A review by lucyslibraryreviews
Jake Rogers' Planet by Philip Wilder

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Jake Roger’s Planet is a great book to draw people, especially teen boys, into a genuine relationship with God. The Hebrew word Midbar means “wilderness.” It’s a place of order, where we get back to God & man. This book is like Jake Rogers’ wilderness journey where he wrestles with God & finds out who he truly is. He does’t just wrestle God. He wrestles wrong mindsets, unjustified self-blame, & his father who’s still back on Earth. Jake is the youngest of a group of strong boys that wants to follow his own path. There are some flash back scenes that help us better understand Jake as he processes out difficult memories and finds healing.
Jake also wrestles a bunch of really creative aliens. Not that the aliens themselves create, but that Wilder wrote some pretty wild stuff from his imagination. These aren’t your humanoid aliens, they are far more creative than that. There is some fun art throughout, which makes the book even more fun. 
Through all of the events in the story, Jake learns that the wilderness is a beautiful place, that benign God's will and in communion with God is a beautiful place.