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Title: Armageddon Summer by Bruce Coville, Jane Yolen ISBN: 0-15-202268-6 Publisher: Harcourt Paperbacks Pub. Date: 26 July, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.3 (63 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Review for Armageddon Summer
Comment: I like to compare this reading experience to riding a bicylce for the first time. At first, I found it difficult to enjoy, but as I continued reading the intriguing characters and plot became more entertaining. The more you get into it, the harder it is to put down. Armageddon Summer was interesting to read, and the depth of the characters were exciting to discover.
This book holds the strange exciting story of two young teenagers who are forced against their will to follow a religious cult to the top of a mountain. When Jed's dad and Marina's mother become Believers of Beelson's flock, the children have to leave their home and friends to join the rest of the believers on the top of Mount Weeupcut. Jed is a nonbeliever and feels like he's surrounded by crazy people. Marina wants to believe but doesn't know if it's really in her heart. The teens are strangers at first, but soon meet and eventually fall in love. Other supporting characters bring life to the story as well. For instance, the insanely believable Reverand Beelson. You want to hate him, but can't because he makes you believe that he really cares about all of his followers. You almost think that maybe the world really is coming to an end and it's scary because there really are cult leaders out there like that. It's too real. Jed's father and Marina's mother seem so naive to be caught up in all of this. But it's interesting to analyze their personalities and see how they change throughout the story.
Armageddon Summer takes place mostly outdoors on the top of Mount Weeupcut. The surroundings are mountainous timber country. Many animals are around, but none of which live in the camp. The believers are fenced in a perimeter so they do not get to explore the rest of the mountain. Each day, chores are assigned that keep the follower's busy. The only time they are indoors really is to eat during a designated time or sleeping in tents at night. They are far from the hustle and bustle of large cities. It seems so peaceful and beautiful. Especially at night when Jed takes the oppurtunity to star gaze.
The chapters were fun to follow, going back and forth between characters so that you know what's going through both of their heads'. The newsletters and radio interview added a unique style to the writing that I found to be quite effective. The actual content of this story didn't really grab me until half way through. I found it interesting but couldn't really get into it until Marina and Jed actually met. I think I'm a hopeless romantic which would explain that. And any oddball like myslef could appreciate a strange story of a religious cult and the end of the world. I'm not even a religious person myself, and I found the story to be quite entertaining as well as educational. I found it fun to try and read deeper into the context for more clues of what would happen next and where the story would take me. Although, it was a serious book containing real issues of torn families and personal trials and tribulations, a light sense of humor made it not so depressing to read.
I did get off to a slow start with reading this one. I felt that the authors, Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville, could have grabbed me a little more in the beginning instead of starting off slow to build it's way up. However, I did stick with it and found that the story was rich with adventure, and passion, and love. The end of one chapter left you with suspense and anticipation to go on and read the next. Once I concentrated more on what was going on and tried to get in deeper, I started to really enjoy it. Despite a weak ending, and slow start, Armageddon Summer was an interesting find if nothing else. However the beginning and end are supposed to be something to be remembered. You should go out with a bang and start with an attention getting chapter or two. The book itself was fun and easy to read. All in all, my feelings toward Armageddon Summer are good. I've read better books, but this is definitely one that you will remember for being unique.
Rating: 4
Summary: THE END OF THE WORLD IS THURSDAY, JULY 27 2000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment: I've just completed reading this book! When I first read the plot, I was eager to go ahead and read the rest of the book. What an exciting plot! The story was told from two people's point of view in short, alternating chapters. That was my favorite element of the story. If you got bored of one person, the next person's story was only a page or two away. One was a 13 year old girl named Marina and the other a boy named Jed. The basic plot was that these kids' parents belonged to a new faith called the "Believers." The Believers believe that the world will END on July 27, 2000. Only a couple of weeks away! They believe that at the termination of the world, the earth will go up in flames and everything will burn and die. Everyone- except for the Believers- because they'll be safe on Mount Weeupcut. ONLY 144 Believers can be saved on the mountain...and their duty would be to save the earth when the fire was gone. While waiting for the end of the world, the Believers prepared for what was to happen. Armageddon Summer was a truly suspenseful novel. I was begging for the end the entire time, would the world actually end as the believers thought? Would everything burn up EXCEPT for the mountain they were on? Jed and Marina, the ones telling the story, had so much in common and had very similar reasons for "being" a Believer and for being on the mountain. The ending of the book, (which of course I wouldn't share with you!) was okay. It's hard to explain... it was predictable, yet I was suprised- and I was disappointed. I think there could have been a better ending,.. after all, that's the whole point of reading the whole rest of the book! With the year 2000 coming up in less than 2 months, there has been a lot of talk and controversy about the end of the world. A lot of faiths have said what needs to be done and when. This book compiles a lot of faiths and beliefs together to come up with some new faith- The Believers. This story was, for the most part, realalistic- and it could actually happen. So, here's a question- will the world really end? Find out when you read this book! :)
Rating: 1
Summary: err.....
Comment: this book is like many others and the characters emotions just don't speak to me. it seemed like a kind of uniform book. If you want GOOD end of the world themed books you should try the Fire-us trilogy.
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