Book Review: The Masterpiece
A well-developed and gripping read from start to finish.
As 2025 approached, I realized I wanted to do more than “just read a few books” and so I set myself the task of 50 books this year (about 1 a week, with some room) and with that, the addition of writing mini reviews of the ones that make an impact.
“The Masterpiece” by Francine Rivers was well worth the almost 16 hour listen (thanks Hoopla!). From the first few minutes all the way to the last 11 minute epilogue, my attention was captured by the characters and their backgrounds, and the way she told their stories of finding faith, forgiveness, and acknowledging their past hurts and mistakes.
Christian fiction tends to get a bad wrap and rightfully so. Some is cringe-y, some is heretical, and some is just bad or boring. (My husband and I talk about this quite a bit). This book does not have these problems.
The two main characters, Grace & Roman, are so vivid, they feel real: their upbringings, past traumas, current habits, hopes and dreams (or lack thereof). Their faith journeys are so different from each other, but both plausible and realistic. God is presented in a real and almost palpable way, but still sovereign and divine. There is romance throughout and you are rooting for it the entire way.
The side characters are intertwined beautifully into the main storyline, as well as having some side/back stories themselves. The settings of different scenes are described enough that you can create a picture in your head, but not so detailed that you feel like you’re reading a Charles Dickens novel (if you know, you know).
Trigger Warning: Because of the main characters’ pasts, there is talk about domestic abuse, alcohol and drug use, sexual experiences, etc. I would not describe it as graphic, but there is definite detail so you know what happened. Probably a PG, maybe PG13 rating, depending on your personal level of comfort.
Overall, I would give it 5/5 stars. There wasn’t really anything about this book I disliked and I would 100% recommend it to any reader.
Let me know below if you’ve read this book, or will now!
Here’s to more reads in 2025.
Abby