Weed and Water would make a great gift. Reviewed by Don Minton.

Ian Palmer has written a very enjoyable and informative account of a young man’s (Ethan) journey, from star athlete with the typical teenager’s invincible persona, into an unintended slippery slide and the ridged grip of the deep emotional canyons of drug additions and STD. It is a realistic account of unconditional love, and tried patience of a faithful single mother (Angelina) and their next door neighbor (Popper) turned friend, and their exhaustive efforts to rescue this precious and deserving soul. This may sound like other bland, overly published novels you have read, or attempted to read, but it is not. Ian, a very observant, discriminating, inquisitive, and widely traveled person, has woven his and other people’s exceptional personal experiences into a journal of travels and expeditions to a wide variety of very well described places of interest in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico, all the while keeping you engaged with the concurrent emotional journey of Ethan. The comforting and constructive teachings surrounding the life of Jesus Christ are cleverly interwoven into casual conversations between the adults and the teen. This is a good read for those with interest in helping teens and others, and who have an interest in human nature, as well as in good dining, hiking and river running, and the general ups and downs of life’s smorgasbord of events. This book brought back fond memories, as I have visited and experienced many of the places so well described herein.

A Guide For All. Reviewed by Sandra Stiles.

This is a book I definitely want to put on my shelves at school. This book is as real as it gets for a fiction book. Ethan is a young high teenager who is headed down the wrong path in life. Lucky for him, his single parent mother and a good friend of the family’s they call Popper are there to help him. I absolutely loved the way the author took real life events, added stories from the Bible and lessons from life in general and put it all together in this one book. About the time I thought Ethan was cracking and was finally on the right track, something else would happen to him. I became distressed because I saw him harden his heart each time. I know that God won’t win them all because we have free choice. I saw how hard Satan was fighting to draw Ethan away from God. He was willing to take Ethan’s life if that was the only way he could keep Ethan. But God is victorious. I love that this book can be enjoyed by Christian and Non-Christian alike. I found the advice offered by the different characters in the book could be applied to so many teens today. Anyone who reads this book will find themselves in this book somewhere along the line. I’m not sure there are enough stars in the heaven to give to this book.

I love inspirational books. Reviewed by Kim McGrath.

I love inspirational books, movies, and quotes. I read Hiking to Heaven, which I loved. I was excited to read this your second book. I was able to relate to this story in a lot of ways. I too, am a single mother, with an absent father for my children. Also an alcoholic. As I was reading the book, I wanted to get right in there and help the mother, Angelina, and comfort Ethan and let him know it was going to be all right. You are very descriptive with your words, which makes it hard to put the book down. This book has it all!

A Down-to-Earth and Heavenly Story. Reviewed by R. Kidera.

“Weed and Water: Bringing the Resources of God to a Teenager” is an inspirational look at the modern task of informing the faith of a young man in our modern times. Told in a leisurely series of vignettes, it shows how patience and faith can be rewarded. Ethan, a young man often at odds with the world and those around him, suffers the consequences of his mistakes. The gentle guidance of a mentor named Popper and the mysteriously angelic “Jackson” nurture the seed of the young man’s faith as he struggles to accept divine love and the love of those around him. A gratifying and spiritful read!

Face the difficulties of growing up. Reviewed by Zissis M.

Popper, a single silver-haired scientist and avid hiker meets a single mother and her teen-age son in Albuquerque. The author narrates inspiring events that occur in the course of becoming a father figure of the family of Angelina and her son Ethan. The events are vivid and natural and happen during hikes around Albuquerque. They illuminate the problems that a teenager faces during adolescence, and a single mother faces raising her son. The stories have a deep spiritual Christian undertone and the author interjects stories from the bible. However, even for non-religious readers, the stories are realistic and the lessons from them are helpful for both young teen-agers and adult parent readers that face the difficulties of growing up and raising kids. I liked this book because it was easy to read and effectively provided advice and solutions for real problems in American society. I think it is a useful and inspiring reading for both teen-agers and their parents.

An awesome heartwarming read. Reviewed by Kim Buchholz.

Weed and Water is a literary journey from fear to faith. A young teen makes an unwise choice in life, which rocks his whole world. Popper, his neighbor and friend, helps to mentor him. With wisdom, compassion, and faith, Popper comes alongside the teen to get him to the other side, stronger. An awesome heartwarming read!

Ian has a great way of bringing his characters’ personalities to life. Reviewed by Paula Eubank.

I am only a quarter of the way into this book but am really enjoying it. Ian has a great way of bringing his characters’ personalities to life. He also describes the New Mexico landscapes so well, making me want to get out to explore for myself.

The importance of trusting relationships. Reviewed by Robyn Hood.

This book is a wonderful example of how important trusting relationships are. Tackles some challenging issues with courage. Great read.

If you love adventures and drama you must read this book. Reviewed by Kara McGrath.

I was impressed how Popper, the neighbor, was a great mentor to Ethan who did not have a father. They loved hiking together, rafting, and sports. I loved the different adventures in the southwest USA, and the drama that occurred during these times. For example when Popper and Ethan were canoeing in a flooded river and Popper almost drowned, a mysterious stranger appeared on the bank and told Ethan exactly how to rescue Popper. The stranger then disappeared. An intriguing part of the story is how Ethan, a troubled teenager into sex and drugs, tries to recover with the help of Popper and the river-stranger. The bad side of Ethan was when he treated his single mother very badly. A good side was when he rescued the dog in a tornado. This book has a lot of action which kept me turning the pages. I also liked the spiritual basis of the book which included aspects of forgiveness, grace, and love. Teenagers and adults would benefit from reading this book.

I enjoyed Ian’s book because it sounds authentic. Reviewed by Julian Pfitzner.

I enjoyed Ian’s book because it sounds authentic. He does not preach but gives examples of how Ethan, a person who is suffering from guilt, can be helped by those who care about him. Ian does not pretend that there are easy answers, although he does have the help of a coangel which most of us don’t have, as far as we know! His book is obviously located in an area he knows well and can clearly describe. My only concern was when Ian listed signs indicating that Christ’s return may be near. I found this part less convincing but others will feel differently. I have known Ian from university days together and it is wonderful to see how his faith has grown as has his willingness to share this faith through his books. They are simple in some ways but also quite deep and inspiring.

Balanced portrayal of teenage life through faith and science. Reviewed by Jessica Eubank.

In this book, Dr. Palmer uses dynamic characters and a mixture of faith and science to create a story of hope and perseverance. He does not shy away from delicate topics, but rather handles them through a balanced portrayal of life as a teenager will face it. One thing I especially loved about this book was the way Dr. Palmer infused his faith-based narrative with scientific facts. I believe we currently live in an academic culture that demands the separation of faith and science. However, as Dr. Palmer illustrates, all great scientific minds are working under the assumption of some form of faith. Instead of the current tendency to insist that faith and science remain separate, Dr. Palmer shows that they both should not and cannot be so. You know you are in for an interesting read when a chapter opens with a discussion of the Higgs Boson (God particle) to discuss how it is God who holds our lives together!

A love story, and a story of hope. Reviewed by Nancy.

This story is about a troubled boy who gets involved in drugs to bury pain and shame. He has several people who care about him and walk with him and pray through his journey to find freedom from drugs and acceptance by God. He and his family and friends share times of outdoor adventure and danger, all the while exploring life’s issues and learning to trust each other. The author poses many of life’s questions via the troubled teen, and gives well thought-out responses based on his own walk and growth of faith in Jesus. His love of the Southwest and outdoors also shines through his descriptions of the places of their adventures. This is a story of love and perseverance from many perspectives.

Great read, wonderful inspiration. Reviewed by Karen Larre.

This is an excellent book, illustrating the challenges faced by teenagers in our society and their typical responses to those challenges. This boy had a loving, patient family and supportive friends. He eventually became a follower of Jesus and turned his life around. A great read and inspirational for anyone looking for a lift; most especially teenagers struggling with life choices and their families.