No Cape Required: A Book Review

There are so many times when I'm reading a main-stream book and I see the power of God in them, even though the author didn't mean to write it in.  Of course this happens often with movies too!  I've decided it's because the Creator designed us with His truth ingrained in our hearts, and when we, as people, try to express our feelings in creating, that Truth finds it's way into our creation.

Do you know what I mean?

With this concept in the back of my mind, I was thrilled when I got my hands on Kristen Parrish's new devotional, No Cape Required: 52 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Hero.

This is an amazing little book, especially for the modern Christian who enjoys watching and reading secular media. Parrish has complied a list of 52 well known fictional characters and while discussing their main hero-attribute points Christians to the truth of God wanting us to cultivate similar attributes.

Overview:

This devotional has an easy to read set up that allows for once a week devotions for the whole year, or could be read straight through.  Each of the 52 chapters focuses on a characteristic or attribute and a fictional popular character that embodies that particular attribute. Parrish discusses the characters, in case you don't know who that character is. Then she leads in to a discussion of how God wants each of His children to display similar behavior, and more importantly, how He will help you cultivate it.

Each chapter includes a quick prayer and then some discussion questions that will lead to action in cultivating that characteristic. 

There is a great variety of popular characters, including Superman & Spiderman to Mr Darcy & Huckleberry Finn to Jake Sulley & Captain John H. Miller, and so many more!  

Personal Likes:

I loved the whole concept of this book.  Like I said, this is something that I already sort of found myself feeling as I read non-Christian books and watched secular movies, but to have it written in such a fashion was a great treat for me.

I really appreciated the wide variety of characters used, as this allows the book to be interesting to both genders and many different age groups.  I mean there are Disney cartoon characters in this list!

This wide range makes me feel that this is the kind of devotional you can add to a family devotional time once a week as a way to open discussion around social issues and the media that are often hard to do. And it could easily be used with a family of different aged kids. Granted some of the references are for older kids (at least thirteen) but overall it a great source. 

Personal Dislikes:

I don't have many... granted I was a little disappointed by some characters I feel are great examples of attributes Christians should strive to cultivate that were not included, but I didn't write this book!  

Again, there are many references to movies that are rated R and PG-13, which could make it hard to use this with young children, but that is also minor. 

There were a few characters on the list that when I read them in the table of contents I was a little unsure of, but Parrish was able to make her point well with each one. Leaving me with plenty to think about when it came to some of those characters. 

Reasons to Read:

I think every family could benefit greatly from this book as it is so modern and relevant for today. It could be a great starter devotional especially if your kids are older and you are trying to find a way to interest them in family devotional time. Granted there isn't a ton of scripture (some...) in this one, but for once a week, it could be worth it.

Also, it's just fun to have a devotional that breaks the mold and opens your eyes to a new concept, which is exactly what this book does.  

Reading List Rating:

I had to give this my highest rating because I really loved it. And my husband was intrigued by it, we don't always see eye-to-eye on devotionals.  Plus it was very well written and edited, and we all know that is a pet-peeve of mine.  

My Suggested Audience:

I would recommend this book for any Christian looking for a light-hearted devotional that isn't the typical daily meditation.  The discussion points at the end of the chapters will make you think and act, which is good. And I do think families could get a ton out of this book. You could adapt it to work for the youngest members of your family, but I would wait until they are at least five as the topics are often a little more severe than the youngest could grasp. 

Have you found yourself feeling that a secular movie or story was actually discussing a God and Jesus point even though you knew that wasn't the goal of writer?  I'd love for you to join the conversation!

*I recieved a free copy of this book from Book Look in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

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