On one of my approximate 3,000 daily trips to Amazon, I noticed the "Publisher's Weekly" review of "Waking Lazarus" has been posted. I found out the review appears in today's edition of PW, so man, those Amazon folks are on the ball.
One mild spoiler alert: the "Publisher's Weekly" review does give away a somewhat major plot twist--a twist most of you savvy readers will doubtless see coming, but reading the PW review will rob you of figuring it out for yourself. So, if you want the general gist of the review, without being told that twist, I'll reprint the review here with the twist edited. Spoiler-safe reading here, folks:
In this promising if sometimes grisly debut of inspirational suspense, Hines introduces Jude Allman, a man who has been declared clinically dead several times, but who always comes back to life. Allman becomes a paranoid recluse in Red Lodge, Mont., where he works under an assumed name as a school janitor; His son, Nathan, lives with his mother elsewhere in town. As a string of child abductions begin, Jude finds he possesses supernatural powers that allow him to see into the lives of others. When....[PORTION SNIPPED TO AVOID A SPOILER]...Jude finds his purpose and his faith. Hines handles the numerous flashbacks and switches in point of view well, and has a deft touch in knowing just how much information to give and how much to withhold. There are a few trouble spots: Allman's battle with paranoia is wrapped up too easily, and [A KEY CHARACTER] is unnaturally calm about [A KEY PLOT POINT]. The descriptions of children hung in burlap bags, chained to beds or caged are not for the faint of heart. Hines does an excellent job of laying false trails to keep doubts alive as to the identity of the serial killer. Readers who consider most faith thrillers too tame should find this satisfactorily chilling.
After reading this review seventeen times in quick succession, I let myself smile. After all, it's a pretty darned good review. Rather positive, filled with praise such as: Hines handles the numerous flashbacks and switches in point of view well. And: [Hines] has a deft touch in knowing just how much information to give and how much to withhold. And: Hines does an excellent job of laying false trails to keep doubts alive as to the identity of the serial killer. And finally, a fine, fine last line: Readers who consider most faith thrillers too tame should find this satisfactorily chilling.
As I said, a rather nice review--even partly because, it seems, the book made the reviewer a bit uncomfortable, calling it "grisly" and "not for the faint of heart." I consider that praise, as well, because, frankly, I want people to be creeped out when reading it. I want it to make people a bit uncomfortable, because I think (hope) that makes the redemptive elements shine all the brighter. And if the reviewer accuses the book of going farther than other books in its genre, well, happily guilty as charged.
But.
In this review, there are two big "buts," aren't there? Allman's battle with paranoia is wrapped up too easily, and [A KEY CHARACTER] is unnaturally calm about [A KEY PLOT POINT].
Well, I suppose to each her own. I have reasons why I disagree with what the reviewer says, but that doesn't matter, does it? If he/she felt those were shortcomings, they were shortcomings--things that, for the reviewer, got in the way of the story.
It's easy to take those criticisms to heart. After reading the review once, I couldn't have told you any of the praise. But I could have told you exactly what the reviewer disliked.
Odd, isn't it, how our psyches work like that?
Still, you can bet your bippy I'll be posting snippets of this on my "review" page in the next ten minutes: "...not for the faint of heart...Readers who consider most faith thrillers too tame should find this satisfactorily chilling."
