In "The Unannounced Christmas Visitor" novel, written by Patrick Higgins (author of the "Chaos In The Blink Of An Eye" series), I found myself immersed into the world of the Jensen family--a Christian family who find themselves run down by the pressures of life. John, the husband and father, is struggling to understand the inner turmoil that's taken over his life--to the point that he's lost almost all passion for his marriage, his faith, and purpose in life. His wife, Lydia, alternatively, questions her self-value and wonders if her husband has lost all interest--or worse, become unfaithful. Sounds like struggles any family or person might wrestle with, which is one of the strongest appeals of Higgins' novel.

So when a devout homeless man enters the Jensen's contemporary church, huge questions arise within Lydia--especially her church's response to the man. Their not-so-welcoming response to the mysterious stranger causes Lydia to question and probe her own faith, and the church she calls home. The man's appearance galvanizes Lydia, and later John, to reflect on that which is genuine versus that which is shallow/unChristlike. This was the second aspect of the story that drew me in and confronted me; what would be my response to such a visitor? And would I be bold enough to confront a church if their response was cold/indifferent to the unfortunate? Or would I keep quiet and silently agree with the majority?

A novel that entertains is good. But a novel that touches the heart and probes our own heart-responses to social problems is far more satisfying. And Patrick Higgins accomplishes this throughout his novel.

At the same time, the novelist highlights some of the truths of Christmas as well as presenting the Good News through the main characters' evolution. And the result for me, through and through, was constantly being drawn into the story and questioning, "How would I respond?" There are some lengthy dialogues between the characters that some might not appreciate, but most will appreciate--especially those who start the book questioning life and/or empty of purpose in their own lives. Also within the pages that I appreciated are glimpses into the hardships of the homeless--what many untouched by homelessness may not know or fathom.

The author handles the writing well, and the characters are fleshed out, believable, and interesting. I recommend "The Unannounced Christmas Visitor." I also love the cover art for this novel, and the great title.

Story Originality: 4/5
Story Inventiveness: 4/5
Story Technique: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Descriptive Power: 5/5
True to Scripture: 5/5
Strength of Fictive Dream: 5/5
Proofreading: 5/5
Cinematic Flare: 5/5
Overall Satisfaction: 5/5

[KEY:]
Story Originality: How creative was the concept from page one onwards?
Story Inventiveness: How surprised was I by the flow of the plot? Any twists?
Characters: How real and how drawn was I to the story’s characters?
Descriptive Power: How well did the author control description, dialogue, etc?
True to Scripture: Were all elements true to Scripture’s worldview?
Fictive Dream Strength: How much was I immersed in the novel—wanting to read page after page?
Proofreading: How well was the book proofread (typos, etc)?
Cinematic Flare: How strong were key scenes (that I could easily see as a motion picture)?
Overall Satisfaction: What was my overall feeling/enjoyment level after reading the novel? Did I want it to end?

I recommend this novel, and especially with Christmas approaching, it could be a book family members or friends would enjoy. It will challenge them to look at those less fortunate and the Christmas story in a new light.

-Sean Elliot Russell