My initial reaction to Evermore The Novel is one of excitement. I decided to read this book because some of the topics and themes within it bear some passing similarity to my own work; The Second Coming. I was interested to see how another author handled the fictionalizing of Christian dogma.
Let me say right up front that I love it when authors have the courage to take events, beliefs and often entrenched faiths and give them a twist in a fictional setting. This is exactly what Hendrickson has done in Forevermore and she should be congratulated on that alone.
The novel is split into two sections, both compelling stories that hook you in and insist that you keep reading. Without spoiling the story for anyone, the first section of the book focuses on the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ as witnessed and told through the eyes of Mary Magdalene. We follow Mary's fictional journey from Jerusalem to Rome and ultimately to Gaul in modern day France, where she eventually dies. In this book the accepted dogma of Jesus' purpose on earth and his sacrifice on the cross are turned upside down and the modern day Church is blamed for twisting the true purpose of Jesus'. I loved this construct and admired the writer's ability to explain the WHAT IF?
The second part of the book tells the story of a modern day Mary (Jennie) and her modern day Jesus. This part of the book is rife with conspiracy theories and I found it both fascinating and an enjoyable read. It's hard to put down - you always want to know what's coming next and that is the mark of a good storyteller.
Hendrickson's writing is not perfect, a tidy up of punctuation would help, but she does a fantastic job of posing the What If? question and then weaving a believable tale, around it. If you like to think when you read, this is a great book for doing just that. I would recommend it to any readers who enjoy thinking about possibilities. I gave it 5 stars simply because it does what I love authors doing - challenging established thought and belief with exciting, readable prose. Good job!
Let me say right up front that I love it when authors have the courage to take events, beliefs and often entrenched faiths and give them a twist in a fictional setting. This is exactly what Hendrickson has done in Forevermore and she should be congratulated on that alone.
The novel is split into two sections, both compelling stories that hook you in and insist that you keep reading. Without spoiling the story for anyone, the first section of the book focuses on the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ as witnessed and told through the eyes of Mary Magdalene. We follow Mary's fictional journey from Jerusalem to Rome and ultimately to Gaul in modern day France, where she eventually dies. In this book the accepted dogma of Jesus' purpose on earth and his sacrifice on the cross are turned upside down and the modern day Church is blamed for twisting the true purpose of Jesus'. I loved this construct and admired the writer's ability to explain the WHAT IF?
The second part of the book tells the story of a modern day Mary (Jennie) and her modern day Jesus. This part of the book is rife with conspiracy theories and I found it both fascinating and an enjoyable read. It's hard to put down - you always want to know what's coming next and that is the mark of a good storyteller.
Hendrickson's writing is not perfect, a tidy up of punctuation would help, but she does a fantastic job of posing the What If? question and then weaving a believable tale, around it. If you like to think when you read, this is a great book for doing just that. I would recommend it to any readers who enjoy thinking about possibilities. I gave it 5 stars simply because it does what I love authors doing - challenging established thought and belief with exciting, readable prose. Good job!
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