, redemption, and what is wrong in their lives. They also learn that their story isnโ€™t what they do, so much as how they got where they are. Something we all need to take in and reflect on. What was interesting is how they had to โ€œgo awayโ€ to find themselves. They had to be lost in order to be found.

They learn to re-think their story or their path on life. The journey acts as a course-correction to direct them into being who they are supposed to be, not who they ended up being.

For example, despite her success, Eliza was definitely unhappy. While she did seemingly โ€œhave everythingโ€, it was really nothing to her. Same as her ex-finance from college, Lincoln. This mesmerizing tale gives one a harsh lesson in the value of success. This is one of those novels that gets the reader to thinking โ€“ actually reflecting on their lives.

Other issues, particularly surrounding Andy, were the questions of personal accountability, responsibility, and owning up to oneโ€™s mistakes.

It also begs the question of second chances โ€“ if given one, would we take them? What would be the consequences? How far do we fall before we donโ€™t even deserve one?

Each journey was a variation of the same story.

While I am not sure I would call them plot holes, the ending left me wanting SO much more. I wanted to know what happened to these characters. Chapter one does start with the police involvement or rather investigation as one of the characters never seemingly โ€œresurfacesโ€.

Where did the fourth (4th) person end up?
Were the remaining three going to be charged in the disappearance?
How where they going to change their lives going forward?
What was going to happen?
Was this how it was going to end for them?

There were a LOT of questions in that area โ€“ those are some of the major ones. And, that was the big let-down in this otherwise superb book. Iโ€™m hoping that because I read an ARC, there was more at the end that didnโ€™t make it in. If not, it is a disappointment as this story deserves a more satisfying ending or rather an end with decent closure. I did re-read the ending to check to see if I missed anything.

As this is โ€œmagical realismโ€, there is no โ€œrealisticโ€ basis for what happens in this novel. So, the reader needs to keep that in mind. This is a โ€œhard to describeโ€ kind of read; and best to โ€œgive it a tryโ€ one.

While I was left disappointed, confused, and even perplexed by the ending, I was also left with reflecting on the questions being asked of the characters.

I think this is geared more for fans of the author, and those of the genre; maybe even those who are โ€œsearchingโ€ for something in their lives. The discussion questions are great, and a theme for this book โ€“ how did you get to the point you are in your life; what shaped your journey; what events shaped it. Does clinging to the past really hold us back?

What about exploring a road not taken?

That was an interesting one as it was the topic of a J*A*G episode (โ€œWhat Ifโ€) when the characters were pondering that same thing over fortune cookies โ€“ explore the road not taken, take it. Harm, Mac, Harriet, Bud, and Sturgis each had a view of the road not taken โ€“ each time it led them, in a way, towards where they were supposed to be, only by a different road. That was another thing that also stood out for me.

But, the reader also learns through this book that leaving old habits and thoughts behind is sometimes best so we can move forward.

This is definitely a LOWER 4 star read โ€“ more like a 3.8/3.9. As some websites donโ€™t do partial stars, I did round it up.

Christy Award winning Australian author, David Rawlings, is a new-to-me author despite hearing about some of his releases last year โ€“ โ€œThe Baggage Handlerโ€ and โ€œThe Camera Never Liesโ€. While disappointed about the ending, the author does accomplish the main goal set out in the story.

While distributed through TNZ Fiction/Thomas Nelson, which is a Christian and faith themed publisher, I found no real Christian references at all. However, it was a clean read with no sex scenes or foul language.



RATING:

4 โญโญโญโญ/5 โญโญโญโญโญ โ€“ Goodreads

โญโญโญโญ/5 โญโญโญโญโญ โ€“ Bookbub

4 โญโญโญโญ/5 โญโญโญโญโญ โ€“ Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)

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