At a glance
SettingFirst-century Israel and Rome
AudienceYA (12-18)
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for: Young adult readers aged 12–18 — and parents, educators, or youth-group leaders choosing for them — who want genre adventure set across first-century Israel and Rome and are open to fiction that places Christian questions of calling and identity at the centre of the plot.
Worth it? Skip it? Read the full verdict →Ask LuvemBooks
Was this helpful?
The Reboot closes out Hiemstra's two-book Jeez and the Gentile series by sending eighteen-year-old Tom on a time-travel journey through bandit-ravaged first-century Israel and onward to Rome, wrestling with the central question of whose ambition he has been living. Purpose-built for faith-oriented YA readers ages 12–18, it blends historical-adventure excitement with an explicitly Christian argument about vocation and calling. Readers seeking religiously neutral fiction will find the theological framework central rather than incidental, and the book works best for those who have already read Book 1.
- Is it worth reading?
- For its intended audience — YA readers ages 12–18 who are open to faith-integrated adventure fiction — The Reboot delivers on its promise: a wide historical and geographical canvas stretching from first-century Israel to Rome, a character-driven through-line about identity and vocation, and a fully resolved narrative arc for both Tom and Jeez. Reviewers connected with the book through the publisher's platform describe it as 'both imaginative and deeply grounded in timeless truths,' and critic Brien Benson highlighted how the Judeo-Roman world's intrigues are woven into the protagonists' personal searches. The key caveat is that the Christian thematic framework — vocation, calling, spiritual identity — is text, not subtext, and some YA readers may find the story's spiritual argument occasionally overtaking its narrative momentum. Readers already invested in the series after Book 1 will find the strongest payoff.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to The Reboot's blend of time-displacement, historical setting, and questions of identity will find common ground with several titles. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs similarly combines a young protagonist crossing temporal boundaries with high-stakes adventure and a strong sense of a hidden, layered world. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak shares the first-century-adjacent instinct of embedding a young person's coming-of-age story within a meticulously rendered historical backdrop charged with life-and-death stakes. The Lost Crystals: A Young Adult Adventure Novel by Greg Blair and The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton round out the YA adventure shelf for readers who want narratives where identity, belonging, and purpose are central concerns.
- Who should read this?
- The Reboot is purpose-built for young adult readers ages 12–18 who are open to, or actively seeking, fiction that integrates Christian faith with genre adventure. It fits naturally into faith-based school curricula, church youth programs, and home libraries where parents want YA adventure that engages questions of identity and vocation. Readers who completed Jeez and the Gentile (Book 1) are the ideal audience, as the emotional payoff of both Tom's and Jeez's arcs depends on that prior investment. Readers seeking religiously neutral or secular speculative fiction are not the target audience.
- What age is it for?
- Best for ages 12 and up. The publisher sets the reading range at 12–18, aligning with the YA category, and the novel's split-time adventure structure, period-specific historical detail spanning first-century Israel and Rome, and thematic engagement with identity, vocation, and faith suit readers with the reading comprehension and life-stage relevance to engage those questions meaningfully. Younger readers below 12 may find the historical and theological layers less accessible.
- What are the main themes?
- The Reboot is built around the question of vocation versus borrowed ambition: what happens when a person — in this case Tom, pursuing medicine at his grandparents' urging — takes on someone else's goals and loses sight of their own calling? Hiemstra embeds this theological argument directly into the plot mechanics, so Tom's time-travel displacement is not merely an adventure device but the narrative engine of his spiritual and personal formation. Jeez's parallel arc — answering the call of a broken world — runs alongside Tom's, giving the novel dual protagonist arcs that both resolve within the completed duology. The faith content focuses on the Christian concept of a God-given calling distinct from externally imposed ambition.
- Where does this fit in the series?
- The Reboot is Book 2 of 2 in the Jeez and the Gentile series, making it the concluding volume of a completed duology. It is designed to be read after Jeez and the Gentile (Book 1), which establishes the character relationships and world-building that The Reboot's emotional payoff depends on. The series concludes with this volume, giving readers a fully resolved narrative arc for both Tom and Jeez — making the two books together a complete, self-contained read.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
What age is it for?
What are the main themes?
Where does this fit in the series?
Summarize this book
The Reboot is the concluding volume of Stephen W. Hiemstra's Jeez and the Gentile duology, following eighteen-year-old college student Tom as he is pulled back in time to first-century Israel. Alongside Jeez, Tom traverses bandit-ravaged roads, serves as a Roman auxiliary, and braves a perilous sea voyage to Rome — all while confronting the central dramatic question of whether he has been pursuing medicine for himself or merely to satisfy his grandparents' ambitions. Period-specific perils — the sword of Tiberius, Poseidon's storm, and the political intrigues of the Judeo-Roman world — provide the adventure backdrop against which both Tom and Jeez ultimately discover their true callings. Published by T2Pneuma Publishers LLC, the novel is designed as a faith-rooted, split-time YA adventure that resolves both protagonists' arcs.
Follow up
What order should I read the series?
Where and when is the story set?
What are the main themes?
Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review
Press Enter to ask. Answers come from our editorial Q&A — start typing to see related questions.
Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Ages 12–18
Reading level
Young adult
Content to know about
period adventure violence (bandit attacks, sea peril, Roman military conflict)
Best for: Ages 12+ — the split-time historical narrative, theological themes of vocation and calling, and multi-layered Judeo-Roman setting suit readers with the reading comprehension and life-stage context to engage them meaningfully
Skip if you're looking for YA adventure fiction with a secular or religiously neutral stance
Editorial Review
The Reboot is the concluding volume of Stephen W. Hiemstra's Jeez and the Gentile series, sending eighteen-year-old college student Tom back through time to walk dangerous roads in first-century Israel and brave a sea voyage to Rome alongside Jeez — a journey designed to strip away borrowed ambitions and reveal both characters' true callings.
Read the Full ReviewBooks like The Reboot
Curated picks for readers who enjoyed The Reboot, with our reasoning for each match.
If you liked The Reboot
