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In this stunningly honest, thoroughly unconventional, and ultimately hopeful book, Josh James Riebock explores issues that form us into the people we are--issues of family, love, intimacy, dreams, grief, purpose, and the unexpected stops along the journey. With artful prose and vivid storytelling, he shows that pain and beauty are so inextricably linked that to lose the former costs us the latter.
If you're grappling with life's inconsistencies and trials,
If you're searching for an encounter with something real,
If you're craving a story that's just a wee bit odd . . .
Heroes and Monsters is a fresh and exhilarating perspective on the uneven nature of life, and the equally uneven people who inhabit it.
"A wonderful story on life's struggles with grief, sacrifice, and redemption."--Fred Burton, author of Chasing Shadows
"Josh's storyline is the great storyline of history: God in pursuit of his beloved. Josh narrates God's grace in the white spaces of his life."--Dave Goetz, author of Death by Suburb
"Heroes and Monsters is a beautiful book--and an ugly one. Beautiful because it's so honest, and ugly for precisely the same reason. Josh tells his life story with lively prose that explores the paradox of human splendor and wretchedness while dangling hints of redemption. As you read, don't be surprised to find your story in his story, and the divine companion who interrupts his life--the same one who has broken into yours. For Josh, the road traveled with God is twisting, bumpy, potholed . . . and well worth the ride."--Drew Dyck, managing editor of Leadership Journal; author of Generation Ex-Christian
Josh James Riebock is a sought-after speaker at conferences, colleges, and churches across the country. The author of mY Generation, he lives with his wife, Kristen, in Texas.
Anonymous
Posted August 30, 2012
This book is full of religious claptrap. Don't buy it.
11 out of 35 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.tashabouvier
Posted July 23, 2012
When I saw the video of an excerpt from Josh Riebock's book, Heroes and Monsters, the stream of consciousness, poetic writing style really grabbed my attention because it reminded me of the beat poets ~ Bukowski, Kerouac, Ginsberg. Then I heard Josh speak and he said so much that resonated with the feelings and thoughts I've had about life and God and trying to honor both of them with my words, actions and relationships. Hearing his message I knew I had to have the book. This book has been described as a work of art, and I have to agree. The writing is daring, creative and rich. It was refreshing to hear a Christian talk about the things that are so often avoided in Christian literature in a way that doesn't make your skin crawl with its churchiness. This book exposes the duality between the tangible and the spiritual lives and helps you look at yourself as one integrated creature who was made to be transparent and real, not to live up to others' expectations. I want to read it again (as soon as my husband is done reading it!)
11 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 30, 2012
Anyone who relies on a myth instead of themselves to direct his or her life is inherently suspect. It is unfortunate that so many so strongly need someone other than themselves to blame/rely on that they profess faith to an outdated and limited doctrine.
This book is thinly-veiled propaganda. Avoid it. Think for yourself.
10 out of 34 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JulieBrownCasey
Posted July 31, 2012
When I started reading this book, I couldn't stop! Every story Josh told about his life had me thinking "Wow -- that is EXACTLY how I feel!" Josh's gift for storytelling and writing allows him to put thoughts and feelings into words much better than I could ever articulate. There is some relief in that, actually -- to find someone who has experienced intense pain, who has struggled with self-hate and self-doubt, who has questioned his faith, who has waded into the morass of despair...and yet is not afraid to look in these dark, scary places of the soul. In fact, here's a person who has the ability to turn all that pain and darkness into something beautiful and redeeming, using nothing more than courage and words. There is redemption in every chapter of Josh's life, and in every chapter of this book.
I didn't realize this was a "God" book until I was well into it. In fact, I don't think I would have picked up this book if it had been hanging out in the "Christian" section, because I'm not a traditionally 'churchy' person. But that's the beauty of Josh's perspective on how God works in our lives: He shows up in the most unexpected places, not looking like anything you'd ever imagined.
Even though Josh does not use the words "God" or "Jesus" anywhere in the pages, "Heroes and Monsters" is ultimately a story of how Divine Love is with us in every moment -- in pain and joy, in heartache and celebration, in loneliness and friendship. Josh doesn't tell you directly about God. He shows you: Josh is honest, detailed, and open as he shares his own story, and in this way, he lets you discover God in key moments of his life: in a car wreck, in a hospital room, in the woods, in a pool, on a stage, at a computer. And you can feel it. Seriously, there were times I got goose-bumps. I laughed. I cried. God's right there with you in these pages. Through the words. Through the stories. Through Josh.
"Heroes and Monsters" deeply touched me, giving me the courage to explore the painful places in my own soul. And after reading it, I'm reminded that I'm not alone in that journey.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ISayWeCuddleNow
Posted July 12, 2012
Josh is a beautifully talented writer, as is evident in Heroes and Monsters. The rawness and reality of what he writes is a breath of fresh air, especially for its genre. The words are intricately laced together in a way that makes it easy to relate to. Oftentimes, I find myself reading through books very slowly, but I got through this in no time. It was one of those books that I just did not want to put down. There was something so real and grabbing about it that made me want to keep turning pages. The book helped me realize that there are heroes and monsters in each of us and that Jack is there through both no matter what happens.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 28, 2012
I Also Recommend:
another one of my favorite type of books. makes you grow within and think deeper about life.
7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DavidHelms
Posted August 23, 2012
I thought this book was fantastic. It was an honest spiritual memoir
that I could relate to. I could never relate to the "I did drugs,
robbed banks and then a flash of light and I'm completely different and
famous!" memoir, but a story of a man who is honest about his good
moments and his dark moments. God pours in through the cracks in his
life, wanting to be part of it when it is good and when it's not. The
honesty of this book reached into my chest, pulled out my heart and
attached it to my sleeve (not literally). It made me feel more than any
book I have read since Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz".
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.mark_organic
Posted July 27, 2012
Not since Blue Like Jazz has a memoir been so honest, gripping, funny, and universally relatable. Spirituality is accessible once again. Josh Riebock's Heroes and Monsters is more than a book, more than a memoir. It reads like an epistle. The words and stories dripping with honesty and vulnerability. Weighty, alive, connected, and crawling under the skin, this writer's uncommon humility and truthfulness shed light on our common struggles and victories. Josh's story is our story. Beautiful, messy, glorious, awkward, faithful, disloyal, heroic, and insecure. The unifying bond of humanity is reaffirmed and celebrated. We're all the same at our core: despairing and weak in spite of our desire to be hopeful and strong. Each of us cherished by a God who spends each day inventing new ways to communicate his unending love for us. This book will inspire you, make y you laugh (and cry), and remind you of how fortunate we all are to be on this journey of life and faith, together.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Christy04CS
Posted July 14, 2012
I bought this book for my son because Josh was a speaker at a Christian Camp my son attended. Josh was the highlight of my sons week at camp. He liked Josh so much he bought his book mY generation. (BTW great book also) In Heros and Monsters Josh is able to tell story after story that include imagination, honesty, reality, truth and Jack (God). His creativity is refreshing. His honesty is comforting. I think any reader no matter age, sex, believer or non-believer, will find a piece of themselves in the pages. I did. Also, it inspired me to draw closer to my creator. So, glad I read both my sons books, can't wait for my son to read it.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 30, 2012
"For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.salvadore57
Posted August 31, 2012
I Also Recommend:
pretty good book that I couldn't put down. makes you think more about life.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 28, 2012
I Also Recommend:
pretty good book. I liked it.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Taren_
Posted June 6, 2012
This book is a brilliant read. Josh Riebock has the unique ability to paint with his words. The entire book is one huge, beautiful, story of reality woven and stroked into a tale that speaks to the heart and touches the soul. The transparency he speaks through the entirety of the book actually blows my mind - The honest struggle that resides within all of us and the intimate parts of his life he shares.
I would recommend this book to anyone.
Hats off to this man; his dreams, his talents and his life which he so graciously pours out before us.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 15, 2013
This is one of those books that spoke to my soul. I found it touching, challenging, and encouraging. Josh's story is one that is creative, relatable, and honest. It left me encouraged to grow stronger in my faith and challenged me to become a person that is intentional and more authentic (relationally and spiritually).
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.emkusber
Posted March 27, 2013
Heroes and Monsters is by far one of the greatest and realest books I've ever read. Josh Riebock has an amazing gift and is a fantastic writer.
His other book. mY Generation is another one of my favorites. It doesn't matter what your background is, where you come from, where you are or where you're going, Heroes and Monsters is a great read for people in all kinds of situations.
TWO THUMBS UP!
ande2994
Posted December 27, 2012
The style of writing is very easy to read. The metaphors are a little bit strange -- the book goes from autobiographical to fantasy and back without warning. But it's littered with little gems of wisdom. I frequently feel validated because he expresses things that I thought I was alone in experiencing. I've been posting quotes from this book on Facebook and always get comments and likes from my friends. I wish I had a way to keep these quotes in front of me as daily reminders of the bigger picture in life.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 5, 2012
Odd. Boring at times. Over all worth reading. Not lifechanging stuff but you can relate to some of the characters issues.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A creative and interesting way to deal with his coming to terms with God and his faith. I appreciated the story. I felt it slowed a little in the middle, but worth hanging with it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 9, 2012
This book is so honest, there is something for everyone to relate to. The author is brave to bear so much of his soul to strangers. A good read that really causes a person to think about issues that haven't hit the surface in years.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 9, 2012
what a great book. it was like reading a persoal journal. its not a fast paced book but one to take a moment and reflect upon life itself.
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Overview
In this stunningly honest, thoroughly unconventional, and ultimately hopeful book, Josh James Riebock explores issues that form us into the people we are--issues of family, love, intimacy, dreams, grief, purpose, and the unexpected stops along the journey. With artful ...