Book Review: Rooms

There are many different types of Christian Fiction. Some bash you over the head with theology and have Christian characters being perfectly Christian, others feature real characters one or some of which might just happen to be Christian, some feature a person having a conversion experience and becoming a Christian in the end, and there are plenty of other styles of Christian fiction, too numerous to list. Some are good reads, others just aren't realistic in their depiction of Christians even though they're written by Christians and for Christians.

Rooms, by James Rubart, doesn't really fall into any of those categories. It's just a darn good book.

Micah Taylor has it all: a good job running his own software company, tons of money, fame, international travel, and a demanding girl-friend. He's also a Christian that pretty much turned his back on God to focus on his success and because of family troubles from his childhood. Micah receives a letter from his crazy deceased uncle that he barely knew. Uncle Archie had an amazing house built special just for Micah back in his hometown. Micah plans to go sell the house and continue his life as is, with his girlfriend Julie very much supporting that idea.

God has other plans.

Micah stays in the house for a weekend, and falls in love with it even though the area has bad memories for him. He meets Rick, the town mechanic and develops a fast friendship. Rick is a Christian, and serves as Micah's spiritual guide over the following months as Micah's world is turned upside down and inside out.

Rooms start appearing and disappearing in the house showing Micah, in a kind of It's a Wonderful Life way, what his life could have been or should have been, or might be given different choices. Micah is lead to develop a much more personal relationship with God, and a new relationship with Sarah - Micah's new girlfriend.

Only, in one of the rooms Micah encounters a voice that constantly reminds him of all the success and power and money he had in Seattle, away from the new house and it's rooms. The voice wants Micah to return to his  money and promises he'll still have everything new that came with the house, including Sarah. Micah struggles with his choices, and sees the results of the good choices, and the cost of his bad choices.

Rooms is a powerful, moving story of God's efforts to bring a lost sheep back into the fold.

I liked this book so much I had my wife read it right after I finished.

NetGalley provided me an eGalley of Rooms for review.