Tell a Better Story: Hurt by Travis Thrasher

A few months back I posted a review on three books by Travis Thrasher, from his Solitary Tales Series, Solitary, Gravestone and Temptation. Not long after I posted this post, I heard from Travis Thrasher and a series of events occurred leading up to me getting an advance copy of the last book in the series, Hurt, which releases January 1. I just finished reading it and it is amazing.

I read this almost 500 page book in less than a week, and if you knew my schedule you would know that is quite a feat. This book is a real page turner. The books are supernatural thrillers that follow the life of Chris Buckley, a teenager who finds himself in the middle of a spiritual battle against a town (Solitary, NC) taken over by evil forces beyond his comprehension. It’s a coming of age story, that would probably be labeled young adult fiction, though this nearly 50 year old writer found it thoroughly engaging.

The books are at times very dark, but then that’s how it is in a spiritual battle and this is an intense battle. What I love about this series is it’s reality. Thrasher presents his protagonist warts and all. He presents teen angst in a way that makes one remember how hard  that time of life can really be. He shows coming to faith as a battle and shows that the battle doesn’t end when we come to Christ. Chris Buckley rises and falls and struggles and doubts and all those other things that happen when the forces of good and evil battle over our lives. Thrasher presents that battle and struggle so well and while there are some events in these books that most of us will never see (thank you Lord) he reminds us that there is a battle around us and it is very real. This has been an excellent series and Hurt finishes it out masterfully. I loved this book, probably the best series I have read in this genre since This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness
by Frank Peretti.

Like I said Hurt doesn’t release until January 1, 2013, but I post it now so you can read the other three books or better yet, get the books and give them to someone who is obsessed with Twilight, Hunger Games, etc. Thrasher really does tell a better story.

Order the books through this page to benefit AMOKArts.

Solitary: A Novel (Solitary Tales Series)

Gravestone: A Novel (Solitary Tales Series)

Temptation: A Novel (Solitary Tales Series)

Hurt: A Novel (Solitary Tales Series)

Tell A Better Story: Travis Thrasher’s Solitary Series

Okay, I’ll be perfectly honest here. I only knew one thing about the first book in the Solitary Series when I picked it up… It was free. One of my Facebook friends announced this limited time free offer of a book called Solitary. I didn’t know it was a Young Adult novel and had I known that I would have passed it up. Don’t make that mistake. In the two weeks since I have read all three available books in the four book series. I know I’m not the target market for these books but what can I say, Travis Thrasher can write a story!

Solitary is not your typical feel good at the end Christian novel. As a matter of fact one of the things that really intrigued me was, I can usually read a book, especially a Christian book, and know how it will end. I wasn’t even close. As a matter of fact when I got to the end of this one, I had only one thought, “There better be a sequel.”

The story follows Chris Buckley a 16 year old who moved from the suburbs of Chicago to a place in the middle of nowhere called Solitary, NC. Solitary is a place with a dark secret. It’s a coming of age story in the midst of a thriller/horror plot. It moves about a million miles an hour through all three books (Solitary, Gravestone and Temptation) and it is not what you’re expecting.

I can’t give you much without giving things away. All I can say is these books are really tough to put down. This is not your typical Christian fiction. It asks a lot of hard questions, as the protagonist wrestles with what to believe.

This would be a great one to get into the hands of fans of Hunger Games or Twilight. Travis Thrasher knows how to tell a better story. I am really looking forward to the fourth book.