"Courageous" by Randy Alcorn

I had mixed feelings about reading the new Courageous novel.  I knew the movie would be good - how could the makers of Fireproof and Facing the Giants make anything else? - but I wasn't so sure about a book made from a movie.

Alcorn's Courageous far surpassed my expectations.

Adam is a long-time cop whose cynicism has pushed away his son and affects his relationships with his wife and daughter.  Nathan is new in town and struggling to be involved with his three children and keep his faith active despite job pressures.  Javy struggles to support his family and leans heavily on his strong faith, but does his family share his views?  David has turned his back on his daughter and her mother completely.  As each strive to hold their head above water and survive despite intense stress, their perspective changes when tragedy strikes one man's family.  Can his new views of eternity and his role as a father improve his relationships - and those around him?

Alcorn's easy writing style makes it seem as if this novel happened before the movie.  It has none of the trademark novelization issues -  it's easy to read, flows well, has a great vocabulary, and features a tight plot.  Each character sprang to life within the pages of this book and made me want to cheer them on in his efforts to become closer to God and family.  The conclusions reached by Adam and his friends prompted me to rethink the way that I interact with my own children and to wish for these types of friends myself.

The only thing that would make this book any better is a companion guide, as the Kendricks created for Fireproof.  A non-fiction book containing Adam's resesarch, conclusions, and the scriptures he used would make a fantastic springboard for those wanting to delve deeper into this subject - just like The Love Dare did for Fireproof fans.

If you like action and suspense ... if you like to laugh ... if you like drama ... if you have a family ... if you are a parent ... if you have friends ... if you don't but wish you did .... this is the book for you.  Don't miss it.

I received a free copy of Courageous from Tyndale House in return for an honest review.

Need more Courageous? Check out the trailer here:

watch on tyndale.com