This story had me reading through the day and the night

When I was first contacted  by Lynette Theisen to review this book, I was excited. The author was an old classmate of mine and I was honored to be able to critique her work for her. With that excitement came some apprehension. What if I didn’t like the book, would I be able to give an honest opinion? As a critic, this had me so perplexed that when I finished it, I felt I needed to reread it. I wanted to make sure the feelings I had for the book were my own and not just allowing my friendship to cloud my judgement.

The second time through I was very meticulous. I went over every page with a fine tooth comb. I wasn’t going to keep myself from doing my job, which is being critical of any entertainment piece brought before me. When I turned that last page and reflected on what I had just read, I knew one thing, I really liked it.

Through the Night is about a teenage girl named Renee. She isn’t the most popular girl but she does well in school, dance, and is very true to her religion. This makes her a target. The forces of evil want to turn the town of Westcliffe into a town of sin and destroying Renee is key to their plot.

Right about this time, we are introduced to a mysterious boy named Kyran.

Kyran is new in town. He is good-looking, rich, and Renee’s best friend Jamie instantly falls for him. There is just one problem, Kyran has eyes for Renee.

After a series of unfortunate circumstances keep Jamie out of the picture, Renee and Kyran start to develop a relationship. It is innocent at first but both quickly find themselves falling madly in love with one another.

For Renee this is something new and it starts to effect her daily life. Her previous commitments start to suffer as she spends more and more time with Kyran. She begins to act very out of character.
After a dinner party with Kyran’s family, Renee and her father are in a severe car accident and everything in her life changes.

If someone were to ask me what I liked most about this book, I would say that I really enjoyed how personable it is, how real it feels. Lynette really brings us, the readers, into her story and allows us to truly feel how and why things are happening to Renee. It is almost like the book is a journal into her life.
This is a story that is targeted towards teenage girls but anyone can pick this one up and enjoy this wonderful tale. Though I had a hard time relating to Renee in the beginning, the more I read the more I could truly relate to the struggles that she was enduring as her soul is tested to the limits. It is a struggle that we all face everyday and it is there I was able to relate to her and even care for her and her plight.

For the book itself, it feels like a combination of the Twilight Saga, The Shack, and This Present Darkness. It has romance, intrigue, humor, and (for the guys) great and intense battle scenes. Lynette takes all those elements and combines them into a seamless and well-written story. A story that surprises you with the depth of the message being conveyed.

The one problem I had with the book, and it is very minor, is that the beginning is so “teen” girl orientated that it could lose some of us from the get-go. It’s not horribly “teen” girl but it was enough to make the first few chapters a little slow-going for me.

For a first time author’s first book, this was a fantastic splash into the world of the published. For every girl, boy or parent out there looking for a book that has great characters, a good story, and a very inspiring message, this one is a must read. Pick one up, you won’t be disappointed, I wasn’t.

For those wanting to read this book you can pick one up at:
The Maryville Daily Forum
111 E. Jenkins in Maryville
or online at:
 www.lynettetheisen.com
& (in the near future)
BN.com (Barnes & Noble)