Title: Priceless
Author: Joel Smallbone & Luke Smallbone
Print Publisher: Worthy Publishing
Audio Publisher: christianaudio.com
Narrator: David Atlas & Nora Hunter
Published: September 2016
Genre: Christian fiction, Contemporary, Novelization
Length: 8 hours, 5 minutes. Unabridged.

About the Book: (from the publisher’s Web site)

She’s Worth Fighting For

This novelization of a major motion picture (Fall 2016) by Joel and Luke Smallbone of GRAMMY Award-winning band For KING & COUNTRY is a powerfully compelling, suspense-filled love story that reminds us that no matter who we are, what we’ve done, or even how far we’ve gone astray, we are of infinite worth in God’s eyes.

The powerfully compelling novelization of the major motion picture by Joel and Luke Smallbone of the band for King & Country. James Stevens was, at one time, a good man with a great life. After the tragic death of his wife and losing custody of his little girl, James is at the darkest crossroad of his life. Angry, desperate, and unable to hold down a steady job, he agrees to drive a box truck on a shady, one-time trip cross country for cash—no questions asked. When he discovers what he is delivering is actually a who, the questions in his mind begin haunting him mercilessly. James becomes an unlikely hero who must fight to save the lives of two young women and finds himself falling in love with one of them. Can love, strength, and faith redefine his past and change the course of his future?

My Thoughts on the Book:

This book is quite an eye-opener on the subject of human trafficking in the United States. It tells the heartbreaking story of two young sisters trapped in a situation they never would have chosen, and the lengths to which an unlikely hero will go to help them escape. It also offers a powerful reminder that we are each priceless in God’s eyes.

The story itself was well told from multiple perspectives that draw readers emotionally into the story and help us to see the kind of thing that could be going on closer to home than we might think. While the subject matter can be difficult to face, I thought the authors dealt with it in a tasteful way, raising awareness without becoming overly graphic or explicit.

Suspense builds throughout the story as characters and readers become aware of what’s going on and as the stakes continue to rise, right up to an adrenaline-powered climax. The story ends with what I felt was an emotionally satisfying conclusion.

While the book’s description calls it a love story, the romantic element seemed to me to come a bit out of left field in the last chapter. The romantic in me would’ve liked to see that relationship develop a bit more on the page rather than between the chapters. But I can’t really complain, as the romance in this story really is secondary to the other plot elements and to the overall theme.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but would be curious to see how this story plays out on the big screen.

Specific to the Audio Edition:

The audiobook features not one, but two narrators, which I think is a fabulous idea and works particularly well for this story. David Atlas reads the scenes told from James Stevens’ perspective, while Nora Hunter reads the scenes featuring Antonia and Maria. Each narrator did a great job of drawing me into the perspective of his or her viewpoint characters. The emotion of the story comes through in their voices, and the reading pace felt just right.

I was pleased to find this audiobook available electronically from my local library via Hoopla.

Quick Links: About the Audiobook | About the Movie | Author’s Site