Jerry Jenkins' "Riven"

I'm not even a fifth of the way done with the book, but I am presently reading Jerry Jenkins novel "Riven". It has touched me in so many ways. The chief way I think, is that because I know from my own family and others that there are few families who are not touched by "issues" or, less pleasantly described as "dysfunctional" in some way.

I love the characters in this book so far. There's a character I honestly would like to sock in the mouth, a couple characters I'd like to shake, one I'm very sympathetic to and one I'm fearful for.

And, unlike most readers, I don't read a variety of genres because I'm just not interested in doing so. But this one is not my genre and I'm enjoying it very much. Because I am absolutely pulled into the lives of the characters, but also because I know the author is going to teach me something valuable through this work and my sense is I'll come away a better person because of it.

I'll post a full review when I'm done, but thus far, I'm sold on it.