Review: "Inescapable" by Nancy Mehl

Reviewed by *Katie McCurdy for Legacy of a Writer

3/5 Stars

THE BOOK:

Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, Kingdom, Kansas, with plans never to return.

But five years later, the new life she built is falling apart. Lizzie knows she's being followed, and she's certain the same mysterious stranger is behind the threatening letters she's received. Realizing she'll have to run again, the only escape Lizzie can manage is a return to the last place she wants to go.

Once she arrives in Kingdom, Lizzie is confident she'll be safe until she comes up with a new plan. In reacquainting herself with the town and its people--especially her old friend, Noah Housler--she wonders if she judged her hometown and her Mennonite faith too harshly. However, just as she begins to come to terms with her roots, Lizzie is horrified to discover the danger she ran from is closer than ever.

No longer sure who to trust and fearful for her life and the lives of those around her, Lizzie finds she has only one place left to run--to the Father whose love is inescapable.

MY REVIEW:

An Old-Order Mennonite girl who runs away from home suddenly finds herself returning to the one place she never wanted to see again. That caught my interest! While it was really interesting to read about the life style of these people, Inescapable didn’t impress me as much as I was hoping it would. Especially since that cover is so intriguing!

Lizzie’s love for her daughter Charity—and the many adorable conversations and situations these two have—was really cute and, since I have several little sisters, I could relate! I didn’t connect to Lizzie—or any of the characters in Escapable, for that matter—as much as I would have liked to. Noah seemed like a really great guy, though! I loved how he was so protective of Lizzie and remained a faithful friend for all those years.

There were many surprises in the plot, which I enjoyed. Inescapable kept me guessing. I thought I knew how it was going to go, but something would come up and change everything. I didn’t really feel like there was really any kind of ‘suspense’ about the plot. It was pretty easy going, steadily progressing and escalading until the ending.

While Inescapable wasn’t everything I was expecting and hoping for, I did enjoy it as a good, one-time read. Other reviews I see on it are very positive, so I know this book will appeal to other readers. Just not me.

* I reviewed this book for the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. Thanks to the publishers, Bethany House, for sending me a review copy. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.