I read an honest and sweet review of the Defiance books over at Amazing God Ordinary Life. Here’s a bit of it so you can see why I’m jazzed:

“I told you about getting the Mary DeMuth book from my kids library last week right?  If you’ve been reading then you know what I’m talking about.  I finished Daisy Chain last Sunday night and I have now moved on to the next book in the series called A Slow Burn.  So far I really like these books.  For all my friends out there you are avid readers like myself, I don’t think you have ever read any Christian fiction like this.  Besides the fact that the writing is excellent, the characters are deeper, more complex and real than any others I’ve come across in Christian Fiction.  I must warn you though, the subject matter may be difficult for some of you.  It was for me.  The story centers around a 13 year old girl who goes missing one day, her family, and her friend’s family in a small Texas town.  Her mother is a neglectful drug addict.  Her best friend is the preacher’s son and his family has an ugly secret.  There are all kinds of creepy things that happen through both books as the mystery of what happens to the young girl unfolds.  By the end of  Daisy Chain you know what happened, you just don’t know why or who.  I hope by the time I get to the third book I know. As difficult as it is to read what these characters lives are about and what they are going through, I am completely drawn into the story.  I simply MUST know what happens to each of them.  Mary writes in such a way that keeps you in the story, no matter how harsh or awful the situations seem to be. Most of the time when I read a book, I can see where it is going, but with Daisy Chain I am at a loss.  I’m almost finished the second book in the series and for the first time I have no idea where this story is going. I would encourage anyone who is looking for something new in Christian fiction, something not so candy coated, to read these books.  As much as I like my candy coated, happy ending type stories, it is good every now and then to break away from that and allow my mind to stretch a little into another type of story.”

I love that she needs to know what happens. I love that she loves the characters. I love that it’s not typical. I love that she sees what I write as fresh and new and different. As a writer who thrives in creativity, of doing something new and different, this encourages me to keep at it.