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rebcamuse's review
4.0
This book was an epic undertaking for a first novel, and succeeds admirably, if sometimes a bit unevenly. From about page 300 to page 638, I had trouble putting the book down. Ferrari's rhythm of revelation is masterful, keeping facets of the narrative in the dark for the reader and the characters, but rarely at the same time. The beginning set up does feel a little cliché at times and maybe even corny, but as you read further into the book, the characters become important in and of themselves, no matter who they "represent." It is a wonderful read--full of imaginative description and plenty of action, but also with a lot of allegorical insight for the reader who wants more than just a fun story. My only real criticism is the Epilogue. I'd outlaw epilogues for fiction If I could. Sometimes it is ok to just leave loose ends rather than to tie them up in a few short pages.
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
I've had my sights set on this one for quite some time. The premise seemed like something I would absolutely adore. It just took me way too long to get past the half-way mark. Once Joby grows up, I found the whole thing just kinda stalled altogether. I kept getting restless, putting the book down to read something else. After awhile I realized the desire to finish just wasn't there. So I officially cry uncle. I'm out. I didn't hate this book (so no one star), and I'm feeling too ambivalent to give it more stars than that since I didn't finish it. I just lost interest.
One thing that probably put me off here immediately - I hated the Lucifer character - spoiled, petulant, spiteful, churlish ... just a douche really. I like my Satan with a lot more self-control and dignity - a villain worthy of Shakespeare, not some over-the-top drama King screaming bloody murder and stomping his feet when things don't go his way. He should be a worthy opponent - not some souped-up bully.
One thing that probably put me off here immediately - I hated the Lucifer character - spoiled, petulant, spiteful, churlish ... just a douche really. I like my Satan with a lot more self-control and dignity - a villain worthy of Shakespeare, not some over-the-top drama King screaming bloody murder and stomping his feet when things don't go his way. He should be a worthy opponent - not some souped-up bully.
jackirenee's review against another edition
5.0
I will be adding this book to my top five favorite books of all time and will recommend it highly to everyone I meet on the street. The characters were developed wonderfully; each one came to life fully within my imagination. The storyline was epic, yet imaginative and never boring. The combination of mythologies created depth and character to Joby and his comrades. I cried, I cried, I cried, but I also laughed and loved, and am truly grateful for having the experience of reading this book.
sparklight's review against another edition
5.0
I do not normally write reviews for books! With that being typed, let me tell you how wonderful this book was...
I will not give anything away about the book, so no need to worry for spoilers or leaks. I just want to say that this book is an amazing and fresh take on an old classic. I started to read this book a few years ago, and then put it down again. It took me nearly 3 years to pick it back up and finish it, and I am both thankful that I waited and sad that I did not finish it right away. This book is a feel good page turner, eloquent and very well written. Several plot twists caught me by surprise, which is always a plus. It changed my perspective, and how many books can you say that about. I highly recommend giving this one a read. Thank you for your time.
I will not give anything away about the book, so no need to worry for spoilers or leaks. I just want to say that this book is an amazing and fresh take on an old classic. I started to read this book a few years ago, and then put it down again. It took me nearly 3 years to pick it back up and finish it, and I am both thankful that I waited and sad that I did not finish it right away. This book is a feel good page turner, eloquent and very well written. Several plot twists caught me by surprise, which is always a plus. It changed my perspective, and how many books can you say that about. I highly recommend giving this one a read. Thank you for your time.
carolynf's review against another edition
4.0
God and Satan have another bet, this one on whether or not a 4th grader will use his free will to commit an act of supreme wickedness before he turns 40. A great book if you like fantasy, religious contests, or Arthurian legends.
apetruce's review against another edition
2.0
This is supposed to be a metaphor for man's struggle with faith, which appealed to me. But it is so heavy-handed and not the least bit veiled that I felt I could have learned more about this epic struggle by reading the Bible. I knew the genre of fantasy wasn't my thing but every once in a while I pick one up to see if I've changed my mind. I haven't.
marryallthepeople's review
1.0
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11030076
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11030076
jlynnelseauthor's review against another edition
4.0
Overall impression when I finished: Pleasantly surprised but not overly wowed.
I briefly read an interview with the author. To quote from it, Mr. Ferrari said, “…the book is not, in fact, about Christianity to begin with, only set in it.” That surprised me!
He sums up his themes as thus: (1) “The assumption most of us in America are taught from the cradle on that there is some reliable cause and effect relationship between what we do and what we get... As we grow up, however, this reassuring assumption is betrayed again and again as we discover that the world rarely behaves so neatly.” (2) “When some unthinkably terrible thing is about to happen, we’ve learned to anticipate rescue via some heroically clever and utterly unexpected solution just when all seems lost. This hope is also betrayed again and again as we grow up in the actual world.” (3) “What does justice mean? How far would you go to make the world operate as you think it should?”
Looking at everything from a Christian point of view, there were some things that I felt were missed… namely Jesus. Three different angels show up. Lucifer shows up, obviously. God is there. But, while Jesus is mentioned when Joby attended Catholic church, Jesus never shows up. I know he was not involved in the wager, but why involve so many other themes in Christianity and miss the main component to Christianity? As the author states above, this is not meant to be a book about Christianity, but it felt like it lacked a bit of intellectual stamina due to this absence. Ferrari was very respectful of Christian themes and theology, but I can’t help but feel he did not know what to do with Jesus and so simply excluded Him.
Another thing I felt disappointed in was (and yes, I know, not a Christian book), Taubolt is this town where the descendants of angels are living. Yet no one ever seems to pray. If there’s a problem, no one says, “Hey great-great-great-great-great….(etc) Grandfather, can I get some guidance here?” They are “of the blood” of angels. Yet they never seem to express any sort of faith in God. This really bothered me as the story wore on. It seemed to contradict the whole concept of the safe haven they were living in as well as Eden they eventually discover. I don’t need the book to be preachy, but no one prayed! Come on, Michael, what are you doing as their guide?
The ending? There was such a dramatic and emotional trajectory for most of the book that I'm not sure if there would have been an ending I'd have felt was satisfying, but it ended very quickly after 600+ pages of experiencing Joby’s turbulent life. I wanted a more peaceful feeling at the end. I don’t mind where Ferrari left it, but I just wanted some more joy for Joby before we said goodbye. Ferrari never quite off-set all the painful things that he experienced and we as readers experienced. I could draw conclusions that this in itself alludes to Jesus’ story in that we have very few stories after his suffering and horrific death, but after reading Ferrari’s intentions with his writing, I’m pretty sure he was not making this comparison. So what can we draw from that which ultimately saves Joby? Love should lead you. While it may be out of your hands, you need to have a little faith and trust. I appreciated that the story ended with God and Gabriel enjoying Creation (as the book began).
The character of Joby and his situations are relatable in certain instances. When have we not felt guilt, self-doubt, self-loathing even? Should we be checking our backs for demons whispering in our ears as well? I think Ferrari eloquently explored Joby’s life in a way that was touching and personal (but not uncomfortably so). I found myself rooting for him from the very beginning and feeling mournful for him when things went belly-up again, and again, and again. It’s a long read, but it keeps you reading. Ferrari has a beautiful voice in this story and creates clear pictures for the reader. I thought his use of language was engaging and effortless at the same time.
One piece of modern society that was overall avoided in this book is social media. There is not a definitive time period that Ferrari sets, but I’m assuming it’s in this century. Social media is a huge piece that Lucifer could have explored to torment Joby even more. The absence of this tool was an interesting choice by the writer. Overall, he does keep Joby in the small-town framework throughout most of the pieces of his life we experience. So while I can understand this omission, I think Lucifer would have definitely gone down the avenue and used it to its very potent potential.
I love the mythology in this story. I enjoyed how it all goes back to that first humanoid given consciousness, interestingly not by God in Ferrari’s book, but by Lucifer, and subsequently weaves through history to explain Mt. Olympus and the crew that congregated up there (and why) up to modern times. I felt the scenes including God were some of the most interesting and were extremely thought-provoking. God is usually not given a personality in books. I enjoyed the way Ferrari wrote about Him. Ferrari's portrait of God is one of an accessible God. It worked. I find a lot of truth to this picture. I also really enjoyed the Camelot tie-in. Ferrari expertly weaves the two different pieces of history together. I do not know lots about Arthurian legend, but I really enjoyed its role in this story.
I think one of my favorite parts was the idea of why God created a world with free will, what that really means, and, with a good sprinkle of humor, how the world discovered genuine love. It's a perfect blend of faith, science, and common sense. I’m glad I read the book. And when I closed the book, while I was not completely floored by the ending, I think the story as a whole was enjoyable and engrossing.
I briefly read an interview with the author. To quote from it, Mr. Ferrari said, “…the book is not, in fact, about Christianity to begin with, only set in it.” That surprised me!
He sums up his themes as thus: (1) “The assumption most of us in America are taught from the cradle on that there is some reliable cause and effect relationship between what we do and what we get... As we grow up, however, this reassuring assumption is betrayed again and again as we discover that the world rarely behaves so neatly.” (2) “When some unthinkably terrible thing is about to happen, we’ve learned to anticipate rescue via some heroically clever and utterly unexpected solution just when all seems lost. This hope is also betrayed again and again as we grow up in the actual world.” (3) “What does justice mean? How far would you go to make the world operate as you think it should?”
Looking at everything from a Christian point of view, there were some things that I felt were missed… namely Jesus. Three different angels show up. Lucifer shows up, obviously. God is there. But, while Jesus is mentioned when Joby attended Catholic church, Jesus never shows up. I know he was not involved in the wager, but why involve so many other themes in Christianity and miss the main component to Christianity? As the author states above, this is not meant to be a book about Christianity, but it felt like it lacked a bit of intellectual stamina due to this absence. Ferrari was very respectful of Christian themes and theology, but I can’t help but feel he did not know what to do with Jesus and so simply excluded Him.
Another thing I felt disappointed in was (and yes, I know, not a Christian book), Taubolt is this town where the descendants of angels are living. Yet no one ever seems to pray. If there’s a problem, no one says, “Hey great-great-great-great-great….(etc) Grandfather, can I get some guidance here?” They are “of the blood” of angels. Yet they never seem to express any sort of faith in God. This really bothered me as the story wore on. It seemed to contradict the whole concept of the safe haven they were living in as well as Eden they eventually discover. I don’t need the book to be preachy, but no one prayed! Come on, Michael, what are you doing as their guide?
The ending? There was such a dramatic and emotional trajectory for most of the book that I'm not sure if there would have been an ending I'd have felt was satisfying, but it ended very quickly after 600+ pages of experiencing Joby’s turbulent life. I wanted a more peaceful feeling at the end. I don’t mind where Ferrari left it, but I just wanted some more joy for Joby before we said goodbye. Ferrari never quite off-set all the painful things that he experienced and we as readers experienced. I could draw conclusions that this in itself alludes to Jesus’ story in that we have very few stories after his suffering and horrific death, but after reading Ferrari’s intentions with his writing, I’m pretty sure he was not making this comparison. So what can we draw from that which ultimately saves Joby? Love should lead you. While it may be out of your hands, you need to have a little faith and trust. I appreciated that the story ended with God and Gabriel enjoying Creation (as the book began).
The character of Joby and his situations are relatable in certain instances. When have we not felt guilt, self-doubt, self-loathing even? Should we be checking our backs for demons whispering in our ears as well? I think Ferrari eloquently explored Joby’s life in a way that was touching and personal (but not uncomfortably so). I found myself rooting for him from the very beginning and feeling mournful for him when things went belly-up again, and again, and again. It’s a long read, but it keeps you reading. Ferrari has a beautiful voice in this story and creates clear pictures for the reader. I thought his use of language was engaging and effortless at the same time.
One piece of modern society that was overall avoided in this book is social media. There is not a definitive time period that Ferrari sets, but I’m assuming it’s in this century. Social media is a huge piece that Lucifer could have explored to torment Joby even more. The absence of this tool was an interesting choice by the writer. Overall, he does keep Joby in the small-town framework throughout most of the pieces of his life we experience. So while I can understand this omission, I think Lucifer would have definitely gone down the avenue and used it to its very potent potential.
I love the mythology in this story. I enjoyed how it all goes back to that first humanoid given consciousness, interestingly not by God in Ferrari’s book, but by Lucifer, and subsequently weaves through history to explain Mt. Olympus and the crew that congregated up there (and why) up to modern times. I felt the scenes including God were some of the most interesting and were extremely thought-provoking. God is usually not given a personality in books. I enjoyed the way Ferrari wrote about Him. Ferrari's portrait of God is one of an accessible God. It worked. I find a lot of truth to this picture. I also really enjoyed the Camelot tie-in. Ferrari expertly weaves the two different pieces of history together. I do not know lots about Arthurian legend, but I really enjoyed its role in this story.
I think one of my favorite parts was the idea of why God created a world with free will, what that really means, and, with a good sprinkle of humor, how the world discovered genuine love. It's a perfect blend of faith, science, and common sense. I’m glad I read the book. And when I closed the book, while I was not completely floored by the ending, I think the story as a whole was enjoyable and engrossing.
oakmoses's review
4.0
It's nice to read a piece of religious fiction that offers a version of God that I can buy into. It doesn't happen very often.
For all it's efforts, this isn't a fantasy book. It's a story that takes place in a world more magical than our own, for sure, but it offers far more insight into people and faith than countless more "realistic" books ever could.
If you don't mind books about demons, angels, and other magical creatures and you don't think that Leviticus is the best book in the Bible, you'd probably enjoy this one.
For all it's efforts, this isn't a fantasy book. It's a story that takes place in a world more magical than our own, for sure, but it offers far more insight into people and faith than countless more "realistic" books ever could.
If you don't mind books about demons, angels, and other magical creatures and you don't think that Leviticus is the best book in the Bible, you'd probably enjoy this one.