The Miracle Stealer

by Neil Connelly

Andi Grant adores her 6-year-old brother Daniel, a "miracle child" who fell down a mine shaft and survived. People regularly come to him for blessings and healings (which sometimes seem to work), and Andi is horrified by his exploitation, esp. when she finds signs of a stalker around their home. With the help of her once-and-maybe-future boyfriend Jeff, she comes up with a plan so audacious, so dramatic, it will stop the attention on Daniel forever: an "Anti-Miracle" that will unravel with the slightest examination of the facts, and cast doubt on Daniel's powers forever after. (cont.)

As her plan comes together, the stalker draws closer, and the clock ticks toward Daniel's star turn at the local Paradise Days celebration, Andi finds herself wrestling with her own beliefs in God and her brother, and wondering if what she really needs is . . . a miracle.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Teen

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2010

About the author

Before returning to his home state of Pennsylvania, where he teaches at Shippensburg University, Connelly was director of the MFA program at McNeese State University. He has published five books and numerous short stories.

Reviews

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

It all started when little Daniel disappeared. Anderson (Andi) and her friend, Jeff, were told they had to take Danny with them on their walk. They hiked through the woods to the fairy fort. The two teens only took their eyes off him for a minute. Danny was gone.

A frantic search followed, only to discover Danny had fallen some twenty feet down into an abandoned well. The rescue effort that followed lasted three days. Most of the volunteers and townspeople thought little Danny would not survive, but somehow the heartfelt prayers of the faithful worked a miracle and the little boy was rescued and simply treated for cuts and bruises.

After Danny's rescue, strange things began to happen in and around the town of Paradise, Pennsylvania. Danny's miraculous survival seemed to be contagious. Many believers began to credit him with healing the sick, communicating with the lost, and even bringing the fish back to the local lake. He had become the "Miracle Boy."

The problem was that Danny was now several years older, and when he was called upon to "pray" for some miracle cure or recovery, his older sister, Andi, worried that he didn't truly have any special powers. What if one day his prayers weren't answered? Would he understand or would he take the failure to heart and shoulder unbearable guilt? Why wouldn't people just leave him alone?

Andi has seen enough. Her mother seems to want to exploit Danny and his miracle cures. Andi blames her mother for driving away her father. Anger as well as fear for her brother's safety is driving Andi to devise a cunning and dangerous plan to convince Danny's followers that he is just a normal little boy. Will she succeed before well-meaning locals and nutcases coming from near and far manage to ruin the life of her innocent little brother?

THE MIRACLE STEALER is the story of faith. Is faith something that can be proven with facts, or is it the feeling that what happens is controlled by a higher authority? Author Neil Connelly takes readers on a journey with Andi as she struggles to decide if she has faith or if fate depends on her actions alone. It is a struggle many face, often more than once in life. Connelly's story will speak to many and perhaps answer the question for some.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Look: 3/5 Wasn't quite sure what this one would be all about, but I decided to give it a go anyway. I'm glad I did.

Setting: 4/5 I liked it. It was just an ordinary small town, but I felt it as if it were real. I got a good feeling of the atmosphere, which is a huge part of setting. It felt authentic to this time period. I especially liked the aspect of the abandoned waterpark--it was spooky and cool. I also liked the fact that it was called Paradise, which was a nice contradiction.

Characters: 4/5 Andi felt very realistic to me. I felt like she was fully three-dimensional, and we really got to know her throughout the course of this short book. Her internal struggle was as real as her outer struggle, and I really liked what she decided about her faith at the end.

Daniel seemed like a real six-year-old boy. He was cute, but even at six he had some interesting depth to him. Much of the other characters did, too. They all were realistic and believable.

Plot: 4/5 It wasn't action-packed. It didn't leave me on the edge of my seat, gasping in horror or shock or something. It wasn't thrilling. And yet, I still enjoyed it. It was full of emotions. It made me angry, and sad, and happy, sometimes at the same time. This is one of those plots that can best be described as beautiful, even though that really doesn't mean anything to some people. But those people that have read books like that...you know what I'm trying to say.

Uniqueness: 5/5 It wasn't copying anyone, and it wasn't trying to be something it's not. I found it unique, but then again, I don't delve into this genre much.

Writing: 4/5 I liked how Connelly brought the emotion of the plot into the narrative, as it should be. I could feel Andi's fear, confusion, and concern for her brother seeping off the page. I liked how it flowed, and nothing jumped out at me that was especially annoying. Nothing that I can think of now.

Likes: I really liked the faith aspects of it. I liked how she questioned and doubted the entire way through, but figured it out at the end. Agnostics won't be bothered by it, Christians will appreciate it, but if I were an atheist, I'd steer clear of this one. But I'm not an atheist.

Not-so-great: Bla. Another short review.

Total Score: 4/5 This was something a little different for me, but I'm glad I tried it. I enjoyed this book. It's a beautiful, heartfelt story about siblings, miracles, and many more things. It brings to mind a quote from Peace Like a River: "Real miracles make people uncomfortable." I think that fits very well with this book. It's full of emotion, and there's no annoying love triangle or perfect characters. The characters are all real, and I, for one, don't doubt the reality of the miracles. Recommended!

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

After tomboy Andi’s kid brother Daniel escapes death in an accident at the age of 3, people in the town of Paradise and beyond believe that Daniel can perform miracles. Wanting to protect her brother from “holy roller nutjobs” and return family life to normal, Andi launches an Anti-Miracle Plan to prove that claims of healing are false. In direct, reportorial prose, Connelly delivers a dark plot that moves too slowly toward an explosive climax. None of the characters surrounding Andi are fully developed, including the passive Daniel, a 6-year-old who never seems to question the curious demands of miracle seekers, and Jeff, Andi’s one-time boyfriend whom she enlists in her plan to safeguard Daniel. Andi’s descriptions of faith and the faithful may offend devout readers. Although Andi raises meaningful questions as she wrestles with her beliefs, it’s hard to imagine the teen reader who would be drawn to this gloomy book. In fact, it might take a miracle.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moderately interesting look at jesus freaks, wanna be jesus freaks, & and anti jesus freaks/the possibility of miracles/& what the lengths we'll go while in search of the divine.

[Novia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Does skimming pages count as "reading"?

[Nicole Kmiec · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Miracle Stealer was an interesting book to read. The novel is about a college-bound teenager, Andi, who is very overprotective of her little brother Daniel. Everyone in her town and around the country believes that Daniel is a miracle child, because of his survival of being buried alive. All that Anderson wants is for everyone to leave her little brother alone and allow him to live a normal life. With that being said, Andi does not have a strong faith and does not believe in God. Andi develops this extravagant plan in which she will fake a car accident, and eventually people will believe Daniel is a phony. The event that she generated did not go as plan and Daniel and his sister are put in a life-threatening situation. After the "miracles" that occurred while Daniel and Andi were suffering, Andi's faith in her brother grew stronger and ultimately Andi started reconsidering the idea of God.

This novel includes numerous themes including faith, love, God, life, and death

Personally, this novel made me question my religion and sometimes have the same thoughts of Andi. However, after reading Leo's thoughts on faith, it gave me reassurance and hope in a higher being. This novel will make you critically think about controversial topics and will allow you to generate reasonable questions about life and after-life.

[Bethany Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Ever since Andi’s brother Daniel fell into a hole and survived a three-day long ordeal that should have killed him, the townspeople of Paradise, Pennsylvania have believed that Daniel has special powers. Andi‘s mother sees this as a blessing and willingly allows Daniel to use his power of prayer to help those in need, but Andi and her father believe that it’s not good for Daniel to be put in that position. This causes a rift in the family that eventually leads to Andi’s parents splitting up. With her father out of the picture, Andi takes it upon herself to protect her brother. The town’s annual festival is approaching, and along with the usual tourists and vendors, a growing number of people seeking Daniel’s help begin arriving in town. One day Andi has an encounter with a man who tells her that he has been sent by God to test Daniel and find out whether his powers are real. When she catches him trespassing on their property late one night, she realizes that she will have to do something drastic in order to protect her brother and get people to leave him alone for good.

Though I was quickly drawn into The Miracle Stealer and found the premise intriguing, it ultimately fell short of my expectations. Andi’s need to protect her brother and her guilt about her part in the accident that brought about his fame is realistic. The internal conflict that Andi experiences over her loss of faith is also well developed and true to life as is the conflict between her and her mother. However, the plan that Andi comes up with to “save” her brother by exposing him as a fake is outlandish and seems out of character for a girl who is pretty level-headed. Not surprisingly, Andi’s plan goes awry and she and Daniel both suffer the consequences. While it’s not a difficult read, The Miracle Stealer may be a hard sell for teens unless they have an interest in religion or are having their own crisis of faith.

[Jacki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: Three years ago, Andi's three-year-old brother Daniel fell into a mine shaft and was buried alive, then heroically rescued as the nation watched the entire ordeal on the evening news. Think "Baby Jessica in the well." Three years later, people all over the country still consider Daniel a miracle child, resurrected by God and graced with healing powers. His sister Andi believes she knows better: Daniel is just an ordinary little boy at the center of some weird coincidences. His fame has already caused him trauma, and more than anything, she wants him to have a normal life. After an encounter with a deranged stalker and with the arrival of a group of "Pilgrims" who want to worship her brother, Andi concocts a plan to stop the madness before her brother is psychologically scarred for life.

Verdict: GREAT idea, GREAT start, but it's a long way downhill from there.

Yay!: This book comes out of the gate like a champion. The first two or three chapters are vibrant and tense. Andi is a great heroine: capable (of fixing cars!), practical, and devoted to her little brother. The reader will definitely see her side of the argument.

Different sides of faith are explored, including overzealous faith, lack of faith, deep and joyful faith, and general confusion about what to believe.

Nay!: This book suffers from sagging middle. After chapter four, my mind started to drift, and I sleep-walked through the rest of the novel. Much of what happens could have been replaced with material more pertinent to the plot. While the stories of how Daniel's "gift" has wrecked their family and hurt Daniel are interesting, we also get a love story that seems entirely beside the point. The heroine's plot to save her brother is extreme and far-fetched, not something a bright, level-headed girl like Andi would realistically expect to work.

Wtf?: The book takes a turn for the weird with an out-of-place plot climax. Really, the end of it is a dramatic but disappointing mess.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers will palpably feel the struggles experienced by Andi Grant, as her personal beliefs collide with those of her family and neighbors. Andi’s 6 year-old brother, Daniel, survived a fall down a well shaft when he was a toddler, and since then, the residents of their small Pennsylvania town have come to believe that Daniel is blessed with special powers. Believers begin to come to credit him with healing the sick, communicating with the dead, and even bringing the fish back to the local lake. Andi cares deeply for her brother, wants him to have a normal childhood, and resents the way her mother and the townspeople seem to exploit Daniel for their own needs. Where others see miracles, she sees others projecting their beliefs onto a young boy. Above all, Andi worries about the guilt her brother could take on, if one day his “powers” fail him, and she only wants people to leave Daniel alone. When more believers begin to find their way to the town, Andi must take desperate measures to save Daniel from those who would follow him. This is a taut, suspenseful novel, that also carefully explores the nature of Andi’s faith, and how that faith can be repeatedly tested by what she sees, and what remains unknown.

I would love to see this one taught in a classroom. The fine line Connelly straddles, between religious fanaticism, and pure faith, is well-managed, and at the end of the novel, I felt like Andi had made a decision that was right for her. A great book, with a lot of benefits for readers who may be questioning issues of faith themselves.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andi is very protective of her brother Daniel. He fell down a hole in the ground when he was 3 and was rescued on national television and survived despite the odds. In the town of Paradise, this was considered a miracle granted by God. Other people in the town said that God worked through Daniel to work miracles in their lives. As word spread people came to see him. Andi saw the stress on Daniel, even when he was 3 and didn't really understand what was going on. People stopped coming and that is just fine with her. Now that he is 6 she intends to keep it that way. But word is spreading again and she will do anything to keep him safe and keep this ridiculous tale of miracles from spreading. She knows it's not true, never was, and that God left Paradise a long time ago. As Paradise Days, the local festival, start and true believers gather Andi hatches a scheme to make sure that Daniel is shown to be a fraud. But is he a fraud or a miracle child?

While this book is not really Christian fiction, Andi definitely spends a lot of time in this book thinking about what faith in God is and what it means to her and others. Daniel is a little kid who is a otherworldly. Andi really only seems to have one friend in town. Her mother is a faithful member of the local church, so there is a lot of family friction. There are many characters in the book that represent many shades of belief. I found this book a little slow going. It would probably be most interesting to teens who are interested in exploring what faith means to them.

[Cornmaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the end of this book, I was left wondering if this were a thinly veiled Christian fiction book. But then I decided it was a book about the challenges of belief in a world of so much pain and mess.

Whether Anderson's little brother is a pilgrim destination, a la Jesus' face on tortillas or in dirty windows or in the waters of Lourdes is one of the big questions of the book. And how does that question impact the hundreds of people so desperate for peace in their lives, that they would travel to see him. And how do you reconcile a God who saves one person but not another. And how you protect a little kid from evangelical abuse, but still allow God to work through him. And what are real miracles.

There's cynicism, skepticism, realism, fanaticism, hope, faith, love, hate, etc. all in this story. I liked the first person narration. I liked the ending, even though it does not wrap up neatly, but then when does life ever wrap up neatly? I liked that the bear was blind, and I still haven't decided how that figures into the metaphor.

I could see a high school lit or theology class reading this book and discussing it.

[Leslie Preddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Neil Connelly has written a deeply thought provoking novel. Andi is a sister riddled with guilt. Andi’s little brother is buried alive in a tragic accident. Daniel shouldn’t have survived, but he did and surviving the accident caused the town to change. Everyone began to depend upon little Daniel for help and religious salvation. He became known as the Miracle Boy of Paradise, Pennsylvania and people came from far away just to be near him. People think he can perform miracles, but what Andi sees is the emotional anguish her brother endures when he is not successful. Through all of this Andi loses her faith, her father and pits herself against her mother and her town as she tries to protect her brother from religious zealots who think he has been sent by God to perform miracles on earth. Through this testimony, Andi looks back to tell her story of delaying her college scholarship for a year to stay and attempt to save her brother both physically and emotionally and the events that changed her life forever. Throughout this gripping novel the tension builds from a slow burn to a tension packed conclusion.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andi is overly protective of her 6-year-old brother Daniel. Since his remarkable close call with death, people believe Daniel is capable of miracles. Everything from healing the sick, curing disease and fixing problems. When news quickly spreads that Daniel is a miracle worker, pilgrims flock to their small town to have him solve their dilemmas. But some zealous religious believers have taken things a bit too far, and Andi is determined to do everything in her control to keep him safe.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting to read. It was interesting because while I consider myself a person of faith, I felt myself siding more with Andi than the religious peoples in the book. Perhaps that is because even though the religious people in the book and I both believe ourselves to have faith in God, we display our faiths in very different ways. It was very interesting, and quite an eye opener to a different point of view on things like prayer.

[Jessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Religion was a nice surprise in this book--when I first picked it up, I didn't expect it to be about that at all. Other than that, the book was a little frustrating for me because I could see both Andi and the Pilgrims' side of the argument. It would be interesting to know if Daniel really was a miracle worker, but I guess that would spoil all the fun (or no one really knows). I'm sort of split on this book. The ending was really good, but it isn't exactly 5 star.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I think about this book. Through the first 2/3, I really liked the interrogation of faith and the seemingly human need to believe. Later in the book, however, it began to feel overtly didactic. Yet in the end, the best answer to the God question is "maybe." I've read other books about adolescents questioning/finding faith that were much stronger: e. g.,Godless(Hautman, 2005)immediately comes to mind.

[Cheryl Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

The usual caveat: I edited this, so I'm biased. But it is a smart, fierce, tightly written suspense novel about a girl whose brother may or may not be able to work miracles, and the lengths she'll go to to set him free from the burden of expectations that creates. The first chapter is the most jaw-dropping thing you'll read this month in its energy and purity, I promise.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful! DO NOT READ! Unless of course you want to read a thinly disguised book on religion. You know the kind. Where the main character at the beginning doesn't believe her 6 year old brother can heal people and bring back the fish, but by the end she is convinced that God is in charge of everything? Yeah, that's this book.

[Heather Perkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Click on the title to see a summary, click on the following link see if it's available in our library: https://rsu4.follettdestiny.com/catal...

[Michelle]

I will not rate this book because I did not finish it. I was very excited to read a YA book written by male author, and it was highly recommended to be by my local librarian. However, I really have no interest in finishing it - it is at times a very thinly disguised sermon on faith. I so completely disagree with the premise of the book that I feel I could in no way give it a fair review.

[Ishana Korpal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teared me up. The way the author slowly portrays the moral of the story (God is in your soul) is tremendous. Every moment, from exiting to intimidating, is written with imagery, and these books capture me. This beautifully written novel is for the people who are in a maze of what to believe.

[Coral · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written. I wasn't totally satisfied with the ending though--a lot of heavy, life-changing stuff was glossed over in the last chapter, making the main character's transformation in attitude less convincing than it might have been.

[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was slow. I finished it because it was a decent story but didn't care for the writing. I wasn't sure about the mother's actions but then there are a lot of parents that I'm sure shouldn't be parents.

[TheSaint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kept me on my toes. The author did a good job of presenting the moral dilemma of the main character, as well as her desire to do the right thing. He also portrayed Andi as a confused teenager, willing to accept her status as a somewhat confused seeker.

[Kelly Pua · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I got this book I was really excited. I had expectations. It will be good...right?

Its just boring. Its drones on and on, and have me ask "Will it end?" I couldn't finish the book, for god sakes.

[BCPL Youth Services Librarian]

Click to see book in BCPL's online catalog

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was good but there were some things that i did not like about it but overall it was good.

[K. Anne]

I loved this book. It really made me rethink a lot of things I thought I had decided on. A real thought provoker.

[Patty · Rating 1 out of 5]

didn't like it

[Todd]

meh