Review: The Eli Diaries: Volume One

About the Book

What would Jesus be like if he were a teen today?
Who would be his friend? His enemy?
Who would want to kill him?

Books one through seven of the novella series collected in one edition. Each told by one of these characters...

Satan - out to destroy Eli at any cost
Maggie - the all school sleep-around
Peter - the hot-tempered jock with a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease
Tommy - the Eeyore of the group
Martha - the do-gooder Pharisee
Judas - friend, con-artist, and future betrayer

Each character tells their own story as they face the demanding struggles of high school life in today's world...while interacting with a fellow classmate who just happens to be the Son of God.

Amazon / Goodreads

(Available in Kindle Unlimited)

My Thoughts

The Battle Begins by Bill Myers
POV – Satan
This was super interesting. The way that Satan tries to get into everyone's minds and get them to sin really made me stop and think. It definitely intrigued me and made me eager to read the other stories in this series.

Skin Deep by Melody Carlson
POV – Maggie
Maggie's had a rough life and she's struggling. But then she witnesses Eli doing weird – amazing – things and starts to question all her bad decisions.

A Plan Gone Wrong by Jeff Gerke
POV – Judas
Jude likes to be in charge and “above” everyone else. If he's not in control, well, he's not a happy guy. He has a plan to win over Mary, but things don't go quite the way he had hoped. This was another interesting story. My favorite quote was, “Stop trying to be more than you are. What you are is enough.”

Not Good Enough by Krista McGee
POV – Martha
This has been the best yet. Martha's stressed and takes on way too much. She tries to be perfect which just stresses her out even more. This was a great story that gives a powerful and thought-provoking look at things. It takes a look at Pharisees in this modern world. An awesome read.

Thanks for Nothin' by Shawn Hopkins
POV – Tommy
Tommy's a pessimist, always expecting the worst to happen and, well, things do tend to go awry around him. When he can't remember what happened the night before, he goes on a mad scramble to figure out what actually occurred. This story took me a minute to get into, but it wasn't long before I was hooked and reading it as fast as I could. It ended up being one of my favorites in this collection.

Daily Grind by Melody Carlson
POV – Maggie
This is the second story featuring Maggie as the narrator and I've gotta say, I enjoyed it even better than the first. Maggie's got a new job at the coffee shop and is doing really well with everything, but she still has to deal with the rude and judgmental people who won't let her forget about her “bad reputation”. I've really come to like Maggie a lot and really admire the way she's trying to change and improve herself.

Payback by Tim Shoemaker
POV – Pete
Pete has some anger issues. When the girl he has a crush on is being threatened by an ex, he thinks he's found the perfect way to release his pent up rage. He's gonna find the guy and teach him a lesson. Eli, on the other hand, has a more peaceful solution in mind. This was a great addition to the series. It was fast paced and showcased the wonderful things that can happen when showing mercy to someone. I enjoyed getting to know Pete better.

All in all, I had a great time reading these stories. It deals with a lot of mature subjects in a way that shines a light on the awesome power of the Lord. It didn't sugarcoat things and I appreciated that. I highly recommend it and am excited to read the next installment.

Four Stars