Before Dan opened his door to find a wounded woman who had escaped from the tormentors in the mountain, his life had become rather quiet. He and the eight other people in the mostly abandoned town had become friends. They spent peaceful evenings around the campfire and even made vague plans to journey east one day and leave the ominous mountain behind.But the woman’s arrival changes everything. … everything.
Who is she? How does she know so much about Dan’s brother, who is still held captive in the mountain? Why are long-forgotten memories rising to the surface? And why does Dan feel so compelled to keep her presence in his house a secret?
Visionary writer Shawn Smucker is back with an unsettling story that invites us to consider two challenging questions: To what lengths will we go to assuage our own guilt? and Is there a limit to the things we will do for the people we love?
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From the beginning I could tell this was going to be a challenging read. It’s not because I didn’t like the book, rather that I couldn’t read it fast enough. The suspense starts right away and never lets up.
Several people leave the mountain and discover what held them there , why they left and what affects it left on their lives. Just looking at the cover tells me there are secrets that once revealed will change many lives. I love the details the author gives as the story slowly progresses. The characters seem to come alive and I was mesmerized by them.
What happened in those mountains seep out into a unforgettable tale of abuse, pain, secrets and an ending that delivers a punch to the mind. The authors reaches deep into the soul as the characters experience forgiveness, truth and a journey to discover their destination.
I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads Blogger Program. The review is my own opinion.
After reading Light from Distant Stars, I was excited to have the opportunity to read Shawn Smucker’s These Nameless Things. I was definitely not disappointed. I thought Dan’s story was great. It is one of those that makes readers really think. So many lessons to be learned within the pages.
I am giving These Nameless Things a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it. I look forward to more by Mr Smucker in the near future.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
These Nameless Things is slightly reminiscent of the TV show LOST. The reader sees and understands the present moment through the eyes and memory of each character. The mental anguish and conflict comes through loud and clear – with each memory recovered the pieces begin to slide into a wide-lens view of Dan’s life and choices – and how he has hurt others.
It is the kind of book that after you read it through once, you have to read it again just to soak in the nuances you missed the first time – the very best kind of book.
These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker tells Dan’s story. Dan was once held captive and tortured on a mysterious mountain. He made it out alive–but he left his brother behind. As the book begins, Dan lives in a small community of escapees. Then memories start coming to the surface for each of them. Those memories all connect them to each other. At the same time, a wounded woman shows up at Dan’s door. The peaceful existence they’ve all been living doesn’t seem to be so peaceful anymore. What does it all mean for Dan?
Smucker’s prose in These Nameless Things is beautiful. This story helped me reflect on forgiveness, shame, grace, and dealing with our own failings. I picked this book up to start reading it and struggled to put it down. While the story was quite compelling on its own, I had to think to figure out what was actually going on. It is a sort of allegory. As a reader, I could see how the evil one was moving but it is a different story when we are the ones living in the midst of our own story and the fog is thick around us swirling the evil and good thoughts together and sometimes creating confusion. These Nameless Things may also cause you to think and reflect on your own life–like me. This cover has depth and sort of looks 3-D to me–it works great for this rich, deep book. I think these are the best kinds of books and I encourage you to give These Nameless Things a try.
I received a copy of These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.
Wow! What a deep book to be lost in, and I’ll admit that it took me a bit to get into this read, but keep reading you will be glad you did.
Be sure to read the author’s note at the end of this read, and maybe before you start reading! It really helped me, and then the light bulb went on and I sped through this book.
A book as a Christian really makes you think, and the consequences of sin, well, we don’t like to think of our own sins, and a sin is a sin.
While this is Dan’s story, I did love Adam, and the deepness of this read, we are given the feeling that we left the mountain. There is also a lot of love, forgiveness, and beautiful friendship.
This is a page turning read, and I found myself up late reading for answers. Kept going out to the next tree!
I received this book through the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.
I’ve previously only read one of Shawn Smucker’s books but very much so enjoyed it. He’s a unique voice in Christian fiction in that, I’ve never read any books quite like his. They are haunting suspense stories and I love that. These Nameless Things exceeds Light From Distant Stars in the best way possible. An intriguing storyline you’ll not be able to put this fabulous book down until you’ve finished it.
These Nameless Things released earlier this month from Revell and is available from most Christian Retailers
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book came at a very inconvenient time in my life, but after following the author for multiple years and enjoying his work, I knew I wanted to read his books. And oh—what a pleasure to finally get to do so! Shawn Smucker has told a tale with many threads, but woven together so skillfully that I doubt you could come away with anything less than hope—even though the story itself sometimes seems to lack that very element.
What I loved about this story the most was the characters. They shone here, in both their strengths and their imperfections. And though I feel like not a lot happened in the first part of the book, the characters and descriptions pulled me through, making me want to keep reading. Badly. Even when I really didn’t have time. I’m fairly certain I read the first third of this book in about one sitting—forgetting about everything else. Thankfully, dinner somehow still managed to get on the table in time that night!
In many ways, this book was one after my own heart. It shows how much unforgiven hurts can lead us to be stuck where we are, and only through forgiveness can we find the way forward. There are many deep things touched on in this story, and if you enjoy reading fantasy with a depth of truth to it, I’d recommend you check this out. Some parts of the setting are weird, but in the end, it’s one that I think a lot of us can learn from. And that’s not counting the fact that the way this story was written is achingly beautiful and almost merits a discussion in its own right!
Overall, I recommend this book. It isn’t necessarily a Christian story (although, if you’re like me, you will probably find a few allegories along the way), but it is a relatively clean read. I enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to trying out other books by this author.
I requested a free review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
I am a relatively new reader of Smucker’s work, having only read one other of his prior to “These Nameless Things,” but I can say with full assurance that he is an author I will continue to follow. Smucker’s works are challenging, ethereal, and reach each reader differently.
“These Nameless Things” is a story that sounds familiar, yet isn’t one you’ve experienced before. The main protagonist, Dan, has a pretty uneventful life until the winds begin to shift, bringing an unexpected visitor from the mountain right to his front door. Will he help her? Or will he choose to turn away, keeping the status quo of the community he’s learned to love?
Dan still searches the horizon every day for his brother, who is lost inside the mountain. As he begins to resume his quest of finding Adam, he realizes the great cost of his rescue mission. Self reflection of the years prior to his arrival in the small community leads Dan to question everyone and everything he holds dear–including Adam.
Will Dan finally face the shards of difficult memories that keep pressing forward? What will accepting his complicity in Adam’s deeds before life in the village mean in the eventual end? Should Dan stay where he is comfortable, or move forward into the future, no matter the cost? All these questions are answered in “These Nameless Things.”
Although it’s not what I first anticipated, it was worth the investment! This book will take you to a different world in order to remind us all of the saving power of grace and second chances for freedom. Smucker’s books continue to remind me that some stories don’t always wrap up with a neat bow, but can hold powerful reminders of the importance of this life–one that can be at once difficult but beautiful.
ARE YOU READY TO ESCAPE?
Shawn Smucker is an author that always leaves me thinking. His plotlines are always clever. In his recent novel, These Nameless Things, my mind was racing trying to sort out the truth. I can’t stop thinking about this book. The undercurrents, the double meanings, it all has me astounded. I’m left with a deep appreciation for his carefully crafted words and the journey the characters must take in order to escape their personal demons and hell.
This is a deep read. It is thought provoking. It’s a lot like the television series LOST, but with its own twists and turns and a much different ending.
I’m pretty sure that this is my favorite book by Shawn Smucker! This book kept me hooked the whole way through. I didn’t want to stop reading. The storyline was definitely not what I imagined it would be. I really enjoyed it! I loved the message about forgiveness and grace.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Dan has lived in the village in the shadow of the mountain since he escaped from the pit beneath the mountain. The village used to house hundreds of people, and there was singing and joy and contentment. But slowly, the inhabitants of the village have left. Heading to the east, they say. There are but a handful of people remaining, and one more is set to leave when a mysterious woman drops into Dan’s life. She tells him she has come from the mountain, and his brother is the last one left there. His twin brother, Adam.
Shawn Smucker has, yet again, crafted a story that has a dreamlike, yet irresistible, quality about it. This is not a quick, light read. At times it moves very slowly indeed. But it is a thought-provoking read that prompts the reader to consider how hard it is to be completely honest, even with oneself, and how far one might go for the good of someone he loves. Grace and forgiveness, and the hope of redemption.
My one disappointment with the story was Adam’s character. His role in the story was covered in fairly short order, and given the description of the journey of others up from the pit, his seemed remarkably quick for his having been there the longest. I’ll keep my theory as to why that is to myself, as I don’t want to spoil anything for other readers.
Shawn Smucker is one of a handful of authors whose latest I will pick up without hesitating, because I know it will be a beneficial experience to read whatever tale he spins. These Nameless Things stays true to my experience of his work, and is deserving of the time it may take you to read and savor it.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy from the publisher. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t like.
“We smell like exhaustion, like miles piled on top of miles, like time when it has already run out. Yet somehow we also sound like hope, like fresh water washing through the reeds.”
What an intriguing, thought-provoking novel by Shawn Smucker! His lyrical, poetic, mesmerizing writing style is captivating and the plot is quite unique. The author seamlessly integrates themes of guilt, unbearable pain, bonds of family, loyalty, hope, forgiveness, and redemption into a beautifully written, other-worldly kind of story. If you haven’t read Dante’s Inferno, I would suggest at least reading the synopsis of the classic work (like I did) before starting this book.
The story is told in first person from Dan’s perspective and he, along with several others, are at a village right outside of the mountain from which they had all escaped. Dan is waiting for his twin brother Adam. Most in the village have already left and headed east but the ones who have chosen to stay all have memories and past experiences that tie them together. The memories, including Dan’s, are foggy and dream-like at first but they start rushing back to the people left in the village. The first few chapters can be a little confusing since the author is laying down the foundation of setting and characters but the story picks up pretty quickly once the cast of characters is introduced and relationships are explained. How each person’s past and pain fit into the giant puzzle of the plot is surprising when discovered but also wonderfully redemptive when forgiveness is extended and accepted.
It’s an intensely emotional, unforgettable allegory and definitely worth reading. I received a copy of the book from Baker Publishing Group via Interviews & Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
This is my second book by Shawn Smucker. I find myself drawn into his books because of the synopsis that is written about the book. However, both this book and the other book I read by him, I have found myself confused and unsure if I am missing something from the story from the very beginning. Because of my confusion, it takes me longer to get into his books than other authors’ books. He does draw me in though because of the mystery of what is going on. For some reason this book reminds me of a little of the book called “The Giver” by Lois Lowry because they can’t remember certain things right at first. His books are not bad and while he is not my favorite author, he may be yours.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
These Nameless Things is a book that exposes the sins of the heart, yet brings the hope that we are not forever captive—there is a way out. There is one whose deception keeps us bound in the lies we tell ourselves, but there is another who is always present, fights our battles, sustains us and frees us from darkness.
In this book the main protagonist, Dan, is living a complacent life. Temptation comes subtly, leading him to do things that exposes his sin, shame and guilt. He is shown the consequences others suffered because of his previous choices. This story is a study of redemption and the power of forgiveness.
All life is a journey, but the path we take is our choice. Will we continue on the dark path, or change direction and step into the light?
This book is well written, descriptive, made me think, and examine myself. The beginning held me up a bit, because I kept waiting for where the story would take me. I almost put it down, but I’m glad I didn’t. It’s definitely worth the read.
I was given a copy of this book courtesy of Baker Publishing Group through Interviews and Reviews, by way of NetGalley. This is my honest review.