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A review by roseofphantom
Hell Is a World Without You by Jason Kirk
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This needs to be required reading for everyone deconstructing their faith. Especially if the trauma they endured from it happened during the early 2000s.
I first started reading this not expecting this to be soooo.... Identical to my upbringing in the church I attended as a teen. This is a fiction novel, but there's no way it's not semi-autobiographical. From the Christian band references, to the fire and brimstone reminders about the rapture, purity culture misinformation and hypocrisy, to the reverence for Lord of the Rings, it almost feels like this was written from people in my own Youth Group. I lived this very story, and I don't expect anyone who didn't group up in a high control religion to feel the power and resonance that this book had on me.
It honestly feels like it was written for me. In a way it was, it says so in the acknowledgements. But the more shocking thing about this - I know my experience is way too common which is why this book exists in the first place. The character takes a journey from being one of the most devoted believers seeking to save others from Hell, to the encountering stuff leading him to question, to seeing how the girl he likes is being horribly mistreated, to battling his own struggles, it all starts to unravel and he begins to deconstruct throughout high school, all while seeing the churches hypocrisy. It is eye opening, jaw dropping, mesmerizing, thought provoking, and just all around powerful.
Even more relatable to me, the whole crox of his deconstruction process happens because of questions about his father's soul after he dies (this is literally on the first page, not a spoiler), which is what happened with me.
My soul was seen, and I feel validated, and a little healed. Anyone who was a teen in a Youth Group in an Evangelical environment in the early 2000s please... Read. This. Book!!!!
I first started reading this not expecting this to be soooo.... Identical to my upbringing in the church I attended as a teen. This is a fiction novel, but there's no way it's not semi-autobiographical. From the Christian band references, to the fire and brimstone reminders about the rapture, purity culture misinformation and hypocrisy, to the reverence for Lord of the Rings, it almost feels like this was written from people in my own Youth Group. I lived this very story, and I don't expect anyone who didn't group up in a high control religion to feel the power and resonance that this book had on me.
It honestly feels like it was written for me. In a way it was, it says so in the acknowledgements. But the more shocking thing about this - I know my experience is way too common which is why this book exists in the first place. The character takes a journey from being one of the most devoted believers seeking to save others from Hell, to the encountering stuff leading him to question, to seeing how the girl he likes is being horribly mistreated, to battling his own struggles, it all starts to unravel and he begins to deconstruct throughout high school, all while seeing the churches hypocrisy. It is eye opening, jaw dropping, mesmerizing, thought provoking, and just all around powerful.
Even more relatable to me, the whole crox of his deconstruction process happens because of questions about his father's soul after he dies (this is literally on the first page, not a spoiler), which is what happened with me.
My soul was seen, and I feel validated, and a little healed. Anyone who was a teen in a Youth Group in an Evangelical environment in the early 2000s please... Read. This. Book!!!!