Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
This book was eery, well written, and a compelling story. Even though I don't always love fantastical elements in novels, the concept of the spiritual realm displayed in this novel was very interesting and though I'll never truly know what goes on there it gave me something to wonder about.
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
WARNING: This is Christian literature. Even though I am not Christian, I enjoyed the book. I love the imagery of the demons attached to people, wreaking havoc in their lives.
A real awesome eye-opening book.It's on par with John Bunyan's books and C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters.Recommend it to every teenager!!!
The only reason I gave this book 2 ⭐️was because of the good vs evil storyline. The characters, setting and plot line were all very underdeveloped. This story was painful to sit through but it was short and on the Great American Reads list so I finished it. I will definitely not be continuing the series.
It feels so strange getting back into reading Frank Peretti. I think the last book I read of his was House co written with Ted Dekker back in the ages of 2006 when I was just coming out of 15.
I was the biggest Peretti fan until a friend introduced me to Dekker and that's when my Peretti addiction tapered off. But, believe it or not, I never brought myself to read Peretti’s most renowned work This Present Darkness. Partly because I wasn't allowed to read it all the way up to age 18, but also because it became one of those books I'd put down after getting to page 20--every time!
But the audiobook version was the only way my work-consumed mind could pay attention to what I was reading. It was also a God-send (perhaps literally) because I was able to get through it quickly and at a spiritually critical time in my life.
I LOVED the window into the spiritual world this book revealed! So COOL! The writer I am today was pretty much influenced by Peretti and other Christian authors that used fiction to paint a picture of the spiritual war going on and looking into Biblical history. So I was more than interested when the angels and demons were on the page.
However, going into this book I expected more of that and less of the investigative reporting done by the human characters. The investigation took up a majority of the book and I found myself having trouble keeping track of who was who and who did what. I lost interest quite early for that portion and was a little let down when I realized the spiritual warfare was a background foundation for the human characters at the forefront. It makes sense when you compare it to our world--in which we don't hardly ever see angels or demons except on rare occasions. But I really wished there was more of it.
Despite how bored I was at times, there were two or three moments that wracked me with emotion. Peretti is a great writer and knows his characters like a professional author should.
After listening to most of This Present Darkness on audiobook, I had to go back and read some scenes face to face to get a full understanding of what I just listened to. That's one downside to audiobooks: The narrator may interpret it differently than the reader is used to experiencing the story. But other than those few things I really enjoyed this classic and plan on continuing into the sequel.
Reading this has given me hope for getting into Christian fiction again :)
I was the biggest Peretti fan until a friend introduced me to Dekker and that's when my Peretti addiction tapered off. But, believe it or not, I never brought myself to read Peretti’s most renowned work This Present Darkness. Partly because I wasn't allowed to read it all the way up to age 18, but also because it became one of those books I'd put down after getting to page 20--every time!
But the audiobook version was the only way my work-consumed mind could pay attention to what I was reading. It was also a God-send (perhaps literally) because I was able to get through it quickly and at a spiritually critical time in my life.
I LOVED the window into the spiritual world this book revealed! So COOL! The writer I am today was pretty much influenced by Peretti and other Christian authors that used fiction to paint a picture of the spiritual war going on and looking into Biblical history. So I was more than interested when the angels and demons were on the page.
However, going into this book I expected more of that and less of the investigative reporting done by the human characters. The investigation took up a majority of the book and I found myself having trouble keeping track of who was who and who did what. I lost interest quite early for that portion and was a little let down when I realized the spiritual warfare was a background foundation for the human characters at the forefront. It makes sense when you compare it to our world--in which we don't hardly ever see angels or demons except on rare occasions. But I really wished there was more of it.
Despite how bored I was at times, there were two or three moments that wracked me with emotion. Peretti is a great writer and knows his characters like a professional author should.
After listening to most of This Present Darkness on audiobook, I had to go back and read some scenes face to face to get a full understanding of what I just listened to. That's one downside to audiobooks: The narrator may interpret it differently than the reader is used to experiencing the story. But other than those few things I really enjoyed this classic and plan on continuing into the sequel.
Reading this has given me hope for getting into Christian fiction again :)
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
I would be lying if I tell you that this book is really great from start to finish because frankly, the first half of the story is kinda boring. Even I dropped it after 2 chapters but with the help of my friend, I continued reading it and fortunately, finished it within the day. And boy was I glad I did that. After all the introduction and Plot formation, the story turned from boring to a very exciting tale on how good vs evil should really be like. And not that superficial kind of stuff that you can see in the movies.
In the middle of the story, the turn of events could really bring you excitement, enough for you to even pray for the people and root for the angels. I know because I did! LOL
My advice is that just continue reading the book because this is really good!!
In the middle of the story, the turn of events could really bring you excitement, enough for you to even pray for the people and root for the angels. I know because I did! LOL
My advice is that just continue reading the book because this is really good!!
The writing, constant POV switches, theological issues, and lack of real excitement just made this book a tough one for me. So much so as I am unwilling to read the other 2 novels I have from this author.
This book really did not stand the test of time and it was just rough.
I was also told this book would be scary so I was expecting at least a suspenseful thriller but really didn’t get that.
This book really did not stand the test of time and it was just rough.
I was also told this book would be scary so I was expecting at least a suspenseful thriller but really didn’t get that.