5 stars. Schumann's story of surviving a campus shooting and its after effects was heartbreaking. It's encouraging to see a novel being written about gun control and violence and its hold it has on this country. Too many Christians in this country hold guns at a higher standard than humans and this book does a great job of looking at the shortcomings of statistics, laws, and ideologies. Full review to come.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

4/5 - Liked this quite a lot. This is an important book which presents a personal, well-researched narrative on the topic of mass shootings and gun control in the United States.

Normally, I leave thorough and lengthy reviews for the books I've read but this one leaves me without much to say. I am very liberal and am strongly in favor of gun control legislation, so largely I just found myself agreeing with Schumann on just about everything. Despite being passionate and (I think) relatively well educated on this topic, I found that there was still a lot I could learn from this book - namely in how the "other side" perceives this topic - as Schumann directs her narrative towards a conservative audience. The narrative presents both a deeply personal, courageous story, and a clear understanding of the current situation in the U.S. in terms of facts and figures. This is an important book and gives a great understanding of why gun control legislation is so critical.

Where I got lost a little were the religious topics. I do identify as religious and share many of Schumann's frustrations with the modern church; however, I did notice a few times that she referenced some topics like abortion in a way that I felt was unnecessary to the further the conversation about gun violence.

I think this is an important narrative regardless of where one might land on the political spectrum. Those of us on the left can use it to achieve greater understanding of those standing across from us along the ideological divide. Those on the right can expand their empathy towards shooting survivors and perhaps begin to see how an America that isn't ruled by the second amendment is one that is safer and more equitable. Schumann writes with a vulnerability and a clarity that is captivating, bringing light to a critical issue.

I support efforts to curb gun violence and I've been disturbed by the Church's lack of leadership in this area. I picked up this audiobook because I wanted to educate myself about the issues surrounding gun violence and the arguments against gun control. The narrator has a pleasant voice that kept me engaged with the material without being distracting. My favorite thing about this book is how action oriented it is. The book begins with the author's experience of being wounded in a school shooting. Her story is moving and I appreciated the way she shared her experience as a newly disabled person. It's easy to forget about the pain and suffering of shooting survivors once their stories are no longer front page news, and the author did a wonderful job of detailing all of the ways that her experience and her injury have continued to affect her life. The author goes on to educate the reader about the history of gun violence in the US and the laws that are in place to address gun violence. She compares laws and gun violence statistics in the US to laws and statistics around the world and breaks down what has worked and what has failed. The last section of the book is devoted to arguments against gun control. In this section the author outlines every major argument against gun control and gives the reader the information they need to counter these arguments. Thank you RB media and ChristianAudio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

In <i>When Thoughts and Prayers Aren't Enough</i>, Taylor Schumann recounts her experience being injured and recovering from a school shooting, as well as the permanent ways it has affected her life. From there, she talks about how it eventually led her, as a Christian, to become outspoken about gun reform. Schumann acknowledges that this is a hotly divisive topic and that people will not change their minds in a second, and she does not shame gun owners. However, she provides excellent strategies for opening the conversation about it. She has compiled a lot of compelling statistics to back up the need for reform to reduce all gun violence, including suicides and accidental shootings. Her advice for discussing gun reform would be useful for just about any political topic. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

This book is a well written book that brings some much needed light to a controversial topic. I found that her story was heart breaking and that we must find a middle ground when it comes to weapons. I did find that she often used her personal bias to make broad overarching claims and conclusions.

The author did a really good job of making the reader feel they were really there during the shooting incident that has forever changed her life. I did expect more Christian talk, perspectives, and scripture. I expected less anti-police, liberal talk, racism, and politics.