This Changes Things is an inspirational novel on social issues. In the first of 19 chapters, author Ben Sharpton introduces readers to seven characters that they will get to know more fully in the pages that lie ahead. Jim Bishop is the main character, who experiences the transformation, and Reverend Allen Rhodes, CEO Kerry Noland, computer programmer Todd Sanders, nurse Angela Griffin, and homeless people Sheryl and Gene all play a role in Jim’s awakening. The intricacies of these relationships created by Sharpton are what propel the reader forward. Nearly all of the characters appear in each chapter, so the pace doesn’t slow. In the end, Jim isn’t the only one who is transformed; so are other characters and, quite possibly, the reader as well.

The opening hook is a car racing down the street to a hospital, a telephone call acting as “the checkered flag” which initiates the action. Chapter by chapter, day by day, incident by incident, readers are drawn into This Changes Things. Author Ben Sharpton’s writing ensures that readers continue turning page after page as they learn more about the interesting cast of characters, from their pasts to their current problems, and their hopes for their futures. Along the way, readers recognize that This Changes Things is a microcosm of societal issues: homelessness, single mothers, abusive relationships, gun control, veterans’ mental health, suicide, and more. While Jim experiences his arc, the other characters are also changed. Perhaps the reader will be awakened, too.

A hit-and-run accident defines the lives of six people in the poignant social issues novel This Changes Things: The Awakening of Jim Bishop by Ben Sharpton. While hurrying home from work, Kerry Noland runs down a young man and his bicycle with her car, and then races away from the scene. Running late for his date, Todd Sanders is also hurrying down the street when he runs over a bicycle. Believing he killed the cyclist, Todd calls the police and turns himself in. While driving by the accident scene, Reverend Allen Rhodes stops to help, and - unseen and unknown - a young pregnant woman named Sheryl witnesses it all. Jim Bishop's wife, Jean, suddenly has a stroke on the sidewalk, and a group of homeless people assists her while waiting for an ambulance. With his world turned upside down, Jim struggles to find meaning in his life. Angela is an emergency room nurse that is there for each of their crises. Unbeknownst to the six people, they all play essential parts in each other's future.

The novel This Changes Things by Ben Sharpton is a heart-rending story that covers several complex social issues. The author has done a great job of subtly portraying homelessness, racism, abuse, and suicide. I like how these points are the undertone of the plot and how the author deals with each one in a realistic and very human manner. The strands of the plot are told from each of the six characters' points of view, giving the reader insight into their feelings and experiences. Intricately woven, the novel is heartbreaking, inspiring, and very real, and I recommend it to those who love a deep and meaningful read that addresses social issues.