About This Book:
A young man struggles to move forward after the death of his twin brother in this gripping, coming-of-age tale about loss, redemption, love, and the moment you begin to see the world differently. Three minutes. Jacob Palmer died for three life-changing minutes. And when he woke up, nothing was the same. Elijah, his twin brother, is dead, and his family is broken. Jace’s planned future is crushed, along with his pitching arm. Everyone keeps telling him that Eli’s in a better place, but Jace isn’t so sure. Because in those three minutes, there was nothing. Overwhelmed by guilt and doubt, Jace struggles to adjust to this new version of the world, one without his brother, one without the certainties he once relied on. And then Thera comes into his life. She’s the last girl he should be turning to for help. But she’s also the first person to truly see him.
*Review Contributed by Joanna Mumley, Staff Reviewer*
Thought Provoking
I confess I read this book in one day. For This Life Only is thought provoking and an engaging story. It was great to finally see a story told through a male’s point of view in all its vulnerability and doubt.
Jace is realistic and relatable. To experience loss so early in life is difficult. He must deal with the loss of his twin Elijah, his twin brother. Jace was always being compared to Eli and at times resented how perfect his brother was in the eyes of his parents, the church community, and the town. While Jace doesn’t remember much about what happened, he does remember Eli acting strange. But was it all in his head?
Jace’s character is realistic and relatable. It pulls at your heart to witness his guilt and his doubts about what happens once we leave this world. Being the minister’s son adds more pressure on Jace and his strength as a character is in how he copes with all the pressures of being a teen, with losing his brother, and dealing with internal and external pressures from his father.
For This Life Only deals with some hard questions about death and loss. Stacey Kade does a wonderful job mixing in a little romance and mystery into the equation and it adds to the overall story. When it comes to Jace’s father and the church, it includes the difficulty teens of faith can experience while they are growing up without being preachy or overbearing. This is a realistic portrayal of teens dealing with loss, love, and faith.
