God’s Not Dead 2, by Travis Thrasher, tells the story of Grace Wesley, a young, Christian, high school history teacher who answers a student’s question about Jesus during a classroom discussion. Other students, parents, and even the principal put Grace in the hot seat for answering such an ‘atrocious’ question, because it was about religion. As the case progresses, Grace’s student becomes a pawn in court, and Grace herself is in a tight position; she isn’t getting paid while the case continues, and she is also caring for her grandfather after her parents shunned them both for having faith.

Tom Endler, a lawyer who works for the teachers’ union, is chosen to represent Grace Wesley in court. As reluctant as he is, he accepts the job to fight for what he doesn’t believe in – her faith. Tom’s research leads him to a reporter and blogger Amy Ryan, who found faith while battling cancer and getting healed. Both Tom and Amy go on a journey to understand what genuine faith is throughout the trial in court. The unlikely trio fights to save Grace’s job and avoid a court decision that could cripple the free speech and religion of Christians in the workplace.

I received the book God’s Not Dead 2 as a birthday gift. I had already seen the movie version in theaters, as well as its prequel, God’s Not Dead. I usually dislike reading a book after seeing the movie because the characters and the plot are already instilled in my head. I worried that this would be the same case, but I still expected the book to be pretty good.

After reading God’s Not Dead 2, I found that the novel tells more about the story behind the new film and gives readers an update on characters from the original movie. It is an incredibly uplifting, encouraging, and inspirational book. It is different from the film, specifically because it goes into deeper detail and gives more information on the overall story.

Bestselling author Travis Thrasher made an incredible impact with his work in both film and literature, and God’s Not Dead 2 is no different. The court case procedures and courtroom lingo throughout the book make the setting much more tangible. Thrasher’s writing is direct and touches on faith as well as choices, integrity, and other life lessons.

I highly recommend this novel to those interested in reading an uplifting and inspirational story that will bring both courage and integrity in your faith.