Prompt #1: First Annotation

I, Saul by Jerry B. Jenkins with James S. MacDonald

Synopsis:  A young professor at a small seminary school, Dr. Augustine Knox, finds himself drawn into a search for a priceless biblical document that may have been penned by the Apostle Paul himself. Transporting the reader between the modern day race to find and protect the document from black market antiquity dealers and the last days of the Apostle Paul in first-century Rome, I, Saul delivers a thrilling read any bookworm adventurer would enjoy.

Genre: This book falls into the broad category of Thrillers, but more specifically, it is a Christian Fiction Thriller.

Characteristics that make it a Thriller:

·         Story moves at a rapid pace, driven by the dangers faced by the protagonists

·         Large political focus and conspiracies

·         The protagonists face physical and mental challenges

·         The protagonists are well developed, but the secondary characters are lacking development

Read-a-Likes:

·         Obsessed by Ted Dekker (Christian Thriller)

·         The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury (Thriller)

·         Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (Christian Thriller)

My Thoughts:

    According to my personal ranking system that I will be following throughout this class, I, Saul falls into the “Rising Tide” category. I really enjoyed this read, but found the characters, even the main characters, to be a little underdeveloped for my tastes. I did, however, enjoy the historical tie-in to the modern day adventure, especially since it was biblically-based. There will be a sequel coming out some time this year, and I’m sure I will read it as well. For people like me that enjoy a good thriller without an overabundance of violence, sex, or profane language, then this is an entertaining book that will meet their needs. It just needs some more character development and a touch more action to thrust it into my highest rank, “The Highwater Mark.”