Fiction Review: Soon

Photo courtesy of samuiblue, Free Digital Photos

Soon, by Jerry B. Jenkins, is the first book in the Underground Zealot Series. Jerry B. Jenkins, as many people will recognize, is the co-author with Tim LaHaye of the very popular Left Behind Series.

This new series goes much further. It’s about America in a new calendar, after great parts of the world have been nuclear bombed away in World War III, and with suspicions about any Christian activities. Strange occurrences are always blamed on the Christian community, and the Christians are labeled a threat to the country. This justifies going after Christians and mass murders of Christians. Is this far fetched? I’m not sure.

I’ll admit that it took me a while to get into this book. Some of the phenomena failed to convince me. I totally believe in God’s power to manifest wonders. I have no problems with that. I also believe that any supernatural acts that God does will point someone to Christ and actually glorify Himself. I’m on the fence about some of them in the book.

The protagonist, Paul, is a man who thinks he’s a gift to the women of the world. The problem is that he’s married with kids. Needless to say, his marriage has major issues.

There are a lot of sci-fi effects, gadgets, cars, chases, weapons, and excitement. The Christian communities are interesting—each different from the next in how they live, move, and reach out to unbelievers. Some of their methods of evangelism are not what I would have expected!

Paul works for the NPO, an organization against any Christian “subversives.” His father-in-law is one of his superiors. His father-in-law is a ruthless man who takes his job very seriously and isn’t above teaching Christians a lesson by making examples of them. One of his “examples” was Andy Pass, burned to death in a drum full of gel gasoline, his body charred.

Once I got into the story and past the sci-fi elements of the post World War III world, I enjoyed this book. I was so into it when, all of a sudden, it ended. There’s no wrap-up, no real ending. Chop! Done. Read the sequel—which I probably will, because the story is compelling and the writing is good.

If you like some fantasy and a good story, and you have an open mind to the possibilities if Jesus doesn’t rapture the saints in the near future, this is an interesting read.

I would recommend it for adults and young people in their late teens. There’s no bad language or sexual content. There is some violence. Paul’s flirtations and some of the themes are definitely for a more adult audience.