Rating: 
Summary: A MUST-READ BOOK FOR OUR TIMES!
Review: I finished this book in about six hours. I couldn't put it down. There were many similarities between Frank Peretti's experiences and mine (many of my living nightmares occured on the school bus). How many people could say the same? Just about all of us, I'm sure. With each page came a childhood memory (and more than a few adult ones) - unpleasant memories of being taunted, bullied, rejected, even physically mistreated. Now I know that I have a lot of company out there. Thank you, Frank, for sharing your life and letting me know that I'm not alone.I was going to say that THE WOUNDED SPIRIT should be required reading for all parents and educators. But that would be too limiting. What about employers, co-workers, policemen, ministers, doctors, waiters? What about our relatives, friends, and neighbors? Is there anyone who hasn't been wounded or isn't guilty of inflicting spiritual wounds? This book is for you if you were ever bullied or mistreated in any way; if you did the bullying or cast the insults; if you stood by and watched these things happen to others and did nothing. I guess that means THE WOUNDED SPIRIT is for every single one of us. For years I have believed that the emotional scars we carry are a result of deep wounds that were inflicted so long ago that we may have all but blocked them from our memory. Sadly, the scars are still there, and I think they often run deeper than some of the most traumatic physical wounds we may suffer. But, as Peretti points out, God can work through our wounds, and even heal them. Jesus walked the earth healing a multitude of afflictions, and He is still at work today. Peter wrote, "...by His wounds you were healed." (1 Peter 2:24) If you've never read a Christian book, please read this one, especially if you are a parent or work within the educational system. You may be God's instrument in bringing calm to a child filled with rage and frustration, a ticking time bomb waiting for the next insult, sneer, or shove to drive him or her over the edge to a tragic act of violence such as suicide or, worse yet, another Columbine massacre.
Rating: 
Summary: Going back to the 20th reunion
Review: I had a hard time in school. I also had a hard time in an unhappy home life. So there was no haven for me. I had few places to be "safe". So I retreated within myself, into a fantasy world--and thank God I did not reach a breaking point like those Columbine students who killed others so tragically. I was shy, not popular--so I was easy target practice for the typical school bully that was looking for someone to prey upon. Going back to my 20th reunion was something I really never thought of doing. I never went to the 5th or the 10th. There were still people there who invoked bad feelings inside. Yes, twenty years later, and I still dislike them. Just because I am in my late thirties does not mean that I don't get affected in some way. And I am tired of those old tapes in my head. I never fully addressed my pain until now. I went to therapy for some time now, but my anger is finally fully coming out of me. And that is a good thing. I used to be afraid of my anger, so I pushed it back down. Well, it will keep trying to come back up unless it is dealt with. So here I am, twenty years later. If it was a small thing. I would be OK about being picked on if it was minor "kid stuff". I am sure most kids are bothered at some point--like a survival of the fittest--pick on or be picked on. Yet it was "no small thing". All the way from the 5th grade to the 12th(to graduation)I had some bad situation happen to me constantly. Needless to say, school was hell. One bully continually pinched me in the rear end to make his friends laugh (at my expense, of course). Two friends of mine reported this guy to the principal in junior high school. My head held low, I admited, feeling like a fool, that some boys never let up on me. The principal's response: "If these boys are teasing you, doesn't that mean that they really like you?" After that ignorant comment, what was I to do? Case closed. I knew it would do no good to go to authorities. Many of them were out of touch, out of tune. I knew that to tell was to be a "squealer" and would cause the bullies to retaliate even worse. Isn't this amazing though? The victim has to keep a code of silence so as to protect the perpetrator?! I am not surprised at all about Columbine. As sickening as that is, as twisted and as evil as the tragedy is--I do understand that people do have a breaking point. As people asked: "How did this happen?"...I was not surpised at all by it-only very saddened. I used to try to act tough when hurt by others. I often had a big chip on my shoulder. I became very ashamed of myself, and I really did not like who I was. Somewhere, deep inside, I felt that I probably deserved it...like I was seriously flawed. That is the most punishing of all abuses--I soon became my own worse enemy. When the abuse stopped, I picked up where it was left off. I agree with the author that everyone is guilty of doing wrong-even the ones picked on. I have to remember that I was cruel when I wanted to be--although I am sure that I was acting out of a shameful spirit much of the time. And I truly would love the opportunity to ask someone to forgive me, if need be. To do that is the most courageous thing of all, to say "please forgive me". With time, healing is possible. But it is messy and sticky. It is not something that you just forget. The worst response anyone could ever say to a "wounded spirit" is "just get over it!" You must face it, embrace it, come to terms with it. Go to a counselor. Go to support groups, if needed. For me it was not school that really was the issue; it was my chaotic childhood. So school was the icing on the cake of my wounded spirit. I
stuffed all my bad feelings for years--food, other addictive behaviors. Now, going back to the 20th reunion, I wanted to face some things. It was a time of anxiety and anticipation-good and bad. I did confront a few people there--I was passive aggressive about it--and really those kind of "get them back" feeings give one a small moment of satisfaction. After I acted the way that I did, the hurt did not go away (like one thinks it will). After all, the former bullies are going about with their lives. They are not affected by my hurt feelings. So why must I still be miserable over it? I have to ask myself this. Therefore, the road to forgiveness is not for them--it is for me, a gift I can give myself. If you have an issue of not forgiving someone, remember this: For those you have not yet forgiven, they still own you. I don't even have to see those people again to forgive them. Learn what true forgiveness is, and then work through it--that is my best advice. Forgiveness is not, "oh, that is ok. It didn't really bother me" or "they didn't really mean that" or "that's ok, no big deal anymore". Forgiveness is not for them as much as it is for you. And you are worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Going back to the 20th reunion
Review: I had a hard time in school. I also had a hard time in an unhappy home life. So there was no haven for me. I had few places to be "safe". So I retreated within myself, into a fantasy world--and thank God I did not reach a breaking point like those Columbine students who killed others so tragically. I was shy, not popular--so I was easy target practice for the typical school bully that was looking for someone to prey upon. Going back to my 20th reunion was something I really never thought of doing. I never went to the 5th or the 10th. There were still people there who invoked bad feelings inside. Yes, twenty years later, and I still dislike them. Just because I am in my late thirties does not mean that I don't get affected in some way. And I am tired of those old tapes in my head. I never fully addressed my pain until now. I went to therapy for some time now, but my anger is finally fully coming out of me. And that is a good thing. I used to be afraid of my anger, so I pushed it back down. Well, it will keep trying to come back up unless it is dealt with. So here I am, twenty years later. If it was a small thing. I would be OK about being picked on if it was minor "kid stuff". I am sure most kids are bothered at some point--like a survival of the fittest--pick on or be picked on. Yet it was "no small thing". All the way from the 5th grade to the 12th(to graduation)I had some bad situation happen to me constantly. Needless to say, school was hell. One bully continually pinched me in the rear end to make his friends laugh (at my expense, of course). Two friends of mine reported this guy to the principal in junior high school. My head held low, I admited, feeling like a fool, that some boys never let up on me. The principal's response: "If these boys are teasing you, doesn't that mean that they really like you?" After that ignorant comment, what was I to do? Case closed. I knew it would do no good to go to authorities. Many of them were out of touch, out of tune. I knew that to tell was to be a "squealer" and would cause the bullies to retaliate even worse. Isn't this amazing though? The victim has to keep a code of silence so as to protect the perpetrator?! I am not surprised at all about Columbine. As sickening as that is, as twisted and as evil as the tragedy is--I do understand that people do have a breaking point. As people asked: "How did this happen?"...I was not surpised at all by it-only very saddened. I used to try to act tough when hurt by others. I often had a big chip on my shoulder. I became very ashamed of myself, and I really did not like who I was. Somewhere, deep inside, I felt that I probably deserved it...like I was seriously flawed. That is the most punishing of all abuses--I soon became my own worse enemy. When the abuse stopped, I picked up where it was left off. I agree with the author that everyone is guilty of doing wrong-even the ones picked on. I have to remember that I was cruel when I wanted to be--although I am sure that I was acting out of a shameful spirit much of the time. And I truly would love the opportunity to ask someone to forgive me, if need be. To do that is the most courageous thing of all, to say "please forgive me". With time, healing is possible. But it is messy and sticky. It is not something that you just forget. The worst response anyone could ever say to a "wounded spirit" is "just get over it!" You must face it, embrace it, come to terms with it. Go to a counselor. Go to support groups, if needed. For me it was not school that really was the issue; it was my chaotic childhood. So school was the icing on the cake of my wounded spirit. I
stuffed all my bad feelings for years--food, other addictive behaviors. Now, going back to the 20th reunion, I wanted to face some things. It was a time of anxiety and anticipation-good and bad. I did confront a few people there--I was passive aggressive about it--and really those kind of "get them back" feeings give one a small moment of satisfaction. After I acted the way that I did, the hurt did not go away (like one thinks it will). After all, the former bullies are going about with their lives. They are not affected by my hurt feelings. So why must I still be miserable over it? I have to ask myself this. Therefore, the road to forgiveness is not for them--it is for me, a gift I can give myself. If you have an issue of not forgiving someone, remember this: For those you have not yet forgiven, they still own you. I don't even have to see those people again to forgive them. Learn what true forgiveness is, and then work through it--that is my best advice. Forgiveness is not, "oh, that is ok. It didn't really bother me" or "they didn't really mean that" or "that's ok, no big deal anymore". Forgiveness is not for them as much as it is for you. And you are worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Please Take Time To Read This Book
Review: I have to admit that I got this book because I was curious about what type of non-fiction Frank Peretti would write. But once I started I knew that my reading it was not a mistake. As a mother of three children, I knew Peretti's message was one I had to share with my children. It was also one that I needed in my own life. At the end of the book one profound truth remained--the gifts we have been granted, what ever they are, are for a purpose--to help those with wounded spirits by standing up in their defense and by presenting the good news of Jesus Christ. This is a book and a message I feel that all should read.
Rating: 
Summary: The Hypocritical Spirit
Review: I read Peretti's work expecting it to be a cry for respect for victims of bullying. Somewhere around the middle of the book, though, Peretti launches into a sermon that blatantly reveals the fact that he is a hypocrite. The book jacket states that he champions the rights of the "undersized, oversized, klutzy, less than beautiful, nerds, and those that are just, somehow, different." But in turning away in disgust from one prevalent difference--homosexuality--Peretti proves that he is as much a bully as those who turned away in disgust from his deformed, infected tongue. Peretti apparently thinks it's OK to stand up for some differences, but not others. The book turns a conveniently blind eye to the fact that young people who stray from typical American ideas of "feminine" and "masculine"--as gay and lesbian people sometimes do--are often the most relentlessly tormented by school bullies...to the point of having an alarmingly high suicide rate. He may not be yelling "Fag!" or "Dyke"! in the hallway, but Peretti's attitude contributes just as much to the bullying culture as do shouts and taunts. By saying a natural variation of human sexuality is wrong, Peretti give present and future school bullies implied permission to continue shunning and condemning their peers. Peretti understands that playground pushiness is a seed that can grow to the proportion of persecution such as that of the Holocaust...but he does not make the same logical leap to understanding that homophobia breeds hate crimes--a sometimes deadly form of bullying. He condemns the Nazis, but seems ignorant of the fact that gays were one of the groups that Hitler sought to extinguish. For this reader, Peretti's book was just another disapproving look, another muffled snicker, clearly indicating that the righteous only protect those who fit into their narrow view of who deserves protection. The rest of us, apparently, are still fair game.
Rating:
Summary: Transformation of pain to gain
Review: I read this book expecting a somewhat dry and mostly academic approach. The book states right off that it is real, not fiction, and since I love his fiction work so much I expected something very different. But I was mistaken; the book grabs you from the first sentence. His autobiographical tales of school age terror were depicted with harsh reality and deep sadness. I found myself emotionally caught up in the feelings I think almost everyone can relate to: feeling rejected and hurt by others. In this case, physical abnormalities led to some cruel treatment, the feelings to which were depicted with stark reality. This is really three books in one. The first section is the autobiography. The second topic is the subject of WHY people treat others in such a cruel manner, including some compelling arguments against moral relativism highlighted by correlations to the Columbine incident. According to the author (and myself) it is strange that moral relativism is becoming more and more accepted as a valid philosophy, yet these same people who believe there is no moral truth, since all truth is relative, are shocked by what happened at Columbine. The author asks: Isn't Columbine a natural result of that philosophy? Was what happened there"wrong"? Since everyone agrees that it was "wrong" then why was it wrong? Wouldn't there have to be a moral code by which to even judge the tragedy as "wrong"? He closes the book with some excellent thoughts on how teachers, parents, and all of us can support each other. He illustrates in some powerful ways how the spirit, once wounded, stays wounded for a long time! The arrows of hurt, the taunts, the words of ridicule, wound our spirit and those wounds continue to hurt us indefinitely unless we turn them into something positive through forgiveness. He uses the movie "A Few Good Men" as an example of what we are supposed to do morally. When the soldier at the end answers the statement by his fellow soldier of "we did nothing wrong" he says "yes we did, we were supposed to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves, we were supposed to fight for Willie". If you have not seen the film, please do so. A great illustration of his point that we need to stand up for those who are being hurt and protect them, as even small gestures of humanity can enable change. Overall, a very powerful message of hope and redemption, well written and supported.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Should Be Required Reading!
Review: Like millions of readers, I fell in love with Frank Peretti's book, "This Present Darkness" and have followed his writings from book to book. Peretti introduced many believers and non-believers to the reality of "Spiritual Warfare" through his novels, but the demons revealed in this book may be the most frightening. This would be a priceless gift for someone you know that has been wounded by the past, or treat yourself to a book that will force you to look inward. Be aware: You may not like what you find in there, but you will realize that you are not alone. By all means, get this book!
Rating:
Summary: An Eye-Opener - No Minced Words Here
Review: My wife found this book and read it. She then asked me to read Chapter 9 and tell her what I thought. Well, I didn't have to think for long. We ended up reading the book cover to cover, aloud, as a family, one chapter per night with discussion afterward. The first few chapters set the stage for the source of his (Peretti's) wounding - physical deformity and being physically smaller than his peers. But with each page, the list of examples of how a spirit can be wounded grows. Do you have a wounded spirit? Can you remember who wounded you? Can you remember whom you have wounded? The answer is yes to all of the questions. There can be a happy ending, and that is the good news. The cure exists for bullies. All it takes is those who have witnessed bullying day after day, year after year, and accepted it as a fact of life, to stand up and say NO. I refuse to accept this behavior. There is no place here for bullies. The few who bully others only survive and flourish because the rest of us stand meekly by and let it happen. With a united front it can end just that quickly. But make no mistake about it, Mr. Peritti accurately points out the fact that quite a number of the bullies are that way themselves (bullies), because they too have had their spirit wounded. This is a must read for anyone who deals with people of all ages on a daily basis: especially school administrators, teachers and classroom aides in the public and private school systems - no school year should begin without a day devoted to this book. But it does not end there. It is an equally important read for administrators and supervisors in the work place, parents with children; the clergy of all faiths; and counselors - individual, group and family. I plan to share this work with the middle school and high school administration, and the county school board. It is that good.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent read.
Review: The first chapter was more of a flashback for myself as I was also one of many who was the focus of fun as a child. I could understand exACTLY the same feeling that young Frank experienced. It was great to see a way out and healing for "The Wounded Spirit". An inspirational and fascinating book to read overnight.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: The Wounded Spirit was wonderful! Although Peretti normally writes fiction, this book has his real life story that makes you really think about if you have a wounded spirit or if you are the person who is causing a wounded spirit. Peretti tells us his view on what it is like to be a wounded spirit and also explains his view of the recent school shootings. This book is worth it's price and an excellent read.
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