In Youth on the Move, a tender love letter to God, South African author Davinia presents a series of poems and meditations about the nature of faith and the desire to know the divine, and ourselves, more fully.
Offering simple wisdom and quirky quips such as, “Prayers cannot be answered unless they are prayed,” or “Working for God on earth doesn’t always pay much, but his retirement plan is out of this world,” the author gently challenges us to discover the treasure that is ultimately inside all of us. While we may call that treasure by different names, it is ultimately the same for everyone: God. And when we can tap into the awareness that God is present in all we do, our lives, the author contends, will be transformed.
Presenting down-to-earth advice on prayer and on committing and surrendering to God’s will, Davinia’s enthusiasm for her topics shines through. She is a motivating writer who notes that a positive attitude is necessary to overcome the obstacles that we encounter on life’s journey. That attitude is apparent in her prose.
Unfortunately, some of the fire in her intent is quelled by a large number of typographical and grammatical errors in the text. Moreover, most of the book is written in upper case letters. It’s unclear if this is an artistic statement or just an error on the part of author, but regardless, the decision to typeset the book in this way makes for difficult reading. In addition, she reaches too often for the well-worn metaphor (“…dreams are tiny seeds from which beautiful tomorrows grow…When we choose to follow Christ, we face storms…” ), which diminishes the impact of the ideas presented.
While the book may appeal to some in church groups and journaling circles, Youth on the Move would need to be rewritten and professionally edited with an eye to correcting these issues in order to draw a wider range of readers.
Also available as an ebook.
