Imperfect Acts

By: Peter Shianna
Publisher: The Red Oak Readers Press
Publication Date: December 2013
ISBN: 978-0-6159-2327-7
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Date: June 2014

Jason Ferris is your average, ordinary teenage boy who, at the moment, is leading a happy, normal life. He has a dad who rates right up there with the best; he loves his mom, and also has feelings for Cari - the ultimate 'girl next door.' The only thing that might throw him a curveball, however, is the fact that even though he does have feelings for a girl, Jason also wants - not to mention, promised his mother - that he will enter the priesthood.

Faith is ripped apart in Jason’s life when his own father actually witnesses a murder at the place where he works...and doesn’t do anything about it. As a truly loving son and huge supporter of his family, Jason cannot seem to reconcile within himself why his father is simply keeping quiet about such a violent act. With a heart and soul that is deeply religious, Jason must deal with many imbalances all of a sudden. In fact, his own faith is tested as he faces the reality of what lengths a son can and will go to in order to protect his father.

Unearthing both good and evil, and the true torment that a young person can go through in this life, makes this book, on the surface, a highly difficult read. But when you delve into the crux of the story and the vivid narrative this author provides, the story of Jason is one of a faithful soul trying desperately to find the answers about life’s hardest struggles.

Having to choose between ‘good and evil’ in the world is difficult for one and all. But Jason’s test takes that normal plotline to a whole new level. Deciding whether to enter the world of religion or sit on the sidelines and keep his mouth shut, this teen who has faith in the Almighty, comes face-to-face with the messy, chaotic, very real world where no one's'acts' and choices are perfect.

Quill says: A tale with a heavy plot that will leave the reader with the question: “What would I do?”