The Rebel's Hike

Book excerpt: The Rebel’s Hike answers questions that nearly all human beings ask themselves. Who loves me? Am I important? What’s my purpose in life, anyway? Four middle school children find themselves in Wackus Bonkus, a colorful, invigorating, realm, talking to OSOLAT, which they learn is an acronym for Original Source of Light and Truth, about these questions. Tyrone, the foster child troublemaker, arrives in Wackus Bonkus because of a fight that put him into a coma. Elijah, the popular redhead from a solid Bible-believing Christian family, goes when her family watches movies together. Riley, creative, shy, scrawny, and parented by a single father, finds himself there when reading books, and Alyssa, a book-smart cheerleader with friend problems, goes when she’s taking tests at school. The four children discover that OSOLAT chose them because He has plans to help their generation see the world differently than the rest of the culture has been programmed to for generations. They encounter their Experts in Wackus Bonkus, beings who are their “evil twin” counterparts, whose roles are to compel humans to make bad choices. Each of the four adventurers are gifted Rings of Truth to use on Earth, which gives them the ability to see the soul particles inside a person’s body, even on a screen. Lighter particles reflect OSOLAT's love and purpose, while darker ones represent evil and sadness. A journalist named Becca Brown, whose daughter Nicole goes to the same school as the foursome, wants to make a name for herself by writing an award-winning series about Tyrone’s miraculous recovery from his coma. Alyssa, with her fickle friendships, is befriended by Nicole so her mom can manipulate information out of Alyssa, who eventually cracks. In addition, her Ring of Truth disappears at the Brown residence, leading Becca desperate for answers. Knowing Elijah, Tyrone, and Riley also have Rings of Truth, Becca hires a private investigator to get his hands on one of them, eventually getting Tyrone’s prison inmate father to help. Things go terribly wrong, resulting in Tyrone's death, but not before he had begun living with Elijah’s family and becoming a podcaster with a growing following. Tyrone’s podcast, called The Rebel’s Hike Podcast, explains many Biblical truths OSOLAT had revealed to him presented in easy-to-understand hiking metaphors. He talks about such topics as hikers choosing which trail to take, giving their rocks to OSOLAT to carry, learning where the Experts might be hiding along the way, and how to use the Trail Guide when making decisions. After Tyrone passes away, Elijah’s 16-year-old brother, Axel, with whom Tyrone shared a room, eventually takes over the podcasts. With the help of Alyssa’s 16-year-old cousin, Nora, who becomes Axel’s girlfriend, they continue the mission to help their generation take The Rebel’s Hike, possibly changing society and the world for the better. Readers have said, "This is the type of book that will give readers some spiritual food for thought, and I think they’ll still be thinking about it long after they’ve read the last page.” "I think your book embraces imagination to understand and value the hopeful message of the Gospel.” “Over and over we face a choice, even in small moments, and what that choice comes down to. Who or what am I listening to? Who or what do I answer to?"