Author's website: http://evanangler.com/
Genres: Dystopian, Christian, Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Mature Content: 0 (Very Clean)
Age Range: 11+
Interest level: About 12-14
Background Knowledge: A Christian dystopian novel that shows how life could be like as described in the book of Revelations. Everyone receives a "Mark" on their wrist when they turn 13, which allows them to do anything, shop, get a job, travel, etc. Although it is required to get the Mark, not everyone chooses so.
Review: Man, I really loved this book. At first, like most all other books, it started out a little bit slow, but at about 100 pages, I couldn't put it down. When I first started reading this book, I why it was characterized and published as a Christian novel. There weren't any references towards God or Christianity, and non of the characters, to our knowledge, are Christian. Then, towards the end of the novel, it hit me. It was about the end of time, in Revelations, when everyone gets the Mark of the Beast! Looking back, it was all so obvious. Now, on to the characters.
So, the main character here is a 7th grader, Logan Langley. He's a good kid, does well in school, but he's suspicious of everything. Ever since his sister disappeared when getting her Mark, that is. And although many people have told him the same thing, "She's dead", he still wants to investigate in thoroughly. He always thinks he's being watched, even when all the people around him think he's gone nuts, and believes he finds evidence to support it.
Then there's Erin, a girl who moved to Logan's city because of her father's mysterious work with the government. He doesn't really care for her or his wife, and is pretty consumed by his work. Erin has a knack for mischief and mystery, and later on helps Logan. She is very good with computers and technology. Erin is very brave, and often puts herself on the line to help solve the mystery.
Things I Loved:
- The suspense! There was so much suspense, that once you were sucked in, you couldn't easily be pulled out. At the end of each chapter you are left hanging, haunted by the though of what happens next.
- No bad or mature content. It's very hard nowadays to find good books with suspense, a great story/plot line, and no bad content! Despite some scenes that were a little bit scary, it wasn't very violent either.
- You never know what happens next. Even though you think you know what the characters will do next, your assumptions are nearly always proven wrong. Sometimes it's a good choice, sometimes bad, and other times you won't know until you get to the end of the book.
Things I Didn't Love:
-Really, only one thing. In the first few chapters, when Erin and Logan haven't met yet, the chapters switched points of view. I know this is expected, and really I can't complain about it, but it was too suspenseful at the end of each chapter to move on to the next one, where you'll have to read another 10-20 pages to get back to the story.
In Conclusion:
This was an amazing book. It was a wide interest level, and is clean enough for younger audiences as well, if they don't get scared easily. Swipe keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire way through, and will not be forgotten.
Recommended?: Yes!