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For the Love of Mary

For the Love of Mary Book Cover For the Love of Mary
Christopher Meades
Fiction
May 1, 2016
280

Fifteen-year-old Jacob feels almost on the inside: almost smart, almost funny, almost good-looking, almost worthy of falling in love. His sister is too busy dating guys in Whitesnake jackets to notice, and his best friend is occupied with his own painful pubescent crisis. Jacob’s mother has just started a curious (and rather un-Christian) holy war with the church across the street, while his father has secretly moved into the garage. Everything changes when Jacob meets Mary. Jacob thinks Mary is the most beautiful girl in the world. If only Mary’s father wasn’t the minister at the enormous rival church. If only she wasn’t dating a youth pastor with pristine white teeth and impeccably trimmed hair. If only Jacob could work up the courage to tell Mary how he feels . . . As the conflict between the churches escalates, a peeping Tom prowls the neighborhood, a bearded lady terrorizes unsuspecting Dairy Queen customers, a beautiful young girl entices Jacob into a carnal romp in a car wash, and the church parishioners prepare their annual re-enactment of Operation Desert Storm. For the Love of Mary is sidesplitting satire with a surprising amount of heart.

 

Review:

“For the Love of Mary” is the kind of coming-of-age story that anyone can relate to.  It’s also hilarious, and it had me laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe at some points.

The character development of Jacob and his friends, family, fellow parishioners, and other assorted characters is so good that it is off the charts.  The reader is made to feel as if they live in the small town themselves and know the residents personally.  Speaking of the town, it can be considered a character unto itself.  It’s developed as a living and breathing entity, and it shows.  Even a person who has never set foot in a tiny town will feel like they have lived there for much of their lives.

The plot is steady and meandering, much like the summer days of adolescence.  It brings back a lot of nostalgia.  I also need to mention that for anyone who lives in the Bible Belt, or anywhere with small churches that are the centers of the community for that matter, will truly appreciate the absurdity of an all-out war being started by church signs.  For those of you not from those places, it’s completely bizarre, but also something that actually happens.  Frequently.

“For the Love of Mary” is a great read for any adult or older young adult.  It’s entertaining, thought-provoking, and sentimental all at the same time.  You really won’t want it to end.

This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Content Warning:

Language, Sexual Situations