Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!!! I would give it a hundred stars... if i could!
Review: WOW!! i was blown away by this book and the message that it sends out. This is a great book for people of all ages of every nation!! this book is one of a kind because you see that the main characters are young children, most fiction books are written with adults as the main characters. Having a young main character draws in young readers like myself!!! This IS the greatest book of all time... once you start it, it is impossible to put down! you will want to just keep reading it over and over again!!! (which i have many times)
Rating:
Summary: A Literary Gem
Review: Cadi Forbes is a 10-year-old girl living in the Smokey Mountains during the min 1800's, in a valley where religion is seldom dwelled upon and a "sin-eater" takes away the dead's damnation. It is not until Cadi sneaks a forbidden peak at the sin-eater during her beloved Granny's funeral that a strong longing to purge herself of her hidden sin and guilt -- a longing that fuels the rest of the story -- is put into motion. Cadi wonders what the man who has become the sin-eater has done to deserve to take all the valley's woes upon himself; who will take away HIS sin? And, more importantly, who will take away her own?And so Cadi plunges onward, encouraged by her new friend Miz Elda and accompanied by her friend Fagan and mysterious companion Lilybet. As Cadi's search for redemtion progresses, it becomes evident that much of her torment and grief center around the much-shadowed death of her little sister Elen and the shunning of her grief-stricken mother. But just when she begins to give up hope, a prophet enters the valley and both Cadi and Fagan grow up considerably after only several nights of his teaching the Word of Christ. Despite an ever-looming veil of foreboding as thick as the mists of the Smokeys, Cadi and Fagan are determined to spread the Word and save their valley from the flames. Brogan Kai, the violent and quite mad self-appointed "leader" of the valley (and Fagan's father), launches a vicious attack on them, nearly killing Fagan. And so the wire snaps. The rest of the book follows their race against time as Fagan fights to stand up to his abusive father, Cadi confronts inner-demons, and the dark history of the valley is revealed during the children's struggle to redeem the sin-eater, save the valley, and expose the Word of Christ. All controversies on this novel aside (their almost too grown-up "Bible-talk", the author's own interpretations on the Scripture, salvation w/out repentance, and the implied silimarities of "taints" and angels when describing Lilybet), this is a magnificant literary gem that leaves you thinking long after you close it. Not only does it arouse questions of faith and hope in Christ, it is also a stunning and beautifully written piece of literature. I found, quite literally, that it was near impossible to set down. I'd reccommend it for all readers ages 12 and up.
Rating:
Summary: As usual, she left me thinking long into the night...
Review: This is the second Francine Rivers novel I've read. ATONEMENT CHILD was the first. After reading both of them, I found myself praying and thinking for a long time after. In my opinion, that's a good book! Some reviews stated they thought Cadi and Fagan's King James Bible talking unbelievable. I had no problem with it. Like the masterfully woven dialect, the way the children talked after being saved kept pace with the rest of the story. For three nights (two in Fagan's case), they'd been listening to the "man of God" speak to them in this way (King James) for hours and hours. These children had no television, no deficit of attention as we do. :) They soaked up and repeated everything they'd heard over and over--to Miss Elda, to Bletsung, to the sin eater, to each other. I also saw their child-like faith as a perfect picture of the new believer. The Word is everything then--nothing else matters. There is an urgency to witness and share that can only be described as "life or death". For me, Rivers recaptured my own salvation experience and fascination with the Word of God. Althugh I still study the Bible daily and witness often, I spent hours after the final page searching myself for the initial passion (and compassion) for the lost I had during those first hours, days, weeks, of my conversion. This book is not only an entertaining read, but a picture of how God blesses those who love them, even to a thousand generations. I wonder too, who among my ancestors held out, praying, hoping... for me.
Rating: 
Summary: The Last Sin Eater: A Review
Review: I just finished reading this novel. I started last night at 10pm and put it down early this afternoon. This novel is a wonderful story about the awesome power that is Jesus, and how amazing it is to be saved through Him. The main character is Cadi, a young girl who has not yet met salvation through Jesus. This story is about her journey to Christ and His plan for her.
I do not agree with other reviews on how it is unrealistic for a young girl to quote scripture from a bible that she has never even read. The purely fictional acconut of Cadi bears truth in that when we pray for the words and the courage to witness to others,the Lord gives us the strength and the words so that people can understand. This novel tells a about a girl who finds that through God all things are possible, and that Salvation can not be granted by any "sin eater" but by Jesus Christ.
It is a warm story, mysterious, emotional and spiritual.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Sin Eater
Review: I usually don't like books written about times before indoor plumming-HOWEVER, this book is written in such a personal and moving manner-I couldn't put it down. I would read this book again!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful metaphor of substitutionary atonement.
Review: Imagine you're ten years old, and at your grandmother's death you discover that her sins get taken away by a human sin-eater. Chosen by lot and an outcast of the community, this sin-eater willingly acts as grandmother's scape-goat by offering to take the debt of her sins and suffering the punishment of hell she deserved. He appears shortly after her death, and undergoes a ritual that signifies him taking over her sins so that she can appear without sin before God. Rather than being comforted by this long-standing custom, ten year old Cadi Forbes is disturbed by it: who will take the debt of her sins? She can expect to find no answers from her parents, because her relationship with them has soured ever since the tragic death of her sister Elen. Along with her mysterious companion Lilybet and her child-hood friend Fagan, she resolves to find the sin-eater and obtain peace from her sins, and so remove the guilt she feels about her role in Elen's death (p163-4). But Cadi's quest proves to be impossible, because the old custom of the sin-eater does not usually allow sins to be removed prior to death "Why can't the sin eater take my sin away now?" (p49). And what about the man of God in the valley who tells her that the age-old custom is meaningless? As Cadi discovers answers to these questions and finds peace for her soul, the light of the gospel begins shining in the dark valley. But Cadi's inner peace triggers the arrival of outer conflicts, and a head-to-head battle with the community patriarch the Kai (Fagan's father), who resists the truth, and through whom Satan launches his counter attack. Set in the Appalachians in the 1850s, this is a reflective and contemplative novel with a temendously powerful message. Cadi's quest for relief from the burden of sin by means of a sin-eater is brilliantly used by Rivers as a metaphor for the gospel. Cadi's initial fear of the mysterious man of God mirrors the fear we all need to have about going into God's presence as sinners, and the need for spiritual cleansing: "If I could talk him [the sin eater] into taking my sins away now, maybe then I could come back and get close enough to hear what the man of God had come to say and not fear being struck dead in the doing." (p92). "God knew me for the sinner I was. God would decide what he would do to me. I knew what I deserved: death and a fiery pit of eternal torture and damnation." (p135). Cadi's discovery is just as vital for readers as it is for her: the gospel of Jesus Christ: "You mean he's just like our sin eater!" (p146) "No man can take away your sins, only God." (p146) Even the human sin eater himself must come to the realization that sin can only be removed with the substitute provided by God: "I've been the Judas goat leading our people to slaughter without even knowing that Satan was using me to do it." (p311) Using the sin eater as a metaphor of Christ's substitutionary work is the heart of the gospel, and the heart of the novel. This brilliant image is outstanding and is easily the highlight of the novel. The notion of the sin eater gives this novel great depth beyond a mere story-line, and when accompanied by many quotations directly from Scripture, is a real strength. It is unfortunate that the novel as a whole does not live up to the full potential suggested by the brilliant metaphor at its heart. The rest of the story is riddled with theological errors which detract from the thoroughly Biblical concept of its main message about substitutionary atonement. Some controversial aspects of Rivers' theology are very evident, including an implicit endorsement of Arminianism (p161,207,250,323); prayers to Jesus; baptism without a real understanding of the gospel or the involvement of office-bearers (p176,280); and the common evangelical concepts about judging being forbidden (p373), God hating the sin and not the sinner (p287), and forgiveness independent of repentance (p373). The belief in ongoing revelation is also evident on numerous occasions (p162,238,248ff), and although it is fortunate that in most cases this direct revelation from God comes in the form of direct Scripture quotations, there are instances where Biblical references are arguably interpreted and applied incorrectly (p289). In keeping with this it is not surprising that the *written* Word plays virtually no role in the course of the story. More surprising from Rivers is the idea that man's total corruption was a development that did not occur immediately after the fall (p144). Further, the idea that the cycle of the seasons portrays Christ's death and resurrection (p252 & 286) is rooted in pagan mythology rather than in Scripture! Rivers even takes this one step further by suggesting that someone can be saved by their belief in God as revealed in the seasons, without ever having heard the gospel of Christ in the written Word (p284-7). Lilybet's identity is also problematic. Rivers herself raises this question (p321) but doesn't answer it, and in the end Lilybet's role as a "taint" or an "angel" is at best implausible and without a strongly credible Biblical foundation. And on a non-theological note, one wonders whether Cadi's reflections about faith are at times rather too mature for a ten year old. "The Last Sin Eater" earned Francine Rivers the 1999 EPCA Gold Medallion in the Fiction category. Certainly on account of its theme it deserves a high commendation. When combined with Rivers' delightful characterization and insight into personalities and relationships, it is a story with real potential. But in the end, the gulf between Rivers' theology and mine on other points detracts from the main theme so that this novel doesn't live up to its potential.
Rating:
Summary: Bravo!!!
Review: Francine Rivers has never failed me, and, like in The mark of the Lion series, I didn't have a life while reading this book. Incredible, I was deeply touched by this book, so don't think twice about it.
Rating:
Summary: It was incredible!
Review: This book wasa an awesome book! It really showed you how impactive Jesus was when you look to Him. Cadi Forbes is easy to relate to. It shows things from her perspective. It is a big puzzle. You find a piece each time you read more and more. I think Francene Rivers is a very good author. Her books are always at the top of my Christmas list.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Sin Eater
Review: This book started off sort of slow for me, but by the middle, once I got the hang of their slang, I could not put it down. Francine Rivers has a way of making her characters come alive and she did it once again in this wonderful book! I highly recommend it to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: Completely Unique
Review: If you are looking for a story that is totally different from any book you have ever read-than this is your book! Inspiring and Powerful for any adult male or female,young or old.
| 
