A review by bookish_brain1
A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet

4.0

Probably my favorite book this past month, most excellent, loved it! The author was a finalist for the Pulitzer and this book was on a summer reading list from Obama. The premise follows angsty teens with a disdain for their parents (who hasn't been there, on either side!). I will say, the parents are pretty despicable. I didn't really know anything about it, so reading it was a surprise as things unfolded in ways I did not foresee. The book does take on climate change and religious eschatology. Symbolism runs throughout the novel. Critics found it unrealistic, which I find an interesting critique in a work of fiction, but to each their own. My favorite character was Jack and I loved his interpretations of the stories in the Bible that another parent had gifted him. When asked to summarize the first story, he said "It's like, if you have a nice garden to live in, then you should never leave it." He also claims he solved the riddle of the Bible - "God is a code word meaning nature, and how nature gets misinterpreted, and it's full of symbols, and Jesus is science and the Holy Ghost was art, or all the things people make." The book is hard to describe exactly and not give spoilers, so I'll just say I found it delightful.