Blog Tour: The Temptation of Adam by Dave Connis - Review and Author Q&A

The Temptation of Adam by Dave Connis

Publishing Date: November 21, 2017
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Pages: 346
Available in Canada through Thomas Allen & Son

Description: "Adam Hawthorne is fine. Yeah, his mother left, his older sister went with her, and his dad would rather read Nicholas Sparks novels than talk to him. And yeah, he spends his nights watching self-curated porn video playlists. But Adam is fine. When a family friend discovers Adam’s porn addiction, he’s forced to join an addiction support group: the self-proclaimed Knights of Vice. He goes because he has to, but the honesty of the Knights starts to slip past his defenses. Combine that with his sister’s out-of-the-blue return and the attention of a girl he meets in an AA meeting, and all the work Adam has put into being fine begins to unravel. Now Adam has to face the causes and effects of his addiction, before he loses his new friends, his prodigal sister, and his almost semi-sort-of girlfriend" (Connis).

Add to Goodreads: http://ow.ly/uPXP30g4byb

My overall thoughts and review: I was intrigued by the description of this book when I read that it would tackle addiction. Adam finds himself in an addiction support group because to his family & Mr. Cratcher, he has an unhealthy addiction to porn, which led to an unfortunate event at school, which led to his suspension. The reader doesn't learn right away what happened at school as Connis writes in such a unique way that you feel as if you are there with Adam at the support group meetings, waiting for when he is comfortable to share his full story with everyone else. I really enjoyed that despite his addiction, Adam is quite a likable character. He is definitely difficult at first with his dad and Mr. Cratcher, but flashbacks show us that he isn't quite fine with the fact that his mother (who he now refers to as the Woman) and his sister, Addy, left him. His dad is also quite non-existent before Adam's suspension, because he spends his time trying to win back the Woman. Other things I quite enjoyed was Adam's relationship with his sister Addy. As an only child, I love portrayals of siblings who love one another despite their differences. They drifted apart because they felt they had to take care of their parents during the divorce, but I loved their text conversations and moments when they just reconnected at Pritchett's. I also really loved Adam's relationship with Mr. Cratcher (he starts off as Mr. Crotcher in the beginning). You learn why Adam started hating him in the first place and why he is so reluctant to attend his support group and help Mr. Cratcher create his album, but as each morning passes, Mr. Cratcher begins cracking at Adam's hard shell. I liked learning about his background story too and his desire for completing an album. It seems strange at first for a highschool teacher, but Connis reveals a lot about Mr. Cratcher's past which only made me appreciate him as a character more. Besides Adam, Addy, and Mr. Cratcher, I really loved Dez. She is by far my favorite character in the book. She is addicted to addiction. She moves from vice to vice, and finds herself really unhappy in her home with her parents who can't accept her for who she is. I saw myself most in the character of Dez, but I just love moments when she was able to admit that she was wrong, and come back later to apologize.

The biggest take away for me was when Adam was describing his anxieties of talking to people and how he felt at the support group, I really appreciated how authentic those moments felt. I felt like I was Adam on multiple occasions: faking a phone call to get out of an awkward situation and leaving, or sitting in a room full of people thinking I can't be as bad as them, my problems aren't that bad. Connis' portrayal of addiction, but also just an individual who experiences divorce and loss of a loved one, felt quite accurate. Connis' also touches on other vices in terms of addiction such as alcohol, drugs, sex, and more. You get to know various characters through their vices, but you also learn that their vices don't make them. They are more than their addiction and I really feel like that's the central message of the book. Even though I don't personally suffer from any addictions, I loved Connis' parting chapter so much: "I might never be fixed, but that doesn't mean I can't be whole" (331). Overall, this book tackles many important topics such as addiction, loss, depression, and more, in a really authentic manner. I would definitely recommend fans of John Green & Andrew Smith to check this out. I look forward to seeing what Connis writes next.

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo, Amazon (CA), and Amazon (US)

Author Question and Answer

Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book? 

DC: That who they are, including their flaws and shortcomings, is enough.

About The Author: Dave Connis

Dave Connis has held all manner of job, from ballroom dance instructor to construction worker. He is

now a community manager at Code Corps, a platform where people can donate time, talent, and money to projects for social change. He also works as an assistant youth director at his church, Rock Creek Fellowship. He has a bachelor’s in community development with a focus on international economics from Covenant College. He is a member of the SCBWI. He lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with his wife and son.

Follow Dave:

Website: http://ow.ly/IbeD30g4c82

Twitter: http://ow.ly/I36z30g4ccf

Facebook: http://ow.ly/lCiy30g4cie

Instagram: http://ow.ly/pprq30g4cnn

Goodreads: http://ow.ly/W2wH30g4cpV

Tour Wide Giveaway

The winner will receive:

1. 1 finished copy of The Temptation of Adam by Dave Connis

2. 1 digital copy of Dave’s companion album, Looking for Eden, courtesy of Dave Connis

3. 2 mini journals courtesy of Sky Pony Press

Details:

- Canada Only (full rules found in the T&C on Rafflecopter)

- Giveaway ends on November 9th at 12:00AM EST

- Winner will be drawn randomly through Rafflecopter, contacted via email and will have 24

hours to claim their prize

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour for more content about the book!

Disclaimer: An advanced reader's copy of the book was provided by Thomas Allen & Son for participation in the book tour. All opinions of the book are my own.