One Fine Season, Reviewed
November 6, 2009
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
One Fine Season
AuthorHouse (November 25, 2008)
by
Michael Sheehan
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Sheehan is CEO and founder of BioResource, a company that distributes natural remedies including the popular INFLAMYAR ointment for sports injuries. He wrote One Fine Season to honor the memories of two childhood friends who died young, before they could realize their dreams.
One Fine Season is true to life. It draws on Sheehan’s religious education at a Catholic seminary and his experience as a high school baseball and collegiate soccer player. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Sheehan also earned a master’s degree in science journalism from Boston University. He lives in Northern California.
ABOUT THE BOOK
ONE FINE SEASON tells the story of a promising young athlete who must rise from the ashes of devastating personal loss to fulfill a pact made years earlier with his best friend.
Best friends Pete O’Brien and Danny Grace are gifted college athletes, both hoping for careers as professional baseball players. When tragedy strikes, Danny struggles to cope with his overwhelming grief and fulfill a pact the young men made years earlier: to play in the World Series.
Events unexpectedly thrust Danny into the spotlight with the new expansion team in Sacramento. Three guides – an aging catcher, spiritual centerfielder and wise manager – plus a beautiful woman lead him on a healing journey, revealing that even death cannot break the bonds of true friendship.
If you would like to read an excerpt from the first chapter of One Fine Season, go HERE
Sally Says: If you know me at all, you know I’m a big sports fan, particularly a baseball fan. Go White Sox, and please don’t go through with the trade for Mark Teahan — if it isn’t already too late.
So I was excited to see a baseball book offered through CFBA. I love sports-related fiction, and a Christian sports-related novel? How cool.
But I was only a chapter or two in to the book before I found serious problems with this book. And I can’t recommend it. I hate giving bad reviews; I really, really do. But this book called itself a Christian book and because of that and its content, I have to tell readers of Christian fiction, don’t read it.
There were a lot of things wrong with the book that just got worse and worse as the story progressed. There was some pretty foul language early on, but it was in a scene where a character was drunk and really messed up. I read Christian fiction to stay away from language like this, but I thought, “Okay, I don’t like this, but I can see why the author might have thought it necessary.” I gave him the benefit of the doubt and moved on.
But the language didn’t stop there. In fact, it seemed to get worse. And that was the smallest thing I had trouble with.
On his second date, the main character, the one who calls himself a Christian, has sex with his date. And it’s portrayed as fine. In fact, later on they attend a party with women who, shall we say, were missing some pieces of clothing. And again, it was portrayed as fine. The girlfriend even went.
The last thing that bothered me was the mysticism mixed into Christianity. The main character had two friends, one who’s version of faith seemed like something straight from The Lion King. You know, our loved ones who’ve died will always be with us and help us. In fact, when the main character needed a little extra strength, he prayed for his dead friend to help him. And the dead friend did.
I’ve said before that I don’t need a book with a strong moral message or any preaching; I just want a good, clean story. But the Christians in this book did nothing that remotely came across as Christian. There was not one mention of anything in their day that would differentiate them from any unchurched person in America.
I think it’s a sad picture of what kind of a Christian country we’ve become. People make up their own version of God, and they think it will be fine. I applaud the author for wanting to write a book — it’s not easy — and for wanting to honor his two friends. And because of that, I feel bad having to write all these negatives. But standing by the truth and unveiling false Christianity is more important. I know these reviews are not what the author hoped for, but if nothing else, I hope they make him stop and think and compare his version of Christianity to what the Bible clearly teaches.
Comments
2 Responses to “One Fine Season, Reviewed”
Sally,
Thank you for your honest and gracious review of this book! If you do not mind I’m going to link this on my blog! I love how you said this with grace and love! May God bless you!
Andi
Sally, this is a clear review. You noted everything you objected to and with the reasons you gave, readers can decide if those things matter to them in their selection of novels. And, as Andi said, you were gracious in your criticism.
As much as we hate to do them, the “negative” reviews remain necessary. Thank you for your honesty.