Score: 90/100 (9.0 out of 10)
“Walking on the Water” by Aimy Ellen is a pure Christian inspirational book about an incredible but true incident in the author's life—a miracle. Now, what's a parent's greatest fear? Losing their child. Ellen was on the verge of that many years ago when her miracle child, Alex, was brutally assaulted and shot in the head by thugs. This understandably created a confusing, chaotic, and traumatic experience for the narrator who didn't know how or why any of this happened, but she clung to her faith in God and trusted that his will would be done. It's actually quite harrowing while also being inspirational. After all, if Ellen and Alex could persevere and trust God through a time like that, should we be able to? How you respond to this book will greatly depend on your world view and religious faith (or lack there of). If you are already a practicing Christian or are spiritual in some way, then you may really appreciate this book. This book is relentlessly religious. You could even make the argument that the author is hyper-religious. So, while we may love and appreciate that (as religious people ourselves), we can understand that this may turn away some readers who may find it to be a bit much. The narrator constantly jumps to conclusions about how the people she meets or the people she or her son sees are actually angels in disguise. For example, there's a random drunk man who helps her to find her missing son at a hospital after searching feverishly for him. He even gets the narrator access to the hospital. The narrator eventually comes to the conclusion that he must've been an angel because inebriated people aren't allowed on the hospital grounds and because he seemed to know where her son was. Ok. She also interprets how some people her son saw “walking in the air” after his incident must've been angels. So, this is what you're working with when you're reading this book. Do you want to know something? We kinda believe her. But keep in mind that we're spiritual people too. We've also read other books like this such as “Angels, of Course” by Win Tuck-Gleason, a book which not only described but also interpreted how the angels appear (to the author) through art. At the same time, there are going to be more “grounded” or secular readers out there who reason that Alex was experiencing a very traumatic event and had just been shot in the head when he saw these things. We can understand that as well. But once you get pass these kinds of doubts, you can appreciate the beauty of this reality-based story. Alex and his mother were recipients of a miracle. Think about this: Alex was beaten up, dragged across the road, and shot in the head. It was said that it was a miracle he was alive at all, surviving 12 hours by himself out there on the road after his friend, William, had been killed in a similar manner. It was said that he wouldn't be able to hear out of one ear, breathe normally, or function normally. But guess what happened within 90 days of constant faith-based prayer? Alex's story is beautiful and inspirational. The heartbreak you feel for the family is almost indescribable. Imagine if your loved one disappeared in the middle of the night, and when you found them they were beaten so severely that they were almost unrecognizable and near death. It's heart-wrenching. It's painful to ponder such questions as, “Why would God let this happen?” or “Who would do this to my loved one?” Also, this book is actually pretty well written. The blocks of text are short without being choppy. Things flow quite well, and we always know what's happening. What's especially inspirational about this book is not just the fact that Alex made a recovery with God's help, but the fact that he didn't stop there. He actually went out and made something of himself afterward by becoming a cartoonist and animator—currently involved in animating Christian cartoons! That is so, so beautiful! We're so proud of him and the narrator! If you're going through a rough patch or need a reaffirmation of your faith, then this book could be for you! Check it out on Amazon!
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