Steve LeBel of Muskegon, MI, graciously allowed me to read Bernie and the Putty before it is published by the Argon Press. Since it's not published, I can't post a review on Amazon yet, but when I told him I was just DYING to talk about this book, he finally permitted me to review it as a blog post. I can't say enough good things about Bernie and the Putty.
Summary: A young god (Bernie) is in god school and has to learn how to do god-like things, not the least of which is creating the planet. The material he uses to create life is a magical sort of putty which turns out to have quite a mind of its own. Although the plot screams fantasy, there are plenty of down-to-earth moments in which we can all relate to Bernie as a student. From being bullied, to making hellish mistakes, to getting the girl, Bernie reminds us of our younger selves.
When I heard about the god school I was somewhat hesitant, but fear not, it is far from sacrilegious. On the contrary, if you pay close attention you will see some parallelism reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia.
Steve LeBel's descriptive writing makes one truly believe one has been whisked away to another land. When the story ended, I was quite upset at being dropped back into reality. My husband snatched the book away from me the moment I finished reading and has yet to return it, although he has finished reading it!
This book would make an excellent movie. My intuition tells me that is a distinct possibility, and I'm quite certain that sequels are also on the horizon. Having not read anything this spectacular since Harry Potter, I can assure you this book is well worth taking a gander. I do hope Mr. LeBel won't make us wait too long before publishing.
Side note: I have been informed that Steve LeBel is considering giving Bernie and the Putty a new title. When he does, I will update it here so you know which book to look for.
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