I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

Revival Season was a book unlike any other I’ve read. Atmospheric, and written in a way that truly transported me along with Miriam, this book was unforgettable. Following her journey of self discovery and realization through the lens of faith, and what she always believed it to be and the disenchantment with it was so relatable and I believe will stick with me for years to come.

Reverend Samuel Horton, revivalist preacher, travels throughout the United States to offer his brand of religion. His daughter Miriam, narrates this book, bringing her own thoughts to this life. Unfortunately, the Reverend is not all that he seems, and his brutal treatment of a young woman changes Miriam's view of him and their lifestyle in general.

Well, I'm not sure what to say about this book, I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. I ended up listening to it which helped because the chapters were quite long and otherwise I'm not sure I would've gotten through it. To me, it read like it was set more in the past and not in present day for some reason. It was definitely interesting, especially for a Christian reader as the big focus of the book is on healing through the power of God. Definitely one to make you think and I think the moral of the story is that these things aren't done through the power of the person doing them but through the power of God. And, that humans are not perfect, even those who are doing the work of the Lord.

This is a beautifully written book about church, family, trauma, and difficult decisions. I resonated so much with the main character, 15 year old Miriam, who spends the summer with her preacher father and family travelling at various revivals to “heal” others.

There’s a lot of really great storytelling, but at around the halfway point the book just lost me a little. I think it’s still a wonderful story, but perhaps the tension was just too much and hit too close to home for me.

This novel is a look into the life of a young girl whose father is a preacher. So much happens in this book: domestic abuse, pride, self-esteem, the interpretation of the Bible. The story ends with the uncertainty of what the young girl's life would be - but we see her spiritual growth and her development of self. West's writing drew me in and kept me engaged. I enjoyed this coming-of-age story. This novel is definitely worth reading.

This book was not for me. I was attracted by the cover, and the premise sounded interesting. The characters' actions did not seem believable, and I wasn't engaged or invested in the characters - too one dimensional. The plot moved quite slowly... not much was happening. I skimmed the second half of the book to find out the big secret, but it wasn't very surprising. Someone who has experience with evangelical christianity might enjoy this book, but I found it frustrating.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada as well as the author, Monica West. This was an okay book. It had a great deal of family aspects. I. like reading books that have a spiritual aspect but this book was not for me entirely. I do not know what to share without spoiling it.

West is an American author and this is her first novel. Set in present day we meet Miriam, who is a fifteen-year-old girl and the daughter of a Baptist minister gifted with healing powers. She lives with him , her mom, and her younger brother and sister. Every summer the family pack up the family car and travel to various churches to put on massive healing services. After on such service Miriam witnesses her father commit an act of violence, which causes her to question her faith and her father. His diminishing healing powers has left him angry and abusive. Further confusing Miriam is her own growing abilities to heal as he father insists it is a sin for women to heal. This powerful coming of age story deals with faith and feminism and is a wonderful read.

This well-written novel has a lot going for it. It is entertaining and the characters are well-developed. The protagonist, Miriam, is a plucky, intelligent, and strong-willed teenage girl, struggling with the expectations of her family and her religion - particularly when she discovers that her father is not who she thought he was.

I always enjoy stories about family and relationships, and some of my all-time favourite books have strong religious themes. Having said that, this particular book was a bit disappointing for me. I found some parts unlikely and not believable (completely aside from the healing parts), and the ending seemed rather abrupt. Overall, however, it is a decent read and held my interest. I wanted to see what happened between Miriam and her father as his power over her, their family and the church waned, while she began to come into her own.

Beautifully written but ultimately this just didn't grip me. Revival Season is a story set in the Baptist south, and follows the family of an abusive, charismatic preacher who reigns over his family with equal parts impassioned faith and pervasive fear. The story documents one revival season's interstate travels to the next, through the eyes of the family's teenage daughter Miriam as she undergoes a spiritual coming of age. As her faith in her father begins to falter, Miriam begins to believe in herself and map out a destiny far different than the repressed wallflower role women typically occupy in her Baptist community.

What ultimately kept me engaged in the story, aside from the rich descriptive prose, was the the elements of magic woven into an otherwise dark, rather grim narrative. I just wish there was more of it, as Miram's story felt as though it was ramping up just as the novel was ending.