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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
This book was given to me by a facebook group of which i am a member. The style of the writing - and the subject matter - reminds me of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. It is a story written from the point of view of a young girl who appears to be on an extended holiday in a rented house with a number of other families.
The children do not have any affection or respect for their parents - and like teenagers all over the world - consider their parents to be ridiculous and believe that they themselves know everything. Later in the book there are some adults that they respect but there is never any respect for the parents.
The story centres around an impending ecological disaster that is hinted at from the beginning. A hostage situation occurs, a bit of superhero saving and then a reversal of roles.
I found the book fairly interesting but was not convinced by it. The writing is sparse but the characters, apart from Jack and Shel, are fairly unlikeable and I found the notion that the "rich house" was still there and they were able to bring in help to fortify it while the world collapsed outside a little too unreal. This could be interpreted as the rich always being insulated but it did not ring true.
An interesting idea but spoiled by unrealistic scenarios and unsympathetic characters.
The children do not have any affection or respect for their parents - and like teenagers all over the world - consider their parents to be ridiculous and believe that they themselves know everything. Later in the book there are some adults that they respect but there is never any respect for the parents.
The story centres around an impending ecological disaster that is hinted at from the beginning. A hostage situation occurs, a bit of superhero saving and then a reversal of roles.
I found the book fairly interesting but was not convinced by it. The writing is sparse but the characters, apart from Jack and Shel, are fairly unlikeable and I found the notion that the "rich house" was still there and they were able to bring in help to fortify it while the world collapsed outside a little too unreal. This could be interpreted as the rich always being insulated but it did not ring true.
An interesting idea but spoiled by unrealistic scenarios and unsympathetic characters.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
In the past year I have been having the most annoying problem of coming up against books where the marketing materials sell one thing and then the book is completely something else. That was the case for me with A Children's Bible. Pitched as a contemporary Lord of the Flies where a group of kids use a children's bible as a road map while forming their new parent-free society leading to disastrous results.
Instead, we get Ok, Boomer the novel. (although the parents here are presented as much younger than boomers). I found the whole effort a bit of a mishmash of thoughts that never gain enough traction in a solid direction. What was the point of the whole thing? The jacket copy says we find out what lies beyond Revelations, but I didn't come away from the book feeling any clarity on the subject. There is a rapture in the book, a flood, a possible crucifixion (although I did not find the character this happens to in any way a stand in for Christ), a burning bush....was the whole thing an allegory? Maybe I lost the plot amongst all of the whining. The kid's (older teens, really) near constant whining about their parents giving them too much or not enough was extra grating. Do kids whose parents spend almost no time thinking about them constantly spend their time thinking and talking about their parents? I don't have the answers.
I am certain some folks will find great meaning and depths of knowledge hidden between A Children's Bible's wonderful cover art, I however felt it fell flat and would not recommend.
Instead, we get Ok, Boomer the novel. (although the parents here are presented as much younger than boomers). I found the whole effort a bit of a mishmash of thoughts that never gain enough traction in a solid direction. What was the point of the whole thing? The jacket copy says we find out what lies beyond Revelations, but I didn't come away from the book feeling any clarity on the subject. There is a rapture in the book, a flood, a possible crucifixion (although I did not find the character this happens to in any way a stand in for Christ), a burning bush....was the whole thing an allegory? Maybe I lost the plot amongst all of the whining. The kid's (older teens, really) near constant whining about their parents giving them too much or not enough was extra grating. Do kids whose parents spend almost no time thinking about them constantly spend their time thinking and talking about their parents? I don't have the answers.
I am certain some folks will find great meaning and depths of knowledge hidden between A Children's Bible's wonderful cover art, I however felt it fell flat and would not recommend.
What a fascinating, interesting novel. A parable or a cold-blooded snapshot of our present world? I loved how Jack carries a children's bible, how the story echoes (but doesn't recreate) those bible stories, and how there is an attempt to make sense of God/Nature, and our relation to God/Nature. The plot rips along; the ending is a little shaky but ultimately settles, and feels right. The book is not, however, subtle or probing on a nuanced, deeper level about, say the characters. And that it both a strength and its limitation. Like a parable it ultimately belongs to the macro and not the nuance and difference that compromise being human in the world. But for what it is, a parable snapshot of the sins of the inhabitants of the 1st world, it's a great book. Read it in a day.
Super relate to the teens in this book, widening the generational gap with tons of frustration held for “the people who could’ve done something”
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
tightness of the pace and story begins loosening towards the end, but this was a very timely read. i’m sad in the same way this book is but resolute in the same ways it is, too
This took me a long time to come around to liking. The narrator’s whole view grayed on me initially, but by the end I was won over. This is a “soft apocalypse” book, which is a genre I enjoy. The story grew and grew and by the end I was wanting to follow it forward. I am the parent of two kids and this sort of thing provides a glimpse into the future…..if you believe in climate change. Nice work author! Appreciate the book!