Title: By That Sin That Fell the Angels
Series: N/A
Author: Jamie Fessenden
Genre: Faith-based Contemporary
Length: Novel (200 pages)
Publisher: DSP Publications (2nd edition Aug.11 2015) (1st Edition published by Itineris Press, August 2012.)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Blurb: It begins with a 3:00am telephone call. On one end is Terry Bachelder, a closeted teacher. On the other, the suicidal teenage son of the local preacher. When Terry fails to prevent disaster, grief rips the small town of Crystal Falls apart.
At the epicenter of the tragedy, seventeen-year-old Jonah Riverside tries to make sense of it all. Finding Daniel’s body leaves him struggling to balance his sexual identity with his faith, while his church, led by the Reverend Isaac Thompson, mounts a crusade to destroy Terry, whom Isaac believes corrupted his son and caused the boy to take his own life.
Having quietly crushed on his teacher for years, Jonah is determined to clear Terry’s name. That quest leads him to Eric Jacobs, Daniel’s true secret lover, and to get involved in Eric’s plan to shake up their small-minded town. Meanwhile, Rev. Thompson struggles to make peace between his religious convictions and the revelation of his son’s homosexuality.
If he can’t, he leaves the door open for the devil—and for a second tragedy to follow.
ISBN: 978-1-63476-353-0
Product Link: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/by-that-sin-fell-the-angels-by-jamie-fessenden-130-b
Reviewer: Cat
Review: Terry Bachelder receives a call at 3 am. The call is for his gay men’s group, but is a young person troubled. Sounds like a student. Terry is a closeted teacher in a small very religious town. His Boyfriend, Jack, a closeted lawyer tells, him to hang up.
Terry keeps talking realizing this young man seems suicidal but he doesn’t know what to do. He hasn’t a name or has no idea where this person is or even if it’s for real. Jack warns him not to get involved in any of the kids problems he could go to prison as a sex offender if a parent presses it.
Jonah finds Daniel one of his classmates dead in the church above his apartment. Jonah struggles with his sexuality. Seeing Daniel dead and naked still stirred feelings in him since he had a crush on him. There is one boy is school, Eric that doesn’t hide his sexuality and is picked on daily. Jonah friends him to find out Daniel was gay also and seeing Eric.
Isaac is Daniel’s father and the preacher of the church that is above Jonah’s house. He doesn’t understand why Daniel would kill himself and expose himself as he did. Isaac also is dealing with the fact his wife died when Daniel was very young. She drank and was killed one night while out. He kept this all quiet. Events lead to the outing of Terry the teacher and implicate him in the life and death of Daniel. Isaac is out to destroy him.
This book starts out with bloodshed and anonymous calls. From the first page I was hooked. I think I held my breath the entire three and a half hours it took me to finish. So be prepared to finish when you start. Each page is chilling or sad, or in some cases sweet and loving.
It follows the life of a young boy struggling with his sexuality. The heart breaks he goes through, tragedy, pain and love. It also involves a teacher that is a good person just living his life loving his job and his boyfriend. One tiny little phone call practically destroys his entire life.
Each character is well written and you feel their pain, their agony. The entire story is riveting and a page turner. If you’re looking for a happy ever after or super sweet love story then this isn’t one. I’d suggest you give it a shot anyways.
Real life has pain and suffering. Real life has struggles. Tragedy is out there. I just hope that someone reads this book that has a closed heart or stubborn in their ways and sees how tragic their actions can be. I hope that somehow this book helps to wake up and warm some cold hearts.
It’s a very beautiful yet tragic story. I gasped! I cried! I even shouted out loud a few times. My husband finally said, please stop that you’re scaring me! Just when I thought I had it figured out and I’d be all teared up and turning blue from holding my breath, another twist.
I highly recommend this to anyone that likes something a bit different. A story full of excitement and twists. A good faith-based story, coming out stories, hot gay teachers and lawyers and a sweet love story between adolescents discovering their sexuality .
Don’t forget your Kleenex box.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *