Monday, March 26, 2012

Night Of The Living Dead Christian by Matt Mikalotos

Hello Everyone,

My first book by Matt Mikalotos that I read was Imaginary Jesus. You can find my review of it by clicking HERE. For reasons I don't understand this same book has been renamed to My Imaginary Jesus. I find that kind of sad, because I think the book title was correct the first time. This is the author's second book and it is called Night Of The Living Dead Christian. I knew as soon as I heard the title, I wanted to read this book!
It might first help, since you haven't read this book yet probably, for me to tell you that the Zombies, Vampires and Werewolves in this book are parallels for certain types of people, or certain things folks get sucked into.

Night Of The Living Dead Christian focuses a good bit on a man named Luther, though there is much much more to this book. Luther, alas, is also a Werewolf. His horrible raging, his uncontrollable werewolf behavior have cost him everything he held most dear. His father is a pastor of a church, but he and his dad have been on the outs for a long time. Ever since his teen years when the rage and wolfing began, Luther feels he has had nothing but scorn and rejection from his Dad. Luther is sick and tired of the struggle. The war between good and evil raging through his very veins, but Luther is SO not alone! There are others like him, and Vampires, and Zombies too - but I can cover them later.

Werewolf found on net that is just what I see in my mind.

Luther's struggle is one I have seen up close and personal in some people I love dearly. To quote Mark 14:38- the second half (in an easy to read version): "The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak."  Those times when I have watched the primal rage of the werewolf also matched with the draining of the Vampire have made life long imprints on my mind and my soul as well. It isn't that Luther doesn't know of Christ, or God, he does. In fact, his Dad named him Luther Anne Martin, so that no matter what he does he can't escape from his background. Yet background does not create a personal thriving relationship with the One who created us. Sometimes all folks get from it is a formula, or an empty religion and not a relationship with the God who loves us enough to die for us.

This book deserves 3 days of posting, so I am going to try again tomorrow. There is FAR to much encompassed in these pages to get it even sort of covered in one post. I will say this just in case you don't read the other posts, though I think you will. This book is every much as important for church members to read as Imaginary Jesus, and I still think that one should be mandatory reading.

Carol :)

About the Book:
What does a transformed life actually look like? In his follow-up to the critically acclaimed Imaginary Jesus, Matt Mikalatos tackles this question in an entertaining and thought-provoking way: with monsters! As Christians, we claim to experience Christ’s resurrection power, but we sometimes act like werewolves who can’t control our base desires. Or zombies—90 percent shambling death and 10 percent life. Yet through it all, we are longing to become fully human, the way Christ intended . . . we just can’t seem to figure out how. Night of the Living Dead Christianis the story of Luther, a werewolf on the run, desperate to find someone who can help him conquer his inner beast before it’s too late. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, this spiritual allegory boldly explores the monstrous underpinnings of our nature and our quest for Christlikeness.

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. 
(Which I am thankful for!)

Book link -  http://www.amazon.com/Night-Living-Dead-Christian-Ferociously/dp/1414338805/
Author’s Web site  -  http://www.mikalatos.com/
Participants’ links are below so you can read more than just my thoughts. 



Gillian Adams
Julie Bihn
Red Bissell
Thomas Clayton Booher
Thomas Fletcher Booher
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Theresa Dunlap
Amber French
Tori Greene
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Janeen Ippolito
Becky Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Leighton
Shannon McDermott
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
Joan Nienhuis
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Shane Werlinger
Nicole White
Dave Wilson

6 comments:

  1. Carol, I thought the publishers may have changed the title to My Imaginary Jesus because the other implied that Jesus was imaginary and people were shying away from it.

    So glad you liked this one. Me too, and lots of others on the tour. There's lots to think about, so this is going to be a fun tour.

    Becky

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  2. Great summary of Luther's struggle.

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  3. Carol, I'm so pleased that you are doing three days of posts and I look forward to seeing them all!

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  4. Hi Becky - Oh that is odd! I guess someone could think that, but all it takes is reading the back of the book or even a few reviews to get that sorted out. I am rather glad I have a copy that has the first title. ;)

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  5. Hi Julie,

    Thank you so much!

    Carol :)

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  6. Hi Mr. Mikalatos,

    Thank you so much for your comment on my blog. It is greatly appreciated, and I hope you keep enjoying my thoughts about your book!

    Carol :)

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