Miranda and I recently had the pleasure of having a local singer/songwriter/author on our Podcast. His name is Jason Clark, and well, he is a pretty awesome dude.
You can listen to that podcast episode here, but this post is about his book “Untamed.” I just finished it and all I can say is wow, wow, WOW!
It’s kind of hard to say anything bad about a book that has you nodding throughout, weeping alongside Jason when he tells about his struggles, and shouting for joy when God ultimately get’s the glory.
Let me share the good, the bad, and the great:
The Good:
Jason has told his story here with the flair of an experienced author. It reads like a Mark Batterson book as he shared God’s love and glory throughout. Jason’s humor and personality shown throughout the book and I literally laughed and cried. His ability to share his own emotions while staying true to the overall narrative was superb.
I found myself immersed and empowered by the many stories he shared throughout the book.
The Bad:
Again, hesitant to even share anything bad here, because I loved the book so much. In an effort to maintain objectivity, I’ll share my one criticism:
Once again, It reads a lot like most Mark Batterson books (of which I am a HUGE fan), in that while all of the material is excellent it doesn’t follow a specific pattern or direction. This made the overall book hard to digest and finish as it seems like a compilation of stories at times instead of a book on one subject. Certain stories were stopped and started again later on, sometimes feeling repetitive.
I loved Jason’s writing and points, but I was having a hard time following the overall flow of the book. It might be because I enjoy more streamlined point A to point B types of nonfiction, but the book was jumpy.
Once again, this isn’t a huge detriment to the book, as this might just be considered a type of writing style. However, it stands to reason that some might have an issue with it as there isn’t a clear journey that the book is taking you on.
The Great:
The stories were the greatest aspect of this book. Jason writes with a vulnerability that brings you right into his life. From losing a band, to financial trouble, to losing a business, Jason shares the ups and downs of his life. Despite searching for “his promise” and continually being open to God’s will, Jason was directed to stay the course despite difficult circumstances.
His desire to live an “Untamed” life was fascinating, and put to words so many of the thoughts I have been feeling for the past 3ish years. His willingness to follow God even when a respected pastor told him to “get a real job” was powerful and moving.
We live in a Christian culture (yes a Christian culture!) that tells us we have to live a certain way. Jason believes (and so do I) that seeking and following God is imperative, and that doing so requires the willingness to “swim up stream.”
In my completely non-biased take on this book (for real! ;)), it is one of my absolute favorites (watch out Mark!) . I don’t know Jason super well, but after finishing this book and interviewing him on our Podcast, I want to learn more from this guy. God is working in him in such a powerful way, as evidenced by the writing in this book.
There is no question that if you are a Christ follower you should devour this book. If not a follower, get it anyways and be transformed by truth in love.
Jason- hats off to you for an awesome book dude.
-Jordan
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