Title: Life, In Spite of Me
Average Customer Review:
Number of Comments: 1 Rating(s)   1 Review(s)

When God is present, prepare for goose-bumps

February 12, 2012
Reviewer:

"Numb. The cold Illinois wind chilled my body.
Numb. My mind, my heart."

I think most of us, as teenagers, could relate to these feelings of being numb - both inside and out. What most of us cannot relate to are the tragedies that Kristen Jane Andersen suffered through in a few short years; the death of a loved one - her grandmother, the suicide of a dear friend and classmate, and being raped.

Each of these things in their own right is enough to send anyone spiraling into depression. The three compounded on top of each other is more than most adults could deal with; let alone a 17 year-old girl. Then one fateful night in January Kristen Andersen gave up on everything and laid upon the railroad tracks; it was then, after being run over by 33 freight train cars at 55 miles-per-hour an event that both medically and realistically should have brought about the end of her life, that she truly learned what it meant to "be given a second chance". God clearly had bigger plans in store for Kristen and her life, as she would learn in the years to come.

Life, In Spite of Me is an inspirational story of hope, love and trust in God and Jesus Christ. I must admit that while I was excited to read Kristen's story; I wasn't sure how I was going to relate and whether or not it would keep me engaged. I needn't have worried. In the end, I had an incredibly difficult time putting it down.

Kristen Jane Andersen and Tricia Goyer did a fantastic job telling her story, while keeping some parts from getting too gory. The backstory was very well written and helped me feel connected to Kristen before anything else took place. It gave me a sense of being brought into a story, rather than simply being told the details of what had happened. I then found myself cheering her on as if my words and emotions had any bearing on the outcome at all.

It amazed me how clear to me it was that God was clearly working in Kristen's life. In a manner which gave me the chills, to be quite honest. While I can certainly appreciate Kristen's story from a much more personal respect, I must admit that towards the end things became a bit too religious for my tastes. As someone who has battled depression for most of my life, I could see where the last seven chapters could be a bit overwhelming. I would certainly never judge another for their religious beliefs or convictions; however, I was hoping that as an inspirational book geared toward those who are depressed and possibly suicidal it would stay just this side of too much. At times, I felt that it failed in this respect.

In the end of the book Kristen has even included a brief letter from her mother, Jan Andersen, concerning the events of January 2nd that led to Kristen losing her legs. I was pleased to find this letter as it answered some questions I had. It also caused me to become even further engaged in their story. She also made it a point to include a list of possible signs and symptoms of suicidal thoughts and ideations.

Life, In Spite of Me is a very moving and inspiring story. I do not know that I would go so far as to say that it is a must read for anyone who is depressed or suicidal. However, if you are looking for an inspirational, feel good book, that will give you goose-bumps (on more than one occasion) then this is definitely a must read.