One Step Closer

I highly recommend this book. I literally could not read fast enough. Everything this Genre should be and more!!
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the thrill of reading early.
Very inspiring.

Wow... this book was so good! From the moment I opened it until I finished I was on the journey. Both heartbreaking and inspiring, our goals and paths can change overnight.
I enjoyed reading Ryan’s story from being a successful college student to suddenly being faced with a spinal cord injury that meant paralysis from his neck down. I can’t even imagine what this is like. I didn’t enjoy it from the perspective that it was an “easy read”, but because there was so much truth and vulnerability in the way it was written and it just reminds me we are all on our own “journeys” but as Christians we all have one ultimate goal: to bring glory to God.

I was sceptical initially: I feared this would be a story of "if you have enough faith, God will heal you".

I was pleasantly surprised.

Ryan has quadriplegia as a result of a car accident and this memoir follows his journey over the following decade. It details his physical progress but more importantly his mental recovery and spiritual formation over these years.

I believe it's so important to be vulnerable and genuine when it comes to the Christian faith and healing. It's a complex issue that none of us truly understand and I feely that Ryan details the tensions involved honestly and emotionally whilst remaining rooted in biblical truth. I particularly liked that the biblical references were embedded so smoothly within the text.

Would really recommend this as a read for anyone living with a chronic injury or illness and those who pray for them.

You have to admire Ryan Atkins. He had everything going for him when an accident turned his life upside-down. The book details his 10 year journey with quadriplegia. He suffered so much and yet I think we have only got a glimpse of what he went through. Ryan's faith is a major part of his life and while I don't espouse all of his beliefs, he has my admiration.

This is an up close look at Ryan's life after he becomes a quadraplegic. Very emotional and revealing. The ups and downs of a quadraplegic's life.

Attempting an ordinary lane change on the highway results in an extraordinary life change for Ryan Atkins. This book is the true-life account of events before and after that day. Ryan’s writing kept my total interest causing me to read this book very quickly. Even though it was a fast read, there is much that I will continue to remember and ponder for a long time.

This book is powerfully honest. I love the way Ryan explores the hard questions of life and doesn’t sugarcoat anything to make it prettier.

This book is about unexpected tragedy, struggle, sadness, and heartache. But it’s also about a wide range of life lessons, courage, purpose, faith, hope, and love. It is about trusting God and His plan, for now, tomorrow and eternity.

Ryan Atkins was on the path to graduate from the University of Cincinnati when a 2009 car accident left him paralyzed below the neck. This memoir gives the reader a glimpse into Ryan's life over the years since the accident. Mr. Atkins hoped and prayed for physical healing and regaining his ability to walk, but this was not to be. However, he gained insight and purpose for his life through his faith in Jesus Christ and the support of his friends and family.

I liked this book very much. I read it over a period of two days and found it difficult to put down. Ryan is a real overcomer. He had many difficult experiences in his treatment and recovery, but he never gave up.

I love the way this accident brought a young lady who was Ryan's second-grade classmate back into his life. Their relationship grew over time and she played a vital role in Ryan's life.

Mr. Atkins is an avid reader and believes the following words of Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl helped him move forward in his life; "If you find a why, then you can bear any how."
If you find your purpose, then you can overcome any challenge that life throws at you.

This book made me smile. I am so happy for the many successes in this young man's life.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF FIVE