This is just one of the most awful books I've ever tried to read. (I can't say "I've ever read" because there was no way I was going to spend my time reading the whole thing.)It reads like it was written by a 12-year-old (or at the very least *for* a 12-year-old) -- overly melodramatic, overly simplistic, no plot line whatsoever, no character development whatsoever. It just jumps from scene to scene with no narrative structure, and the writing itself is just ... really, really terrible. I mean, you know a book is not going to be great, or deep, when it starts off "Michael ducked as a shard of pottery soared past her head." But it gets worse from there. "Her father's eerie laugh followed." (Eerie? Really? Is he a ghost or something?) "Dark, smoldering rage burned in the abyss of his gray eyes." And I knew it was a "Christian book," and that genre isn't exactly known for literary depth, but I figured, hey, it's about a historical biblical figure, so it makes sense that it's marked as "Christian literature." Is there some reason, though, why "Christian" means "horribly badly written"?I genuinely do not understand the good ratings that this book has gotten. If you like Harlequin romances, this book is for you. If not... well, 'nuff said. Michal is the daughter of King Saul, the first King of Israel. But when her father beings to have nightmares after disobeying Adonai, only the young harpist David can sooth the king's guilty conscience. Her attraction to David is undeniable, but it is with great disappointment that she realizes her sister Merab must be given in marriage first. David becomes a great warrior from King Saul, to the point that the king seeks his life in the jealous rages that shadow his reign more and more frequently. When circumstances allow Michal to become David's first wife, has she just sentenced herself to a life of heartache and misery? Will David ever be the true king of God's people? Can she ever dream of being his queen?This book is a dramatically beautiful re-imaging of the story of King David's first wife. Michal has always captured my imagination from the Biblical account. I've always wondered how it must have been for her; barren, given to another man by King Saul, and missing her true husband while he was a fugitive from her own father. How hard it must have been to be a woman during Old Testament times - and Smith breathes new life into a story that is centuries old. A good read for anyone that is interested in the could-have-beens of Michal's story.
What do You think about Michal (2009)?
A very interesting story about a largely unknown biblical woman. Worth the read.
—BhaviM
It was interesting to read about kind david from a different perspective.
—hackme14
I liked it. I don't think I will read 1 Samuel 17 the same again!
—soulbearer
