The Man Inside the Box by Jimbob Striplin

About the Book

The past fifteen years have weighed heavily on the shoulders of Miss Jackie Neher, as she’s worked hard to suppress thoughts of misfortune that have defined her. Although she has found some comfort in her new life as caretaker in the orphanage, it’s what could have been that continues to haunt her. To add to her struggle, orphan Thomas Henry has made her situation more difficult than ever before. His hatred toward the life he was given has caused him to rebel and his perceived lack of purpose has led him to believe that living is no longer an option. It seems that their lives have become nothing more than a series of unanswered prayers, until the fateful encounter with the journals of a man, long forgotten, emerge from within an old box in the darkest corner of their home and change everything.

My Review

This new author to me certainly impressed with his creative plot line that kept you turning the page. This book would resonate with YA readers and adult readers as well. I certainly did not see the ending coming that did, and there were many twists and turns along the way. We see more than one faith journey and a lot of character development. Thomas and Jackie both have their pasts to work through. We also get a look into a small subplot of historical backdrop (earlier than the book is set) that relates to our characters In unexpected ways. I enjoyed how the author showed how our struggles can be eased or made heavier by the influence of those around us, no matter how little of a role they play in our life. The only difficulties I had was that the flow was a tad choppy, some of the action seemed to go a little too far for feasibility, and the secondary characters needed a little more development. I thought there maybe were just a few too many twists and turns to promote proper flow. With that said, I feel a lot of talent shines through in this book that could be enjoyed by a very wide audience and may lead someone who also has a broken past and is struggling to find the Lord as well. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are entirely my own.

About the Author

Jim Bob Striplin is a high school football coach, teacher, former college athlete, husband and dad. He graduated from Auburn University with degrees in world geography and physical education in 2000.

These undertakings have prepared him to produce six books to date: The Gift of Christmas, The Gift of Christmas ‘Origins,’ The Gift of Christmas ‘The Final Winter,’ Saving the Coach and The Man Inside the Box, all of which have had positive reviews.His lone non-fiction work is called ‘The Fundamentals of Quarterback Play.’ He categorizes his books as, “Works of inspirational fiction designed to make the reader think.” Please feel free to reach out to “Coach” via email Jrstriplin@yahoo.com if you’d like him to visit your church, civic group or your football team!