Demon: A Memoir is a startling tale that left me in a stunned daze long after I finished the last page.  Tosca Lee is an absolutely brilliant writer and an excellent wordsmith.  She knows how to paint a picture onto a page with a few words placed beautifully together.  Demon: A Memoir left me chilled, but most importantly, it left me thinking.

Summary-
Recently divorced and mired in a meaningless existence, Clay drifts from his drab apartment to his equally lusterless job as an editor for a small Boston press- until the night Lucian finds him and everything changes with the simple words, "I'm going to tell you my story, and you're going to write it down and publish it."  What begins as a mystery soon spirals into chaotic obsession as Clay struggles to piece together Lucian's dark tale of love, ambition, and grace- only to discover that the demon's story has become his own.  And then only one thing matters: learning how the story ends.

What I Liked-
I loved the ideas that Lee placed in my mind with each word that Lucian spoke.  I never thought I would actually see where demons were coming from as haters of humans, but I now do.  One of my favorite scenes in the novel involved Lucian following Clay into a church.  When he asked if they could leave, Clay asked if the cross was bothering Lucian.  Lucian replied that the cross wasn't bothering him... but the prayers were.  Ouch.

What I Didn't Like-
To be honest, there wasn't much that I didn't like about this book.

I Recommend This For-
This would definitely be a PG-13 book at the least, because of the mere theme of the book.  Demons and spiritual warfare can be confusing and frightening to anyone, let alone a child.  I would recommend this book for all Christians in their mid-teens through adulthood.  If you like your faith and beliefs to be challenged and piqued, Demon: A Memoir is the book for you.

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Tosca Lee's first novel could be compared to authors such as Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, and Randy Alcorn, yet her work can easily stand on its own.  I can already see Lee emerging as a successful Christian author in the near future.

Demon: A Memoir is literally spine-tingling and shocking from the first page to the last... especially the last, hint-hint.  The ending literally had me floored.  This novel is one of my new favorite books, an I plan to keep it on my bookshelf for years to come.

I read a book recently that truly brought my thoughts into perspective.  It's called "Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations" by Alex and Brett Harris.  If you haven't read this book, I recommend it, whether you're ten, fifteen, or forty-five.  It's fantastic and it smacked me in the face (in a godly way), many times.  If the title alone isn't enough to sell you on this book, does it help that Chuck Norris wrote the foreword?  Yeah, I thought so.

Summary:
The title of this book is pretty self-explanatory.  It's nonfiction.  The focused audience is teenagers, but the book could easily inspire people of any age.  The back of the book says, "Most people don't expect you to understand what we're going to tell you in this book.  And even if you understand, they don't expect you to care.  And even if you care, they don't expect you to do anything about it.  And even if you do something about it, they don't expect it to last.  We do."  "Do Hard Things" is basically a book that challenges young Christians to step outside our comfort zones and do amazing things for Christ. 

What I Liked:
"Do Hard Things" was very straightforward and simply written, but it wasn't "dumbed down," as they talk about in the book.  In other words, while a young teenager or pre-teen could easily sit down and read this book without having to drag along a dictionary, the book is still challenging.  It was even difficult for me to read, a "model" teenager who many adults brag about because I haven't done drugs and alcohol, like many others my age.  "Do Hard Things" is truly the kind of book that "stabs you in the face," just like what that Superchick song talks about.  I felt so inspired and challenged after reading "Do Hard Things," and I know you will be too.

What I Didn't Like:
At times, I thought Alex and Brett Harris could use fewer examples and delve deeper into God's Word and their own writing, but this is only a very small critique, and while there are many teenage examples, many of them inspired me.

I Recommend This For:
Everyone.  Seriously.  Randy Alcorn said, "[This] will prove to be one of the most life-changing and culture-changing books of this generation.  I'd love for every teenager to read this book, but I'm just as eager for every parent, church leader, and educator to read it."  Wow.  That's all I can say.  I needed a boost during my stressful senior year of high school, and this book was just what I needed.