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hezann73's review
3.0
Started off deliciously creepy. Then it got creepy and religious. Then it got religious and weird. It ended as being religious. All in all, a very odd book. Not bad, but very odd.
atcardille's review
3.0
Final Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Imagine all the adults in your life are gone, and a twelve-year-old you is responsible for making decisions that not only affect your future, but the future of the only world you’ve ever known. Pretty scary thought, huh? Well that is the main premise of Engines of the Broken World, written by Jason Vanhee. In a world reminiscent of a Little House On the Prairie episode with a decidedly sinister edge, Vanhee introduces a chilling novel that will make you wary of any bumps in the night that could possibly be taken for the raps or scrapes of fingernails.
The rest of my review can be found on my blog, http://zombieunicornreviews.com/
Imagine all the adults in your life are gone, and a twelve-year-old you is responsible for making decisions that not only affect your future, but the future of the only world you’ve ever known. Pretty scary thought, huh? Well that is the main premise of Engines of the Broken World, written by Jason Vanhee. In a world reminiscent of a Little House On the Prairie episode with a decidedly sinister edge, Vanhee introduces a chilling novel that will make you wary of any bumps in the night that could possibly be taken for the raps or scrapes of fingernails.
The rest of my review can be found on my blog, http://zombieunicornreviews.com/
alirenreads's review
5.0
This is a book that blends science fiction and horror in a wonderful way. Philosophical and head-spinning, the story will have the reader trying to distinguish truth from lies, all while silently planning their own escape route. Excellent read!
tales_of_erasmo's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
Umm this book was very bizarre and weird... but I definitely felt the "horror" genre in it. It was eerie and somewhat disturbing. At first I didn't like the fact that religion was deeply embedded in the book, but then I realized that without it, it wouldn't have the same plot or storyline. I could definitely see this as a movie, a really weird one, but a movie nonetheless. The "minister" took a lot to get used to. I didn't particularly like the ending. It didn't really end, although it was implied. I think it should have had some type of written closure, like an epilogue. Overall, this was an interesting read and I can definitely say that I somewhat enjoyed it.
Umm this book was very bizarre and weird... but I definitely felt the "horror" genre in it. It was eerie and somewhat disturbing. At first I didn't like the fact that religion was deeply embedded in the book, but then I realized that without it, it wouldn't have the same plot or storyline. I could definitely see this as a movie, a really weird one, but a movie nonetheless. The "minister" took a lot to get used to. I didn't particularly like the ending. It didn't really end, although it was implied. I think it should have had some type of written closure, like an epilogue. Overall, this was an interesting read and I can definitely say that I somewhat enjoyed it.
ahsimlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
A creepy debut that keeps the surprises coming. Felt like a Southern Gothic dystopian. The two main characters have great, Gothic names: Merciful and Gospel Truth. They grow up with a crazy mother and creature/pet/caretaker called the Minister. A well-told chiller of a story.
tashrow's review against another edition
4.0
Merciful’s mother has finally died. After years of growing more and more confused and cruel, she died as the weather grew colder and colder. Merciful and her brother Gospel had wanted to bury her properly but the bitter weather had worsened and prevented them from digging a hole. The snow came too, lashing the windows and keeping them from even venturing out to the barn to check on the animals. So they put their mother under the table and went to bed. The Minister, in an animal form, said prayers over her but was also firm in saying that she needed a proper burial. Merciful is starting breakfast the next morning when she hears it, a voice she thought she would never hear again, singing her childhood song.
This novel is completely unique. It is the story not of a post-apocalyptic world but of the days leading directly into an apocalypse. Yet it is also a book that explores religion in a way that will certainly bother many people. This is a religion beyond decay, heading into the final days, one that is flagging but still powerful. Even better, it is one that is familiar to many of us. Now add zombies to this complex world, and you are starting to understand why this book is so difficult to explain.
Against this dire setting, we have two young characters Merciful and Gospel. The two do not get along, both approaching the world from different places. Yet given the claustrophobic setting, the two are forced to see the truth about each other and their strengths. It is this setting of a blizzard at the end of the world that makes this book so haunting. Vanhee writes in a voice that we haven’t heard before either, he tinkers with perception of the characters, and he has created a book where you can’t trust much at all. It is a wonderfully slippery book, that changes underneath you and turns into something unexpected. Yet it is also filled with moments of great beauty and character.
A horror book for teens, this is also something much more. It is a beautifully written apocalypse that is harrowing, striking and powerful. Appropriate for ages 13-15.
This novel is completely unique. It is the story not of a post-apocalyptic world but of the days leading directly into an apocalypse. Yet it is also a book that explores religion in a way that will certainly bother many people. This is a religion beyond decay, heading into the final days, one that is flagging but still powerful. Even better, it is one that is familiar to many of us. Now add zombies to this complex world, and you are starting to understand why this book is so difficult to explain.
Against this dire setting, we have two young characters Merciful and Gospel. The two do not get along, both approaching the world from different places. Yet given the claustrophobic setting, the two are forced to see the truth about each other and their strengths. It is this setting of a blizzard at the end of the world that makes this book so haunting. Vanhee writes in a voice that we haven’t heard before either, he tinkers with perception of the characters, and he has created a book where you can’t trust much at all. It is a wonderfully slippery book, that changes underneath you and turns into something unexpected. Yet it is also filled with moments of great beauty and character.
A horror book for teens, this is also something much more. It is a beautifully written apocalypse that is harrowing, striking and powerful. Appropriate for ages 13-15.
bhalpin's review against another edition
5.0
What a delightfully weird, dark little book this is.
At the beginning, it seemed like one of the creepiest horror books I'd ever read. It then evolved into something bigger and weirder. I read the entire thing in a day, which I never do. Since the whole thing takes place in the span of a day or so and is limited to one location, it felt almost like a play to me, and I had to see it through as quickly as possible.
When there's so much YA literature that's either formulaic, didactic, or both, it's really refreshing to read a book that is resolutely neither. It's dark, sad, and ultimately ambiguous.
Not for everybody; definitely for me.
At the beginning, it seemed like one of the creepiest horror books I'd ever read. It then evolved into something bigger and weirder. I read the entire thing in a day, which I never do. Since the whole thing takes place in the span of a day or so and is limited to one location, it felt almost like a play to me, and I had to see it through as quickly as possible.
When there's so much YA literature that's either formulaic, didactic, or both, it's really refreshing to read a book that is resolutely neither. It's dark, sad, and ultimately ambiguous.
Not for everybody; definitely for me.
kmalexander's review against another edition
4.0
Engines of the Broken World is a hard book to pin down. It skillfully resists classification, and that’s why I loved it. There are elements of rural fiction, coupled with horror, and post-apocalyptic fiction. Throw in a chunk of theology and some alternate-reality, and you’ll find a book that is as engaging as it is thoughtful. The prose is sharp, the world well constructed, and the characters captivating. [a:Jason Vanhee|4697781|Jason Vanhee|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1329455488p2/4697781.jpg] is a talented author and a fresh voice in the new weird movement. There is a palpable sense of dread that carries the story, amplified by Merciful Truth’s wide-eyed innocence and her outlook on a world that is crumbling at its edges.
I'm a little disappointed that Engines was marketed as YA because it never felt young-adult to me. Sure, it's told from the perspective of a young girl who is struggling with her relationship with her brother. But the constant struggles that befall Merciful Truth over the course of the tale quickly moves beyond YA. Make no mistake; this is a tragic story of fallible people and difficult choices. While it addresses concepts of family and faith, this is ultimately a book about truth. Who is to be believed? What is real and what isn't? The truth is the crux of the matter, and it's a heady concept that that lingers long after the final page is turned and the cover closed.
I'm a little disappointed that Engines was marketed as YA because it never felt young-adult to me. Sure, it's told from the perspective of a young girl who is struggling with her relationship with her brother. But the constant struggles that befall Merciful Truth over the course of the tale quickly moves beyond YA. Make no mistake; this is a tragic story of fallible people and difficult choices. While it addresses concepts of family and faith, this is ultimately a book about truth. Who is to be believed? What is real and what isn't? The truth is the crux of the matter, and it's a heady concept that that lingers long after the final page is turned and the cover closed.
kimmym's review against another edition
4.0
From www.pingwings.ca
Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss
Goodreads summary:
This was such an interesting book! I read it in one day because once I started and got drawn into Mercy’s story, I couldn’t put it down.
I am very pleased to report that the first few chapters were actually really creepy and I was genuinely unsettled! There were also a lot of WTF moments. I felt like I’d finally found the spooky book I’d been craving for a Halloween read.
Also that cover is kind of freaky! The e-ARC I read didn’t have this cover but I think it’s super effective and great for this story!
Now, I have to admit that I had no clue was what was going on at times, but I think that was purposeful. I think the more I read, the more I understood things about Mercy’s world, and certain things became clear. I really enjoyed reading this story with no clue what was going to happen and how it was going to end.
I really loved reading about the relationship between Mercy and her brother Gospel. I am always interested in reading about sibling relationships, and while Gospel and Mercy didn’t seem to care much for each other at the beginning, their love for each other came out over the course of the story, such as in the actions they took to protect each other.
There was a major religious aspect to this story. I feel like I probably missed a lot of symbolism and that that a bunch of stuff probably went over my head because I’m super unfamiliar with the religious elements here, so I would love for someone who knows about that to explain what they thought it meant, but I still really enjoyed reading this and totally couldn’t step away from this book for more than a few minutes at a time. By the end, I felt totally unsure about what would happen, and was very tense and anxious. I was thoroughly wrapped up in Mercy’s story and what she was going to do, and hoping she would be okay.
I knew nothing about this book going in, other than the summary, and I’m so glad I didn’t know more because I think this is a book that really benefits from surprising the reader. I definitely recommend this for fans of YA supernatural/paranormal/horror – but don’t expect any easy explanations!
Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss
Goodreads summary:
Merciful Truth and her brother, Gospel, have just pulled their dead mother into the kitchen and stowed her under the table. It was a long illness, and they wanted to bury her—they did—but it’s far too cold outside, and they know they won’t be able to dig into the frozen ground. The Minister who lives with them, who preaches through his animal form, doesn’t make them feel any better about what they’ve done. Merciful calms her guilty feelings but only until, from the other room, she hears a voice she thought she’d never hear again. It’s her mother’s voice, and it’s singing a lullaby. . . .
Engines of the Broken World is a chilling young adult novel from Jason Vanhee.
This was such an interesting book! I read it in one day because once I started and got drawn into Mercy’s story, I couldn’t put it down.
I am very pleased to report that the first few chapters were actually really creepy and I was genuinely unsettled! There were also a lot of WTF moments. I felt like I’d finally found the spooky book I’d been craving for a Halloween read.
Also that cover is kind of freaky! The e-ARC I read didn’t have this cover but I think it’s super effective and great for this story!
Now, I have to admit that I had no clue was what was going on at times, but I think that was purposeful. I think the more I read, the more I understood things about Mercy’s world, and certain things became clear. I really enjoyed reading this story with no clue what was going to happen and how it was going to end.
I really loved reading about the relationship between Mercy and her brother Gospel. I am always interested in reading about sibling relationships, and while Gospel and Mercy didn’t seem to care much for each other at the beginning, their love for each other came out over the course of the story, such as in the actions they took to protect each other.
There was a major religious aspect to this story. I feel like I probably missed a lot of symbolism and that that a bunch of stuff probably went over my head because I’m super unfamiliar with the religious elements here, so I would love for someone who knows about that to explain what they thought it meant, but I still really enjoyed reading this and totally couldn’t step away from this book for more than a few minutes at a time. By the end, I felt totally unsure about what would happen, and was very tense and anxious. I was thoroughly wrapped up in Mercy’s story and what she was going to do, and hoping she would be okay.
I knew nothing about this book going in, other than the summary, and I’m so glad I didn’t know more because I think this is a book that really benefits from surprising the reader. I definitely recommend this for fans of YA supernatural/paranormal/horror – but don’t expect any easy explanations!
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