SuperGal Vs. God
God, Satan, and the author fight for control in this fun and dramatic memoir.
Lori Hynson, author of SuperGal Vs. God, has an impressive list of accomplishments many women can relate to, such as major event planner, small business owner, singer, wife, and mother, to name a few. She added writer to the list as a means of sharing her recovery from the unfulfilling whirlwind of busyness that consumed her until a traumatic event forced her to surrender herself to God’s will. In addition to Christians, any woman who has struggled with the ups and downs of being an independent, overworked, and underappreciated superwoman may see herself in Hynson’s well-written and inspirational memoir.
Hynson writes mainly in the third person as the cute, well-dressed, and perky SuperGal, while chronicling a fourteen-year period of her life that begins on New Year’s Eve in 1999. The unconventional and somewhat silly writing style takes getting used to, but Hynson pulls it off, thanks to the quality of the story and the obvious care taken in the editing process. The prose is heavy on short paragraphs and chapters, with an abundance of well-done, chatty girlfriend dialogue.
The story opens with a suspense-building play-by-play example of SuperGal’s exceptional ability to coordinate a major event in her city, one that perfectly personifies how in control she is of her out-of-control life. God and Satan make cameo appearances in this first chapter, and the two of them return regularly throughout the book to comment on the progress of their particular campaigns to orchestrate the outcome of SuperGal’s life. The reader is also introduced to a first-person singular version of the author. “Lori” speaks in an authentic and likable voice that offers a welcome counterpoint to the superficial and high-strung SuperGal.
SuperGal Vs. God quickly morphs into what feels like a sappy romance novel, where in the course of a few short chapters that cover several years, SuperGal joins a Baptist church, rediscovers a love for singing, leaves her unhappy marriage, meets Ben, starts dating him against her rule-bound will, and falls in love. And then, in shotgun style, Ben gets desperately ill, and the book morphs again into a medical thriller. God, Satan, and Lori begin to play more prominent roles as Ben’s medical issues consume SuperGal’s life. As she obsessively tries to assert herself into every aspect of Ben’s worsening health, God manifests a series of minor miracles in an effort to compel her to relinquish control, and Satan conspires to thwart God’s plan. Meanwhile, Lori begins to open up to the prospect of letting go and letting God take control.
The unexpected ending provides a welcome release to the tension-building suspense of Ben’s critical illness and SuperGal’s spiritual crisis. Hynson successfully provides both the Christian and secular reader with a satisfying closure that enhances the value of this cross-genre book.
Reviewed by
Patty Sutherland
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
