"What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." " Mark 7:20-23 (ESV)
The cover of Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn gushes that "Being inside Gideon's mind is like reading the diary of a guy you have a huge crush on". It promises teenage girls an insight into the minds of males.
Seeking to explain how guys think is a bold task. Gideon begins his new school as likeable but nervous. Even in the early stages he provides glimpses of immorality. He becomes more confident inside and out as time goes by and he settles in. He shows that being confident does not always help you stay likeable.
One girl is given a special ability: the ability to know what Gideon is thinking. As she tells his story, she becomes emotionally attached. She gets jealous and excited but also becomes aloof and detached at key moments.
Gideon's thoughts, or at least the thoughts worthy of being narrated, tend to be caught up in the challenges and conquests of boy-girl relationships. These relationships are always difficult, but Gideon's roommates increase the pressure on him by making a wager.
Because of the wager, we see relationships pursued for poor reasons. The characters manipulate each other to achieve their own ends.
Utilising all that is good about the form of the novel, the reader is given a typical teen-flick formula (just to be sure, that is a chick-flick for teens). We are also offered a mystery plot and kept ignorant of the female narrator's identity. It's a conceit that would not work anywhere near as well in a film.
The idea that someone can know Gideon's thoughts should function as a reminder and challenge to any reader. Would we be ashamed of our thoughts if someone else knew what we were thinking? Would our thoughts end up making us hide when exposed for all to see? I found myself wanting to continually judge Gideon, but having God convict my own heart instead.
In Gideon's behaviour we see the negative effects of under-age drinking, illicit drug use and excessive sexual behaviour. In the novel, partying doesn't win, but neither does chastity. The plotline's subject matter is often unhelpful, but no more unhelpful than those regularly presented on television and movie screens.
We get to see inside Gideon's mind and observe that he needs saving. However, salvation doesn't come from loving a girl who loves him back. Even one who knows his thoughts.
Vanity, jealousy, pursuits of pleasure and dishonesty are all signs of our broken and sinful world. But to reshape the world, we don't need more moral teens. We need teens with a changed heart. Thankfully for us, God understands this more than we do.
