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saint_sunlight's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book so much in middle school that I've spent years trying to find it. I loved Merciful, and I felt so bad for her. I know how this book ends, and I still want to read it again.
inkwiththestars's review against another edition
3.0
The book was pretty good, but the ending wasn’t my favorite. It kept me interested throughout most of it, but when it leaned more heavily into the religious aspect, I didn’t really care for it. This book definitely isn’t for everyone, maybe even including me. I’ve had this book for quite some time, so I’m happy I was able to finally read it. Though if you’re interested, give it a try.
asimilarkite's review against another edition
3.0
Review written for WASHYARG (Washington Young Adult Review Group).
Teen siblings Merciful and Gospel Truth’s mother has died, and it’s too cold to bury her. The winter is colder than usual, and there isn’t really anyone left in the small rural area where they live to help out. People have been disappearing more and more, and the only people left are the Widow Cally who lives across the field, and Jenny Gone, but she’s too far away to walk to in the frigid weather. There’s also the Minister, of course, but how can a talking animal (who is really only there for spiritual guidance and protection, anyway) help with this problem? So Merciful and Gospel do the only thing they can do – they leave their dead mother under the kitchen table and wait. Unfortunately, it seems that their mother doesn’t really want to stay dead. And there’s also the mysterious fog of nothingness that begins to close in around the Truth house. In this bizarre and atmospheric debut novel by Jason Vanhee, unnerving energy pervades. The mixture of religion, shape shifting animals, re-animating bodies, and apocalyptic events combine to create an offbeat horror story. Teens who enjoy cerebral and psychological horror will be intrigued by the atmosphere and the setting, though the bizarre plot may be confusing and off-putting to some readers. There is no question that Vanhee is an inventive and unique new voice, and a master at creating a creepy atmosphere.
Teen siblings Merciful and Gospel Truth’s mother has died, and it’s too cold to bury her. The winter is colder than usual, and there isn’t really anyone left in the small rural area where they live to help out. People have been disappearing more and more, and the only people left are the Widow Cally who lives across the field, and Jenny Gone, but she’s too far away to walk to in the frigid weather. There’s also the Minister, of course, but how can a talking animal (who is really only there for spiritual guidance and protection, anyway) help with this problem? So Merciful and Gospel do the only thing they can do – they leave their dead mother under the kitchen table and wait. Unfortunately, it seems that their mother doesn’t really want to stay dead. And there’s also the mysterious fog of nothingness that begins to close in around the Truth house. In this bizarre and atmospheric debut novel by Jason Vanhee, unnerving energy pervades. The mixture of religion, shape shifting animals, re-animating bodies, and apocalyptic events combine to create an offbeat horror story. Teens who enjoy cerebral and psychological horror will be intrigued by the atmosphere and the setting, though the bizarre plot may be confusing and off-putting to some readers. There is no question that Vanhee is an inventive and unique new voice, and a master at creating a creepy atmosphere.
venusfawn's review against another edition
3.0
This was...not what I expected. I was expecting something like ghosts or even zombies, and instead I got possession by people from another...dimension, I guess? Not that this was a bad thing; in fact I found this premise rather fascinating. The idea that there could be a sort of alternate world or reality that sometimes links up with ours, driving people insane, allowing a person's counterpart to take them over, is all very interesting.
The reasons this didn't get a higher rating than 3 stars from me are 1) the writing style was often difficult to read. I understand that Merciful and Gospel were meant to be simple mountain folk and talked as such, but the language was hard to deal with. Also I don't know if the author just wanted to showcase that their world was vastly different from ours, or if he was simply wanting to portray religious people as sounding painfully uneducated. Regardless, I had a hard time with it. And 2) I never felt like the story was truly complete. I know some people like having things left to the imagination, and sometimes I do too, but not with books. Especially not books like this. For all the doomsday phenomenon occurring, I was hoping there would be a little more concrete explanation of what the hell was going on, and I felt like there were holes.
This was likely intentional; I know some writers prefer to not fill in all the gaps and leave it to us the readers to speculate on it. That's just not my preference, so for these reasons I couldn't really rate it any higher. Still, the concept took me by surprise and caught my attention. I feel like this would translate well to a movie. A really, really weird movie.
The reasons this didn't get a higher rating than 3 stars from me are 1) the writing style was often difficult to read. I understand that Merciful and Gospel were meant to be simple mountain folk and talked as such, but the language was hard to deal with. Also I don't know if the author just wanted to showcase that their world was vastly different from ours, or if he was simply wanting to portray religious people as sounding painfully uneducated. Regardless, I had a hard time with it. And 2) I never felt like the story was truly complete. I know some people like having things left to the imagination, and sometimes I do too, but not with books. Especially not books like this. For all the doomsday phenomenon occurring, I was hoping there would be a little more concrete explanation of what the hell was going on, and I felt like there were holes.
This was likely intentional; I know some writers prefer to not fill in all the gaps and leave it to us the readers to speculate on it. That's just not my preference, so for these reasons I couldn't really rate it any higher. Still, the concept took me by surprise and caught my attention. I feel like this would translate well to a movie. A really, really weird movie.
kazalicious's review against another edition
1.0
Totally not my kind of book. Religious weird, not fun quirky weird. Not weird to prove points, just out there far enough to be weird and that's all.
mmichellemoore's review against another edition
4.0
Creepy, and atmospheric definitely scared me at points. Off to read something else before I get nightmares
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
4.0
This was fun.*
Longer review to come closer to pub date.
*Fun for people who love creepy stories, books that will likely make some readers very uncomfortable or angry, and for those who love any or all of the following: possession, bloodshed, false idols and prophecies, and ministers in the shape of the very animals you know and love which may live in or outside your own home. The ending is exactly how I like my horror novels to end. It was very satisfying and rewarding with no cheap way out. SO GOOD.
Longer review to come closer to pub date.
*Fun for people who love creepy stories, books that will likely make some readers very uncomfortable or angry, and for those who love any or all of the following: possession, bloodshed, false idols and prophecies, and ministers in the shape of the very animals you know and love which may live in or outside your own home. The ending is exactly how I like my horror novels to end. It was very satisfying and rewarding with no cheap way out. SO GOOD.
angelcwrites's review against another edition
1.0
Maybe I'm missing something, but this book was one of the most haphazard and confusing reads I've had in a long time. Also not quite sure what the point religion was supposed to serve in the story: if it was supposed to be a commentary on Christianity, belief or lack of, free will, or divine retribution. Characters drawn in broad strokes make it hard to understand the motivation behind their choices.
Longer review to come in October.
Longer review to come in October.
pacey1927's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this book sounded like a great read. Its the story of the end of the world. Merciful and her older brother Gospel are left a alone with a man made 'thing' called the Minister after their mother dies. Quickly readers are informed that all of the known world has already disappeared. The book's blurb leads you to believe that maybe their mother isn't fully dead...
Yes, all that intro was pretty thrilling and for a brief while I was very engrossed and I did end up reading the book in a couple of days which is pretty quick for me here lately. However the world is drawn purposely confusing. First the Minister is a cat, then a dog, then a squirrel and so on. Yet Mericiful only see knows him as whatever she sees at the time. Her memories are being clogged. We never know who is really good and who is evil. We never know who is has the children's best interest in mind or who and what does not.
Nearly all of the book takes place with a cast of six or so characters and almost all in the same setting. This could work but here is doesn't as we aren't allowed to see how the world really came to be this way. The story concludes abruptly. I don't need a happy ending in every book but this seemed like almost no ending at all. And I read other reviews that said that the religion in this book isn't jammed down your throat, but I thought it was. Even worse whatever point the author was trying to make about religion went over my head. I'm not sure this book really fits its intended young audience either.
Yes, all that intro was pretty thrilling and for a brief while I was very engrossed and I did end up reading the book in a couple of days which is pretty quick for me here lately. However the world is drawn purposely confusing. First the Minister is a cat, then a dog, then a squirrel and so on. Yet Mericiful only see knows him as whatever she sees at the time. Her memories are being clogged. We never know who is really good and who is evil. We never know who is has the children's best interest in mind or who and what does not.
Nearly all of the book takes place with a cast of six or so characters and almost all in the same setting. This could work but here is doesn't as we aren't allowed to see how the world really came to be this way. The story concludes abruptly. I don't need a happy ending in every book but this seemed like almost no ending at all. And I read other reviews that said that the religion in this book isn't jammed down your throat, but I thought it was. Even worse whatever point the author was trying to make about religion went over my head. I'm not sure this book really fits its intended young audience either.