Coming Home by Max Lucado -- disappointing!

The book Coming Home by Max Lucado is written as a children's book. It has nice illustrations and a cover that catches the eye of little boys (or girls) who are interested in pirate/lost at sea type stories. As I read the note inside the front cover, written to parents, it still sounded good. It was to be an "allegorical tale about the second coming of Christ." Interesting.

Unfortunately, to me, that was just about as far as the "positive" thoughts on this book go. The story jumps right in to a setting on an island where a captain and two young boys live. The captain is leaving and the boys will be left until he returns. All is gray on the island except for their hair and eyes. They have all lived there for fourteen years. They are to remain on the beach, the safe area, and not venture into the forest. The forest is where all the other living creatures reside (and they are all gray as well -- due to the eruption of a volcano long ago (Okay, my mind races with questions -- fourteen years? what did they eat? how did they survive the seasons? especially if they never see/hear etc the other creatures? How is everything still covered with gray? etc etc.) Okay, it's an allegory, I get that--fairy tale like I suppose?

Anyhow, those questions fade into head-shaking as the story goes on. The twin boys are left alone with a little mantra to repeat and with each other's eyes and hair to look at. One twin ventures into the forest and turns grayish. The other waits faithfully for the captain's return. The captain returns and the faithful boy joins him; the unfaithful one also joins them in the boat; the captain touches him and he returns to color. And they sail off.

Ummmm. . . .Max Lucado? What are you telling us? I am confused. Is the allegorical correlation of the return the Lord's return? or death? And are you saying that the choice of following God can be made after that point? Doesn't sound like the message I'd expect from you. And it is not the message I want to pass on to anyone else.

So -- did I like the book? No.

Would I recommend it? No.

Would I give it as a gift? No.

Will I read it to my children? No.

Allegory aside, I did not even like the story! I surely will not recommend it.

I received this book as a part of the homeschool review program of Crossway books. I was not required to write a positive review.