Heroes and Monsters: An Honest Look at the Struggle Within All of Us

With transparent detail, Riebock (mY Generation: A Real Journey of Change and Hope) tells the story of his messy, confused, and gloriously grace-filled life in his sophomore effort. The book reads like a journal, or better yet, a graphic novel—complete with vivid illustrations of more pivotal episodes in the author’s life. While at times the story moves forward with the jerks of a teenage chauffeur, Riebock is able to transport readers nimbly to and from the painful, awkward, and meaningful moments of his life where mercy, love, and hope seep in through the seams. From the field where Riebock’s drunk father drives him right into Jack (a scarecrow who becomes Jesus’ alter ego in the book) to a hotel room in central Texas where an introvert gets comfortable with himself, Riebock’s struggles, both mundane and dramatic, reflect readers’ own life sagas and clearly reveal the author’s theological points without being systematic. As Riebock writes “Words are giants, able to lift people up, carry them to the stars, and tear planets apart...” his own locutions are vulnerable and imaginative, powerful without being forceful, certainly able to lift readers up and impart hope for the journey. (Mar.)