Saturday, February 25, 2012

Great new reviews of ExMormon, wow!!

The incomparable Donna Banta of Ward Gossip just wrote a fantastic review of my novel ExMormon!!! Here's a taste:

Hanson neither condemns nor promotes her former faith. Instead she presents an even-handed depiction of LDS culture. As a result, the reader is given a clear picture of the highly structured Mormon community, the self-righteous attitudes it encourages, and the subversive behavior it inspires. Each of her characters possesses the innocent and trusting voice of a Mormon kid, a perspective that serves to enhance both the humor and pathos of their experiences.

I also found another cool review on Amazon here:

This book is awesome! I don't read a lot of fictional books, but this one I'm reading for the second time. I think it's one of the best books I've ever read. I'm sure a lot of that is because I was raised in Utah Valley, and relate very strongly with many of the characters and their faith struggles. I love it because the characters are so lovable and relateable, because I feel like I know them. I love it because none of them become bitter or angry, but deal with the loss of faith in a fairly positive way. It depicts the nostalgia that former members feel towards the church, and the feelings they have towards their experiences, their Mormon families, and their courageous decisions to move on. I don't have a lot of friends that have left the church (though I'm gaining some over time), but this book let me know that I am not alone.

Thanks!!!

2 comments:

Donna Banta said...

Thank you for writing such a great book!

dee said...

Awesome. :-) I love it too.

- wry