Charity's Reading Log

Frustration beyond all frustration is what greeted me as I picked up my much anticipated copy of The Ultimate Life, the sequel to Jim Stovall's wonderfully inspiring book The Ultimate Gift. Both the book and the movie that followed were some of my favorites during 2007. I spent several months looking forward to finding out how Jason Stevens planned to manage his great uncle Red's fortune. However, upon settling down and cracking open my copy of The Ulimate Life it took only two pages....yes, just TWO PAGES, for me to slam the book closed in disgust.

Here's the rub: In The Ultimate Gift Stovall set the entire story for us. Red is Jason's great uncle. I understand fully that movies often change content, say by changing the relationships between certain characters. Okay. Fine. I am smart enough to know that. On the other hand, it is totally unacceptable, ever, for an AUTHOR to change the relationship between his OWN CHARACTERS in a sequel! In The Ultimate Life, Jason somehow becomes Red's GRANDSON, not NEPHEW, just like in the movie! I was aghast. Stricken. Speechless, even. One of my book club students came in shortly after I had discovered this fact and, together, we lamented the state of affairs in writing today. Okay, a little dramatic, but true.

Final recommendation: Readers Beware! Read it if you want, but be prepared to lose some of my respect in the doing :)