Our Score: ★★★★★★✩✩✩✩
GENRE: Thriller, Suspense, Psychological
Selected by Sandra - March 2010
SYNOPSIS:
In a merciless summer of biblical heat and destructive winds, Gabrielle Fox's main concern is a personal one: to rebuild her career as a psychologist after a shattering car accident. But when she is assigned Bethany Krall, one of the most dangerous teenagers in the country, she begins to fear she has made a terrible mistake.
Raised on a diet of evangelistic hellfire, Bethany is violent, delusional, cruelly intuitive and insistent that she can foresee natural disasters - a claim which Gabrielle interprets as a symptom of doomsday delusion.
But when catastrophes begin to occur on the very dates Bethany has predicted, and a brilliant, gentle physicist enters the equation, the apocalyptic puzzle intensifies and the stakes multiply. Is the self-proclaimed Nostradamus of the psych ward the ultimate manipulator, or could she be the harbinger of imminent global cataclysm on a scale never seen before? And what can love mean in 'interesting times'?
(Synopsis taken from Amazon)
REVIEW: (Contains spoilers)
Sandra's Thoughts:
Bethany is obviously a extremely damaged girl and I found it hard to believe that so many people would be willing to jeopardise their careers for her. Would anyone listen if a psychotic killer could accurately predict the end of the world? Would anyone take the predictions seriously?
Whilst this book uses a fair bit of science, it also has a strong religious streak, hence the title. The author must have put in an incredible amount of hours of research to create a terrifyingly plausible story. It was a haunting read and one that I will be thinking about for a long time, as global warming becomes more apparent.
The ending of the novel is surprisingly bleak and wasn't what I expected. I felt almost as though the writer didn't know where to go next.
Gemma's Thoughts:
A crazy concept with so many unrealistic elements. However, I did strangely enjoy reading this novel. The ending was something out of a film or television show and felt very unbelievable.
Emma's Thoughts:
Apocalyptic disaster, psychological and special powers - that's gotta be cool right! I really don't mind a bit of make believe, but this was a whole other level, hence 4/10!
THE SCORES:
Emma: 4
Gemma: 7
Maria: 7
Nic: 7
Pamela: 5
Sandra: 7
Average 6
Let us know your thoughts about this book. We would love to read your reviews and hear what you would score it.
If you enjoyed this book why not try:
Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent
Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land
Second Life by S.J. Watson
The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom
Happy reading!