Didn't like it.

An amazing look into the abortion industry and the toll it takes on individual lives. I loved it. Probably my favorite Peretti book. First read it in high school and have re-read it several times since.

An EASY 5 stars.

Frank Peretti has a unique way of building up a story and then unfolding it for the reader that keeps me invested the whole time.

This story mainly follows John Barrett Jr, who is a popular anchorman at a large news station. His father has been labeled a prophet because he has followed the current Governor's reelection campaign and speaking against the Governor's hidden corruption. John Sr. is killed, which leads to an investigation by John Jr. and the Governor's secrets start to be discovered.

There is another story happening that John Jr is involved in that is connected to deaths due to incomplete abortions performed by a women's medical clinic. Please be aware that this topic is heavily discussed and there are strong emotions on both sides portrayed through the characters.

The theology y'all! Brought me to tears. John Jr is given vision and ears to hear the cries of the human souls in his city. He is brought to his knees in surrender to Almighty God. The Lamb of God is here and he weeps for his people. It was a stunning message that brought me to tears.

Certainly a heavy story, but HOPE is stronger than disappointment and Jesus always has the final word.

Prophet

Prophet is a Christian mystery/suspense novel told from the perspectives of several characters. The titular character is John Barrett Jr., a news anchor whose father’s protest causes him embarrassment during the coverage of a political rally. The hot-button topic in the political race is abortion. The current governor, who is running for reelection, is making that issue the crux of his platform. Many of Barrett’s coworkers support the governor and his agenda. Even Barrett himself initially cringes at his father’s public opposition.

That all changes. And that’s where the meat of the book takes place.

The cast of this story is pretty large, and the way they all tie together at the end is incredibly satisfying. There are roughly four different groups—the politicians, the media, the medical professionals, and the families who have been impacted by this issue.
* The Politicians. Even though this is a political story, we really only see the campaign machine of the pro-choice side. Abortion is the weapon with which the campaign is fought, but the story is more about the politician and his staff than the issue itself.
* The Media. Most of the newsroom sides with the politician, for various reasons. Some are friends with the governor. Some don’t want politics to affect the bottomline of the business. Some have a personal stake in the issue. Background characters stay largely unaware of the undercurrents until the climax, at which point we get a variety of views. Only two reporters take the pro-life side, though their investigation is less about the morality of the issue and more about crimes committed in connection with the issue.
* The Medical Professionals. We’re given a candid look at how HIPAA laws can be weaponized for a political agenda and how doctors keep quiet at several points throughout the lifecycle of a problem to protect their careers.
* The Families. Abortion doesn’t just impact the baby and the mother. If, God forbid, something goes wrong, the circle of people impacted can be quite large. We see how far the ripples can extend, how bad it can be, and how some good can come from even the darkest of situations.

This topic had the potential to go off the rails and become a preachy lecture. It doesn’t. The author does a wonderful job of staying within the genre and making the story about the mystery. There are “natural” and “accidental” deaths that turn out to be crimes, and the investigation into those cases opens up Pandora’s box. Peretti introduces a tangle of plot lines that he deftly weaves into a cohesive story.

Prophet is not a whodunnit. We meet the villain early and loathe him for his greed and ambition. It’s still interesting to see all the steps he take to secure his future and how it might go wrong for him.

The story is told from several points of view, often in the same scene. The head-hopping didn’t bother me too much once I got used to it. What I really loved as a storytelling device was the way the news anchor thought through everything as a newsman would, and the way the story is sometimes revealed to us through news programming (both behind the scenes and online reports) and through political ads. It wasn’t quite epistolary, but it was an invigorating storytelling device.

As I said, this isn’t a preachy novel, but there are two very strong messages.
1. It’s more important to do what’s right than what’s easy.
2. Situations can be manipulated, but the Truth cannot. At some point, we will all have to face it.

Overall, Prophet is an easy read. Once you get past the head-hopping (if that bothers you), you’ll fly through the pages. It’s not a sanctimonious novel, though it does have important messages. I rate this novel 4/5 stars.

*** This review is for the unabridged version only. I may have given it more stars if I had read a more condensed version.***
I think I was hoping for a book with more spiritual drama in it, like This Present Darkness. While I appreciate a little mystery and that kept me going, there was so much technical description of the news aspect of it, I really felt the story was bogged down. Peretti writes well, and I was intrigued by the characters. It also helped that I was on the right side of the issue discussed, but the book was definitely too drawn out for me.

This is the first book I’ve read by Peretti, and I enjoyed it! The issues tackled in this book still ring true today, some twenty years after publication: abortion, the reliability of news, and the struggle to follow faith despite how it might hurt careers. I felt a connection to the varied characters, and none of them was idealized, nor did they make Christianity seem shallow or easy. The idea of a modern day prophet was both entertaining and provoking in our age where we are often quick to scorn visions.

Some of the writing style felt like reading a script, but that was intentional on the authors part to fit with the news theme. This style was fun for a bit, but it dragged a little near the end. This is one of only a few books that I felt would do better as a movie than a book.

I’m a big fan of Frank Peretti’s novels, thought I’d read all of his books & discovered I’d somehow missed ‘Prophet’! It’s another superbly written faith-filled gem! I’m amazed at how the Frank Peretti tackles media, politics, women’s rights & soul-searching dilemmas with compassionate insight, intrigue & fervor! Praise God & writers of His Truth!!

I highly recommend reading this book even if you've never read a Frank Peretti book before. This book takes you through the battle for truth in a way it has never been done before, and you will never look at the news the same way. Reminds me too much of the current times for comfort.

A true read! The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Hard to put down

I liked the morals and Christian values of the book and didn't like the wordy descriptions. It's hard to put any Frank Peretti's book down. He's and excellent writer.

This was a re-read for me, one I first read twenty years ago, but I was surprised about how much of the media still remains the same (or is much worse, yet in the same way) as it was portrayed back then. An insightful take on truth, on what it means to be a modern-day prophet, on the deceit that is involved in portraying 'news' and the horrors that are covered up in the abortion industry. A must read for any teenager, I think.

Everything by this author is utterly 'splendid' :P