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I received this book for free from the author. I have also known the author for a few years, so I won’t pretend to be unbiased here!
Book Description (from Amazon):
Acting out because of his grief at the loss of his grandfather had sent Adam to Juvenile boot camp. Protecting the inmates from the brutal guards taught him leadership, loyalty, and friendship. Adam and his friends escape boot camp, but find themselves transported to Heaven, which they find under siege. They must learn the skills of a warrior before they enter the portal that will take them to the alien stronghold. There, they must steal back the only weapon that stands a chance of stopping the invasion; the Staff of Moses. If they fail, Heaven will fall and leave the way open for an invasion of earth and the eradication of mankind. This is a story about loyalty, friendship and bravery.
Dave Wickenden
The Main Character
The main character in this story is a teenage boy named Adam. He, along with a band of misfits, escape from a work camp. They are here because they’ve all run into trouble with the law for various reasons. Adam gets to play the role of the unlikely hero. They manage to escape and basically enter into heaven by accident.
I found Adam to be believable. He was a classic teenage boy who struggled with his own insecurities and confidence. He’s grieving the loss of his Grandpa and acts out instead of coping. In the end, a group of powerful mentors help him become a real leader.
The World Building
I love the way that Wickenden describes the world in this book. From the mosquitos flying up their noses in the swamp or the bone chilling encounters with Scavengers, I could vividly imagine the scenes. These descriptions are what help you take the leap in imagining a world where aliens are taking over heaven.
I will say that this story did fall a little short on cultural representation. Wickenden designs heaven as a place where every religion ends up. The world’s religions have all been serving the same God all along and now, no one can find him. I think this is a great idea.
I think it is a big task to take all these different religious figureheads and cultures and portray all of them accurately. I did feel that some cultures were maybe not quite right. There’s one scene where a Suri woman from Ethiopia agrees to cover her chest because it’s embarrassing the main character and I didn’t love that. I mean, it’s heaven, are we really going to be made to feel ashamed there? But I talked with the author about this and I think it has more to do with generational differences than outright sexism. I’m just skeptical that the woman wouldn’t have said, “Get over it! It’s just boobs?!” instead of covering up. But at the end of the day, she is a fictional character and that does give some freedom to portray that she just felt sympathetic towards the kid.
Setting that aside, I enjoyed the very diverse cast of characters and I like the unique take on religion. Heaven, and all the wonders, peoples, and aliens that it contains, is interesting and immersive.
The Plot
This story starts out on a dark note, in the middle of a war where Muhammad is leading an army. He is leading with an unknown second in command, which is later revealed to be Jesus. This scene serves to promise the reader that this story is going to be a little heavy and play on expectations.
Adam is repeatedly thrust into situations that he must navigate bravely. He has a lot of growth as he learns to trust his instincts and be humble enough to take advice from others that know better. He must be brave enough to escape the work camp, learn from the religious leaders in heaven, and be the chosen one that must save heaven.
We also get the perspective of another character, much further into the book, and I feel like this transition is done well.
The Ideal Reader
Teens between the ages of 13-18, who have an interest in military strategy, a hero’s journey, and historical figures will enjoy this story.
The story features the relationship between grandson and grandfather and would be a nice gift for the grandson in your life.
I will also say that this book is beautifully formatted. I love the chapter headers and I appreciate that it was very easy to read on my Kindle.
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