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A review by knkoch
A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was wild! It was easy to read quickly. It reminded me a lot of Leave the World Behind in its apocalyptic plot.
Most of the characters weren’t highly detailed, besides the central 3-4, though that might be intentional. This is a book set within several large, roving groups of both adults and teenagers, and individuals are often being lost and found. The thematic links to the parables of the Bible were at times tricky for me, as I’m not the most well versed, but I was pleasantly surprised at where the plot took me. It was quite hard to predict most moments.
The author did well to write from a young person’s perspective, even though it was hard to tell the age of the narrator. I get a sense that such de-individuation (in age and personality) was intentional, both to link the characters to their archetypal origins and force the reader to think in terms of groups, rather than individuals. They seem to represent humanity as a whole?
Overall, interesting, funny, and thought-provoking.
Most of the characters weren’t highly detailed, besides the central 3-4, though that might be intentional. This is a book set within several large, roving groups of both adults and teenagers, and individuals are often being lost and found. The thematic links to the parables of the Bible were at times tricky for me, as I’m not the most well versed, but I was pleasantly surprised at where the plot took me. It was quite hard to predict most moments.
The author did well to write from a young person’s perspective, even though it was hard to tell the age of the narrator. I get a sense that such de-individuation (in age and personality) was intentional, both to link the characters to their archetypal origins and force the reader to think in terms of groups, rather than individuals. They seem to represent humanity as a whole?
Overall, interesting, funny, and thought-provoking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Death of parent
This is not a calming read. It’s a somewhat dystopian projection of climate change apocalypse.