Review: Grim yet interesting satire about religion
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 1, 2013
This is the story of TJ a just-turned 17 year old who suddenly finds himself a minority survivor after the Rapture takes place in this world. However, instead of God taking his chosen (Christian) people he has taken only their souls leaving behind their soulless (and more evil) living bodies behind. TJ is joined by his best friend Ryan, brother, SIL and her sister in his fight for survival. TJ has loved Ryan for many years but both have been pretending to be straight for just as long. After their world is taken over by what the call "the neighbors" there is no point in pretending anymore.I am not a fan of apocalyptic stories. Yes, I am a very optimistic person and only like to explore worst case scenarios rarely. Reading The Walking Dead, Compendium 1 had fulfilled my desire of reading these sort of grim stories that deal with the ugliness of surviving an apocalyptic event. However, this is an interesting story in that it discusses religion and the effects on those who follow it and those who do not. You have four different types of people discussed in this book: the deeply religious who have been rewarded heaven yet leave behind their ugliness. In Ryan you have those who are not deeply religious yet fear the implications of not following the doctrine they have been familiar with for years. In TJ you have those that are not religious at all and in fact have turned their back on God (religion) yet can't completely turn their back on those they love but who still embrace religion somehow (Ryan). This is why it was hard to see TJ not be able to accept Maxie and what he offered: the premise that God is forgiving to all.The story is good at giving some food for thought. But don't expect a happy ever after.