Sarah Monzon may be a pastor’s wife but her writing is her own. Her fictional work explores deep and profound real concepts that every theologian engaged in practical ministry deals with; namely, what is love and how should it both practically and theologically be defined?
Often when dealing with pre-marriage counseling i tell couples that love is more then a feeling or even an emotion but rather love is a verb and is active and at the core of all actions one action rules superem above all others and that is choice. Love above all things is a choice and that is why love can never be forced. Monzon in her debut book explores the idea that we are not trapped or held hostage by feelings and emotions in real love but rather by the sheer force of our own choices. Using Rebecca and Isaac as the ancient template for a modern tale Monzon crafts a story that shows that when we are submitted to God and determined to love whoever it is that God has really sent into our lives right feelings will follow if we keep making right choices.
While this story deals with two young adults seeking God’s will for their lives the applications are endless. How many people are trapped in dead end and loveless marriages or have simply given up on the idea of ever finding real love in this life? The truth is while we can’t control the other person’s feelings, as Luke finds out in Monzon’s story, we can control our own choices and how we actively respond with them.
Some may read Monzon’s debut book and see the basic set up as a proven formula and perhaps even a good example of Young Adult fiction typecast storytelling; It after all is a romance story between the picture perfect young Christian girl Becky who has the perfect young girl dream job of running a ranch of horses for the altruistic purposes of therapy for the disabled and the dashing picture perfect fireman Luke. Becky is of course scorned by the and damaged by the scars of absent parents and lying boyfriends and just happens to enter an prearranged relationship with Luke is the “just a little too perfect” fire fighter who’s motives are just too good to be true. While the reader could see this as stereotype romance another way to see it is as Monzon perfectly exegeting her target audience.
While Luke is a little too good to be true, and just a hint too shiney and spotless in the area of motives (seriously, no man is that pure) the truth is as a male reader I was glad to see him being portrayed that way. Oh, how often have I talked with single Christian male friends who’s number one complaint about dating is “nice guys finish last”, and “No matter what they say, women only want bad boys, and unless you’re willing to break their hearts and treat them like dirt they will never even notice you.” Meanwhile at the very same-time single women go around saying, “All men are jerks, they only want one thing, and once they get it they are gone.” I think that is what is so refreshing about Monzon’s well crafted tale of Young Adult Romance while her characters are typical in nature she plays them against type in plot development. Luke is a true to right as Becky is scorned to love and he must really learn to love and accept her even if by all signs she may never be able or willing to return it. Monzon, helps men see nice guys don’t have to finish last and scorned women don’t have to remain bitter, broken, and beaten in the game of trust.
As a first time writer Monzon is incredibly impressive and as a highly critical reader I don’t impress easy. Yet, her ability to craft first person rotating narrative is second only to best selling young adult author Veronica Roth. Monzon has a true gift of being able to inject you into a scene and to make you be able to see it, hear it, and sense it all the way around. She gives you enough detail and shading to build visual constructs with out burying you in boring endless descriptions of grander. I found her research to be varied in depth and spot on repeatedly which only drew me more and more into the story as it added to the over all credibility of the book. Monzon, masters the refined art of painting you a picture without forcing you to see that picture the exact way she does and therefore she provides you with both direction and liberty in self internalization of her tale as unfolds it.
Lastly, the most impressive thing I can say about the quality of writing in this book is that I have known Sarah Monzon personally for about 10 years and the truth is this book is so well written I did not sense her in any of her characters. Unlike many first time novelists Monzon’s characters are not pale reflections of herself or loved ones but they are their own and they belong fully to her story and not her life.
My over all rating critical rating is 8.5 out of 10. And I believe The Isaac Project to be well worth both your time and money. I eagerly await more work from Sarah Monzon and hope she veers out of romance writing for a while and expands her palette of genres in future works. As for me, I am praying she veers into dystopia fiction because her layering of characters and plotting would shine bright on that canvas indeed and it would create an end supply of moral and ethical dilemmas that Sarah’s spiritual writing could speak to in a less obvious and more subtle way to a larger crowd or young adults.
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