Review: Book Review by Brandilyn
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 8, 2014
5 of 5 StarsFor original review see The Prism Book Alliance Blog onlineI do not feel worthy of writing this review. I will give it my best shot.I am not a religious person. I grew up in the church, but it was always a choice to attend. A choice I made each Sunday, consciously. As I grew up and learned more and more about religion and the bible, I turned from the church. I won’t get into my beliefs, or lack thereof. I only point this out to say don’t let your religious stance turn you off of this fabulous book. Whether you are a believer or not, the themes and characters in this story will pull you in and not let go.So let us focus on those characters for a minute. There are three major players in By That Sin. Isaac, Jonah, and Terry.Jonah is a god-fearing, church-going, high school kid just figuring out his sexuality. Well, I guess I should say, just accepting his sexuality. His world is rocked when he finds the object of his crush laying dead in a pool of his own blood. That one act unravels Jonah’s world and puts it back together in a new way. He is the symbol of the good among the confused.Terry is not much of a character on his own, he is a foil for all the other characters to bounce against and get their stories sorted and told. He is the last one to talk to Daniel. He is the one Eric, Daniel’s ex (for lack of a better term) and Jonah, both turn to. He is the one the town, and Isaac, denounce as being the cause of the “gay” in the town. He is the one who stands up to the town for what is right.Isaac… I am not entirely sure what to say about Isaac. By That Sin is truly about Isaac’s journey.  His world is turned upside down, and he slides into blackness as his religion forsakes him, but in the end it is his religion that comforts him.I charge thee, fling away ambitionBy that sin fell the angelsSo how does all this fit in to the title, taken from the most famous soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Henry VIII?  The entire story centers around Isaac and his own kind of fall from grace. In response to the death of his wife, Isaac has deeply immersed himself in a “godly”life.  He spends his days telling everyone who will listen what is right and how they need to believe.  If someone does not believe as Isaac thinks they should, he takes it upon himself to use his power, influence, and word, to change the minds of everyone around him.  To belittle those that don’t believe as he does.  He is the symbol of the “Religious Right” and everything that goes with it.Through three interconnecting views of one tragic event and its aftermath, Fessenden masterfully depicts the struggle faced by many as their sexuality is vilified by those who profess to love and support them.