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I have to admit that of all the books I have reviewed for Thomas Nelson, Boomtown was the one I was looking forward to the most.  I loved the cover design and the cleverness of the author’s name.  I was intrigued by the story line as well.  Unfortunately, once I started reading the book, the only word that came to my mind was painful.  Three main things stick out in my head.  The first is that the author writes from the point of view of the pastor, yet this book is written for young boys.  I feel the book really loses an aspect of appeal with this point of view.  It is difficult for a young boy to relate to the pastor’s concerns, struggles and perspective. For example, Pastor Button finds out his son is making a rocket in science class, rushes into the classroom and demands that his son come home with him that very moment.   As a teacher of middle school students, I know that his actions would be extremely embarrassing to any young boy. My second main objection is the development of the plot.  The actual story line is very slow, clouded by numerous side stories that obscure the flow.    I feel sort of like what I imagine I would if I had ADHD – constantly sidetracked by yet another thing - so much so that I can’t focus on the important.  My final objection is the underlying theology present in the book.  One example is on page 79.  Pastor Button is praying on behalf of the town football team and says, “Whatever you can manage, that would be fine”.  Now, I’m not sure God cares about football scores and who wins and loses but I do know that God can manage whatever He wants not just what He hopefully can do.