Book Review: "Stranger Things" by Erin Healy

Some books are easier to review than others, not necessarily because of the book but because of my writing style. I’m used to writing fiction instead of critiques, so I apologize for being a day late on my post. Without further ado, here is my latest review.

Such a captivating cover! I've got
a thing for pretty covers, can you tell?

Book: Stranger Things by Erin Healy

Genre: Christian fiction, suspense

Awards: none

My rating: 5/5 stars

One word description:  Eye-opening

 

I never win anything during raffles. You can imagine my surprise when I entered an online book scavenger hunt and received signed copies of Erin Healy’s The Baker’s Wife, Afloat, and Stranger Things. Of the three, Stranger Things is my favorite, hence the blog post. You can read my review for The Baker’s Wife here (I gave it 4/5 stars).

 

I put off reading Stranger Things during the school year because it was labeled as suspenseful, and it didn’t disappoint. I finished the book in two days. When I first started reading it, I didn’t know what to expect. I make it a policy not to read the back of books I own because of their tendency to give away major plot points (Caution: the back of Stranger Things does this).

 

Proof of my signed copy.

Stranger Things is a fictional story involving a pressing issue in society that we don’t always here about: human trafficking. The books is a reminder of humanity and tragedy, yet there are themes of hope woven throughout the story. Healy creates realistic characters, many of whom are not the kind I would have expected to like but liked nonetheless.

 

The story was heartbreaking yet inspiring. Heartbreaking because I would never want to see my own siblings in any of the book’s situations, yet inspiring because of how the main characters respond to their crisis. The book not only made me more aware of human trafficking, but also challenged me with the way I treat people, family members and strangers alike. There were so many takeaways from the story, but if had to pick the major one it would be this quote:

“‘If everybody just had one person who cared, everybody would be okay. Just one person.’” 

Because of its dark themes, I would not recommend Stranger Things to anybody under 15. I gave this book 5/5 stars for its eye-opening elements and theme of hope. I would recommend this book to anybody with a sister/daughter/girlfriend and those who enjoy suspenseful and thought-provoking stories.

Have you read any of Healy’s books? What did you think of them?
Ever won anything in a book giveaway? Comment below with the title!