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The Reboot (Jeez and the Gentile) by Stephen W. Hiemstra Review: Faith-Driven Time-Travel Adventure for Teens
The Reboot is the second book in Stephen W. Hiemstra's Jeez and the Gentile series, published by T2Pneuma Publishers LLC, and follows bitter twelve-year-old Tom on a supernatural journey from a grief-stricken funeral to first-century Israel and Rome, where he travels alongside a young Jesus as a Roman auxiliary — a Christian adventure novella aimed squarely at readers aged 12 to 18.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Faith-curious readers aged 12–18 who enjoy historical adventure and are open to a coming-of-age story in which both a grieving modern boy and a young, humanised Jesus wrestle with identity and calling — particularly those who have already read Book 1 of the Jeez and the Gentile series.
Worth it if
Worth it if you want a compact (154-page), faith-integrated YA adventure that takes its inciting trauma seriously and carries its spiritual themes across genuinely varied ancient terrain — from Galilean bandit trails to a sea crossing toward Rome.
Skip if
Skip it if you haven't read Book 1 (the sequel assumes that relational groundwork), if you're looking for secular time-travel adventure, or if an explicitly Christian worldview woven into the narrative structure rather than sitting lightly alongside it will feel constraining.
What readers & critics say
Independent critical coverage of this specific title is sparse, as it comes from a smaller Christian imprint; the publisher's own site (t2pneuma.com) characterises the book as "imaginative and deeply grounded in timeless truths." The one Kirkus review retrieved covers a separate Hiemstra nonfiction theological work rather than this novel, so no independent professional review of The Reboot itself was available for synthesis.
Sources: T2Pneuma PublishersIn This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Is and What Happens
- Premise, Genre, and Place in the Series
- Strengths: Adventure, Historical Setting, and Thematic Ambition
- Audience Fit and Accessibility
- Limitations and Considerations
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Dual coming-of-age structure pairs a grieving modern boy with a young Jesus navigating his own calling — an imaginative premise within Christian YA fiction
- Action-adventure scaffolding carries the spiritual themes across varied ancient settings, from bandit-ravaged Israeli trails to a sea voyage toward Rome
- Compact novella length (154 pages) keeps the pace accessible for the 12–18 target age range
- Concludes a two-book arc, offering readers a complete narrative journey across the series
What Doesn't
- Reads as a direct sequel and assumes familiarity with Book 1, which may leave new readers without full relational context
- Published by a smaller Christian imprint with limited independent critical coverage, making it harder to assess reception beyond publisher-sourced commentary
- The explicitly Christian framework is structural, not incidental — readers seeking secular historical adventure will find it a poor fit
A faith-forward YA adventure novella, The Reboot delivers its young protagonist from modern-day grief into the ancient world in the company of a teenage Jesus.
What the Book Is and What Happens
Back cover with synopsis, author biography, review quote, and barcode.
The Reboot picks up the story of Tom, a bitter twelve-year-old whose father has been killed in a police drug raid gone wrong. At his father's funeral, Tom falls asleep during the eulogies and wakes up in AD 15 on the road to Sepphoris in ancient Israel, where he encounters an eighteen-year-old Jeez — a young Jesus who is himself wrestling with the pull to wander from his calling. The two are thrown together as Roman auxiliaries and set off on a journey that takes them through bandit-ravaged trails in Israel, on to Caesarea Philippi, and eventually on a high-risk sea voyage to Rome. This is the second and concluding volume in the two-book Jeez and the Gentile series published by T2Pneuma Publishers LLC, and it builds directly on the world and relationship established in the first installment.
Premise, Genre, and Place in the Series
Hiemstra situates the book firmly within Christian YA fiction, using the time-travel device not as pure fantasy escapism but as a vehicle for faith formation and discipleship. The pairing of a grieving, angry modern boy with a young Jesus navigating his own sense of purpose gives the story a dual coming-of-age structure that is relatively unusual within the genre. The series is explicitly designed for readers aged 12 to 18, and The Reboot is labeled Book 2 of 2, making it the intended culmination of Tom's arc. Hiemstra is a prolific author within Christian publishing, with a catalog that includes novellas, screenplays, and devotional works; the Jeez and the Gentile series represents his YA fiction output as of 2025.
Strengths: Adventure, Historical Setting, and Thematic Ambition
The verified record shows that the novel moves across genuinely varied ancient terrain — from Galilean roads through to a sea crossing toward Rome — framing its spiritual themes within an action-adventure structure. The publisher describes the book as an adventure story, and a blurb on the publisher's own site characterizes it as "imaginative and deeply grounded in timeless truths." For readers who enjoy historical fiction set in the Roman-era Near East, the route through Caesarea Philippi and across the Mediterranean offers geographic and cultural range. The story's willingness to portray Jesus as a teenager who faces his own temptation to stray from his vocation is an imaginative choice that sets it apart from more conventional biblical retellings aimed at young audiences.
Audience Fit and Accessibility
The 12-to-18 reading age designation is clearly intentional: Tom's inciting wound — the violent, traumatic loss of his father — is serious subject matter, and the story does not appear to soften it. Readers who are comfortable with faith-integrated storytelling and who approach the portrayal of a youthful Jesus with openness will find the most to engage with here. The novella format (the book runs to 154 pages) keeps the pace tight and the commitment modest, which suits younger readers or those who may be new to historical Christian fiction. Readers looking for a secular time-travel adventure without religious content will find this a poor match, as the Christian worldview is structural to the narrative rather than incidental.
Limitations and Considerations
Because The Reboot is Book 2 of 2, readers who have not encountered the first volume — Jeez and the Gentile — may find themselves without the relational context that the sequel assumes. The series is published by T2Pneuma Publishers LLC, a smaller Christian imprint, meaning it has not received the broad mainstream review coverage that larger YA releases attract; the bulk of available commentary comes from the publisher's own channels rather than independent critical outlets, which limits the depth of external reception data. Some readers outside the target faith community may find the explicitly Christian framework more prescriptive than the adventure framing initially suggests.
Frequently Asked Questions
is The Reboot (Jeez and the Gentile) by Stephen W. Hiemstra worth reading for christian teens
If you're a teen reader (or buying for one) who's open to faith-integrated storytelling, it offers something genuinely uncommon: a dual coming-of-age structure pairing a grieving modern boy, Tom, with an eighteen-year-old Jesus who is himself wrestling with the pull to stray from his calling. The adventure moves through bandit-ravaged Galilean roads, Caesarea Philippi, and a sea voyage toward Rome, so the spiritual themes ride inside a real action-adventure frame. Readers who want secular time-travel fiction without religious content will find it a poor fit, as the Christian worldview is structural to the narrative, not incidental.
what is The Reboot (Jeez and the Gentile) by Stephen W. Hiemstra actually about
Tom, a bitter twelve-year-old whose father has been killed in a police drug raid gone wrong, falls asleep at his father's funeral and wakes up in AD 15 on the road to Sepphoris in ancient Israel, where he meets an eighteen-year-old Jeez — a young Jesus — and the two are thrown together as Roman auxiliaries. Their journey carries them from Galilean trails through Caesarea Philippi and onto a high-risk sea voyage to Rome. Hiemstra uses the time-travel device not as pure fantasy escapism but as a vehicle for faith formation and discipleship, making this a Christian adventure novella at its core.
do i need to read the first book before The Reboot (Jeez and the Gentile) by Stephen W. Hiemstra
Yes — The Reboot is Book 2 of 2 in the Jeez and the Gentile series, and the reviewer specifically flags that readers who haven't read the first volume, Jeez and the Gentile, may find themselves without the relational context the sequel assumes. It's designed as the intended culmination of Tom's arc, building directly on the world and relationship established in the first installment. Starting here without the first book is likely to leave you missing important groundwork.
what age is The Reboot (Jeez and the Gentile) by Stephen W. Hiemstra appropriate for
Best for ages 12 and up. Tom's inciting wound — the violent, traumatic loss of his father in a police drug raid gone wrong — is serious subject matter that suits early adolescence and above, and the reviewer notes the story does not appear to soften it. The novella length of 154 pages and tight pacing make it accessible across the full 12–18 range, including younger teens new to historical Christian fiction.
is The Reboot (Jeez and the Gentile) by Stephen W. Hiemstra too short / is it a full novel
At 154 pages, it's a novella rather than a full-length novel, which the reviewer frames as a genuine strength: the shorter format keeps the pace tight and the commitment modest, suiting younger readers or those new to historical Christian fiction. If you're hoping for an expansive, deeply detailed historical epic, that's a real caveat to weigh. For readers who want an accessible, fast-moving adventure without a huge time investment, the length works in its favor.
how does The Reboot (Jeez and the Gentile) by Stephen W. Hiemstra portray jesus — is it controversial
Hiemstra portrays Jesus as an eighteen-year-old — called Jeez in the story — who is himself wrestling with the pull to wander from his calling, which the reviewer describes as an imaginative choice that sets it apart from more conventional biblical retellings aimed at young audiences. Readers who approach that portrayal with openness will find the most to engage with, but those who are uncomfortable with a humanized, adolescent depiction of Jesus may find it challenging. It's worth knowing upfront that this youthful, uncertain characterization of Jesus is central to the entire story, not a minor element.
is The Reboot (Jeez and the Gentile) by Stephen W. Hiemstra good for kids who like historical fiction
It's a solid pick if they enjoy Roman-era settings — the story moves through genuinely varied ancient terrain, from Galilean roads to Caesarea Philippi to a Mediterranean sea crossing toward Rome, giving it real geographic and cultural range. The publisher describes it as an adventure story, so the historical backdrop frames action rather than dry exposition. The big caveat is that the Christian faith framework is structural throughout, so it's best matched to readers who are either already comfortable with faith-integrated fiction or are open to it.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- 1
- 2
t2pneuma.com
- 3
waterstones.com
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