The Printed

Great read! I felt like I was looking into the future with the on going government interference in Christianity.

Author: Cameron Fitzgerald
Publisher: The Noble Initiative
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Synopsis: In this near-future dystopia, Christians are among the most-wanted enemies of The State. Facial analyst Jasper Wood, a government employee who identifies emotion via facial expression, embarks on a journey with Emmett, a newly-apprehended criminal whose expressions bely his sentence.
Promising first novel with room for improvement. I like what I see and am praying for the author.
I received a complimentary copy of the book through NetGalley and the publisher.
Overall Impression

This is Fitzgerald’s first novel and I’m enthusiastic about its themes. The novel explores identity in Christ, relationship with the Father, nobility, sexual purity, belief, forgiveness, and God’s plan.

In this season, the Lord is impressing on me the need for truth in the books that I read, and this book certainly packs a lot of truth!

With that said, there were a few passages where I felt the messages could have been conveyed with a bit more originality. Certain passages read more like an apologetics sermon, with language (big words/ “Christianese”) that I think would be more palatable in a nonfiction text.

Additionally, I feel the need to mention that there were a number of typos, which made the book feel a bit less polished than I would have preferred.

Highlights

As mentioned, there was a lot of really great content ☺️ and that made me really happy! I also think that the premise of the novel worked well with the content. Given the premise, the thematic content fit and did not feel “crammed in,” although there was a lot of it.

Some of my favorite things:

I really like that God is consistently referred to as the Father and that the Father relationship is the foundation of the character’s walk with Him.
I appreciated that God’s plan is foremost and prioritized.
Discussion of identity in Christ was beautiful and truthful!
My favorite parts were ones in which concepts were explained with fresh language, in everyday speech and with illustrations that make sense to the reader.
The dystopian element was a lot of fun. I liked learning about Jasper’s job and would have liked a better glimpse into Jasper’s world.
Content Critique

There were a few points I disagreed with including:

Description of Satan as the “enemy” of God
Reference to America once being a light to the world; this is a popular idea, but, given our nation’s oppressive roots, not one that I endorse
There’s one plot element, also, but I won’t mention it because I don’t want to spoil anything
Scripture Connection

There are a lot of possible connections…

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

What do you think a "Facial Confirmation Officer's " job is? It requires reading a persons emotions, even when they try to hide them. Jasper went to school to become a FCO officer, and he worked for the government to identify people who posed a threat to the government and others.
He watches a man go through questioning who wants to cheat the state by leaving before he has paid back his student loans, but then he sees a man who is calm and is accused of believing the Bible and he is also printed, and Jaspers mind is affected by this - he is confused and he enters the accused man's room.

Emmett asks Jasper what his job is, an analyst or a technician, Jasper answers, and then fragments, sentences and letters dance around in his head, he is dizzy until he feels a hand on his shoulder and he hears Emmett murmuring some words and his mind is clear! Jasper asks Emmett what just happened, Emmett did not know, then Emmett tells Jasper that they needed to leave, and Jasper puts his hand on a scanner and they leave the building.
On the way Emmett tells Jasper that he can either stay and be in trouble for consorting with him or leave and be safe.

Join them on their adventure to flee the government where they discover new friends, escape a flood and find the meaning of life.

The near future could bring indeed persecution as described in this novel. It's an engaging story with an end that leaves room for a sequel.
Sometimes it's becoming a little preachy out of context.
I had some problems with the age of the characters. Emmett recalls things of the past (1980's) but later we learn that he's younger than Louis who's in his 40's. When Emmett and Louise meet it seems as though it was decades ago that they were in love.

Printed is a Christian speculative fiction work done by Cameron Fitzgerald concerning Jasper, a State Facial Confirmation officer who reads facial and body language to keep the government entity safe from those who would commit subversive actions; i.e.,worship anything other than said government. He aids in the printing of those he deems harmful. A machine removes one’s fingerprints from their right hand and installs news ones. They are then send for religious rehabilitation to regain State benefits. Chilling and Orwellian. All this is done for the greater good of the masses, of course. Curfews are in place and Bibles are outlawed. During an interrogation of a Christian named Emmett Walsh, Col. Bernard Stockton, enraged by Walsh’s possession of a Bible, has Walsh printed without following protocol. Jasper, watching Walsh, becomes intrigued by his courage and helps him escape rehab. As they travel north Jasper becomes a Christian through Walsh’s witness. When they reach a large dam on the Columbia river they are contacted by Stockton who claims that Jasper is part of a terrorist cell, then a missile strike blows up the dam, destroying the town below. Jasper and Walsh have to defend their innocence and their faith as they continue to run from Stockton. There are places of insight, humor and tension in the book, which make it a balanced read, and I enjoyed the experience.

This was a really great book, I ended up finishing this in just one sitting! It was a really interesting and engaging story, that I could not put down! I would definitely recommend this book in the coming winter months, it would be a perfect addition to a cosy winters night in, you won't regret it!

This was very interesting. I liked the Christian take on science fiction. The plot flowed very well, and there was always something new catching my attention. I would love to read more by this author.

A scary look at the future when a person can be "re-educated" based on their supposed facial disposition to display a lack of loyalty to the society in charge. People are trained to read faces, they hold the power of a person's life literally in their hands. When these loyalists become aware that all is not as it seems, the story takes a wild turn and becomes a race for one man to expose the crimes.