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Thomas Mark Zuniga
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Struggle Central: Quarter-Life Confessions of a Messed Up Christian Kindle Edition

by Thomas Mark Zuniga (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 94 ratings
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After an Eden’s upbringing in eastern Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Tom Zuniga’s world suddenly gave root to an alien existence of struggle. Initiated by an 800-mile move from the only home he’d ever known, he started warring in unforeseen ways: isolation at a Southern Baptist church and bullying at a Christian high school, all the while fiercely determined to conceal sexual secrets spanning his entire childhood. It wasn’t until after college with a fresh start in a new state and two pivotal summer excursions that a foreign thread of redemption started spinning among the struggle.

Struggle Central tells the quarter-life quest of an introverted Christian’s desperate cross-country search for purpose and belonging, both inside the Church and out. Brimming with tears of heartache and euphoria alike, Zuniga’s candid collection of “messy memoirs” follows life’s arduous journey through endless valleys and perilous climbs, reveling in the breathtaking peaks to be discovered along the way.

The 10-year-anniversary edition features a new afterword from Tom as he comes to greater grips with trauma and shame, his sexual identity within his faith, his "central struggle" in life, and his regrets and joys from writing this book a decade ago, along with all the other consequences in between.
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  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    199 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    May 19, 2023
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C414WV47
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 19, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.7 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 199 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 94 ratings

About the author

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Thomas Mark Zuniga

Thomas Mark Zuniga

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Thomas Mark Zuniga is the cofounder and editor of Your Other Brothers, a community navigating faith, homosexuality, and masculinity. Together. He hosts shows on Your Other Brothers Podcast Network and blogs regularly at yourotherbrothers.com and thomasmarkz.com. Tom lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina when not wandering away for weeks at a time. His favorite place is the space where coffee and vulnerability meet.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
94 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book inspiring and motivating. They describe the story as excellent, with a strong narrative. The author is praised for being honest, authentic, and true to his core. Readers praise the compelling writing style and craft with words. They value the author's vulnerability and openness in sharing his innermost thoughts.

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Inspirational messageStory qualityHonestyWriting styleEmpathyVulnerability
24 customers mention "Inspirational message"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring, enlightening, and motivating. They describe it as engaging, relatable, and profoundly moving. The autobiographical writing is organized by soul-bearing confessions that speak deeply to the heart.

"...Seriously, I could not put this book down. It proved to be such a compelling read that I unconsciously missed out on meals and sleep just to keep..." Read more

"...experiences mirror Tom’s in many ways, especially the skillfully worded feelings of isolation, pain, brokenness, and victory...." Read more

"...I found it to be profoundly moving because it challanged some of my deep presumptions about christian life which I'm regularly falling into...." Read more

"...It could use a little polish, yet Struggle Central is a touching read for anyone who struggles—that is, for any human being on Earth." Read more

19 customers mention "Story quality"19 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the memoir's story. They find it engaging with a strong narrative and poignant moments that make them cry. The author is described as a skilled storyteller who keeps the narrative flowing smoothly. Readers appreciate the raw life experiences depicted in the book.

"...Some of the stories were so poignant that I was brought to tears, and even if you don't feel your anxiety and struggles as intensely as Tom, we all..." Read more

"...On a literary level, Struggle Central has a surprisingly strong narrative. It recounts not a random string of events, but a structured story...." Read more

"...But Thomas did a great job not only defining his own personal struggles in this book that he has dealt with, but also showing that through these..." Read more

"...Nothing is sugar coated, it is raw and it is real and a painfully honest story of a young man’s struggle to come to manhood and not compromise his..." Read more

17 customers mention "Honesty"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's honesty. They find the book relatable and honest, with no holds barred. The author is authentic, vulnerable, and true to his core. Readers describe the book as raw, engaging, and a collection of confessions that show how great life can be when you least expect it.

"...of this account of Tom's is one that is beautifully written, gut wrenchingly honest, dripping with integrity, painfully tear soaked and joyfully..." Read more

"...He does not dramatize what happens; the truth is strangely addicting and raw...." Read more

"Amazingly vulnerable, exceptionally honest, directly relatable, and true to his core!..." Read more

"...Central: Quarter-Life Confessions of a Messed Up Christian is an honest, vulnerable memoir that never loses sight of its purpose...." Read more

16 customers mention "Writing style"16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's writing style and craft with words. They find the layout expertly structured and the book readable, with sentence fragments and one-sentence paragraphs for emphasis. The honest autobiographical account of a man's struggles in his first 25 years is well-written and detailed, yet simple. The writing style is engaging, readable, and informal, with sentence fragments.

"...my summation of this account of Tom's is one that is beautifully written, gut wrenchingly honest, dripping with integrity, painfully tear soaked..." Read more

"...many different things, Zuniga does a wonderful and elegant job at typing everything together. It's a quick read and worth the money and time." Read more

"Amazingly vulnerable, exceptionally honest, directly relatable, and true to his core!..." Read more

"...denominations grow more close in dialogue and show us how beautiful God is in His love for us...." Read more

14 customers mention "Empathy"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's empathy inspiring and encouraging. They appreciate the author's authenticity and raw emotions, which are laid before them in an engagingly honest way. Readers mention that the book provides a heartfelt expose of the pain and anxiety that he lived through. The author's experience is shared very honestly without any fake Christian-nonsense talk.

"...Zuniga is inspiring. He is intelligent, witty, and a hero. We watch as he grows in his vulnerability in life. We root for him...." Read more

"...Tom set out for “greater transparency and deeper empathy with others – to be known and known fully, struggles and all, and yet still accepted,..." Read more

"...The author's experience is shared very honestly, without any fake christian-nonsense talk. This is what I appreciate about this book very deeply...." Read more

"...admire Mr. Zuniga's candidness in this work; he provides a heartfelt expose of the pain and anxiety that he lived through to reconcile his..." Read more

11 customers mention "Vulnerability"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's vulnerability and honesty. They value his openness in sharing his innermost thoughts.

"Amazingly vulnerable, exceptionally honest, directly relatable, and true to his core!..." Read more

"...Quarter-Life Confessions of a Messed Up Christian is an honest, vulnerable memoir that never loses sight of its purpose...." Read more

"...Written with both, brutal honesty and vulnerability, struggle central takes you through Tom's journey to places of yourself you've never been able..." Read more

"...To be so open and vulnerable about one struggles as a boy growing up and as a young man trying to find his place in the world while keeping his..." Read more

Brave, honest and vulnerable!
5 out of 5 stars
Brave, honest and vulnerable!
This is a book that takes an extraordinary amount of courage to write. To be so open and vulnerable about one struggles as a boy growing up and as a young man trying to find his place in the world while keeping his faith is a herculean task. And to stay true to your beliefs surrounded by a culture that is bombarding you with: “whatever you want is OK, be true to your desires and do whatever makes you happy” is hard for a mature Christian man. A boy to go through this battle while being bullied and isolated and frightened while fighting demons of shame and self-loathing and to come through stronger is had to comprehend. Tom writes clearly about what it is like to grow up in today’s society and be willing to endure suffering and doubts and yet continuing to follow Jesus to the best of his ability. Nothing is sugar coated, it is raw and it is real and a painfully honest story of a young man’s struggle to come to manhood and not compromise his faith.Bob Harris
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kevin H. Browne
    5.0 out of 5 stars Please Read This Book
    Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Struggle Central: Quarter-Life Confessions of a Messed Up Christian

    I came across Thomas Mark Zuniga's first ever book quite by chance. Having a sense of what the content might be about, I purchased it on a whim and started reading.

    It did not take very long for me to realise that this was no ordinary account of one guy's quarter life story of struggle when discovering that he is gay. And just to add to the whole complex mix, being introverted and sporting a crushing sense of inferiority as well.

    Seriously, I could not put this book down. It proved to be such a compelling read that I unconsciously missed out on meals and sleep just to keep reading so that the rhythm of Tom's account, in beautifully crafted writing, tender one moment, raw the next was not interrupted.

    As I read, I found that I was journeying with Tom. I found myself cheering for him through the victories. I also found myself crying real tears for him through the agony. There were times when I figuratively speaking simply wanted to scoop him up, comfort him, protect him, whisper into his ear reassuring words of Christ's great love for him.

    This is testimony to Tom's compelling writing style and craft with words. It is also testimony to Tom's transparently laid-bare honesty in the recounting of his life.

    However, this is not simply a collection of beautifully crafted words (which they are). This is real life, Tom's life. And it is way more than this even. Tom points beyond himself.

    It becomes very clear that his struggle is really no different to anyone else's. We are all in some way, shape or form, bearing burdens no less agonising than those borne by Tom. To quote Tom in a recent conversation:

    "We are all lost and in need of redemption. Thank goodness Christ offers that redemption to each one of us struggling souls."

    In conclusion, my summation of this account of Tom's is one that is beautifully written, gut wrenchingly honest, dripping with integrity, painfully tear soaked and joyfully hopeful.

    It demonstrates so very clearly why no gay person should ever be placed in a position where they feel too frightened to `come out'.

    Please read this book.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Jaymie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Vulnerability mixed with humor, Zuniga ties everything together
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this book with the intention to understand a couple of my friends. I came out understanding more about myself.

    Tom Zuniga is a fantastic writer. Not one for nonfiction, I found myself unable to tear myself away from each chapter to see what would happen next in Zuniga's life. He does not dramatize what happens; the truth is strangely addicting and raw. If you've ever read Donald Miller, the blatant vulnerability found in Zuniga's work reminds me of Miller's humorous vulnerability. How does one do that? How does one simultaneously break your heart out of compassion for a broken boy and then broken young man while also making you laugh out loud? Zuniga does it. And he does it well.

    I do not have the same struggles as Zuniga. Yet I found myself so drawn to him, as if he was a close friend. He writes the way that one tells an interesting story -as if I was sitting across the table even though I have never met him. Also, I was able to connect. I left the book with a refueled passion for camps and the desire to hop in my car and make my own cross-country voyage.

    Zuniga is inspiring. He is intelligent, witty, and a hero. We watch as he grows in his vulnerability in life. We root for him. And we see ourselves in him.

    I highly recommend reading this book if you have ever struggled with ANY of the following: being bullied, feeling isolated, social anxiety (though he calls it being an introvert, it is clear that he has severe social anxiety), sexuality, finding a church, insecurity in your gender role or body, or connecting with others. If you ever thought that writing or road trips or camps could possibly heal broken hearts, this is a book I suggest. Though he tackles many different things, Zuniga does a wonderful and elegant job at typing everything together. It's a quick read and worth the money and time.
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  • red
    5.0 out of 5 stars True to the Core
    Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Amazingly vulnerable, exceptionally honest, directly relatable, and true to his core!

    Tom set out for “greater transparency and deeper empathy with others – to be known and known fully, struggles and all, and yet still accepted, embraced, loved.” This book successfully displays Tom’s pursuit.

    Each reader has the opportunity to step into the life of Tom. And each individual won’t be able to step away from this book without thinking over their own personal struggles.

    As soon as I read the first couple pages I was hooked and immediately stepped into the pages. I wasn’t able to stop reading. Tom allowed me the opportunity to “live” alongside him through each happy and difficult moment he chose to share. I tearfully, yet joyfully re-experienced much of my own life in each chapter. My experiences mirror Tom’s in many ways, especially the skillfully worded feelings of isolation, pain, brokenness, and victory.

    A year younger than Tom and having experienced the same struggles, I have a deep appreciation for his vulnerability and honesty. Tom’s words encourage my desire to be just as honest and vulnerable when God provides the opportunity to do so.

    My hope is that each reader recognizes that there are many men and woman alike that have dealt and continue to deal with similar struggles. Tom brings clarity of what is needed, (in a time where too many people, especially the church, are naively unaware) a need for true Christ followers to discover how to be open and provide authentic community to help those desiring help. We each have intrinsic worth, no matter the flavor of struggle. I will without a doubt recommend this book.

    Thank you Tom for allowing Christ to do a work in you and may He continue to do a work through you. God bless you brother.
    One person found this helpful
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