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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
This was a unique book, loosely following the main Bible stories but in a modern setting. Started strong, with a good cast of characters and I was intrigued to see how the story panned out. Towards the end it lost a little momentum and came to a fuzzy sort of ending, so didn't quite make 4 stars, but a nice little read.
dark
medium-paced
I bought this book because of its cover.
Now, four months after reading it, I still can’t get it out of my head and that’s not because of the beautiful artwork.
What struck me was the authors concept of God as nature, Jesus as science and the Holy Ghost as art. I really like that. Like can’t express with words how much I liked reading that.
It was a bit of a slow-start for me but once I was hooked I just couldn’t put it down.
* Originally gave this 4 stars but bumped it to 5 for how well the author wormed into my head and sparked new avenues of thought. What more could one possibly want from an author than that?
Now, four months after reading it, I still can’t get it out of my head and that’s not because of the beautiful artwork.
What struck me was the authors concept of God as nature, Jesus as science and the Holy Ghost as art. I really like that. Like can’t express with words how much I liked reading that.
It was a bit of a slow-start for me but once I was hooked I just couldn’t put it down.
* Originally gave this 4 stars but bumped it to 5 for how well the author wormed into my head and sparked new avenues of thought. What more could one possibly want from an author than that?
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
That was not what I expected. A Children’s Bible considers what might happen when Climate Change impacts the world enough that social systems begin to shut down, all from the perspective of the teens who at first actively try to live without their group of adults. The book comes off almost like a hypothesis of how adults and kids might handle a drastically changed world. Adults give in fully to their vices of alcohol drugs and partying while loosing their sense of purpose and thus their personalities. Then the kids step up and build sustainable long term changes in their environment and in turn try to care for their parents by creating structure and a community.
In response to reading this book, I almost want to move to the middle of nowhere and build a self sustaining community! Some solar panels, an indoor garden, some chickens? security? Who’s in?!
In response to reading this book, I almost want to move to the middle of nowhere and build a self sustaining community! Some solar panels, an indoor garden, some chickens? security? Who’s in?!
Really interesting read. Shirt, to the point story of 12 kids their parents and a summer vacation that goes array. Loved the kids- they were the main characters, running away from their parents, but then finding themselves in a natural disaster/apocalyptic setting. The incorporation of the Children’s Bible was genius. I feel like I missed some of the symbolism/smart writing of the author. A mash up of Lord of the Glues meets The Road vs a reality TV show. Again interesting read.
I couldn’t put this down, and the beautiful sentiment on the last few lines made getting through this haunting, heartbreaking story worth it for me.
A friend gave me this as a present a year ago and I feel ashamed to have waited so long to read it. I was sucked in by the end of the first chapter. From the start the narration is witty, sarcastic with a ting of annoyance that doesn't get old. It is was enjoyable to read a book told through from the perspective of a teenager that doesn't have their shit together who is scared and knows they don't have all the answers. I felt for these children but not in a patronizing way.
How Lydia Millet writes falls in line with how I wish a lot of authors wrote. The story never felt heavy beyond the plot. There wasn't massive paragraphs I had to work through or SAT words that had no bearing being used. Millet gave the perfect amount of description to help me draw the images in my mind, to allow me the ability to design the set and costumes how I wanted it.
My only critique was the very clear inspiration from Bible stories. I say this as a person who was not forced into Bible study classes or forced into going to Sunday mass. I know of some Bible stories like Noah's Arc but some other I was slightly clueless about the significance. Nonetheless, I don't feel my lack of knowledge deterred my enjoyment of this book at all. I read this book in a single day, it was the perfect book to read on a rainy winter day.
How Lydia Millet writes falls in line with how I wish a lot of authors wrote. The story never felt heavy beyond the plot. There wasn't massive paragraphs I had to work through or SAT words that had no bearing being used. Millet gave the perfect amount of description to help me draw the images in my mind, to allow me the ability to design the set and costumes how I wanted it.
My only critique was the very clear inspiration from Bible stories. I say this as a person who was not forced into Bible study classes or forced into going to Sunday mass. I know of some Bible stories like Noah's Arc but some other I was slightly clueless about the significance. Nonetheless, I don't feel my lack of knowledge deterred my enjoyment of this book at all. I read this book in a single day, it was the perfect book to read on a rainy winter day.
Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize? National Book Award Finalist? Really? I'm a fan of apocalyptic fiction. I've read Wasp Factory, Riddley Walker, Parable of the Sower, Good Omens, The Road, on and on and on. And I am a fan of allusions and metaphors -- all good fun. But this book was so crammed with Christian biblical allusions that seemed so sincere it was a chore to read. First of all, books about how boring the apocalypse is are boring to read. I am sure the apocalypse would be boring; I don't need to be convinced or read about it. Secondly, this book was so unclear about what precisely was going on. Generic climate disaster accompanied by non specific plague and unexplained mass societal breakdown. You really have to give me more than that to end the world as we know it. And, finally, and I think worst of all, the characters were too generic. The parents were all drug addicted alcoholics unfit to raise their children and so interchangeable they didn't have names. The children were all brave and resourceful and more righteous and wiser than their own parents. Every one of them.
There were angels called angels in case you'd miss the reference. Deus ex machina (a black helicopter). Old testament rules not to be broken. Eden as a farm. A christ like angel guy who bore the burden of a lot of symbols all rolled in one. A child interprets the bible to make it relevant -- a tall order. And of course the apocalypse from revelations. I guess the problem is that I'm not really interested in that much biblical symbolism and I don't like to be hit over the head with symbology. Parable of the Sower was my limit. At least Handmaid's Tale turned the symbology on its head.
There were angels called angels in case you'd miss the reference. Deus ex machina (a black helicopter). Old testament rules not to be broken. Eden as a farm. A christ like angel guy who bore the burden of a lot of symbols all rolled in one. A child interprets the bible to make it relevant -- a tall order. And of course the apocalypse from revelations. I guess the problem is that I'm not really interested in that much biblical symbolism and I don't like to be hit over the head with symbology. Parable of the Sower was my limit. At least Handmaid's Tale turned the symbology on its head.