Review: The Reluctant Hallelujah by Gabrielle Williams

So I picked up my copy of this book and told myself "Oh, only 200 plus pages. This should be a fast read." so I started reading. The first few pages I've read made me giggle, until it became full on laughter and then the unexpected happened:

I cried.

Title: The Reluctant Hallelujah by Gabrielle Williams
Pages: 264
Release Date: February 22nd 2012
Published by: Penguin Australia
Source: Publisher (thanks Tina!)
Buy: Book Depository | Penguin Australia

Summary:

But there I go, getting ahead of myself. Skipping straight to the part where I was front-page news and they were calling me Dorothy, instead of starting at the beginning...

When Dodie's parents go missing just as final year exams are about to start, she convinces herself they're fine. But when the least likely boy in class holds the key – quite literally – to the huge secret her parents have been hiding all these years, it's up to Dodie, her sister, the guy from school, and two guys she's never met before, to take on the challenge of a lifetime. So now Dodie's driving – unlicensed –to Sydney, and being chased by bad guys, the police, and one very handsome good guy.

It all sounds so simple, Dodie and her sister had to transport a body to another place. But the thing is, her parents are missing, she doesn't have a clue why they had a basement containing a cardboard coffin, and a certain boy in school who she barely said 10 sentences to all her life is suddenly talking to her. Oh, and they're not transferring just anybody. It's someone very important. Let's just say if word goes out that he's there, the very foundation of Christian faith had a potential of getting rattled pretty badly.

Taking advice from a friend and Australian book blogger, Braiden of Book Probe Reviews, I expected to be a little bit misty eyed while reading this book. I've always thought I had a high threshold before crying, but The Reluctant Hallelujah made me grab onto my tissue box often and had me sniffing long before I flipped through the last page. Yes, Gab Williams, your book grabbed my heart, squeezed it tight and it made me wail like a baby.

Road trip themed books are so much fun to read, and Gabrielle Williams just reminded me of all the reasons why I loved it. Aside of encountering countless scenery which can provide great backdrops for the whole story, there's something about taking this kind of journey that compels characters to share more about themselves, and readers get to know them better and deeper because they get to know these characters through their own words.

Dodie's character felt so alive! I love reading about characters with a great voice who had lots to say, witty and clever things and even foolish things and Dodie is like that and more. Taxi, Jones, Eron. They had their own stories to tell. Their own pain and sorrow, regrets, events that made them wary of life. The journey all of these characters took define a whole lot about their lives. In some ways, these lost kids found their way to whatever it is they are searching for by taking an adventure that will last them a lifetime.

I have a knack for reading books that made my heart ached so much and The Reluctant Hallelujah just made me feel so emotional and transformed me into a wreck and it made me appreciate a lot of things I take for granted in my life. My family, my life as a whole, the blessings I have. The characters in this book lack a lot of those things and yet they still persevere, to show people that they are more than what they seem. Jones was a perfect example for that, and even though I still can't quite understand why he had to do what he did, I appreciated Jones for what he really was. Maybe things happen for a reason, like grabbing on to that one unexpected, extraordinary opportunity that changes the course of your life forever.

The Reluctant Hallelujah will surprise you in a lot of ways. Deep, moving, and important in all the ways that count, Gab Williams introduces to us a book that will make us stop once in a while and think of things that matter to us. Oh, and did I mention that it's got some explosive car chases, lots of witty banters and smart comebacks, laid back scenes and moments that will just make you tear up a little bit? What else can I say? I love this book! Give it a try!

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

More than deserving of these five glowing butterflies!

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

You gotta admit that's one gorgeous cover!

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.