Roland West, Outcast
He's searching for the truth but is he ready to proclaim it?
ISBN
9780997674767
Softcover, 290 pp
$13.99
Shy Roland West, who fears speaking up, attends high school with gossips and troublemakers. After panicking in speech class and becoming the subject of gossip, his best friend, Peter Brant, pushes him to uncover the vandals of an outcast's house before they strike again. With the Catholic youth group, he helps repair the damage to the outcast's house and questions fellow students, but he draws more negative attention to himself. In his search, Roland finds himself ridiculed and challenged about his beliefs, becoming more of a target. As he draws closer to uncovering the perpetrator, his friend Caitlyn is threatened. Once Roland discovers the sinister reason behind the vandalism, he must overcome his fear of speaking out to confront and expose the perpetrators.
"Wow! Theresa Linden is one my favorite authors and her West Brothers series of books is absolutely incredible. This is one of the most powerful and impactful books for teens regarding morals that I’ve ever read. Roland West, Outcast is about how to accept and love people who are living in a way that goes against your beliefs. In our society, certain lifestyles that are in contrast to biblical teaching have become widely accepted. This book tackles this topic in a beautiful, faithful way.
There are so many incredible truths in this novel that everyone should hear and be reminded of – especially teens. In this world where we are told to accept everyone and everyone’s beliefs it’s so refreshing to have a book that addresses this from a scriptural perspective. We can be kind and caring but still stand by our beliefs and the church’s teachings, which do not change just because the world wants it to. The church is here to change the world not be changed by the world. People are so afraid of offending someone that we don’t share the message that needs to be heard. When you truly care for someone as a friend the truth and the fate of their soul is more important than if you offend them. By having the courage to speak the truth you can lead people to Christ and to understand the Catholic church and its teachings, which come directly from Christ through Peter and the popes.”
~ Leslea Wahl, author of award-winning The Perfect Blindside
“How I rooted for Roland to find his voice in this book! But Peter ... he surprised me by becoming my favorite character of the West Brothers series. To quote him: You can't act on your impulses just because you love someone. Therein lie the strength and beauty of the story message. Sometimes, like some of the characters in Roland West, Outcast, young people believe that their feelings justify their actions. The results can be harmful to themselves or to the ones they love. Both Roland and Peter prove what pure love can be. And they are put to the test in defending their faith and demonstrating it, in spite of strong criticism, while solving a mystery and righting a wrong committed against a new girl at their school. I highly recommend this novel to young people. Or anyone.”
~ Cynthia T. Toney, author of The Other Side of Freedom, 2018 Catholic Press Association Book Award winner
“In this story, Linden touches upon issues that are prevalent in our society, and she captures them with God's truth and compassion. Struggling as Christians in a world that is so focused on selfish desires, Outcast reminds us that we should always stand up for what's right, regardless of what the mass tries to push us to believe. Outcast is a fun, emotional roller-coaster, with realistic characters and a lot of suspense.”