Saturday, May 9, 2015

Book Review || Vivian Apple at the End of The World by Katie Coyle

Vivian Apple at the End of the World (Vivian Apple #1) by Katie Coyle


Publication Date: January 6th, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Source: Publisher

Summary

Seventeen-year-old Vivian Apple never believed in the evangelical Church of America, unlike her recently devout parents. But when Vivian returns home the night after the supposed "Rapture," all that’s left of her parents are two holes in the roof. Suddenly, she doesn't know who or what to believe. With her best friend Harp and a mysterious ally, Peter, Vivian embarks on a desperate cross-country roadtrip through a paranoid and panic-stricken America to find answers. Because at the end of the world, Vivan Apple isn't looking for a savior. She's looking for the truth.
(Courtesy of Goodreads)

My Review

Note: I received a finished copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler free review.

Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle is not a book I would have normally picked up but I am glad that I read it. It's a well-written book that offers a lot to think about in terms of religion and belief systems without being pushy or obnoxious. I think it actually handles the whole topic really well and shows multiple, diverse perspectives. There are not that many YA books out there that deal with religion and I think it’s something that is so important that I’m surprised it doesn't come up more often.

I thought the main characters, Vivian, Harp, and Peter, were well-developed, three dimensional characters. I especially loved Vivian and Harp’s strong female friendship. It’s not perfect, as no relationship is, but we see how their relationship grows and matures as they learn more about themselves and each other.

I also found it very interesting because I didn't quite know what genre this book fit into. I know everything isn't about labels but since we are so used to having these delineations it was strange not to in this case. There were times at the beginning I thought it was a dystopian book because of the whole Rapture aspect, but by the end it clearly was not. I'm still not a hundred percent sure in what genre it should be categorized. This isn't really super important to the story but just a thought I had while reading.

One thing I didn't like was the ending. I don't want to get into any spoilers, but the ending felt a little anti-climactic. While there was definitely a couple of plot twists that had me saying "what!" it just didn't feel all the satisfying. The story had built up the discovery so much but the ending didn't fulfill my expectations.

Overall, a good read that I would recommend picking up but not a "must read right away" kind of book. I will be picking up the sequel when it is released because I do want to find out what happens to Vivian, Peter, and Harp.


3 out of 5 stars


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