Ultimately unsatisfying. ( )

In this well-written and compelling story, 16 year old Anna suffers from melancholia and is fixated on death. She doesn’t fit in at school and her only friend is her new neighbor, Lars, a misfit of a different sort. He and his family are members of a doomsday cult and when Anna begins to have strange dreams (visions? prophecies?), she easily falls under the spell of their beliefs and the mission to bring about the Tribulation, the time preceding the End. Anna is convinced her purpose is to help fulfill the prophecy. Her atheist parents are liberal-minded but are at a loss on how to handle her (frankly, they are rather strange too and a conversation that takes place between Anna and her father is jaw-dropping). Her therapist gave me a chuckle (perhaps unintentionally) when her advice and solution to Anna’s lack of friends was to “hunt with the pack, even if it’s just an act at first”.

Along the way, Anna and Lars gain two companions: Jim, a neighbor in his early 20s who also suffers from a lack of direction, and a teacher who sees something of herself in them (although as an atheist who grew up in a devout household it’s expressed differently).

I really liked Anna and the story kept me flipping the pages, even when events turned a bit improbable. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it and continue to do so– a sign of a good read. There’s a lot to ponder and much of it is delivered in a witty and ironic way. There were a few twists along the way, and while the ending may be a little too tidy, I would recommend the book for those who like their stories a little quirky.

**Thanks to NetGalley who provided me with an ARC of this book in an exchange for an honest review ( )

Strange and interesting book. No spoilers here! ( )

Anna is a depressed teenager living with her parents in a conventional California suburb. One day, she finds herself pulled out of her "melancholia" by meeting Lars, another teen who moves into her neighborhood, and his parents. Lars and his family introduce Anna to the world of his "church," which is more of religious cult that has a forceful prophecy about the upcoming end of days.

As Anna becomes more and more drawn into this religious world, she finds herself beset by visions and otherwise withdrawing from life around her, including her parents, who are confused and upset by her religious fervor. Anna's only other real contacts are her neighbor, Jim, a mid-20-something who has returned home to live with his parents after a string of disgraces, and Jim's crush/sweetheart, Clara, who also teaches chemistry at Anna's high school.

I'll be honest - I just didn't like this book. It wasn't what I was expecting from this author, or even the description of the novel. I loved LaPlante's "Turn of Mind," but this was nothing like that novel. The plot was odd, disjointed, and really seemed to make no sense. Anna is not a sympathetic character to me -- I completely empathized with her bewildered parents. There really seems to be no reason why Anna would become so drawn into this religion (which perhaps may be the point, but if so, it's not really made well). There are odd plot twists and turns that seem just to pop up out of nowhere, for no reason, including the oddly inserted ending and epilogue. Even's Anna's visions aren't really explained well.

I don't know; I was disappointed by this read. Perhaps I just missed a greater point this book was trying to make, but it didn't do it for me.

(Note I received an ARC of this book from Negalley in return for an unbiased review.) ( )

Adolescent Armageddon

Coming of Age at the End of Days: A Novel by Alice LaPlante (Atlantic Monthly Press, $25).

Alice LaPlante is best known as a mystery writer, but she’s got a deft, literary touch, as in her fantastic 2011 novel Turn of Mind, in which a surgeon with dementia is afraid she has murdered her friend and can’t remember it.

In Coming of Age at the End of the World, LaPlante tries her hand at the very popular teenage apocalypse, as 16-year-old Anna finds her overwhelming depression is profoundly affected by the “End Days” cultist who move in next door—and their really attractive son, Lars.

Here’s the thing: Prepping for Armageddon can keep your mind off your life, but it also has a tendency to wreck it, as true believers tend to alienate the very people they need most. In Anna’s case, as her doubts start to surface, the novel hits the accelerator as a psychological thriller that has all the elements of young adult fare, but all the substance of adult life.

Reviewed on Lit/Rant: http://litrant.tumblr.com/post/129156822762/adolescent-armageddon-coming-of-age-... ( )