An enthusiastic but uncompelling commentary on religion, prophecy, and modern life.
Dak reflects on Christianity and modern society in this nonfiction work.
“You know in this world some people have visions about their lives and destinies,” the author writes in the book’s introduction, before asserting, “I am one of those individuals.” This statement, with its emphasis on foreknowledge of the future, is reflective of the entire work, which is centered on the author’s commentary on religion and contemporary society. Now an undergraduate student at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dak has shared his musings on social media for almost a decade, compiled here into a narrative format. A driving theme in the book is the Christian author’s emphasis on fostering a relationship with God; he asserts that too many people only turn to God for help when in a personal crisis. True faith, he says, is shown when one prays, meditates, and worships in both good and bad times. With a particular emphasis on biblical prophecy (and extra-biblical prophecy, such as the predictions of Nostradamus), Dak makes comments frequently on modern geopolitical events. On the current conflict in Gaza, for example, the author suggests that biblical prophecy foretells that “the remnant of Judah will dwell in Gaza after they have uprooted it.” The book’s commentary, in which the author purports to have a direct line to God’s message for humanity, is unlikely to appeal to readers who don’t already share the same opinions. For example, the author also criticizes the views of prominent Christians, such as Pope Francis for his willingness to bless same-sex marriages. The author also takes demonstrative stances against anyone who may disagree with him, asserting that “God has revealed me what other people are thinking.” In addition, the book’s origins in social media posts result in moments with oddly personal undertones, including vague rebukes of anonymous friends and family who were “offended by what [he] said.”
An enthusiastic but uncompelling commentary on religion, prophecy, and modern life.Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2025
ISBN: 9781038316745
Page Count: 258
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Feb. 20, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A football star’s bracing account of his battle for racial equality—and how powerful forces arrayed against him.
A principled athlete strives for social justice.
Kaepernick forthrightly details the activism that earned him global renown but cost him his NFL career. In 2016, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback “was filled with disgust” after police shootings of fellow Black men in several American cities. Before a preseason game, he made a spontaneous decision: “It hit me in that moment that I should find a seat” during the national anthem. He did the same at two more games before reporters noticed. Kaepernick will forever be associated with “taking a knee” during the anthem, but he credits Eric Reid—a teammate who agreed with Kaepernick’s message—for suggesting that they kneel together during subsequent anthems. The protest changed everything for Kaepernick. President Trump vilified him. Kaepernick and his wife received death threats. And though he’d taken the 49ers to a Super Bowl, no teams would sign him. He will likely make news for his take on Jay-Z, whose lucrative partnership with the NFL was criticized as an attempt to launder the league’s reputation. Visiting Africa, where Kaepernick learns about “African leaders who willingly sold their own people to the enslavers,” he “couldn’t help but to think about Jay-Z and the NFL.” In opening chapters, Kaepernick recalls suffering traumatic racial abuse as a child. Being in “white spaces”—he was adopted by white parents—placed him “under a microscope every minute of every day.” He isn’t always nuanced, depicting some people he disagrees with as cartoonishly clueless. But his writing about how college and pro teams “lied” to him about injuries underlines his “feeling of being a disposable commodity.” A decade has passed since Kaepernick played in the NFL, but he stays fit in case “a team needing a QB” calls.
A football star’s bracing account of his battle for racial equality—and how powerful forces arrayed against him.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
ISBN: 9781538777879
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Legacy Lit/Hachette
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
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