Besides, if he does, how could Jarret ever get by on his own without Keefe there to help and encourage him? The chapters alternate between the two brothers and their soul-wrenching interior battles. Should he forget his lofty ideals and walk away? Go to college and get married like everyone else? How could Jesus possibly want him after all the bad things he's done? Keefe's soul is in agony, and to make it worse, he fears his dad will never, ever allow him to become a Franciscan friar. But after a past filled with sins, he feels totally unworthy of such a high calling. After falling in love with Christ on a recent trip to Italy, Keefe feels drawn to enter a Franciscan monastery and give his life entirely to the service of God and the salvation of souls. Will Jarret – still so inexperienced and vulnerable in things of the spiritual realm – be able to stand strong in the face of the devil's clever ploys, or will he slide back and revert to the Jarret of old? Linden keeps us on the edge of our seat as we watch Jarret wrestle with his new faith, all the while biting our nails.īut that's not all! His twin brother, Keefe, who had an earlier conversion in book two (“Life-Changing Love”) is having a mammoth struggle of his own. Satan is not happy when a soul decides to serve God. If you've ever experienced a deep, personal conversion, this situation will be very familiar. Jarret, freshly converted and embarking on a new life of loving God, is suddenly faced with temptations to return to his sinful ways. but then the book more or less ends, leaving you thinking: “Wait! It can't end yet! What happens next?” Well, in “Standing Strong” we get our answer, and the title gives a big hint.

After rooting for him to turn to God through three entire books, the reader is more than rewarded with an unforgettable conversion scene. In that book, Linden left us hanging after the incredibly moving conversion of seventeen-year-old Jarret, who is one of those characters you love and hate at the same time. This tale follows immediately after the events of “Battle for His Soul” (which, by the way, is truly life-changing – one of the BEST Catholic novels I've ever read and certainly one that will never allow you ignore your Guardian Angel again!). Her new story, “Standing Strong,” does not disappoint!

Ever since the release a couple years ago of “Roland West, Loner,” the first book in the set, I've been totally in love with her characters and dying to read their further adventures.

I was so excited when I found out that Theresa Linden, one of my absolute favorite authors for teens, had written a new novel in her West Brothers series.

Standing Strong by Theresa Linden