I absolutely loved this book, it was sweet, thought provoking and a quick listen. James Vanderbeek did a fantastic job narrating, it was perfect.

This book is a very well-written coming-of-age story. It follows the life of high school senior Colt. He is popular and captain of the football team until a stupid accident takes him out for the rest of the football season. This action forces him to re-examine his priorities and group of friends which led to him getting hurt. He finds his way into a youth group of boys who meet every Sunday night and is led by Lucas, who has a questionable and mysterious past. The boys end up sharing more with each other than anyone would have thought. The group has a very positive impact on Colt even though others in his life start to question Lucas' intentions.

This book was wonderful. I know that it is harder for boys to connect with an entire group in the deep way that is described in this story. This book is incredibly wholesome and I personally appreciate that there aren't overly religious implications in the book but fundamental building blocks of character.

A beautiful coming of age story following a group of young men during their senior year of high school, navigating friends, love, and figuring out what comes next after graduation, and their relationship with and support from a mentor in their community. This story was a nostalgic trip back to that stage of life, being 18, on the verge of adulthood. The audio book was narrated by James van der Beek, an excellent choice for this story. His warm, calm voice brought these young adult characters to life.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I loved the narration of this book. It states that it's Dead Poet’s Society meets Friday Night Lights and it's 100 accurate.

I enjoyed this coming-of-age story from Craig Cunningham. It's a beautiful story of love and friendship, loss and moving forward. I did not particularly care for the narrator, but recognize that he is not normally an audiobook voice. Overall, I would recommend to the YA audience, but probably in text form.

This one has all the feels!
A coming of age story set in a nostalgic haze that reminds you of all the rowdy excitement, tortured angst, and looming sense that anything is possible that arrives your senior year of high school. The story evolves into a journey of self discovery, developing friendships and ultimately redemption for a group of young men on the verge of adulthood.

James Van Der Beek did an excellent job narrating this. It was like a modern day take on Dead Poets Society, but with a lot of religious undertones.

A great listen! James Van Der Beek takes me back to my own high school days with Dawson's voice, of Dawson's Creek, narrating a new coming of age story. This story about high school seniors embarking on the year of their lives anticipating top of the school status including football, parties, and dating takes a turn when an injury leaves the main character, Colt, side-lined. Colt must fill the void that football has left and finds himself gathering with a new group of young men in the form of a church youth group. However, the leader, Lukas, isn't so much into ministering to these young men as he is into provoking them to question everything they thought they knew. Little is known about Lukas, this church volunteer who pushes boundaries. The search for answers to Lukas' past, what the future holds, and the ultimate question of purpose becomes the new senior year adventure.

Didn’t know how to feel about this, but in the end realized I learned a lot. It wasn’t a typical read for me, but it stuck with me because of the character development. Enjoyable listen that was over before I knew it.

I suspect this book is great for the audience it was made for. I thought this was going to be up my alley but couldn't really get into it. I appreciate the opportunity.

When I began listening to this book, I was thinking I could finish it in a little under a week, but when I first started the book, I just didn’t stop. I don’t think I paused it more than five times. It was so interesting and good, and I don’t know why. It lakes nearly all my favorite things in a book, but for some reason I really enjoyed it. Still after I have heard it, I have absolutely had no idea what the main plot was and to be honest I also don’t care.
Moste of the time when I listen to audio books, I check how many percent of the book I have heard alle the time but the first time I looked it was 51% and I didn’t feel like I had listen in more than 5 minutes, which of course can be seen as a sad thing too but so was ending the book and I can always relisten to it.
I find it super hard to describe what I liked about the book but maybe that is also a way to describe it, I don’t know but no matter what I did like it.

This is a great exploration of the self-discovery and decisions wrapped up in senior year in high school, as the main character is knocked of his default path by a football injury, relationship developments, college, and other life events. It name checks and pays some homage to Dead Poets Society, as a church youth group leader has a mens group that he pushes to unconventional and uncomfortable self discovery much like Robin Williams' great professor in that movie. The text and narration do a solid job of capturing the wonder, intensity, and other feelings that people can experience during that time (and others) if they are paying attention and open to that distanced perspective.

3.5 stars A coming of age, memoir style novel about a group of high school boys who connect together and receive mentorship through an adult in their community. Think Friday Night Lights and Dead Poet’s Society vibes. Although I didn’t connect with the characters, this would be a book I’d recommend to young middle school/high school males (it being on the shorter side helps as well). The narrator did a good job-his voice was very calming.

One Night in a Thousand Years is a beautifully written heartfelt story of young men trying to find a place in their world. Senior year of highschool can be one of the happiest but most stressful and disruptive times in a young persons life. This story navigates grief, religion, trauma, and hope in a uniquely honest and vulnerable way. The narration James Van Der Beek provides adds a level of emotional connection to the story that may be missed if simply read off the page. He provides thoughtful dramatization throughout his narration and truly brings Colts voice to life. This book is a profound story of hope for those in the midst of great change in their lives.

This book gave me such an 80's movie vibe. The friendship and connection this group made was amazing. All because of one person who brought them together. It was a good book that has heartbreaking moments but still worth the read.

Interesting story but nothing really stood out. I wouldn't read it agsin. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

So, this book relied heavily on it's source material "Dead Poets Society," but instead of grabbing life surrounded by inspiration from some of the greatest poets every born, it was asking you to follow a path of religion. I'm a pastor's kid, so I know what it is like growing up surrounded by religious doctrine. It has it's benefits, but it is a slippery slope, and I don't think this story was a realistic tale... for that reason, I wouldn't recommend this story, unless you are already religious... then this will already fit your narrative.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up this audio for three reasons. One, I was immediately drawn to the cover. Two, the title is something that I'm drawn to as well. Three, James Van Der Beek narration.
Maybe it was just the mood I was in, but Van Der Beek really didn't do it for me as a narrator. The tone was there, but I feel like the pace of the book was awkward for me. I couldn't speed it up like I usually do to 1.75-2.0 because I felt like I couldn't follow along easily, but then the 1.5 dragged on and I was at times bored. However, that could be because of the storyline. I listened to the whole thing, but feel that the book was unremarkable. I just finished and I couldn't tell you most of what happened.
It's a coming of age novel. It would be good for a YA who's trying to navigate their way through high school, college, or just plain life. Girls and college applications, struggles and friendships.
There was nothing bad about this novel, I just wasn't the best target audience for it. The hope was there for me however.

The narration by James Van Der Beek was flawless. The book is a coming-of age story about a high school senior looking for what comes next. By joining a church youth group whose pastor goes off-script, the characters are able to create a safe place among a group of men, without judgement, to let go of the toxic masculine narratives they think are expected of them, and to instead strive to find the best versions of themselves. As a mom of a recent high school graduate, this was a timely read to share with my son. Still, I think this quote can resonate with readers of all ages and genders: "All of you have been gifted with breath not for selfish gain, but to do something meaningful—even remarkable—with your lives." While the book is short, its message is powerful.

I selected this one on the strength of the comparison to Dead Poets Society, but I had my doubts from the start. A story about young men finding a mentor and discovering truths about themselves and the world can be inspiring. It can also be a bit pretentious and self-aggrandizing. And I'm afraid this one leans in the latter direction. I'm all for teaching people to think for themselves, to ask questions and find their own path. There's just something about scenes of teenagers smoking pipes and writing inspirational quotes under an overpass that feels forced. And when you have white guys passing out samurai swords it's a bit cringy. I certainly understand what this book was trying to say. And it says it. There's no masking the intent of the novel. Perhaps that's part of what I don't like about it. There's no interpretation, no art to it. While Van Der Beek's narration suits the narrative, I can't say that I'd recommend the book on the whole.