The Noticer

Over the past few years, I’ve really neglected reading fiction books.  So when I had a chance to read and review The Noticer by Andy Andrews, I jumped at the chance.   This is a book that people are talking about, and I can see why.  It’s an encouraging book that is easy to read.   It was also the first book that I read on my Kindle, so I was surprised to find myself so caught up in the story.

Great fiction stories have the ability to transport you into another world.  I love the feeling I get when I can’t wait to turn the page.  I read through this book in one day, and I had trouble putting it down.  The Noticer tells the story of a mysterious, almost angelic, man who notices when people need advice or encouragement.  He is able to share his life changing “perspective” with the different people he encounters in life.   His advice is part encouragement, part Bible teaching, and part motivational, but in every situation, he seems to have the very words that people need to hear.  It’s easy to read a book like this for pure enjoyment, but there is much here for us to consider and study.  How do we respond to those people around us?  Do we notice when they are hurting, when they are alone, and when they need encouragement?

The book has also spawned a website called the Noticer Project where you can list out who has been influential in your life.  After reading this, it has definitely made me more aware of those around me.  I want to be the type of person who makes a life changing impact on others.  I also want to make an effort to read more fiction books.  Because sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.

A moving story of common wisdom from the bestselling author of The Traveler’s Gift.

Orange Beach, Alabama is a simple town filled with simple people. But they all have their share of problems – marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, and many of the other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses.

Fortunately, when things look the darkest – a mysterious old man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. Communicating what he calls “a little perspective,” Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. In his simple interactions, Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what they can do about it.

Based on a remarkable true story, The Noticer beautifully blends fiction, allegory, and inspiration.