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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love the idea of a good Christian thriller, but this one just didn't thrill me in the least...
"You are not Jesus Christ!" Nichols gazed down at the woman weeping, hugging his feet, and at the crowd of followers staring at him in awe. In a chilling, hushed voice he replied, "I am now."
I pushed myself through this out of pure spite.
This may be partly on me. Having this in my recommendations as being akin to Stephen King among others, a fast-paced pandemonious thrill fest was just what I was hungry for.
Perhaps Peretti being called "the king of the Christian fiction genre" on the back blurb should have scared me off. If not, maybe the author's introduction should have. But I persevered, I had spent good money on my second hand copy (€1), and I would get my money's worth. I still fear I've been robbed.
Peretti's Antioch, WA is a small town inhabited by stereotypes and one-dimensional characters, creative masterstrokes such as "female minister who looks like Janis Joplin, and also sounds like Janis Joplin. She also sang in a band, like Janis Joplin", "delinquent teen recognizable by a streak of green hair" and "Nam vet in camo pants owning a hardware store, Lt. Dan- uh, Matt Kiley".
This colorful cast of characters is shaken up when stereotypical Jesus(n't) arrives. Travis Jordan, burnt-out flaming pentecostal minister, is the only one who can save Antioch from this second coming.
Peretti's heavy handedness does not help his writing. Looney Tunes-tie wearing pentecostal Kyle is the only religious leader critical of the new miracle worker, immediately judging his miraculous healings as work of the devil. No real explanation is given why the pentecostals are the only ones not deceived, but I suppose it's the only logical course for Peretti.
In similar vein Catholics' belief in miraculous images is superstition played for laughs, though the reader is expected to take speaking in tongues and healing through prayer by a pentecostal minister at face value. All the while preaching "It's not my church or your church or which tradition is right or how many candles we light - it's knowing Jesus for who he is" seems more than a little disingenuous.
That's not even speaking of passages such as "We'd had our disagreements, sometimes nose to nose, mostly through her editorials and my dissenting letters to the editor, but it never got nasty. She won a few - I had to concede I only had half the story on Christopher Columbus. But I won some myself - she turned dead set against partial-birth abortion." oof, or his referring to a character as "Middle-Eastern'', not only as a description of his appearance but as his name (i.e. "x said Middle-Eastern", "Middle-Eastern did") Yikes.
Much of this I could have overlooked if Peretti hadn't committed the unforgivable sin of making a book about the coming of the Antichrist boring. The extensive flashbacks to the escapades of a young and infuriatingly naive and arrogant Travis Jordan suck all momentum out of the plot, while only serving the purpose of introducing characters and places so they can be used in the present-time, and making me wonder why I should be rooting for our protagonist.
In the end,
The pace does pick up quickly in the last 100 pages, but it's too little too late to offer any salvation. I'm not sure who this novel was written for, but it wasn't for me.
I pushed myself through this out of pure spite.
This may be partly on me. Having this in my recommendations as being akin to Stephen King among others, a fast-paced pandemonious thrill fest was just what I was hungry for.
Perhaps Peretti being called "the king of the Christian fiction genre" on the back blurb should have scared me off. If not, maybe the author's introduction should have. But I persevered, I had spent good money on my second hand copy (€1), and I would get my money's worth. I still fear I've been robbed.
Peretti's Antioch, WA is a small town inhabited by stereotypes and one-dimensional characters, creative masterstrokes such as "female minister who looks like Janis Joplin, and also sounds like Janis Joplin. She also sang in a band, like Janis Joplin", "delinquent teen recognizable by a streak of green hair" and "Nam vet in camo pants owning a hardware store, Lt. Dan- uh, Matt Kiley".
This colorful cast of characters is shaken up when stereotypical Jesus(n't) arrives. Travis Jordan, burnt-out flaming pentecostal minister, is the only one who can save Antioch from this second coming.
Peretti's heavy handedness does not help his writing. Looney Tunes-tie wearing pentecostal Kyle is the only religious leader critical of the new miracle worker, immediately judging his miraculous healings as work of the devil. No real explanation is given why the pentecostals are the only ones not deceived, but I suppose it's the only logical course for Peretti.
In similar vein Catholics' belief in miraculous images is superstition played for laughs, though the reader is expected to take speaking in tongues and healing through prayer by a pentecostal minister at face value. All the while preaching "It's not my church or your church or which tradition is right or how many candles we light - it's knowing Jesus for who he is" seems more than a little disingenuous.
That's not even speaking of passages such as "We'd had our disagreements, sometimes nose to nose, mostly through her editorials and my dissenting letters to the editor, but it never got nasty. She won a few - I had to concede I only had half the story on Christopher Columbus. But I won some myself - she turned dead set against partial-birth abortion." oof, or his referring to a character as "Middle-Eastern'', not only as a description of his appearance but as his name (i.e. "x said Middle-Eastern", "Middle-Eastern did") Yikes.
Much of this I could have overlooked if Peretti hadn't committed the unforgivable sin of making a book about the coming of the Antichrist boring. The extensive flashbacks to the escapades of a young and infuriatingly naive and arrogant Travis Jordan suck all momentum out of the plot, while only serving the purpose of introducing characters and places so they can be used in the present-time, and making me wonder why I should be rooting for our protagonist.
In the end,
Spoiler
everyone gets their just deserts, including aforementioned delinquent teen getting blown to pieces, as punishment for her sticky fingers. I suppose that's a larger sin than minister Cantwell crucifying his 15 year old rebellious son, as he and his accomplice escape any such retribution, and Cantwell is still preaching the Lord's word at the end of it.The pace does pick up quickly in the last 100 pages, but it's too little too late to offer any salvation. I'm not sure who this novel was written for, but it wasn't for me.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Strange things are going on in the small town of Antioch, Washington. First mysterious messengers appear, then the shape of Jesus’ face is seen in the clouds.
When a man matching the usual portrayal of Jesus visits their town with good cheer and “miracles,” many become his followers. Their praise and obedience to him leads to fellowship and good deeds, but will the ultimate end be disaster?
During all the publicity and acclaim of this so-called Jesus, Travis Jordan struggles with his memories of the past and the deception of the present.
The future may be too hard to face.
This story is compelling, gripping, and out-of-the-ordinary, and rather frightening. These traits are not uncommon to Frank Peretti’s books. The frank and painful revelations throughout the book keep your attention.
While it is not my favorite of Frank Peretti’s books, it was interesting, well written, and thought provoking. I’m sure Frank Peretti’s style doesn’t suit everyone, and I don’t agree with all of the things he writes or believes, but there is a good message and warning in his stories.
When a man matching the usual portrayal of Jesus visits their town with good cheer and “miracles,” many become his followers. Their praise and obedience to him leads to fellowship and good deeds, but will the ultimate end be disaster?
During all the publicity and acclaim of this so-called Jesus, Travis Jordan struggles with his memories of the past and the deception of the present.
The future may be too hard to face.
This story is compelling, gripping, and out-of-the-ordinary, and rather frightening. These traits are not uncommon to Frank Peretti’s books. The frank and painful revelations throughout the book keep your attention.
While it is not my favorite of Frank Peretti’s books, it was interesting, well written, and thought provoking. I’m sure Frank Peretti’s style doesn’t suit everyone, and I don’t agree with all of the things he writes or believes, but there is a good message and warning in his stories.
Looking back, I think this might be my all-time favorite of Peretti's books. Frank Peretti nearly always manages to be an engaging and entertaining writer, but this story really got to me. There's really two stories going on here. The first story is a relatively familiar supernatural thriller featuring a false Christ, and it manages to be entertaining, even if not the best he's done. The second story, however, is where Peretti transcends his genre. It is a raw, brutally honest satire of what may be the hardest thing to satirize: one's own beloved tribe. It is a journey through faith and doubt that pulls no punches. It is a compassionate character study. It is a confession, an earnest question that hangs in the air long after the thrilling signature climax.
I like Peretti's books. I actually love a few of them. It is this book, however, that I would recommend a non-Christian, someone standing outside the Christian subculture looking in. This book is the key and the guide to the peculiar world of American Evangelicalism, a work that loves its evangelical roots while at the same time viewing them from an outsider's perspective.
I like Peretti's books. I actually love a few of them. It is this book, however, that I would recommend a non-Christian, someone standing outside the Christian subculture looking in. This book is the key and the guide to the peculiar world of American Evangelicalism, a work that loves its evangelical roots while at the same time viewing them from an outsider's perspective.
I'm prettyyyy sure I finished this book haha? I don't remember because it was a long time ago. I remember the beginning was a little slow, but pretty good.
This is one of Peretti's better books. It comes from a real place, and voices the pain and emptiness that often comes with the church experience. We've all been to those churches.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes