Open Your Eyes by Jake Olson

Jake is only 16 years old but has learned more than a lifetime’s worth of lessons already. Born with a form of eye cancer, he had one eye removed when he was 10 months old and the other when he was 12. Despite these major losses, Jake and his family have lived a victorious life because of their faith in Jesus. In this book, Jake and his family share some of the lessons learned. Unfortunately for us, Jake co-wrote this book with a trainer, who, I would guess, is probably a motivational speaker, because he speaks as one might talk. So rather than getting Jake’s story and lessons in one voice, we read it in two. While Jake’s is straightforward and from the heart, the other voice is a subpar self-help work, full of platitudes and often jarring illustrations that barely fit the topic, written in a cadence that gets tiresome, as it truly sounds like listening to cheerleading. It makes for an uneven read, going back and forth from Jake’s real and honest voice to the cheerleader, whose words often read like this: “. . . Yet he would not. He was afraid. When we know what God expects, we act with certainty. We aren’t afraid. We don’t care what others think. We take appropriate risks. We step out of our comfort zones. . . . So find the winner within. Procrastinate less. Act more. Look for your defining moment.” If you like short, choppy sentences about the obvious, then this is the book for you. If you don’t, it may give you a headache. This book is really two in one, and I’d recommend reading it as such. First, read the accounts of Jake and his family; this isn’t hard to do, because these parts are written in a distinct font. It makes for a fabulous narrative, and you really gain insight into the tremendous challenges they faced and continue to face. Then read the trainer’s lessons, which are marginally worth reading. The faith of Jake and his family which has been fed by their trial is inspiring and is what will linger in the reader’s mind about this book. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.