Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father (Jesus Freaks #1)
Kennedy Sawyer is the valedictorian of her upper middle class, liberal high school.
Roland Abbot is the charismatic, attractive televangelist from New Life Church with a dark past and an illegitimate child.
Ignoring the cautions of her mother and the confusion of her Ivy League-bound friends, Kennedy enrolls at the conservative Christian Carter University where her sights are set on Roland Abbot—her birth father.
Kennedy’s intentions are to learn more about her father than the Bible. However, roommates who are quick to evangelize to strangers, an RA who seems to be hiding something, and friends in the most unlikely places challenge everything she’s ever held as true in the raging battle of us vs. them.
EXCERPT
Mom turns the car left and we pass through the gates of the main entrance to the university. Excitement triples inside me as I swallow the beauty of the grounds. I visited probably ten public and private universities between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, and nothing was as shiny as this campus. I can’t even believe it’s real grass, and I almost ask my mom to stop the car so I can touch it.
I grin as I plan one more gentle act of rebellion from the passenger seat of the car. Reaching forward, I press the “6” on the stereo, and suddenly the sounds of Casting Crowns— a wildly popular Christian band—fill the car. My mom’s eye-roll and turning down of the volume elicits a laugh from me.
She hastily pushes another button, and Boy George serenades us. I laugh harder, and she finally joins in.
“Kennedy,” she says in a moment of seriousness when the song ends. “I don’t understand how you’re being so calm about all of this. There isn’t even anything here you want to do.”
I lean my head back on the headrest. “No, Mom. There’s nothing here that you want me to do. I’m undecided, remember? Anyway, I don’t now why you’re being so insane. I’m an adult.” “These kids…” she starts in a wide-eyed whisper as if we’ve taken a detour onto another planet.
“Are people,” I cut in.
“Who can vote,” she snaps back. I ignore her. “They’re people with parents and high school diplomas and dreams for the future. Besides, they’ll probably be more afraid of me than I am of them.” I barely believe what I’m saying. Politics aside, the kids who enroll at Carter University are bona fide Jesus Freaks. Capital J. Capital F. I might be Christian as far as the outside world is concerned, but my fledgling knowledge of the Bible and sporadic church attendance won’t fly inside this lion’s den. Which is why I’m keeping it all a secret.
My knowledge of the Bible (which is slim) and my commitment to walking with Christ on a daily basis (I don’t even really know what that means) will be on silent lockdown while I acclimate to my new surroundings. Most importantly, though, no one—and I mean no one—will know that Roland Abbot is my birth father until I’m good and ready. Which might be never.
Robin’s Review
Andrea Randall is stepping outside of the box with her new Jesus Freaks series. Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father is completely different from anything I have ever read. My first thought was to classify this novel in the Christian fiction genre, but Randall confirmed that she considers her new series to be new adult. No matter the genre, she has taken a big risk in trying something different, and I absolutely applaud her!
Kennedy Sawyer is an incoming freshman at Carter University in Asheville. She is a liberal Episcopalian teenager from Connecticut who will be attending an extremely conservative, evangelical Christian university. Roland Abbot is the charismatic televangelist preacher from New Life Church, which sits on the edge of the Carter University campus. Roland is a superstar among evangelical preachers. And unbeknownst to anyone from Carter University, he is also Kennedy’s birth father. Although Kennedy could have had her pick of colleges, she chose to attend Carter University with hopes to learn more about Roland Abbot. Kennedy has done everything she can to prepare herself for what she knows will be a difficult transition; however, nothing can prepare her for what is to come during her freshman year.
As I began reading Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father, I knew this novel was going to be different. I think it is important to share with everyone who reads this review that I personally consider myself a Christian. I am familiar with many of the topics and issues that Kennedy faces when she arrives at Carter University. It was apparent Andrea Randall researched extensively for this novel. Her depth of knowledge, combined with her outstanding writing, has resulted in a fantastic novel, and I expect to see the same quality as the series progresses. Our protagonist faces some bigger than life issues with this story. Kennedy questions everything she understands about her own faith while navigating through her freshman year. She questions her own upbringing. Why would her birth father decide to give up his parental rights? She begins to see that things aren’t always black and white. Kennedy also has a couple of boys that she is attracted to. And because she has been raised differently than most students at Carter University, she struggles with normal teenage issues in a different way than her fellow students.
It was not hard for me to become invested in this story. Randall quickly engaged my interest. I appreciated reading about her characters and how they each added to the story. When I needed to take a break from reading, I looked forward to the moment that I could pick up my Kindle to continue. If you are intrigued by Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father, I encourage you to consider reading it. Andrea Randall has earned a 5-star rating from me for this beautifully written novel!
Jesus Freaks: The Prodigal (Jesus Freaks #2)
The morning after Kennedy Sawyer confirmed to the world that she is the daughter of internationally renowned televangelist Roland Abbot, she’s faced with a new challenge: What kind of daughter does she want to be to him? The sometimes kind, the title kind, or the all-in kind?
In the months following her decision, Kennedy is faced with sex, drugs, extended family, lying, threats, booze, strip clubs, and wavering faith among her family and friends.
Exploring how much honesty is too much, Kennedy pushes the boundaries of all of the relationships around her to see if God really lies somewhere beneath it all.
EXCERPT
I’ve never seen the inside of a strip club. Not on TV, the internet, or in magazines. And, certainly not in person. But, I guess the negative discussion surrounding places like this always led me to believe it would be kind of dark and smoky. Walking past men who look about the size of the trucks they drove here, I slide into a table in the back. “Coffee or coke?” A young woman who can’t be that much older than me—if she’s older than me at all—stands in front of me with her hip jutting out to once side, and her hand resting on it. Lifting my eyes, I’m forced to immediately lower them. She’s barely wearing anything. I swear I see more clothing at the public swimming pool. Spandex “shorts” show the sides of her butt, and her bra-looking top reveals her entire midsection, which is speckled with star and fairy tattoos. When I’m finally able to train my eyes on her face, I notice that she also has a large tattoo across her chest. Twisting thorns and vines with roses every other inch. “Coffee or coke?” she repeats. It seems, as she stands there trying not to look bored, that I feel more naked than she does. “Coke.” “You been here before?” Her eyes wrinkle at the sides in amusement. I stare back, unable to say anything. She snaps some gum between her teeth. “Thought so. I’ll be right back with your Coke, sweetie.” Before she turns around, I notice her name tag says “Destiny.” I run my hand over my face, trying to reason if that’s her real name, or not. If you worked in a place like this, would you want people calling you by your real name all day? Or, would you want to pretend. Use another name to make you feel like this was all just make-believe, and not your real life at all. As she walks away, shaking her hips, I spot matching angel wing tattoos on her shoulder blades. Cute. If anyone asked my dad’s name, I wonder, staring at my hands, did he give it? Did he tell them that he was happily married with two children at home? Would he preach the gospel to them as they dangled their breasts in his face? God, I hope not.
Robin’s Review
Andrea Randall continues her Jesus Freaks series with a second novel titled The Prodigal. Jesus Freaks isn’t a typical new adult series. It’s completely different and refreshing, and honestly, The Prodigal is just what I needed to read right now. Reading dark psychological thrillers can be very draining, and I have read quite a few of them lately. When I read The Prodigal? I found myself contemplative, introspective and relieved to be reading something more positive.
Kennedy Sawyer is in the midst of her first semester at Carter University in Asheville, North Carolina. Raised by her mother and stepfather in a liberal Episcopalian household, Kennedy decided to go to Carter University because she wanted the opportunity to get to know Roland Abbot, her biological father. The Prodigal is narrated from several different perspectives including Kennedy and Matt Wells. We are also able to enjoy perspectives from her friend Jonah and Roland Abbot.
The Prodigal picks up where Sins of the Father ended. Kennedy announces she is the biological daughter of Roland Abbot to the congregation of New Life Church. Roland is an internationally-known televangelist and the pastor of New Life Church, which sits adjacent to the conservative Christian school. Kennedy is forced to share her secret with the world to counter an accusation that she is having an affair with Roland. It’s an emotional moment for Kennedy, filled with tremendous support from her classmates and her biological father.
One of the more interesting aspects of The Prodigal is the focus on the relationships Kennedy has with her family and friends. Yes, Kennedy is slowly developing a personal relationship with God, but this part of the story feels completely natural for someone who is very new to a conservative Christian environment. She begins to understand there is a complicated and emotional history between her mother and Roland. Even her stepfather perceives there are some unresolved emotions between her biological parents.
Kennedy becomes a close friend to Matt Wells in The Prodigal. Matt’s father is a pastor who is suffering from burnout. She sees the tension that exists between father and son, but Matt is not willing to discuss what is happening. While Kennedy slowly grows closer to God, Matt seems to be pulling away. I found this juxtaposition between Matt and Kennedy to be extremely thought-provoking. It’s the most intriguing narrative of The Prodigal, in my opinion, and I look forward to learning how their story will be resolved.
I really like Kennedy Sawyer. She is smart. Even when Kennedy doubts herself, she is one step ahead of everybody else. Kennedy is a fierce character who is perceived as a threat by some people and a heroine to others. Her values change. Kennedy takes an honest look at what her life was like before she arrived at Carter University. She also considers how different her life would be if she went to a different college.
Jesus Freaks: The Prodigal is a beautifully-written novel. Andrea Randall’s writing is crisp. It evokes interest. She grabbed my attention with appealing characters. I found myself wondering what I would do in situations the characters are facing. I am honestly enjoying this series. I’ll admit Jesus Freaks has me considering my own spiritual health, even as I read a story that is entertaining. If you are open to reading something completely different in the new adult genre, I highly recommend the Jesus Freaks series and The Prodigal. My rating for The Prodigal is 5 stars!
AUTHOR PROFILE
I started writing poetry long before writing fiction. I firmly believe Poetry is a solid foundation for all other forms of writing. It taught me that a single word can make or break the world.
I write fiction because my characters have a story and they want me to tell it.
I hope you enjoy the pieces of my soul that I share with you.
Until he found she had everything to give…
Saucy Southern Readers 