I was slightly annoyed by this novel...
First, because it is a sequel, and I didn't realize it. The entire time I was thinking, "I should know the back story. Should I stop and read the other book first?" However, I was listening to it on CD, so I really didn't want to stop, nor did I know if the library even had the first book.
Second, it is Christian fiction, and the Christian themes weren't fully developed. I was waiting for a wonderful, philosophical, spiritually re-energizing message. I was disappointed. Maybe I missed it because I was listening in the car in broken chunks. However, the main character supposedly found his powers because of his belief in God, but the book doesn't adequately show how this transformation happened, completely skipping any of the compelling thoughts that go along with a theological shift. The best spiritual message came in the form of explaining that Christians get comfortable in the world, and when they suddenly realize that they don't fit in with the pattern of the world, they would rather stick with their new behaviors than to be thought of as freaks. Now that I write that, I'm not sure if I completely agree with the idea that Christians are meant to be opposed to the world...weren't we all created for it? I guess I'll take it for what it is worth...sometimes Christians can't fit in...and sometimes Christians get persecuted. In any case, I didn't feel like my faith benefited from this read - I'm willing to say this is more my fault than the author's, though.
Finally, I listened to it on CD. The actor who read the novel did a TERRIFIC job with all of the voices; however, some of the general scenes didn't pack as much punch as the author might have intended. I kept trying to decide if I would have found the story more captivating if I was reading it in my head.
So, it was okay. I might go back and read the first book in the series...just because I feel like I need to know the back story. We'll see. For now, I'm going to be listening to an Agatha Christie mystery in my car.
