40: A Novel – Travis Thrasher

40 A Novel Travis Thrasher
40 by Travis Thrasher
Published by FaithWords on May 4, 2011
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Suspense, Speculative
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five-stars

Nine months shy of hs 40th birthday, freelance music producer Tyler Harrison has started to experience horrific hallucinations. At first, he thinks it's just the stress of his job, but the hallucinations continue until they culminate at the three-day concert in Chicago, Lollapalloza, which he is covering for work. There he is approached by an older man who tells him that he's going to die on his fortieth birthday.

The man claims to be an angel named Matthew, and even though he gives Tyler enough evidence to convince him he's telling the truth, he doesn't know what to do with the information. Tyler's underlying doubt and confusion about Matthew's prediction turn to anger, both at God and those around him. As he begins to exhibit destructive behavior, he befriends Ellis, an internationally known DJ. Tyler is scared that he really is about to die. He's scared for his sanity. He's scared that if he does die, he's not going to Heaven. He also soon becomes scared of Ellis, who is wild and opens up a door of temptation to Tyler.

As Tyler begins falling in a downward spiral of fear and confusion, he reaches out to a pastor he met, Will, and tries to right his wrongs with some of the important people in his life in a desperate attempt to find peace before his 40th birthday.

What if you knew the day you were going to die? What if you knew that Heaven and Hell existed but weren’t sure where you would end up? What God was trying desperately to make Himself known to you? Would you listen? Would you ignore? What would you do? Tyler Harrison is about to find out.

Nine months away from his 40th birthday, Tyler Harrison begins to hallucinate. He thinks. If you’re not sure you’re hallucinating, are you hallucinating that you’re hallucinating? It’s stress, he thinks. His job as a music producer hasn’t been going so well lately. But everything falls into place when Tyler meets Matthew. If Matthew is to be believed, he’s angel sent to tell Tyler that he will die on his 40th birthday.

Convinced that Matthew is who he says he is, Tyler lashes out against God, angry at how his life has gone. He meets a DJ named Ellis who goads him on in his anger, counseling him to loosen up and just have fun. But Ellis’s type of fun is self-destructive and as Tyler nears his day of death, he becomes more introspective and afraid for his salvation. He reaches out to a pastor named Will and tries desperately to make amends before the end.

40: A Novel is both provocative and introspective, putting the reader in Tyler’s place and making them question their eternal destiny as well as how their life is lived on earth. Are we really making the most of each moment? The book is written for the twist, which I frankly was completely surprised by. When you read as much fiction as I do, even great storylines begin to be anticipated. But Travis Thrasher genuinely surprised me, and in a way that made complete sense after having been told the twist.

From a writing style, it took me a while to get into the pace of 40. It begins rather slowly, and Tyler’s initial hallucinations seem bizarre and unexplained. In short, I was experiencing about as much confusion as Tyler, which may have been Thrasher’s point. For me, it seemed to miss that initial hook in dragging me into the story and demanding I finish it in one sitting. Nevertheless, 40 hits its stride about midway through, once Tyler figures out what the hallucinations are about and meets Ellis, and rushes to a mind-blowing conclusion.

Thrasher is a master at the first person present tense writing style, a style that due to his writing has become a favorite of mine. It allows the protagonist to be introspective without those annoying thought italics. Introspection is good, because that’s ultimately what the theme is about. Facing death, how would you live your live? But aren’t we all really facing imminent death anyway? Perhaps Tyler was blessed in knowing. Thought-provoking and convicting, the questions Thrasher raises are what really drew me into 40.

I’ve long described Travis Thrasher as an author who explores Truth, discovers Love, and gives Hope. 40 does all three in a uniquely compelling way that will have readers wondering just how much they are like Tyler. The answer is that 40 is a universal story. It’s your story. It’s my story. It’s Travis Thrasher’s story. We are all like Tyler and face the same decisions but we rarely realize why that’s important. Thrasher reminds us, and that’s what makes this book unforgettable.

five-stars

About Travis Thrasher

Travis Thrasher

Bestselling author Travis Thrasher has written over 50 books, spanning genres in fiction, nonfiction and children’s literature. His inspirational stories have included collaborations with filmmakers, musicians, athletes, celebrities and pastors.

With the childhood goal of pursuing a writing career starting in third grade, Thrasher worked for 13 years at Tyndale House Publishers after graduating college. His experience working with as Author Relations Manager allowed him to understand the writing life as well as training him to work with a variety of personalities. This experience has proven to be invaluable with varied writing projects in the decade he’s been a full-time writer.

His novels are as diverse as the people he’s worked with, ranging from love stories to supernatural thrillers. Publishers Weekly said “Sara and Ethan are two of the most real and sensitive lovers to grace the genre” when reviewing his first novel, The Promise Remains. They also stated “Thrasher demonstrates a considerable talent for the horror genre” in a review for Isolation years later. His readers have enjoyed the unpredictability of his novels, whether it’s due to a unique style such as second person or a twist they never saw coming.

Thrasher’s storytelling ability has also allowed him to work with others on their books, from musicians like country musician Scotty McCreery and Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain to the Robertsons of Duck Dynasty. He has also penned novels based on songs such as Paper Angels with Jimmy Wayne and novelizations for films including Do You Believe? and God’s Not Dead 2. Upcoming projects continue to expand his talents, with projects including The Black Auxiliary about the lives of the 17 American black athletes who competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, and Baby Don’t Hurt Me about comedian Chris Kattan’s life and time on Saturday Night Live.

Travis lives with his wife and three young daughters in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.

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