One Night In A Thousand Years is a quick read/listen that really had me hooked from the beginning. It tells the tale of a group of high school senior guys and their unorthodox mentor. There are so many lessons that these young men learn throughout the book that are priceless and at the same time bittersweet. Life is so precious and as the author says "Life is a gift of immensurable worth and the love we hold for one another stands above all". Even though this is a short book, I really felt like it was a complete story and a great one at that.

I highly recommend this audio book. James Van Der Beek (Dawson of Dawson's Creek) narrates it beautifully. I felt a connection to all of the characters through his voice. I would definitely listen to it again.

The authors note at the end of the book was very powerful and inspirational. I can't wait to read more from Craig Cunningham.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial Audio, author Craig Cunningham, and Netgalley for providing me the ALC in exchange for my honest review

This book was short and oh so profound. I wasn’t expecting a story so deep about teenaged boys exploring the meaning of life at a church group. There was a splash of talk about who God is, exploring what life is meant to be and cameraderie among the group. I liked that Colt didn’t mope around after getting hurt but kept on with life. I liked that he was tutoring a younger student & giving some mentorship. This did have the flavour of Dead Poet’s Society (which they watched in the group) but had its own spin.

I enjoyed James Van Der Beek as the narrator. I did have to keep it loud since the timbre of his voice made it difficult to hear at times.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kent Studio for a copy of this audiobook.

One Night In A Thousand Years
by @craigscunningham
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I initially judged this book by its beautiful cover. When I saw it was narrated by James Van Der Beek, I figured it would at least be a pleasant listening experience. And guess what, not only was it good, it was great. I was completely blown away.
Cunningham wrote a work of fiction that was so poignant & honest, I had to keep reminding myself it was fiction. I told fellow book friends & youth leaders that this book should be required reading for all high school students. It was such a true chronicle of the senior year & actually made me less worried about having a teenage boy. I was truly blown away by this book.

Like Emerson throughout the book, this would be a book you underlined throughout the years & add notes to & life lessons. Like the best journal of a humble person

Great coming of age story based on true events.

It’s senior year and Colt is trying to figure out the meaning of life and his purpose in it. He meets Lucas Oliver at a church gathering which becomes known as “the circle”. Lucas is a mentor and impacts the lives of all the senior boys who join his circle.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I liked how the characters changed and grew. I’m not sure I believe that a character like James really can change and grow. However, I’d like to believe that maybe it’s possible. Although it doesn’t really seem realistic, I like the fact that Colt had friends outside of his click.

It’s not very often that we meet people that impact our life so profoundly, but when we do, it’s definitely memorable. I would definitely recommend this story to others. I’d like to thank NetGalley for a complementary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This coming of age novel had me captivated from the first chapter to the last. The narration was a perfect fit for the writing
It captures a senior in high school learning who he is, the kind of person he hopes to be, and the kinds of people he wants in his life.
It channels the essence of S.E. Hinton in the Outsiders, and Dead Poets Society perfectly while also creating a new coming of age story. It was deep, yet lighthearted, and made you yearn for that time when you were on the cusp of adulthood. If you’re looking for a book to give you the nostalgia of high school, this is it.

ARC audiobook provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review. James Van Beek did a great job with the narration of the book. The storyline wasn't the kind of story that I am used to reading, it was more about real things that you go through in life, but I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to other people.

Talk about taking me back to the 90's and watching Vasity Blue's. James Van Der Beeks voice makes it this way. The story line helps it alone with a football story in high school. That's how it starts now it ventures away from that and that's ok because it's still a great listen. A good suspense of why dis James choose to go the path he did and did he do the rumors that are floating around? This a nice 4 hour long quick listen book that keeps you entertained that 4 hours goes fast. Also it's a true story!

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance at the ARC copy of this book.

This novel was completely unexpected- touching, introspective, and explores a necessary point of view.

I really enjoyed this book. A truly poignant tale of connection and growing up. Story centres around a boy in his final year of school who joins a church group led by the mysterious lucas which changes his life forever.
There are moments that make you laugh and cry. I went through every emotion whilst listening to this audiobook.

This coming-of-age story was pretty cute. James Van Der Beek's narration was seriously top-notch. It's what hooked me from the start. The book dives into some cool themes with a lot of soul-searching and gives off those Dead Poets Society kinda vibes. Not gonna lie, I wasn't really feeling the whole church thing, but the teenage boys pondering life's meaning? That totally hit home.

But here's the lowdown: I wanted a stronger connection with the characters. It's a quick read, so I get that some of the friend group moments needed a bit more work.

Would I be down for more from this author? Maybe. The writing was good; it's just that I didn't vibe much with the characters. Depends on what the book's about I guess.
Now, if you're talking about more audiobooks narrated by James Van Der Beek? Sign me up, absolutely.

Though short, the message in this book is powerful. It definitely made me pause and ask the question Mary Oliver posed best “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” This book is a good reminder to check in with not only yourself, but with others also, and connect with the world around you. I will recommend this one for sure!

I can't rave about this book enough! Solid, authentic story line told beautifully with the perfect narrator. What really hit home for me was the authenticity of the setting. Hearing about Valley Mills Drive and Tonkawa Falls in Crawford added to it for me, being a central Texas girl!

I'm pushing this title out to our ELA teachers. This book would resonate so highly with teenage boys! Well done, Craig Cunningham! I'm looking forward to so much more!

⭐️ One Night in a Thousand Years by Craig Cunningham Audiobook

When I finished this book I looked at my friend and told her to ask me what it was about. So she did. My answer: “I don’t know.”

This coming of age book centered around Colt searching for something in his life. My opinion: he didn’t find it. This book went nowhere.

First, Colt gets injured at the beginning so he can no longer play football his senior year and doesn’t have any feelings about this at all. Not negative or positive. Then he gets invited to a church function where he meets Lucas, an aimless “adult” who wants to lead a bunch of senior boys (12 I think) to find meaning within themselves. Lucas talks out of both sides of his mouth, really has nothing of importance to say, and teaches them nothing. I felt he was more of a cult leader. If I had a son attending these “Circle” meetings, I would be fearful.

The only redeeming part of the story was Colt’s relationship with Noa. Until the epilogue. I could have done without that.

James Van Der Beek did an excellent job narrating, he just sounded too old for the character. (Unless he was an older Colt, reminiscing about this time in his life…I might have missed that…I’m not sure.)

Maybe I’m just not the audience for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

In the senior year of high school, Colt’s life takes an unexpected turn when he encounters Lucas Oliver, a mysterious wanderer. Lucas becomes a mentor to Colt and a group of eleven other seniors, guiding them through rites of passage around a Sunday night barrel fire. As the group explores the wonders of senior year, a sudden event challenges their beliefs and forces them to confront difficult truths. "One Night In A Thousand Years" is a poignant coming-of-age story, inspired by "Dead Poets Society," celebrating friendship, mentorship, and resilience in the face of unexpected challenges.

This book did not resonate with me as anticipated. The narrative appeared to center around a protagonist navigating life's challenges and following others on a similar journey of uncertainty. The approach of guiding characters toward an elusive "truth" through an air of mystery felt less convincing in the context of real-life applicability. The storytelling, while fitting for a novel, left me with reservations about its practicality. The subjective interpretation of the "truth" towards the end of the book introduced an element of ambiguity that, personally, I found less satisfying.

Dead Poets Society vibes + coming of age. Definitely got my interest! Also, it was rather short 4.5 hours which meant that it was right up my alley. The author got straight to the point, said what he needed to say and then ended the book. These days, with soooo many books being released, I need books to GET TO THE POINT so I can be onto the next.

This was the perfect length for me and I listed to it in one day while I worked.

James Van der Beek was an EXCELLENT choice for a narrator!

This is a coming of age storyc. Our main character is Colt who has been a football star his whole high school career. Then, something happens and he can't play his Senior Year.

He meets Lucas at a church group and this is where the story really begins. Lucas helps them figure out what comes next and asks them to dream bigger. To challenge everything they thought they wanted, and to dream bigger.

This was such a sweet story and I really loved the character development in Lucas and Colt. Some of the other side characters/ other people Lucas was mentoring could have used a bit more character development. I definitely finished the book feeling like I still didn't really know a couple of them.

This book surprised me! When I was browsing NetGalley for an audiobook, I jumped to request when I saw that the narrator was James Van der Beek (90s girls swoon!). Then I saw that it was supposed to have a "Dead Poet's Society" vibe, which made it even more of a book I wanted. Luckily, the publisher granted me access!

James does an incredible job as a narrator. He somehow sounded like an old soul and a senior high school Texan at the same time. He had this tone that truly felt like someone being reflective, while also skeptic and confused.

The other characters were such an oddball mix, but they fit perfectly together as a group of guys who were too cool, yet still participating in this Church "youth group". I think I wanted a little more character development for the rest of the guys. I know this was all about Colt's journey and who he was becoming or NOT becoming, but a few of the guys felt too unknown.

The author's note at the end made me love the book even more.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

James Van Der Beek narrating this book made the entire story for me. It was a really good tale, but having a familiar voice was truly the best part.

This book is loosely based on a true story. It’s a heartfelt coming of age story about a group of high school boys. After breaking his foot Colt begins to wonder what is next for his life. He is a high school senior and star quarterback of the football team. He joins a guys group that meets on Sundays to share life lessons, deep thoughts, and overtime learn more about themselves. Most of the boys have many questions for life- what is next after high school, college, career. With this group Colt learns to live life to the fullest and make difficult decisions. This book is brilliantly narrated by James Van Der Beek. Many thanks to BooksGoSocial Audio and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

One Night in a Thousand Years is a coming of age story for some young men who are high school seniors trying to decide where their lives go from here. Colt is a football star who can’t play for his senior year after an incident that is going to change his life forever.

Colt meets Lucas Oliver at a church youth group. Lucas is a college aged vagabond with a mysterious past that mentors Colt and eleven other seniors around a barrel fire each Sunday night. Lucas challenges everything that they thought they knew about themselves and encourages them to think bigger and about what their future will really look like.

I thought this was a beautiful story. I loved the way that Lucas led these guys to look into themselves and figure out who they really wanted to be and what they want to accomplish before they die. This book is described as perfect for fans of Dead Poets Society and I totally agree.

I listened to the audiobook and James Van Der Beek was the perfect choice. I think he made this a great listening experience.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you BooksGoSocial Audio, NetGalley, author Crain Cunningham and narrator James Van Der Beek for the enjoyable experience of listening to the advance audiobook of this coming of age story. This is such a heartfelt story about a group of young men that are brought together through their church group and how they grow up to be the kind of men that are leaders and role models in their own lives. Each young man has faced different challenges but with the help of Lucas the leader of the unique youth group they each learn to overcome and support each other and succeed in their lives. While they do face some sad times the author does a wonderful job showing how the boys grow and are able to honor each other rather than being negative. I genuinely enjoyed the positive message that comes from this book and I highly recommend it. It is definitely worth a church book club reading. I think it would make for a great read and great lessons for young and old alike.