Edgy Christian Fiction

Runaway Saint by Lisa Samson

I must admit that this review was difficult to write.  Lisa Samson is one of my favorite authors for her quirky, not run of the mill characters.  She does an excellent job in developing her characters and revealing them layer by layer.  And this book had the added element of re-introducing some characters from her previous book, which was a bonus.  Her writing style is easy to read.  And she deals with the nitty gritty issues of real life.  However, this book raised some questions in my mind of the purpose of Christian fiction.

I had always thought that Christian fiction was to elevate and stimulate Christ-like behavior.  Her characters have so many flaws that go against the grain of my conservative Christian up-bringing.  I am not used to “Christ-followers” who smoke and drink alcoholic beverages.  I am, perhaps labeling myself as one of those fundamentalists who follow a list of do’s and don’ts.  However, I still believe in personal holiness and feel that although Ms. Samson’s work is trendy or even hip, it doesn’t reflect my view of Christian literature.  She walks a tightrope between being too modern and appealing to more conservative readers like me.  Although some might consider her refreshing, I don’t think she can become much more edgy and still maintain her current readers.  But perhaps that is the purpose—she may wish to attract younger, hipper readers.

This being said, I enjoyed this book and found myself interested in Finn and Sarah’s life and work.  I was curious to find out why the characters behaved the way they did.  I was mostly satisfied by the conclusion of the book, although it seemed to resolve itself a bit too quickly.  She left enough questions unanswered that another book might be merited.  Putting aside my previous concerns, her readers will find this book interesting.  I recommend it to those more trendy than myself.