Callie Hayes is just an average person, and although she possesses some talent as an artist, she possesses neither the self-confidence nor the determination to pursue that career. Instead she has a dead-end job that barely covers her living expenses. When her best friend suggests that they participate in a university experiment to earn a few extra dollars, Callie reluctantly agrees. Upon entering the university lab, Callie is immediately suspicious and wary. Something is not right; something weird is going on. Callie is not sure what it is, but she will learn soon enough. And what she learns will forever change her life.

"Arena" by Karen Hancock is classified as Christian Science Fiction, and it is. But it is more than that. It is a beautifully written allegory, and not just a simple allegory at that. Almost every key element in the book from the white road to the manual to asking for help, is allegorical. It is an action-packed page turner that will have you gasping aloud at the terrifying events that Callie experiences and thinking hard about their deeper meanings.

As a writer, I can not begin to express how impressed I was by this first novel from Karen Hancock. Allegories are not easy to write, and to tackle one as a first novel seems to me to be a mind-numbing challenge. Hancock succeeds in every area. "Arena" is not only an excellent allegory, but if you were to take the allegorical aspects out of the book, it would still be an excellent read.

Whenever I find a "new" author that I really like, I usually read everything that they've published. Unfortunately, since this is Hancock's debut novel, I will have to wait to read more from this great author. I hate waiting, but in this case, I know the wait will be more than worth it.

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Nancy Marie is the author of "When You Wish Upon A Star."