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Prophet
A thriller that penetrates to the very heart of a vast struggle that threatens to tear our society apart. Successful news anchorman John Barrett is caught in a suspenseful moral and spiritual battle over the importance of Truth. Using all the elements of edge-of-your-seat fiction, master storyteller Frank Peretti weaves a prophetic tale of our times.
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First published January 1, 1992
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About the author
Frank E. Peretti
85 books3,829 followersFROM HIS WEBSITE:
With more than 12 million novels in print, Frank Peretti is nothing short of a publishing phenomenon and has been called “America’s hottest Christian novelist.”
Peretti is a natural storyteller who, as a youngster in Seattle, regularly gathered the neighborhood children for animated storytelling sessions. After graduating from high school, he began playing banjo with a local bluegrass group. He and his wife were married in 1972, and Peretti soon moved from touring with a pop band to launching a modest Christian music ministry. Peretti later spent time studying English, screen writing and film at UCLA and then assisted his father in pastoring a small Assembly of God church. In 1983, he gave up his pastoring position and began taking construction jobs to make ends meet. While working at a local ski factory, he began writing This Present Darkness, the book that would catapult him into the public eye. After numerous rejections from publishers and a slow start in sales, word-of-mouth enthusiasm finally lifted This Present Darkness onto a tidal wave of interest in spiritual warfare. The book appeared on Bookstore Journal’s bestseller list every month for more than eight years. Peretti’s two spiritual warfare novels, This Present Darkness (1998) and Piercing the Darkness (1989), captivated readers, together selling more than 3.5 million copies. The Oath was awarded the 1996 Gold Medallion Award for best fiction.
For kids, Peretti wrote The Cooper Kids Adventure Series (Crossways and Tommy Nelson), which remains a best-selling series for children with sales exceeding 1 million copies. In August 2000, Peretti released the hilarious children’s audiocassette series titled Wild and Wacky Totally True Bible Stories, reprising his role as Mr. Henry, the offbeat substitute Sunday School teacher found in two Visual Bible for Kids videos.
Peretti released his first-ever non-fiction book, The Wounded Spirit in 2000, which quickly became a best-seller. The book addresses the pain of “wounded spirits” and was written as a result of painful childhood experiences.
Frank Peretti and his wife, Barbara Jean, live in the Western U.S. In spite of sudden fame and notoriety, Frank still lives a simple, well-rounded life that includes carpentry, banjo making, sculpturing, bicycling and hiking. He is also an avid pilot.
With more than 12 million novels in print, Frank Peretti is nothing short of a publishing phenomenon and has been called “America’s hottest Christian novelist.”
Peretti is a natural storyteller who, as a youngster in Seattle, regularly gathered the neighborhood children for animated storytelling sessions. After graduating from high school, he began playing banjo with a local bluegrass group. He and his wife were married in 1972, and Peretti soon moved from touring with a pop band to launching a modest Christian music ministry. Peretti later spent time studying English, screen writing and film at UCLA and then assisted his father in pastoring a small Assembly of God church. In 1983, he gave up his pastoring position and began taking construction jobs to make ends meet. While working at a local ski factory, he began writing This Present Darkness, the book that would catapult him into the public eye. After numerous rejections from publishers and a slow start in sales, word-of-mouth enthusiasm finally lifted This Present Darkness onto a tidal wave of interest in spiritual warfare. The book appeared on Bookstore Journal’s bestseller list every month for more than eight years. Peretti’s two spiritual warfare novels, This Present Darkness (1998) and Piercing the Darkness (1989), captivated readers, together selling more than 3.5 million copies. The Oath was awarded the 1996 Gold Medallion Award for best fiction.
For kids, Peretti wrote The Cooper Kids Adventure Series (Crossways and Tommy Nelson), which remains a best-selling series for children with sales exceeding 1 million copies. In August 2000, Peretti released the hilarious children’s audiocassette series titled Wild and Wacky Totally True Bible Stories, reprising his role as Mr. Henry, the offbeat substitute Sunday School teacher found in two Visual Bible for Kids videos.
Peretti released his first-ever non-fiction book, The Wounded Spirit in 2000, which quickly became a best-seller. The book addresses the pain of “wounded spirits” and was written as a result of painful childhood experiences.
Frank Peretti and his wife, Barbara Jean, live in the Western U.S. In spite of sudden fame and notoriety, Frank still lives a simple, well-rounded life that includes carpentry, banjo making, sculpturing, bicycling and hiking. He is also an avid pilot.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 415 reviews
January 31, 2010
My Mom had me read this book when I was in High School. I'm so glad she did, it really changed my life.
It's the reason I don't watch the news on TV, ever. It's the reason I question any kind of 'fact' that comes from television. It's the reason that I still feel like news television is just a really great soap opera.
Granted, being 15/16 years old and reading this book is going to make an incredible impression on you, but this is one of those books that stuck with me through the years and changed my entire way of thinking. You can't say that often about fiction.
This book will enrage you, but it is still worth every dime.
It's the reason I don't watch the news on TV, ever. It's the reason I question any kind of 'fact' that comes from television. It's the reason that I still feel like news television is just a really great soap opera.
Granted, being 15/16 years old and reading this book is going to make an incredible impression on you, but this is one of those books that stuck with me through the years and changed my entire way of thinking. You can't say that often about fiction.
This book will enrage you, but it is still worth every dime.
December 14, 2022
An EASY 5 stars.
Frank Peretti has a unique way of building up a story and then unfolding it for the reader that keeps me invested the whole time.
This story mainly follows John Barrett Jr, who is a popular anchorman at a large news station. His father has been labeled a prophet because he has followed the current Governor's reelection campaign and speaking against the Governor's hidden corruption. John Sr. is killed, which leads to an investigation by John Jr. and the Governor's secrets start to be discovered.
There is another story happening that John Jr is involved in that is connected to deaths due to incomplete abortions performed by a women's medical clinic. Please be aware that this topic is heavily discussed and there are strong emotions on both sides portrayed through the characters.
The theology y'all! Brought me to tears. John Jr is given vision and ears to hear the cries of the human souls in his city. He is brought to his knees in surrender to Almighty God. The Lamb of God is here and he weeps for his people. It was a stunning message that brought me to tears.
Certainly a heavy story, but HOPE is stronger than disappointment and Jesus always has the final word.
Frank Peretti has a unique way of building up a story and then unfolding it for the reader that keeps me invested the whole time.
This story mainly follows John Barrett Jr, who is a popular anchorman at a large news station. His father has been labeled a prophet because he has followed the current Governor's reelection campaign and speaking against the Governor's hidden corruption. John Sr. is killed, which leads to an investigation by John Jr. and the Governor's secrets start to be discovered.
There is another story happening that John Jr is involved in that is connected to deaths due to incomplete abortions performed by a women's medical clinic. Please be aware that this topic is heavily discussed and there are strong emotions on both sides portrayed through the characters.
The theology y'all! Brought me to tears. John Jr is given vision and ears to hear the cries of the human souls in his city. He is brought to his knees in surrender to Almighty God. The Lamb of God is here and he weeps for his people. It was a stunning message that brought me to tears.
Certainly a heavy story, but HOPE is stronger than disappointment and Jesus always has the final word.
September 9, 2019
Frank Peretti, affectionately known as "The Father of Christian Fiction," became known to me at a very early age. I was likely in sixth or seventh grade. I remember because in the fourth, I started attending Sunday School regularly, during which time my dad and stepmother gave my sister and I Bibles for Christmas. A couple years later, my grandparents gave me Peretti's The Cooper Kids. It was a nice box set, and though I tried getting into a couple of them (maybe all four,) I just couldn't do it. Specifically, I couldn't get into reading. The "reading bug" wouldn't infect me for another couple years.
Fast forward to spring, 2012. The premise of Illusion. astounded me, and I knew I had to read it soon. Then, in December of 2013, I read his debut, This Present Darkness. I gave both two stars. I never thought I'd read another, with the possible exception of House
and only because he co-wrote it with
Ted Dekker, an author I very much admire. I'm awfully glad that I took a chance with this one, because Prophet was impressive, and very entertaining.
Crash! We're inside the building, sailing past rafters, cables, floodlights, and then, like a roller coaster going over the top, we nose over, dropping down past rigging, wires, lights, monitors, into the open expanse of the NewsSix set, heading for the news desk where John Barrett and Ali Downs are ready and waiting to inform us, accepting with ease that we have fallen from the sky and through their ceiling to get there.
One of its easily discernible facets was the prose itself, as the passage above makes clear. Not that the entire novel was written as such, but a lot of it --approximately fifty percent-- benefited from that distinctive style. It was almost immediate, thus pulling me in further, and was reminiscent of bird's-eye POV. Given that the protagonist, John Barrett, was a news anchorman, this creative choice was a smart move that Peretti pulled off with pizazz.
Prophet was less concerned with plot (though the whole was very engaging,) and much more concerned with theme and character development. In fact, the themes were as developed as I could imagine. Specifically, the pacific-northwestern author (originally from Lethbrige, Canada,) exposed the sad realities of the media's influences, weaving his fiction together seamlessly, almost effortlessly. With it, he posed very apposite questions: what exactly is news? What makes those stories newsworthy? How much is profit, and how much benefits society? How does sensationalism come into play when they decide which stories to cover, and which to discard?
At the heart of the novel, though, was the story of our likeable protagonist, and his artistic son, Carl, as they battle spiritual forces. At times, they fought each other, as the past made itself known in irreparable ways. You can't alter or unsee it. All you could do is go forward, in the hopes that you learned something; that those mistakes, ignorance, and neglect might stay there, where they belonged....in the past.
Paint was everywhere. The canvas was all but invisible under splatterings, smears, globs, and dashes of paint of all colors. The walls were speckled and splattered too, as were the floor, the windows, and several of Carl's other works....And he was still digging it out of jar after jar...throwing the stuff blindly, crazily, his vision blurred with tears..
Together, John and Carl Barrett, alongside a ragtag group, were tasked to crack a sprawling mystery fraught with peril, moral implications, the government, and an issue that's more relevant today than it was thirty years ago: pro-life vs -choice.
And, of course, coming from Peretti, "the Father of Christian Fiction," there was plenty to be said about faith, as his characters grappled with the world, each other, and their individual religious dispositions. That was a little much at times. I get why some readers criticized it for being didactic.
About halfway through, certain details pertaining to the investigative mysteries- inevitably coupled with the spiritual realm-- began coming to light, and the whole soon escalated, losing control. The stakes couldn't have been higher.
With it, the characters and political motivations grew increasingly fascinating, and I couldn't put it down. Actually, from the get-go, Prophet was one book that had my enthusiastic attention. I thought about the characters and situations often, which is what a good book should do.
Part of why it resonated was the ease of prose, which I came to reconcile not as overly simplistic or unrefined (although those adjectives wouldn't be incorrect,) but naturally the way he talks. Surely, there's nothing wrong with refraining from grandiose syntax. I prefer the natural form. Could I have done without some of the cliche terms or unnecessary exclamation points? Sure. But I can't fault it too much.
And again, the consistent bird's-eye view really worked. Seeing everything unravel and develop the way they did helped put me in the protagonist's mindset. His worldview, you know? Not only that, but the supporting characters kind of flit in, out, and around John Barrett ("NewsSix at six,") making the reader privy to some of their backstories and thought processes, even when John wasn't around. In other words, third- person omniscient, and in this instance, it was extremely effective.
Another reason why it flowed so freely stemmed from the explored issues, and the deadly consequences of those choices. It all felt very believable, rarely contrived. Clearly, Peretti did his research.
The end, though...wowed me on multiple levels. Everything came full-circle, in an incredibly profound, awesome, and personal way. To say more would spoil its inherent beauty.
July 31, 2007
This was a struggle that I'll admit I could not finish. Poor plot and suspense writing that traded off with evangelical preaching. I'm not against Christian or other religious novels, but this one did not master the technique of religious writing for entertainment value and the general population.
February 1, 2018
I'm not certain this story would stand up to rereading, but it did me incalculable good service as an early teen: in parallel with its plot, it cogently argued that the combined structure of market forces and federal regulations in the U.S. makes television the weakest of journalistic mediums. The triple threat of politicized oversight, competitive ratings, and investment (from advertisers and shareholders alike) makes it simply impossible for broadcast television to get any closer than "news-based entertainment" to the ideals of journalism. At best, TV offers "news-adjacent" media - that's all.
Peretti wasn't first to point this out; that honor belongs most famously to Edward Murrow (of "Good Night, and Good Luck" fame), one of the twentieth century's most respected journalists and a pioneer in the field of TV news. Peretti's was simply the first book which repeated the warning to me, and for that I shall remain grateful.
Peretti wasn't first to point this out; that honor belongs most famously to Edward Murrow (of "Good Night, and Good Luck" fame), one of the twentieth century's most respected journalists and a pioneer in the field of TV news. Peretti's was simply the first book which repeated the warning to me, and for that I shall remain grateful.
January 3, 2011
Peretti's books are hard to get into...really slow in the beginning. Although, his books always finish with an amazing ending. Same goes for Prophet.
Prophet was an interesting read. Very theological. Throughout the entire book you follow the story of a TV anchorman, a reporter, a rebel son, and families and friends dealing with death(s). All the time you are asked the question: "What is Truth?" and if a person finds Truth, do they tell the world and not care what people think...or bury it? Deals with some other interesting issues: abortion and consumerism - just to name two. Probably best for grades 11+
Prophet was an interesting read. Very theological. Throughout the entire book you follow the story of a TV anchorman, a reporter, a rebel son, and families and friends dealing with death(s). All the time you are asked the question: "What is Truth?" and if a person finds Truth, do they tell the world and not care what people think...or bury it? Deals with some other interesting issues: abortion and consumerism - just to name two. Probably best for grades 11+
October 21, 2012
IF you liked this book, you are going to like Peretti's newest book, Illusion.
If you liked Peretti's other works, such as The Oath or the Present Darkness series, the trend in reviews seems to indicate that you won't enjoy this as much.
In Prophet, Peretti hits the mark with his development of relationships. The characters are real and you can feel their hurt and their hopes. Peretti does a good job of making you want them to win and to heal; this book seems more personal than his others. If you like reading about grand, melodramatic battles between good and evil, this story isn't going to sate you.
This story was especially personal to me in that I have been unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time too many times and I've seen news happen. Then I've watched it or read about it later only to see how the media spun it into their own tool. Peretti may have written a fiction story, but he definitely did his research.
If you liked Peretti's other works, such as The Oath or the Present Darkness series, the trend in reviews seems to indicate that you won't enjoy this as much. In Prophet, Peretti hits the mark with his development of relationships. The characters are real and you can feel their hurt and their hopes. Peretti does a good job of making you want them to win and to heal; this book seems more personal than his others. If you like reading about grand, melodramatic battles between good and evil, this story isn't going to sate you.
This story was especially personal to me in that I have been unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time too many times and I've seen news happen. Then I've watched it or read about it later only to see how the media spun it into their own tool. Peretti may have written a fiction story, but he definitely did his research.
August 29, 2018
First sentence: John Barrett heard God speak when he was ten years old.
Premise/plot: Prophet is a novel about the media, about reporting news, about politics, about biases, about balancing what do people NEED to know, what do we want people to know, and what do people think they need to know. All three are important, of course. Sometimes people NEED to hear the truth, need to know the facts, even if it isn't something they want to hear.
The hero of The Prophet is a anchor man on the news. Through him readers get a behind-the-scenes look--though it is an extremely outdated behind-the-scenes look--at a newsroom in action. Readers get to learn about what stories make it on the air, and which stories get dropped at the last minute. They get to hear WHY stories are chosen over others. They get to see how news is framed.
It is also a novel about abortion. When I first reread it in 2013, I thought the bias was over-the-top extreme. That it was presenting the opposing viewpoint in such exaggerated extremes that it was losing touch with reality. Then I read Gosnell in 2017. I no longer think Prophet was exaggerating. Gosnell was a SHOCKING true-crime nonfiction read. It was not a Christian book pushing a Christian agenda. It was nonfiction aimed at a general audience. So was Peretti being prophetic writing about dangerous abortion clinics killing women and getting away with it?! I'm not sure I'd go that far.
I would recommend pairing Gosnell and Prophet for adult book clubs.
Prophet is also about tense relationships between fathers and sons. Our hero, John Jr., has had a terribly rocky relationship with his own father, and he has an extremely bad relationship with his own son. While he misses out on the opportunity of making things right with his father, he does get a good opportunity to restore a relationship with his own son before it is too late.
Prophet has many memorable scenes. I definitely am glad I decided to reread this one!
Premise/plot: Prophet is a novel about the media, about reporting news, about politics, about biases, about balancing what do people NEED to know, what do we want people to know, and what do people think they need to know. All three are important, of course. Sometimes people NEED to hear the truth, need to know the facts, even if it isn't something they want to hear.
The hero of The Prophet is a anchor man on the news. Through him readers get a behind-the-scenes look--though it is an extremely outdated behind-the-scenes look--at a newsroom in action. Readers get to learn about what stories make it on the air, and which stories get dropped at the last minute. They get to hear WHY stories are chosen over others. They get to see how news is framed.
It is also a novel about abortion. When I first reread it in 2013, I thought the bias was over-the-top extreme. That it was presenting the opposing viewpoint in such exaggerated extremes that it was losing touch with reality. Then I read Gosnell in 2017. I no longer think Prophet was exaggerating. Gosnell was a SHOCKING true-crime nonfiction read. It was not a Christian book pushing a Christian agenda. It was nonfiction aimed at a general audience. So was Peretti being prophetic writing about dangerous abortion clinics killing women and getting away with it?! I'm not sure I'd go that far.
I would recommend pairing Gosnell and Prophet for adult book clubs.
Prophet is also about tense relationships between fathers and sons. Our hero, John Jr., has had a terribly rocky relationship with his own father, and he has an extremely bad relationship with his own son. While he misses out on the opportunity of making things right with his father, he does get a good opportunity to restore a relationship with his own son before it is too late.
Prophet has many memorable scenes. I definitely am glad I decided to reread this one!
April 15, 2021
This was a good story that is definitely showing its age; but that's the problem nowadays with writing about technology---things become outdated fast. Written in 1992 and full of lots of "technical terms", this one was a very slow starter for me. However, the mood the author is trying to create by describing the fast-paced atmosphere of a newsroom/studio is an important theme that I realized once I got into the story a little bit.
This isn't my favorite Peretti work, for sure, but it was still fun to read and be reminded of all the "vintage stuff". The description of the email mailbox icon, what it means, how it doesn't mean one has actual, physical, paper mail, etc. cracked me right up, but I didn't really embrace email myself until about 2003 so I guess this would have been uncommon knowledge a decade earlier. In this story, "email" wasn't even a term yet and the mail system was only the local computers within the news agency.
The entire storyline of this book would fall apart if it were written as is with today's laws in place. Most of everyone's arguments and evidence were based on access to medical records, doctors who shared lots and lots of personal info on their patients, and a public that would be outraged at the idea that abortion could actually kill the mother too. In short, there were no HIPAA laws in 1992.
Other elements that seem crazy but were really a thing in those days are things like recording people's phone calls without permission, schools giving out dorm room phone numbers, buying phone cards to make a long distance call (that was SOO techy!!!), use of the word "retarded" as a joke. I do remember these things but being so far away from that time, it made the story seem contrived and weird. It did have a good ending, even if it was a little too 1990s-Christian-Fictiony.
One thing I came away with: I definitely want to be "a prophet who can't help but speak."
This isn't my favorite Peretti work, for sure, but it was still fun to read and be reminded of all the "vintage stuff". The description of the email mailbox icon, what it means, how it doesn't mean one has actual, physical, paper mail, etc. cracked me right up, but I didn't really embrace email myself until about 2003 so I guess this would have been uncommon knowledge a decade earlier. In this story, "email" wasn't even a term yet and the mail system was only the local computers within the news agency.
The entire storyline of this book would fall apart if it were written as is with today's laws in place. Most of everyone's arguments and evidence were based on access to medical records, doctors who shared lots and lots of personal info on their patients, and a public that would be outraged at the idea that abortion could actually kill the mother too. In short, there were no HIPAA laws in 1992.
Other elements that seem crazy but were really a thing in those days are things like recording people's phone calls without permission, schools giving out dorm room phone numbers, buying phone cards to make a long distance call (that was SOO techy!!!), use of the word "retarded" as a joke. I do remember these things but being so far away from that time, it made the story seem contrived and weird. It did have a good ending, even if it was a little too 1990s-Christian-Fictiony.
One thing I came away with: I definitely want to be "a prophet who can't help but speak."
August 18, 2019
This is the first book I’ve read by Peretti, and I enjoyed it! The issues tackled in this book still ring true today, some twenty years after publication: abortion, the reliability of news, and the struggle to follow faith despite how it might hurt careers. I felt a connection to the varied characters, and none of them was idealized, nor did they make Christianity seem shallow or easy. The idea of a modern day prophet was both entertaining and provoking in our age where we are often quick to scorn visions.
Some of the writing style felt like reading a script, but that was intentional on the authors part to fit with the news theme. This style was fun for a bit, but it dragged a little near the end. This is one of only a few books that I felt would do better as a movie than a book.
Some of the writing style felt like reading a script, but that was intentional on the authors part to fit with the news theme. This style was fun for a bit, but it dragged a little near the end. This is one of only a few books that I felt would do better as a movie than a book.
December 29, 2011
Terrible book. Bad plot, slow to read, repetitive and dry dialogue, essentially anti-abortion propaganda, some homophobic slander, no setting, no character development what-so ever.
November 16, 2022
Novela impactante. Tensión y misterio asegurados. La búsqueda de la verdad y el enfrentarla, darla a conocer sin importar las consecuencias, solo el hacer lo correcto y la satisfacción que eso da. Crítica a los medios masivos de comunicación, en ese sentido me recordó a 1984 de Orwell, ¿y por qué no? También un poco a Fahrenheit 451 de Bradbury.
December 11, 2024
Ages: 16+
Content Considerations: this book deals with the topic of abortions and abortions gone wrong. It is not graphic however.
January 8, 2025
3.8 stars
Good, heartwarming book with a decent plot and a great ending. I didn’t give it four stars bc there was too much newscaster jargon and the beginning dragged a bit
Good, heartwarming book with a decent plot and a great ending. I didn’t give it four stars bc there was too much newscaster jargon and the beginning dragged a bit
March 29, 2021
I highly recommend reading this book even if you've never read a Frank Peretti book before. This book takes you through the battle for truth in a way it has never been done before, and you will never look at the news the same way. Reminds me too much of the current times for comfort.
October 10, 2016
Peretti's work can be uneven or it can be outstanding. For every This Present Darkness or Monster, there's an Illusion. The first two so powerfully dramatize Christian spiritual warfare that they almost come to seem like doctrine. The last is so bad, so cheesey, I could barely make it to page 100. Prophet gets back to the power of the spiritual warfare, but with much less in the way of magical realist tropes.
John Barrett, Jr. is a famous, well-known anchor for the evening news. John Barrett, Sr., run a plumbing warehouse and spends his free time as a street corner prophet. He is drawn to the governor, a very successful politician, who is as gleefully pro-abortion as our current political candidates. When Barrett, Sr., is found dead in his warehouse, Barrett, Jr., thinks little of it until mailed a package indicating that there might be more to the story.
The pacing was decent and the mystery okay. Peretti's nod to magical realist tropes come in the form of both father and son being able to hear the cries of agonized souls. There were some weird little flubs that you expect from Christian literature "Mom Barrett" was just that-- no other characterization needed. And the successfully evil Governor's name was "Hiram." Because I guess there's some unspoken pact in Christian fiction where you have to use old-timey names for the sake of it. Four stars for the book itself, one star for Jesus.
John Barrett, Jr. is a famous, well-known anchor for the evening news. John Barrett, Sr., run a plumbing warehouse and spends his free time as a street corner prophet. He is drawn to the governor, a very successful politician, who is as gleefully pro-abortion as our current political candidates. When Barrett, Sr., is found dead in his warehouse, Barrett, Jr., thinks little of it until mailed a package indicating that there might be more to the story.
The pacing was decent and the mystery okay. Peretti's nod to magical realist tropes come in the form of both father and son being able to hear the cries of agonized souls. There were some weird little flubs that you expect from Christian literature "Mom Barrett" was just that-- no other characterization needed. And the successfully evil Governor's name was "Hiram." Because I guess there's some unspoken pact in Christian fiction where you have to use old-timey names for the sake of it. Four stars for the book itself, one star for Jesus.
March 15, 2022
Anti-abortion propaganda barely disguised as a novel. If you read the first two chapters and think wow that's a bit heavy-handed but maybe it gets better... it doesn't. The bits about news and media were interesting but the extreme bias was to the point of vileness, and the Christian evangelism is over the top. Not worth reading.
April 30, 2025
Prophet by Frank E. Peretti
Rating: 4.5
Language/Profanity: There are tons of characters who are mentioned to curse and say prophanity; a few times symbols are used in place of letters for bad words; 'taking the Lord's name in vain'; 'Oh God'.
Faith: Bible verses; visions of the Lamb; hearing people's souls crying out; praying.
Romance/Sex: No romance, but this is all about abortion; the threat (nothing happened) of rape; at the start there is talk of gay people.
Violence ect.: murder/death (not described); medically described failed abortions; fight.
Other: A bar scene that reminded me of spaghetti western movies.
Part of a Series: No
Synopsis:
John Barrett, anchorman for the city's most-watched newscast, is a man suddenly lost in a town he thought he owned. His comfortable world is being jarred to the breaking point.
He's caught his producer fabricating a story and lying to cover her tracks—and she seems to be hiding something much bigger. His supposedly professional and objective colleagues have descended into a dogfight over the meaning of truth. His father's "accidental" death suddenly isn't looking so accidental. And John's estranged son, Carl, has returned to get the truth about the man behind the TV image. All of these events pale in comparison to the mysterious voices that John is hearing.
Thoughts:
This is a deep, heavy book, that I would keep away from kids and young teens. This book, Prophet, made me angry. Not at the book (though I actually do have a couple problems with it)
I am angry at the fact that middle grade/ Junior High schools ( Middle school [also called junior high school] students attending middle school are around age 11 to 13) were being taken by van to abortion clinics and the parents have no right to know what their children are doing?! How is that right? Even high school students who are older, but still minors!
The talk of abortions was honestly very disturbing, and if you are of a week stomach I do not recommend reading the medical reports that are in the book.
And the descriptions of how the news people get their news out. It was enlightening, and made me mistrust the news industry even less.
This book drew me in, but like I said, I have a few problems.
1) The story has the main character, John, as having given his life to God as a boy but he walked away. Now in the story, even though he abandoned God and walked away we still have him as a sort of Christian. There is no repenting of sins, no remorse really for walking away from God. Hebrews 10:26-27.
2) The book description isn't accurate. While it does have things that happen in the book, the book is not really about those things. All those things get resolved at the end of the book, but the are just side topics. The real topic of this book is John Barrett, his son, and several other people are trying to get a abortion clinic that had killed at least two people uncovered so people would know what was happening.
3) The ending was unsatisfactory. The characters were able to get the news report out, but nothing really changed. It did nothing other than make John lose his job. And while the last paragraph was hopeful in a sense, it was also... not.
4) I just noticed this... While the whole book was about how the abortion clinic killed at least two girls, it never actually spoke out against abortion. It said how it was dangerous, and I was able to concrete my thoughts stronger than ever, but it never went out and said it was wrong.
What I did like though was how the characters changed, and how they began to value Truth. And also the description of the old email:
A small, blinking mailbox in the upper-right corner of the screen meant he had a message in his mailbox. Of course, this didn't mean a physical mailbox, but a message left for him on his computer.
It just struck me as funny, as now instead of making sure you know what an email mailbox you'd have more probably to need to explain what a physical mailbox is...
I also liked how it was illustrated how this world is sliding its way down to hell, and no one cares. They are ignoring it, and it pointed out to me how we need to tell people. We need to tell people what is going on. Because we know about it, and they don't.
Over all, this was a very good, deep, heavy book that had its problems, but it spoke.
Favorite character, part, quote.
Character: Leslie
Part: Probably the very end, even though I have some problems with it, it was still good.
Quote:
"Well... Daniel saw four great beasts coming up out of the sea, and Ezekiel saw dry Bones come together yo form a nation, and Peter saw unclean animals lowered from Heaven in a big sheet, and the Apostle John saw the glorified Christ and the whole book of Revelation on the Island of Patmos. Why wouldn't the Lord want to show my son a shopping mall being gobbled up by a big vacuum cleaner?"
Bible Verse
Hebrews 10:26-27 KJV
[26] For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
[27] but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Rating: 4.5
Language/Profanity: There are tons of characters who are mentioned to curse and say prophanity; a few times symbols are used in place of letters for bad words; 'taking the Lord's name in vain'; 'Oh God'.
Faith: Bible verses; visions of the Lamb; hearing people's souls crying out; praying.
Romance/Sex: No romance, but this is all about abortion; the threat (nothing happened) of rape; at the start there is talk of gay people.
Violence ect.: murder/death (not described); medically described failed abortions; fight.
Other: A bar scene that reminded me of spaghetti western movies.
Part of a Series: No
Synopsis:
John Barrett, anchorman for the city's most-watched newscast, is a man suddenly lost in a town he thought he owned. His comfortable world is being jarred to the breaking point.
He's caught his producer fabricating a story and lying to cover her tracks—and she seems to be hiding something much bigger. His supposedly professional and objective colleagues have descended into a dogfight over the meaning of truth. His father's "accidental" death suddenly isn't looking so accidental. And John's estranged son, Carl, has returned to get the truth about the man behind the TV image. All of these events pale in comparison to the mysterious voices that John is hearing.
Thoughts:
This is a deep, heavy book, that I would keep away from kids and young teens. This book, Prophet, made me angry. Not at the book (though I actually do have a couple problems with it)
I am angry at the fact that middle grade/ Junior High schools ( Middle school [also called junior high school] students attending middle school are around age 11 to 13) were being taken by van to abortion clinics and the parents have no right to know what their children are doing?! How is that right? Even high school students who are older, but still minors!
The talk of abortions was honestly very disturbing, and if you are of a week stomach I do not recommend reading the medical reports that are in the book.
And the descriptions of how the news people get their news out. It was enlightening, and made me mistrust the news industry even less.
This book drew me in, but like I said, I have a few problems.
1) The story has the main character, John, as having given his life to God as a boy but he walked away. Now in the story, even though he abandoned God and walked away we still have him as a sort of Christian. There is no repenting of sins, no remorse really for walking away from God. Hebrews 10:26-27.
2) The book description isn't accurate. While it does have things that happen in the book, the book is not really about those things. All those things get resolved at the end of the book, but the are just side topics. The real topic of this book is John Barrett, his son, and several other people are trying to get a abortion clinic that had killed at least two people uncovered so people would know what was happening.
3) The ending was unsatisfactory. The characters were able to get the news report out, but nothing really changed. It did nothing other than make John lose his job. And while the last paragraph was hopeful in a sense, it was also... not.
4) I just noticed this... While the whole book was about how the abortion clinic killed at least two girls, it never actually spoke out against abortion. It said how it was dangerous, and I was able to concrete my thoughts stronger than ever, but it never went out and said it was wrong.
What I did like though was how the characters changed, and how they began to value Truth. And also the description of the old email:
A small, blinking mailbox in the upper-right corner of the screen meant he had a message in his mailbox. Of course, this didn't mean a physical mailbox, but a message left for him on his computer.
It just struck me as funny, as now instead of making sure you know what an email mailbox you'd have more probably to need to explain what a physical mailbox is...
I also liked how it was illustrated how this world is sliding its way down to hell, and no one cares. They are ignoring it, and it pointed out to me how we need to tell people. We need to tell people what is going on. Because we know about it, and they don't.
Over all, this was a very good, deep, heavy book that had its problems, but it spoke.
Favorite character, part, quote.
Character: Leslie
Part: Probably the very end, even though I have some problems with it, it was still good.
Quote:
"Well... Daniel saw four great beasts coming up out of the sea, and Ezekiel saw dry Bones come together yo form a nation, and Peter saw unclean animals lowered from Heaven in a big sheet, and the Apostle John saw the glorified Christ and the whole book of Revelation on the Island of Patmos. Why wouldn't the Lord want to show my son a shopping mall being gobbled up by a big vacuum cleaner?"
Bible Verse
Hebrews 10:26-27 KJV
[26] For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
[27] but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
July 13, 2011
Didn't like it.
March 22, 2019
This is a long read, but what a GREAT book. Hard to imagine this was written 27 years ago.....it's as up to date on issues as it was then. I highly recommend this book.
November 28, 2024
Probably more like a 3.5! This was a fun book to read, Perettis writing style is engaging and keeps you turning pages. I also appreciate a thriller where I don’t have to worry about inappropriate content and bonus- it’s actually faith based!
It was fun to read this during Halloween and the election- I might make it a tradition to pick up a Peretti book every October. Bonus that this one coincided with the election and had strong political themes.
I loved this present darkness and this one had similar writing and exciting content.
My main critique and reason for the lower rating on this one is just how simple and extreme he made the abortion plot line. It’s probably a bit the consequence of the time it was written in but the abortion plot lacked any kind of empathy or nuance and while I am absolutely pro life I don’t think it’s quite as simple and sensational as women dying at abortion clinic and no one caring, which is what this book lays out. If he had thrown in a more human character on the pro choice side it could have balanced that out a bit. But everyone was kind of simple and extreme.
Also I connected less with the prophetic theme than I did the spiritual warfare one in his first book I read.
I wouldn’t let that stop someone from reading though!
Turns out I unintentionally ended up reading quite a few books about abortion this year- weird!
It was fun to read this during Halloween and the election- I might make it a tradition to pick up a Peretti book every October. Bonus that this one coincided with the election and had strong political themes.
I loved this present darkness and this one had similar writing and exciting content.
My main critique and reason for the lower rating on this one is just how simple and extreme he made the abortion plot line. It’s probably a bit the consequence of the time it was written in but the abortion plot lacked any kind of empathy or nuance and while I am absolutely pro life I don’t think it’s quite as simple and sensational as women dying at abortion clinic and no one caring, which is what this book lays out. If he had thrown in a more human character on the pro choice side it could have balanced that out a bit. But everyone was kind of simple and extreme.
Also I connected less with the prophetic theme than I did the spiritual warfare one in his first book I read.
I wouldn’t let that stop someone from reading though!
Turns out I unintentionally ended up reading quite a few books about abortion this year- weird!
February 6, 2023
I read this many, many years ago and was amazed. I was still amazed that it was still so... relevant. That being said, being more widely read, this book was just too long and descriptive. Though, part of the story necessitated describing the preparing of news stories, but there was too much of it. The premise was intriguing, though it doesn't follow at least my view of Christian theology, and, especially in a post-roe America, doesn't compute that even a corrupt official would go to such great lengths to hide an abortion. But it's fiction. It was compelling enough. I felt like the ending was somewhat incomplete and anticlimactic. Can't say I don't recommend it, but I was also disappointed from what I remember it being.
February 15, 2018
Wow. This book really penetrates the surface of worldly views and digs into the reality of the news world and the abortion industry. Although it was a bit of a slow start (hence 4 stars), the author built up the plot skillfully, coming to a riveting and dramatic climax. Often very tragic but at the same time eye opening - this is an exhilarating read!
January 21, 2024
SO GOOD. It gave a "hot take" on the topic of abortion. It was a little heavy and very emotional and intense. There were some gruesome details here and there, but I thought it was great!
March 29, 2025
The idea of a Biblical prophet in modern times was brilliantly executed by Frank Perretti. Excellent from start to finish!
March 15, 2023
I have literally read this and 'This Present Darkness' and 'Piercing the Darkness' probably 20 times each. These are my go to when I can't focus on any other book. These all inspire me to talk to God and really 'listen' to God. These have gotten me through some rough patches.
August 20, 2019
I really enjoyed this book; it has the usual Peretti mystery and suspense, but while giving just enough information to stay glued to the book.
It's plot has a convicting message, that everyone needs to hear, about choosing to be bold about God and obey his commands, or hiding our faith and trying to blend in with everyone else, not letting our faith in God "get in the way" of our life.
It has a very moving story that deals with abortion, and what goes on behind the scenes really.
Also, it offers a fascinating look inside the news industry.
It's plot has a convicting message, that everyone needs to hear, about choosing to be bold about God and obey his commands, or hiding our faith and trying to blend in with everyone else, not letting our faith in God "get in the way" of our life.
It has a very moving story that deals with abortion, and what goes on behind the scenes really.
Also, it offers a fascinating look inside the news industry.
April 20, 2024
Probably only 3.5 stars for these reasons: The repetitive parts (describing the news opening scene twice if not thrice in the book, as well as repeated phrase for the photo shoots with the news anchors); the "sermon" monologue 1/3-1/2 way through the book; things/relationships coming together too easily at points; too abrupt an ending.
Peretti's weak point in this book and other of his fiction for adults (Monster in particular stands out in my memory) is that he monologues about science or Scripture in a way that is really off-putting, even for someone who agrees with [many of] his Christian beliefs. For anyone who doesn't agree with him, I can imagine they wouldn't find Christianity compelling from those contrived speeches in Peretti's books.
Now, for the good... I enjoyed the story (even if it was unbelievable at times, much more so than This Present Darkness and its follow-up) and it helped me through some long hours at work. The plot of a hidden truth about someone in power, of how processed the "news" is, of how people are willing to turn a blind eye to problems with their pet causes when those causes hurt people, etc. was realistic enough. Most people (maybe all of us) have double standards somewhere; sometimes we're aware of them, sometimes we aren't.
I liked Carl (the MC's son) and how much he wanted to make things work with his dad, how much he wanted there to be something more to life, even if on the surface he seemed edgy. His relationship with his dad came together a little easily, but there was too much other stuff happening with the plot to delve into things like possibly feeling abandoned by his dad until he was in his twenties, etc.
The reader for the audiobook did a good job of narrating differently for each character. I wish the audiobook had been sectioned off into chapters, rather than random lines within a chapter as so-called starting points.
Peretti's weak point in this book and other of his fiction for adults (Monster in particular stands out in my memory) is that he monologues about science or Scripture in a way that is really off-putting, even for someone who agrees with [many of] his Christian beliefs. For anyone who doesn't agree with him, I can imagine they wouldn't find Christianity compelling from those contrived speeches in Peretti's books.
Now, for the good... I enjoyed the story (even if it was unbelievable at times, much more so than This Present Darkness and its follow-up) and it helped me through some long hours at work. The plot of a hidden truth about someone in power, of how processed the "news" is, of how people are willing to turn a blind eye to problems with their pet causes when those causes hurt people, etc. was realistic enough. Most people (maybe all of us) have double standards somewhere; sometimes we're aware of them, sometimes we aren't.
I liked Carl (the MC's son) and how much he wanted to make things work with his dad, how much he wanted there to be something more to life, even if on the surface he seemed edgy. His relationship with his dad came together a little easily, but there was too much other stuff happening with the plot to delve into things like possibly feeling abandoned by his dad until he was in his twenties, etc.
The reader for the audiobook did a good job of narrating differently for each character. I wish the audiobook had been sectioned off into chapters, rather than random lines within a chapter as so-called starting points.
June 21, 2015
John Barrett in Frank E. Peretti’s “Prophet” is the star anchor man on NewsSix, but his father has developed a reputation among the masses as a religious pro-life nut. Even Governor Hiram Slater wishes the elder John Barrett would just leave him and his campaign alone. What seems to be a case of religion against politics soon turns into a possible murder case and medical malpractice.
This story dares to delve into a controversial topic, but does so from the anchor desk of a top notch media center. It’s a fly on the wall view of what counts as news and what doesn’t. How these every day decisions affect the personal lives of the characters gradually become apparent as the story winds its way through the media maze.
After reading my way through the initial development, the characters placed a hold on me and didn’t let go until I read the last word. Although the third book in the series, the story stands alone as a masterful telling of a heart wrenching story.
This story dares to delve into a controversial topic, but does so from the anchor desk of a top notch media center. It’s a fly on the wall view of what counts as news and what doesn’t. How these every day decisions affect the personal lives of the characters gradually become apparent as the story winds its way through the media maze.
After reading my way through the initial development, the characters placed a hold on me and didn’t let go until I read the last word. Although the third book in the series, the story stands alone as a masterful telling of a heart wrenching story.
November 15, 2014
This book is very different from the previous ones that I had read from Frank Peretti, because there are no angels or demons, neither dragons but a lot of journalistic chaos and a lot of description of the management of the TV. It was a very realistic story about the day in journalism, about how the information operate and the power groups. I found the characters most human and real (despite the supernatural gift of John Barrett) and as always, Frank Peretti makes every good story has a good message. I totally recommend it.
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