I really liked this one! It was a compelling read and I didn't feel pulled out of the story. I wanted to keep reading.

I didn't have super high expectations with the description of the book--from the blurb it really sounded like the author was more enamored with their plot than with actually making a relatable and understandable character. I wanted to get to know Jimmy and his life, but we got loads of exposition that slowed the pace when I really wanted things to pick up. A book should feel like a bow, with the string unfurling and being pulled taut--and when the story begins, that's when the arrow is set loose. This just didn't fulfill that.

From the first chapter, we are thrust into Jimmy's weird vision of angels fighting off some demon-things. This is strange, not just for Jimmy but for the reader, and thus makes it hard to really connect. Also, contrary to most YA fantasy books, this novel is mostly in passive tense and there's no/minimal setting/characterization beyond what is needed to throw Jimmy into the next disorienting and strange vision. On a whole, this book could have done with a good round of deep editing and beta readers. It felt like a book in the early draft stages.

Certain pieces really felt contrived, for example:
“She didn’t seem like just any girl... oh man… was she different! I was suddenly lost in her eyes, just staring, and she was staring back; I felt like our souls were... I don’t know... embracing.”

For a book that talks about God and the last days revival, I expected a greater mention of Jesus. I'm surprised the word Rapture wasn't used at all (which is typical of other end-of-times stories). The constant presence of the angels (paired with little relation to Jesus), made me feel like the angels are subverting God's place or overshadowing Jesus instead of acting as messengers. I would have liked to have seen Jimmy cultivate a personal relationship with God, which is what we are all called to do through Jesus. And I don't mean by actually SHOWINg Jesus, but by mimicking how He would reveal himself to us in our world. He is that still small voice, not large and grand visions and whirlwinds and whatever this book really lends itself to be. I expected more of a foundation in how someone may know God in our world, using fantasy elements as either the lesson or the means (kind of like Narnia using Aslan to show God's power and love).

This was pretty interesting. A religious book but nonetheless I enjoyed where the author took this entire book and the way the author followed the character throughout. It was pretty interesting and fun for what it was of course! 4.5/5 stars!