The Treasure Map, Tyler Scott Hess

Although it's a good book for any season, The Treasure Map will be a great read for Christmas break, and a great Christmas gift. I read a pre-release copy, and my review is as unbiased as it can be when I totally enjoyed the story.

The book opens with a deceiving lack of intensity, and all I can say without spoilers is: WELL PLAYED.

In an unexpected way, I related to both story threads. First, the safety and structure of a loving home, then the horrifying opposite – a world with all its freedoms stripped away. Although it’s fiction, the two contrasting voices strike a nerve with both the loving world we want and the dystopian world we fear. I’ve never lived that ugly world, but I’ve certainly spent time with people who hated my faith, and it’s not hard to imagine what the world would be like if they were in charge. Thank God this is fiction, but it’s not unreal. Read it, and you’ll see what I mean.

I appreciated that for all the suspenseful moments, there was a comforting balance of coziness, and a refreshing absence of graphic violence. Some wild moments yes, but no gratuitous gore. Even in the darkest shadows of the story, we hear a voice of warning mixed with hope, victory, and power. It’s a great message to the Faithful to stay strong, and be watchful. We aren’t defeated yet!

Pushing Back the Darkness, by Laura Aranda

Lately I downloaded my public library’s app so I can borrow free audiobooks and e-books. Scanning the unfamiliar fiction titles with their bright colors and dramatic images, I felt a big, dull sense of meh. Some Guy’s Daughter. Journey to Wherever. I didn’t feel like bothering to research who is and is not worth my time. 

HERE is a book worth our time! I’ll give away the message, but not the plot: human trafficking is a real problem in the United States. This book is important not just for the fictional story it tells, but because it will change the reader. 

Laura Aranda shares her message through colorful characters and an enjoyable and suspenseful plot. First, she is reminding us that the tragedy of human trafficking isn’t a statistic or a fact from a website. It’s story after story after story. It’s happening around us, and people need help. 

She also reminds us that the spiritual battle between good and evil isn’t fictional – it’s real. It’s not for fun or entertainment. Souls are at stake. 

This reality won’t go away when you read the last page and close the book. Your vision will be changed. I didn’t want to absorb what I was learning, but I am thankful that someone took the time to illuminate this need through a gripping story. 

These themes are heavy, and even haunting, but I would add - in all the right ways. I hope you will buy this book and help grow its influence. If you buy a paper copy, don’t leave it on the shelf. Lend it out, or pass it on. Spread the word about this cause.

The more we know, the more likely we are to recognize human trafficking should we see it, and we will be more prepared to help. That is the very least that we can do, and I trust that many who read this book will want to do even more.