Book Review - An Afternoon with Cody

I am a reviewer for Active Christian Media's Blog for Books. I was given this book at no cost, but am not paid for my review of the book.

I was initially interested in the book upon hearing that the author lives in Dell Rapids, SD, which is effectively a suburb of my own hometown Sioux Falls, SD. Additionally, Sioux Falls' airport is basically the only real scene of the book.

I wanted to like this book, but there are so many reasons why that was not possible. I would give it at best 2 out of 5 stars, and only if I'm feeling somewhat charitable.

The book is fairly short, and it means well, but it is pretty ugly getting from point A to B. The beginning of the book is filled with the stereotypes the author uses in an attempt for character development. If it is a cliche it is used. The result is unimaginative and uncreative characters and visions for the future. The idea is that the book is set in 2020, but there is no reason from the story to buy into that time frame. There is nothing that distinguishes the future from the present other than there being an rapid increase in terrorism in the USA. Perhaps my many years of reading things like Asimov's Foundation trilogy (well, really all of his Sci-Fi books) have caused me to set the bar too high, but I really don't think that is the case. So while the characters are developed, they are flat and unimaginative in the end.

The idea for the book has promise, and I would love to see a re-write. The plot is that central character Walter Withers (a 22 year old sports reporter) has his plans inturrupted when his flight is rerouted from Minneapolis to Sioux Falls due to a terrorism threat. In his layover in Sioux Falls he meets the 72 year old Cody Brill who is a born again Christian (retired pastor), martial arts instructor, and Def Leppard fan. Over the course of his layover, Withers hears for the first time about the Bible and things contained within. By the end of the book Withers has a conversion experience and we are supposed to be left with warm fuzzies. The problem is that in what the author thinks is a way of reaching out to post-moderns, he dumbs down the Gospel and sacrifices the beauty of Christ for trying to sound cool. Unfortunately he fails at the cool factor as well. I think the author's heart is in the right place, but that he is far to distanced from post modernism, and modern culture for that matter, to interact well with it in this creative environment. I was especially disappointed in his dealing with the gospel where Jesus is your buddy and the Godhead as the three amigos. I don't know any postmodern who would find that idea of God appealing.

A good re-write is in order for this for other reasons as well. Various typos, grammatical errors, and word usages need to be cleaned up. A good copy editor would have done wonders for this book. I think the idea has potential, but it is left at that, just potential.

I think the author does hit on some things that are wrong with society in his development of the book that are solid, but not outstanding. It ranks only slightly above pointing out the obvious flaws in our society, but is a positive of sorts.

Related Tags: Active Christian Media, Blog for Books, Rex Forrest Johnson, Dell Rapids, Sioux Falls, Minneapolis, An Afternoon with Cody, Mind and Media, Gospel, Jesus, Postmodern, Post Modern, Def Leppard, Martial Arts