Rust is a novel based on the film by the same name, which starred the author, Corbin Bernsen. I did not see the film so cannot compare the two and that’s probably a good thing, because I normally refuse to see films based on books I’ve read due to constant disappointment in the screenplay writer and director’s choices. I surmise that the novel goes into much more detail about the lives of each character and how they got to where they were in the timeframe the story was based around. I appreciated that Bernsen took the time to develop out each character and give the reader an acute understanding of the main character, James Moore.
One aspect of the writing I found interesting was the grandiose vocabulary, which did not seem to fit the personality or demeanor of James Moore. It isn’t a bad thing, just a bit confusing. Most of this language was inner dialect and not when speaking to those in the small town in which he grew up and had just returned to. Even I had to look up a few words! (So, at least it presented a challenge.) One thing Bernsen did well was create the tone of this character. He was a bit chaotic in thought and his character read as such. He also captured the spiritual struggle between Moore’s heart and mind well…it made him human!
Rust is a sound story of how God will take away from and move people around as He chooses, without providing understanding. God’s silence in Moore’s life helped guide him toward the direction God needed him to go, in order to receive and carry-out his calling and further the ministry God created this man specifically for. This is a great lesson that sets the plot for Rust: A mission from God not directly understood by the recipient, that saved/changed lives and a the heart of a town!
I had part of the mystery embedded into the story figured out early on due to some obvious clues. Despite this, I was happily surprised by how the ending was written. It played out with the appropriate level of drama and heart, without being exaggerated.
I would recommend Rust to readers, especially those who are in a similar place as James Moore – questioning their relationship with God and seeking answers as to His seeming distance. Although, as a Believer who understand’s by His Word, the Bible, that this doesn’t mean God has abandoned a person, simply requiring stillness and His timing for what is to come. I was a tad irritated that as a pastor, Moore was so debilitated by this, with the knowledge he possessed. (NOTE: No timeframe for this distance was offered that I found.)
I am not much of a fiction reader, but this work did hold my attention well from beginning to end and was an easy read. Rust is appropriate for teens and adults and feel it would be a valuable book to share as a family because it outlines moral values and the consequences of decisions made, both good and bad.
You can purchase Rust in stores and on Amazon.com starting October 15, 2015! View the book trailer here.
(Book reviewers were sent a pre-release copy of the book by the publisher, Pelican Book Group.)