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katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
I had been told to read this, and I admit, I loved the premise: a young man holds churchgoers hostage, until God himself shows up and proves his existence. My cup of heretical tea.
It mostly worked brilliantly. A young and volatile adolescent, with theological worries and weapons. A church filled with pregnant women, the disabled, the devout. Recipe for tension and disaster.
The narration is shared between several congregants, and while this works to keep the story moving, it also made some parts confusing as a twist happens and it took a few pages for me to work out who was who and what was happening.
It's very short, which also helps, as it could have gone on too long. But the ending, unfortunately, just felt wrong. Couldn't fathom the motivation and it lost credibility in the last pages for me.
A shame, as it was an enjoyably intense experience for the most part, wondering if people would die, who, and if 'God' would put in an appearance.
It mostly worked brilliantly. A young and volatile adolescent, with theological worries and weapons. A church filled with pregnant women, the disabled, the devout. Recipe for tension and disaster.
The narration is shared between several congregants, and while this works to keep the story moving, it also made some parts confusing as a twist happens and it took a few pages for me to work out who was who and what was happening.
It's very short, which also helps, as it could have gone on too long. But the ending, unfortunately, just felt wrong. Couldn't fathom the motivation and it lost credibility in the last pages for me.
A shame, as it was an enjoyably intense experience for the most part, wondering if people would die, who, and if 'God' would put in an appearance.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
This was a challenge for me to review. This is a well written story and is an above average example of editing in an indie publication. The problem was the story just failed to really catch my attention. It was interesting enough for me to want to finish the story, but I'm not sure if it is enough to award more than three stars to this story. That being said, I would not be opposed to reading more from Mr. Kit Power.
billymac1962's review against another edition
4.0
First of all, this is probably the most ridiculous title/cover I've seen on a book, and it just smacks of a suggestion of primary grade writing.
Not so. I've never heard of Kit Power before but the man can write. This is a very polished 190 page tale of a man who shows up at a Christian revival wearing a suicide vest, and demands proof of God's existence. If it's not delivered, well, he'll blow everyone to smithereens and they'll all find out together one way or another. What a premise, and the story unfolds with enough suspense to warrant a single sitting.
This is a novel I would never have heard of if not for my Goodreads friends. This is a great thing because otherwise some authors would struggle to get exposure. I'm glad this is happening for this book which deserves to be read as much as any bestseller out there.
I did enjoy this quite a bit, and, stuck reading rut, it was nice to read something short and engaging to help get me out of it.
Having said that, I have issues with this bit:
When the bomber suddenly kills the preacher with his sword, there is not a sound among the congregation. Are you kidding me? These people are already scared to death and this action doesn't prompt one gasp? Sorry, I don't buy it.
I'm all about realistic reactions and motivations by characters, so little things like that will get to me.
Other than that, I enjoyed a lot of this and it's certainly worth the read. GODBOMB!
Not so. I've never heard of Kit Power before but the man can write. This is a very polished 190 page tale of a man who shows up at a Christian revival wearing a suicide vest, and demands proof of God's existence. If it's not delivered, well, he'll blow everyone to smithereens and they'll all find out together one way or another. What a premise, and the story unfolds with enough suspense to warrant a single sitting.
This is a novel I would never have heard of if not for my Goodreads friends. This is a great thing because otherwise some authors would struggle to get exposure. I'm glad this is happening for this book which deserves to be read as much as any bestseller out there.
I did enjoy this quite a bit, and, stuck reading rut, it was nice to read something short and engaging to help get me out of it.
Having said that, I have issues with this bit:
Spoiler
When the bomber suddenly kills the preacher with his sword, there is not a sound among the congregation. Are you kidding me? These people are already scared to death and this action doesn't prompt one gasp? Sorry, I don't buy it.
I'm all about realistic reactions and motivations by characters, so little things like that will get to me.
Other than that, I enjoyed a lot of this and it's certainly worth the read. GODBOMB!
gnashchick's review against another edition
4.0
“Almost none of it happened, but this is how I remember it.”
Kit Power’s debut novel GodBomb! is an anxious delve into real-world horror. It has all the elements of something ripped from the headlines: a suicide bomber, a hostage situation, and a demand that can’t be met by anyone trapped in the building. Readers are along for the ride, experiencing the ordeal through the eyes of eight of the people trapped in the church.
At first, I was skeptical, thinking that the multiple points of view would make for a confused narrative, but by the time I got midway into the book, it clicked. I don’t think it could be told in any other way. It worked. Each experience is different, each voice is unique. A good bit of the action is subtle, internal struggles and covert actions as each character grapples with their situation. When the tension breaks, you can just feel the hand of fear squeezing it back down.
With a title like GodBomb! it’s obvious that the book is full of religious metaphors and language. You don’t have to be familiar with Christianity in order to fully enjoy the book, but I appreciated the attention to detail. For example, look to the chapter headers. The first chapter, titled Leviticus, is a hint and each chapter is appropriately titled.
The bomber wants God to speak to him, just as God spoke in the book of Leviticus. The platitudes offered by the preacher are not what the bomber wants to hear. He doesn’t want to hear a still small voice in his soul, he wants God to show up and have a very serious conversation.
There’s not a lot I can say without dropping major spoilers. God speaks in many ways, or is that just our way of justifying intuition? Where is the line between pure chance and a genuine miracle? If something happens at the right time, is it the hand of God or just coincidence? The author does a damn fine job of examining these questions while allowing readers to make their own conclusions.
Kit Power is an author to watch out for. His style is sharp, punchy and fast-paced. I had no trouble connecting with the characters and their desperate situation. I enjoyed GodBomb! It’s a blend of suspense, thriller fiction, and survival horror. While it wasn’t quite a “can’t put it down” read for me, it was definitely a “one more chapter before they kick me off this airplane” experience.
It’s a solid debut novel from a talented author. Grab a copy and see for yourself.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review originally published at www.bookie-monster.com
coffeedogsbooks's review
* review of the audio version
While this isn't something I would have chosen normally, I did enjoy this story and I am glad I participated in this group read through Goodreads. While this is classified as horror, I would say it's more of a suspense/thriller, although it definitely has the horror gore factor.
The book takes place during a revival meeting. We have the normal mix of believers and skeptics all looking for answers or to be saved. Well along comes an atheist wanting answers, and not just any atheist, one wearing a suicide bomb vest. He wants to talk to God and if God doesn't show he is going to blow the building and everyone in it, up.
The interaction between the bomber and the other characters, and just between the hostages themselves, is excellent. It's really hard to say too much because this is just a story you don't want to spoil. Needless to say, you won't expect some of the scenes and the ending is not what I expected. The author does a great job with the story while not trying to push any particular view on religion as well.
The narrator does an excellent job with the story and voicing the characters. This is a story I recommend, believer or not.
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy of the story.
While this isn't something I would have chosen normally, I did enjoy this story and I am glad I participated in this group read through Goodreads. While this is classified as horror, I would say it's more of a suspense/thriller, although it definitely has the horror gore factor.
The book takes place during a revival meeting. We have the normal mix of believers and skeptics all looking for answers or to be saved. Well along comes an atheist wanting answers, and not just any atheist, one wearing a suicide bomb vest. He wants to talk to God and if God doesn't show he is going to blow the building and everyone in it, up.
The interaction between the bomber and the other characters, and just between the hostages themselves, is excellent. It's really hard to say too much because this is just a story you don't want to spoil. Needless to say, you won't expect some of the scenes and the ending is not what I expected. The author does a great job with the story while not trying to push any particular view on religion as well.
The narrator does an excellent job with the story and voicing the characters. This is a story I recommend, believer or not.
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy of the story.
ctgt's review against another edition
4.0
Many thanks to the author for providing a free copy of his book.
An interesting premise, a young man walks in to a small church service with a suicide vest strapped to his chest demanding answers from God. Is he mentally unstable? Flat out evil just looking to take lives? Or is there another unseen angle here? What appears to be a fairly obvious motive at the beginning slowly morphs and changes as the story unfolds. We jump around multiple POVs within the group to discover various levels of personal belief and or skepticism as the author explores the many possible shades of faith. Now before some of you go running through the streets, hands in the air, screaming "no religion in my books" just let me say this isn't a "religious-come to Jesus" book. It's just a story about what might happen to people of varying degrees of religious belief-or no belief when confronted with a stress filled situation.
Oh and there are several twists that add a nice bit of spice to the story. And the ending? Didn't see that coming so I was pleasantly surprised.
7/10
An interesting premise, a young man walks in to a small church service with a suicide vest strapped to his chest demanding answers from God. Is he mentally unstable? Flat out evil just looking to take lives? Or is there another unseen angle here? What appears to be a fairly obvious motive at the beginning slowly morphs and changes as the story unfolds. We jump around multiple POVs within the group to discover various levels of personal belief and or skepticism as the author explores the many possible shades of faith. Now before some of you go running through the streets, hands in the air, screaming "no religion in my books" just let me say this isn't a "religious-come to Jesus" book. It's just a story about what might happen to people of varying degrees of religious belief-or no belief when confronted with a stress filled situation.
Oh and there are several twists that add a nice bit of spice to the story. And the ending? Didn't see that coming so I was pleasantly surprised.
7/10
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