Review: A Different Yet Familiar Kind of Apocalyptic Story...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 5, 2014
It's funny how I've read or heard of several apocalyptic novels over the last few months, but this is the first one I've read that actually takes the apocalyptic rendering most in the Western world are familiar with (the biblical Revelations) and structures a fictional book series around it. With Last Light Falling, we aren't set up to see the heroes save the world but to end it, and usher in a new chapter for the souls who keep the faith.The beginning felt a little like an exposition dump at times, telling us about the personality traits of characters like Gabe, where I would've been more interested in seeing those on display from the outset instead. The shenanigans with high school bullies like Derrick and McKenzie and the bonding with fellow outcast students provided a foothold of the ordinary kind in the story before things started going to hell in an extraordinary handbasket. But it's when their town gets decimated that things really start to pick up. And it was several house before I finally closed the book at the image of the back cover signaling the end of the story, after the twins deliver bad news to people who just a minute before were so happy and relieved at the thought of the nightmare that had become their lives finally ending.Plemons' story, when you get into the meat of it, is a fast-paced story that takes you through emotional roller coasters from Arena's perspective. She and her twin brother Gabe depict a type of young adult character geared towards the same demographic that you don't often hear about: kids of religious faith who aren't afraid to wear it on their sleeves, or give in to some others' uncool considerations of it nowadays (witness one character call Gabe a "Jesus freak"). So I imagine any youth of Judeo-Christian faith will certainly be pleased to have these two fictional characters with which to identify within the genre...if they so choose. ;-)