I wanted to enjoy this book because when I purchased it, the concept sounded promising. However, a few chapters in, it was clear this book wasn't made for me. Overall, I thought the characters were flat, the action almost non-existent and story a little too religion based.
My main concern with the story was how heavy the religious aspects were. I was raised catholic, but even for me it was too centered around church, prayer and belief. If I had known this, I might have stayed clear of the book. Personally I don't mind having a few religious references, but honestly, when the protagonist goes to catholic school, spends most of his time in a church and has a very religious mother, it feels like it's being shoved down my throat. I like my supernatural books with as little religious aspects, out of respect for readers that may not adhere to that specific religion and also because I don't think an author should take too many liberties in expanding something that should left alone. Those are my thoughts and many people probably won't agree with me. And that might be a reason why religion should be discussed as little as possible.
Aiden, the protagonist, could have been the book's redeeming quality, but after a while, his thoughts and actions were getting repetitive. As a Gateway, he has the ability to help lost souls, or bleeders as he calls them, to cross over to "the other side" by having them walk through him. Sounds simple enough but this gift or curse gets a little more complicated when the Brethren of Shadows want to use him for bringing back dark souls to the earthly plane. Everything started to get complicated when Koren, one of Aiden's best friends and secret crush, comes back to Portland after disappearing without a trace, seven months earlier. A wannabe catholic school rebel and a girl-crazy teenager that thinks way too much about Koren, Aiden is a very one dimensional character. As a narrator, I also had a hard time following his train of thought, which made the story less than engaging.
For most of the book, we're in the dark about Aiden's abilities and the truth behind their origin. Father Martin is supposed to be his protector or mentor, but he's not very forthcoming with information. Not only does Father Martin not help him, but he kind of hinders Aiden's fight against evil by not revealing any information about his true enemy. Aiden is more or less left to defend himself, without any guidance or any real father figure. He does have a bit of support from Koren, who's very hesitant with information too, and his two friends Trevor and Evan, who despite knowing very little, do help in being present for their friend.
I can't say I enjoyed this book. A good three quarters of it is spent questioning Aiden's gift and what to do about the evil surrounding Portland. The mystery about Koren's disappearance and reappearance also intruigues Aiden for a good part of the novel and I still don't understand why Koren didn't reveal her story right away. Most of the book felt directionless and incomplete. Things did get more interesting in the last quarter of the book because everything started to unfold. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll read the next book. Releasing in less then a month, I kind of hope, now that we know more about Aiden's gift and his constant fight with the evil inside him, that things will get more interesting. The series is only a duology so I might just bear with it and find out what happens next.
I don't really enjoy books of this nature UNLESS it is categorized under Christian/Religious Fiction. That way, I'll know that there are heavy aspects of religion going in. One particular series that comes to mind is the Well Spring series by James Rubart. I love that series because I knew that it was Christian Fiction before I read it but it doesn't make you think that's what it is because it is so heavily packed with everything. I don't think that I could read this book. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteI agree. It should have been categorized as Christian/Religion, in my opinion. Maybe then I would have been better prepared.
ReplyDeleteI tend to view religion in fiction the same way I view technology in fiction: it's rarely done accurately and salient points are often left out. The result in both cases is I can't take them seriously and equate them as part of the magic system of the story. If an author is so transparently trying to teach me a moral lesson, I usually don't make a practice of reading anything else from them.
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