Great review from Reader Views

The Journey: Beyond the Savage
Susan Kaye Behm
Xulon Press (2006)
ISBN 1600342574

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (11/06)

"The Journey: Beyond the Savage" is really a heart wrenching tale about a teenagers desire and battle to overcome her abuse. It is a sequel to "Civilized Savages," which is the story about this young lady as she was being ritually abused by a group called "The New Order." I have not read this first book, and I feel that this sequel, "The Journey," stands well on its own. I plan on reading the first book because the second one was so compelling.

The author, Susan Kaye Behm, is a survivor of abuse. She writes that much of "The Journey" was based upon actual experiences that she had. She wrote this book to help survivors know that there is hope and to help the rest of the world understand what people who are abused have to suffer through. In this story, Joey has already been rescued from the New Order. Her grandparents, who had been her caregivers, have been murdered. Joey becomes a victim of the system and is sent to live with her abusive and uncaring parents. She is horribly abused by them.
She does not report this because they threaten her with being locked up. This is something that she knows that she cannot endure. The townspeople also treat her with disdain. Nobody understands the
suffering and abuse that these kids went through. Kids at school mock them and attack them whenever they have a chance. Adults just turn their heads.

Joey and other New Order refugees unite and form a gang to try to protect themselves. Their desire for vengeance is great. Joey feels like they are continuing to do what The New Order programmed them to do. All this time she is being physically and sexually assaulted by family and friends of her family. At first she has no one to turn to. She is too ashamed to admit what is happening to her. As time progresses, Joey starts thinking about her relationship with God. She finds a teacher that
mentors her and lives a truly Christian life. She wants to believe so badly that there is a God. She wonders why these horrible things have happened to her. Joey gets strong and she separates herself
from the troublemakers. It is not easy. She works hard on getting good grades and makes plans to go to college. She never thought that she would be able to make a better life for herself. Her teacher shows her how she can do it.

Reading Joey's story and knowing that there is some truth behind the actual events that happened was really heart wrenching. I was angry that the system did not protect her. I also could feel the depth of despair that she felt as she was demoralized and abused. I was amazed at how much inner strength she possessed and that she did not kill herself. Joey's story inspires hope in people that feel hopeless. When in college, she accepted Christ into her life. Her life still wasn't perfect but she no longer felt so alone.

"The Journey" will inspire hope in people that feel that they have none. I hope it will also make social workers and teachers take a closer look at the people that they are supposed to be helping. For each person that reads this, I think in some way it will teach them compassion and open their eyes to the pain that someone who appears lost might be experiencing.