Riven

Riven

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06  ·  rating details  ·  1,231 ratings  ·  187 reviews
When a condemned man with nothing to lose meets one with nothing to gain, everyone washed by the endless ripples of that encounter will forever recall the day a little bit of heaven invaded a whole lot of hell. Brady Wayne Darby and Thomas Carey could hardly have been more disparate individuals. Yet when Darby, a no-account loser raised in a dingy suburban trailer park, en...more
Hardcover, 526 pages
Published June 23rd 2008 by Tyndale House Publishers (first published February 1st 2003)
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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,346)
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cait
This novel is something special. It is the sort of gripping, moving story that forces you to keep turning the pages. You have to know what happens. The story ebbs and flow with natural ease, giving the reader a break from biting their nails. But there is no permanent relief until the last page is turned and the book put down. Even then, the story will stay with you, running through your mind again and again as you ask a million questions.

The dialogue is heavily used and engaging. The characters...more
Rachel Thompson
I downloaded a free copy of this for my e-reader.

This book follows the story of two different people. The first is Thomas, a preacher who has bounced from congregation to congregation. He's down on his luck, but his faith keeps him going, until he lands a job at a maximum security prison. The job isn't very fulfilling, as forms have to be filled out before a con can even speak with him, and those that bother generally want favors from him, or want to get something out of it. On the flip side is...more
Tanya
Another free kindle download.

I found this book to be very slow at first setting up the lives of the two main characters and how they meet. Frankly I was bored with the minister and his life but found the realism of Brady's life compelling. Once the minister started to work in the prison system was I more interested in his life. Maybe because my husband works in a prison I found this to be interesting.

As much as I enjoyed the book I am very ambivalent about the ending. Yes it made me weep but som...more
Donna
I'm somewhat ambivalent about this novel. The writing was adequate, and a fair amount of the story was predictable. I was drawn to the characters, liking some, disliking some, feeling empathy for a few, and that was probably the biggest draw for me, and has kept me thinking about it for quite awhile after I finished reading. I have to admit, though, that the storyline became compelling, if somewhat fantastical, and that may be part of why I'm still thinking about it.

The novel tells the story of...more
Desiree reilly
WOW this book was great and i really got into the story start off
with the minister and his wife and daughter trying to find chruches to
preach at and then the kid form the trailer park inter twine the kid
in the park are going to school petey and his brother brady the mom is never home and the boys have to tend for them self they are there and they get in to trouble first drug and then drink brady is out and in of jail
and then he trying to find petey after a accident and tornanado and then
it dam...more
Eric Wright
The poignant story of a young man with a troubled past and a failed pastor rejected by those he wants to help. Brady and Thomas Carey. Brady from a loveless family, whose mother rejected him, triumphs in a school play only to throw it all away and quit school getting into escalating acts of petty theft, drug pushing and ultimately murder of the girl he loves who played him. …Thomas and his wonderful, supportive, singing, praying pastors’ wife is rejected by their church when he fails to give in...more
Carol
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Sir Runcible Spoon
This review comes courtesy of the actual reader, my mother, Vivian Hoy, who approaches the story from her eighty-eighth year of life.

"Riven covers a 12 year period and introduces us to two main characters:

1. Pastor Thomas a committed servant of God but one without the necessary gifts to maintain an effective ministry. He is let go from one ministry position after another because he couldn't entertain well enough. (He reminds me of so many dedicated men of God struggling without a pulpit presen...more
Sabrina Robinson
Reminds me of my father-in-law. The story of a pastor who faithfully and diligently ministers, regardless of the appreciation or lack of response. He ends up as a chaplain in a high security prison facility, with all of his material troubles over, able to participate and serve in a church out of joy and not duty - but works full time wondering when and how all his life's work will pay off. Jerry Jenkins tells us, but it is a long journey, form following story. Worth the read! I was so glad to pi...more
Emily
Jul 22, 2009 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: EVERYONE,
Recommended to Emily by: mom

If it were within my power to force the entire population of adults / young adults in the world into reading a book, "Riven" by Jerry B. Jenkins would be the book that I would utilize this power for. Seeing as such forcing ia most unfortunately NOT within my power, I'm giving this novel a five star review, in hopes that people will take my recomendation and read this truly magnificent peice of literature.

In saying truly magnificent, I don't mean that the vocabulary is complicated, and I don;t me...more
Tim Chavel
Feb 22, 2012 Tim Chavel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone
This an excellent novel. There are two story lines that converge. The first is about a pastor that has pastored several small churches. If you know of someone like this you will relate to him. This pastor is gentle and taken advantage of in most of the churches. He eventually becomes a chaplain at a very secure prison. The other story line involves a young boy that grows up in a single parent home. He has many talents but decides to live the life of crime. Both the pastor and young boy experienc...more
Becki
Mar 13, 2011 Becki rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Christians
When I first started this book, I had great expectations. I love Jerry Jenkins' writing. However, the first part of the book seemed to go on forever. It wasn't until the two stories finally converged that it started getting really good. The end totally caught me by surprise and, yes, I cried. He painted such a good word picture.

I will say that there seemed to be some too-good-to-be-true moments and I wondered if there really are happy endings like he describes. The Christian life isn't always pr...more
Bluelily3
There is only one word to describe how I feel after reading this book. Humbled. I am a born again Christian and have been since I was a young child. I don't know what is it like to be otherwise. Perhaps that is what compelled me to read this book. I have always been fascinated with the lives of "bad guys", wanting to suffer with them and rejoice when they are headed the right way.

This book was amazing account on a life that went wrong the 90% of the time, and right the last 10%. *spoilers ahead...more
Peter
Jan 13, 2009 Peter rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Christians
Shelves: faith, fiction, favorites
Wow.

Without doubt, one of the greatest novels I have ever read -- I could hardly put it down. "Riven" is thoroughly engaging and moving throughout, following the lives of 2 very different people: a trailer-park kid who just can't stop getting into trouble, and a struggling Pastor who keeps moving from church to church.

It gets quite confusing at first, jumping between scenes involving the separate characters, but you get used to it quite quickly. You go through highs and lows with each of the cha...more
Rod

Jerry you owe me 3 boxes of tissues. Great story. The interesting thing is that I only had tears during all the happy parts.

I'm not sure if anyone but Christians will appreciate this story. I hope so, but doubt it.

This story made me reflect on my life and what made me the person I am today. I could of ended up a drug dealer and in prison if not for a good Mother, and some grace from the education and work system. Sometimes attempting to endlessly teach someone the right thing can push them too...more
Leigh Ann
This is the book for one of my book clubs for August. This is a Christian novel, and has some really strong Christian themes, so if that is not your interest, this is not the book for you. I picked this after our Pastor said it was one of the best books he ever read, I wouldn't go that far, but it was very different, so an interesting read. It follows the lives of two people, a no-good teenager as he gets in and out of trouble over and over and over again, and a Pastor who has never seen any fru...more
Sheri
I was intrigued by this book and the ideas that the author brought forth, but it's not an enjoyable story. A young man repeatedly gets into trouble and ends up in prison. He has a horrible excuse for a mother, no father in his life, loses his younger brother in death because of his fault.
The other character is a pastor who has a wonderful wife and is devoted to serving the Lord but nothing has ever gone right in his life. His daughter has no interest in God and every church that he pastors end...more
Jocelyn Gunter
I loved the writing. It's not many books that draw you in with the characters to keep you reading to find out what happens. I did think that the first half was much longer than the second half, when the character's Brady and Thomas finally meet. I almost wished that the story of their lives connecting would have been longer. When I found out that Brady wanted to be crucified I almost thought that it would ruin the book for me but it didn't. Not that it is realistic in that it could actually happ...more
Sherry Hays
This is a pretty good book. At the beginning it skips back and forth between two main characters, which I didn't like at first. I have read some of his other writings and decided to keep at it, and I am glad I did. If you are patient, a rhythm develops. While Jenkins tries to make his characters rounded, I think he falls a little short. Sometimes I felt his desire to get a Christian message accross actually interfered with the storytelling. There are sections of this book toward the end that are...more
Becomingme
The overzealous tone ruined this book. This book will appeal to only the most evangelical of Christians, if even to them. The story jumped needlessly (every paragraph or 2 between the main characters) which critically destroyed the ease of reading this book. Then it decided to get overly preachy (I mean beyond what it already was) on about page 390. This COULD have been a much better book...if the much of the theology and gospel hymns were left out. I can honestly say it HAD promise, and the you...more
Ashley Moman
A bit preachy at times, but by the end I was balling crying. Great story of redemption!!! If you can get past some of the overtly preachy parts, you'll enjoy. I am a Christian, and in fact a theologian, so I quite enjoy a Christian message in a book, but I don't like being knocked upside the head. Especially when in reality most of the people who are going to read these Christian books are Christians. We already know. A little goes a long way. But the story was well developed, and while a bit pr...more
Emespre
I don't have much time to review so I'll write quickly...

I love this book. I found that while the beginning third or so was really interesting, the middle was slow; however, the end was amazingly beautifully magnificent and if I had time to keep gushing superlatives I would. And it really makes you think further about...this is hard to explain without revealing anything but if you read it/have read it you'll understand. After reading it I tried to get my mother, a non-reader, to do so. She skipp...more
Katie Sargent
While this story was interesting enough to keep my attention until I finished the book, I do not care too much for Jenkins's style of writing; I find it rather pedestrian. He did a fair job of developing the characters while telling a story that was true-to-life, even though at times I was frustrated by the starkness of one of the main character's old-fashionedness - and I thought I was old-fashioned. I say that the story was true-to-life, and I think that is true until the last several chapters...more
Hugh Kelly
I read this 500+ page book over the weekend. Its easy to read and Jerry Jenkins really likes to develop his characters. It takes over 300 pages for Brady and Thomas to meet even though you know where its going from early on. The 'twists' can been seen a mile off and for me, there are too many loose ends as characers enter and leave the story. I enjoyed the book and it provoked some thought on the capital punishment system. The ending was a bit bizarre and, considering the build-up, a bit rushed...more
Philip
This is the very best part of having a Kindle: finding absolutely fantastic books like this, for free.

So, this isn't a short novel, nor a particularly quick read, but I finished it in less than 24 hours; I was unable to tear myself away from it. For most of the novel, there really seems like no reason I should be so attached. The story is about two very different people, neither of which is particularly like me, yet Jenkins does such a great job making me believe these characters that I really s...more
Jenn
Since I didn't read the blurb about this one and just judged it by its cover, I had no idea it was Christian literature. This became very obvious in Brady's later years. I am not a religious person by any stretch of the imagination, so there many places when scripture was quoted that turned me off a bit, however, I understand how they were essential to the story.

The story begins with two very different lives moving along two very different paths in life. Brady is a young teenage boy who lives wi...more
Meadow
Thomas is a Pastor feeling his age, and not feeling like he has had not made a major impact on anyone, he pleads with God to let him touch one life.



Brady is a man who has gotten into trouble since he was a teen. Crime, Jail, and Drug Dealer are just a few on his list, now Murder has been added too. And he sent to the Jail where Thomas works. Brady is sentenced to death and must choose his form of execution.



Thomas ministers to Brady who realized his life has been a waste, and excepts Jesus with...more
Elaine
unabridged audio from audible.com

Brady covers up one lie with another as easy as ice cream sliding off a cone. He steals, does drugs and deals them, quits school at 16 when things don't go his way. Thinks things will be better living with a group of drinking Spanish guys who work for the same company he works for than living at home with his partying mom. She'd better not lay a hand on his little brother though, he threatens over and over.

Meanwhile Thomas accepts a position as chaplain for a ve...more
Wendy Hall
While I thought this book could be 150-200 pages shorter than it is, I have to say that mid-way through I did find myself having a hard time putting it down. It was a bit predictable - except I could never have even thought of the ending, as it was pretty unsettling and I am still not sure what to think of it. My kids and I are reading his novels for kids in the "Left Behind" series right now, so I picked this one up out of curiosity. Overall, a decent read but not one I would insist others must...more
Donna
I rarely read fiction but my babysitter and her mother insisted I read this book. They even bought one so they could share it with friends, they thought it was so powerful. I like books that change me, though, and I don't believe this one will. It was good enough where I read the 500-plus pages in less than a week, but I think it's just because I'm task-oriented and I wanted to be finished with it. Great ending, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend it.
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Jerry Bruce Jenkins is an American novelist and biographer. He is best known as co-author of the Left Behind series of books with Tim LaHaye, Jenkins has written over 150 books, including romance novels, mysteries, and children's adventures, as well as non-fiction. His works usually feature evangelical Christians as protagonists. In 2005, Jenkins and LaHaye ranked 9th in Amazon.com's 10th Annivers...more
More about Jerry B. Jenkins...
Soon: The Beginning of the End (Underground Zealot, #1) The Vanishings: Four Kids Face Earth's Last Days Together  (Left Behind: The Kids, #1) Left Behind: The Kids: Collection 1: Volumes 1-6 Shadowed: The Final Judgment (Underground Zealot, #3) Second Chance: The Search For Truth (Left Behind: The Kids, #2)

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