And a Child Will Lead Them

by Marcus Herzig

A new Pope, a world in social and political chaos, and a young singer and songwriter who has his unbelief tested as his big mouth accidentally propels him towards global superstardom. These are the ingredients of this thought provoking, tongue-in-cheek debut novel.

Seventeen-year-old Julian Monk never expected to be a famous singer, but when opportunity strikes, he strikes back and throws himself headfirst into that new, exciting world of record deals, TV interviews and screaming fan girls.

His band mates are rather less enthusiastic about that new life they never really asked for. Dealing with their newly acquired fame and fortune is one thing; dealing with Julian is quite another. His sudden and unexpected metamorphosis from the shy and timid creature they have known all their lives into a surprisingly charismatic public speaker and global superstar takes everyone aback, and when Julian sets off on a very public crusade to replace faith and bigotry with reason and compassion, he raises more than just a few eyebrows. He raises hell, and his friends are no longer having any of it.

Meanwhile at the Vatican, a former televangelist is elected Pope. Hell-bent on transforming the Church into a modern, ‘hip’ institution, Pius XIII is giving his PR advisor a headache or two. Intrigued by Julian’s radical way of inspiring some people while antagonizing others – including his own friends – simply by preaching love and understanding, the new pope can’t help but wonder where he heard that storyline before. They say God has a plan for every man, but this man has a plan of his own - and it involves a teenage atheist pop star.

Idolism is a quirky, tongue-in-cheek novel for the religious skeptic, shedding light on the differences and similarities between religion and stardom.

364 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2013

About the author

Marcus Herzig, future bestselling author and professional sarcast, was born in 1970 and studied Law, English, Educational Science, and Physics, albeit none of them with any tenacity or ambition. After dropping out of university he held various positions in banking, utilities, and Big Oil that bore no responsibility or decision-making power whatsoever.

Always destined to be a demiurge, he has been inventing characters and telling stories since the age of five, and it’s what he wants to do for the rest of his life. His favorite genre, both as a reader and a writer, is Young Adult literature, but he also very much enjoys science- and literary fiction.

Reviews

[Soph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must’ve been around 14 or 15 when I first read some of Marcus Herzig’s work. It was one of his blog (does it count? I think so) and I’m telling you about it because I clearly remember him mentioning once or twice that he’d been wanting (or plain doing it. That, I can’t remember) to write a book about young people in a band changing the world. And look what happened now!

So what about this book now that it’s out there?

Well, overall, it was a pleasant read. I haven’t checked, but I would say this was written for young adults, and it’d been a little while since I’d last read a book belonging to that category. I won’t name that last one (I’ll just say it’s really popular) but unlike that last book, this one didn’t make me pause and think « hah, yeah, this was written for young people by someone who can’t remember what it’s like to be a teenager. » So that’s a really good thing, because quite frankly, it put me off a good few times when I was reading that other book. And for what it's worth, both authors are about the same age, so it's not about that. So if you were worried about that, don’t. It’ll be fine. Oh, and can I mention how glad I was that the young woman in the band isn't just some kind of wallflower? Because I liked that. I felt she wasn't the most important member of the band, but she was still outspoken and not just following the boys around.

I found that story rather quick-paced, it’s made me chuckle a few times— and maybe that’s a wrong way to go about when you start reading a book, but I wasn’t expecting anything else. Not just laugh and laugh, but just to have a good time. Well, hold on, isn’t that what you’re supposed to want when you pick a book, a film, anything at all? Anyway, I did. It proved to be a nice way to relax after two weeks of exams.

But of course, nothing is perfect, but in this book's case, I can only think of a few little things that felt a bit 'BAM', out of the blue, if you wish. Fortunately, they have nothing much to do with the plot, and come to think about it they all happened when one of the characters narrated the story. So maybe it was just the character's personality coming through: a little bold, boyish, and also a little silly at times. Not a typical teenager, because everyone is different, but I'm sure you know what kind of person I mean. In short, it didn't bother too much even if I did raise my eyebrows the first few times.

Now, about religion. In case you hadn't noticed, it is one of the central themes of this book, and I don't think there is too much to be offended by, but that's not a sensitive topic for me, so who knows? Perhaps if it's really, really important to you, reader, or you feel you cannot be too open-minded (for whatever reason...) when it comes to religion and everything that has to do with it, then perhaps you should think twice before reading this book. Or get ready to face opinions you might not agree with. But really, I thought it was nothing insulting, or disrespectful.

Four stars because I'd only give something five stars if I were completely obsessed with it, and that does happen... but only once in a while. Still a great read!

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idolism deals with a topic almost guaranteed to stir up controversy; Religion. But Marcus Herzig handles the topic carefully and I didn't really find anything that could annoy people who are religious. It seemed to present the different believes of the characters as their own believes and didn't put down other religions in order to put one religion before the other. He handled the religious aspect carefully and with respect. Throughout the book, he presents character's opinions as just that, opinions, not fact. It kept things from becoming too harsh or frustrating to the readers.

The chapters were short and narrated by different characters. There were four or five who narrated the book and each chapter saw a different character from the previous chapter speaking. Strangely we never get a chapter from Julian. This made him much more mysterious and his actions much more unexplained and difficult to anticipate. It lent an air of surprise to the book and more specifically his actions. However because of the shortness of many of the chapters and the amount of characters I didn't feel as deep a connection with the characters as I usually would. I did enjoy hearing their different voices and things like that but I didn't feel as if I was in the book, more like I was reading it. If you get what I mean. One thing I didn't really like was that the chapters tended to start with a short reiteration of what had happened before but from a different point of view. While it gave readers a different outlook on things, it could also be annoying and redundant.

Julian was extremely intelligent and many times explained what he meant if he made a comment that people might be questioning. However as we get deeper into the book, it seemed as if his explanations were becoming more like lectures. Some of them were interesting but others I found myself wanting to skim over after a while because they seemed to be going too long or weren't keeping my attention.

Idolism seemed to draw connections between religion and fame, some more obvious, while others were less so. But reading the book, I could understand the reasoning behind these connections and in some ways they seem familiar at least when viewed within the context of this book.

Idolism is a solid book meant to make readers think. At times you'll find yourself wishing things were a bit more interesting but then it picks up a bit and you'll be reading on easily.

Find this review and many others on Reading Shy With Aly

[Matthew Hintzen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love most of Mr. Herzig's books and have read them all, but I REALLY struggled to finish this one. It just never gelled for me.

But I can't recommend his other books highly enough

[Angela C · Rating 3 out of 5]

My enjoyment of Idolism depends on how I choose to view it. If I look at it as a book about a band’s sudden rise to fame and fortune and how their friendships and relationships change as a result, I really like it. If I look at it as a book about a young man’s religious revolution, it leaves something to be desired.

The book focuses on four British teenagers – Julian, Ginger, Tummy, and Michael – whose amateur band Puerity is selected to play at their school’s anniversary ceremony. Shortly before the gig, the teens uncover a secret government plan to mandate religious education classes in public schools. Julian uses the anniversary ceremony as an opportunity to unmask and oppose the plan, and scandal erupts, drawing media attention and thrusting Julian and the rest of Puerity into the public eye.

The band’s musical talent and Julian’s penchant for making dramatic speeches catapults Puerity into the spotlight, making them famous practically overnight. As you might imagine, this unexpected lifestyle change requires some adjustments for the band members. As iTunes sales soar, tours are scheduled, and bank accounts fill, the dynamic among the band mates noticeably shifts.

Julian, aware that his newfound fame gives him the means to make his voice heard on the subject of religion, takes full advantage of the spotlight. Tirelessly touring, making TV appearances, and staging incendiary music videos, Julian uses his music as a platform to speak out against what he refers to as the dangers of religion. He considers it a hindrance to humanity, standing in the way of true decency and enlightenment, and he won’t rest until he sets the world free from these supposedly harmful paradigms.

Julian’s approach makes his friends a little uneasy. They aren't completely comfortable with Julian's provocative methods of spreading his beliefs and stirring people up. They never expected - or wanted - to become famous rock stars, and the fact that this fame comes with the transformation of their normally shy, awkward friend into someone unrecognizable makes them even more wary. Add to this the many complications of fame, such as never-ending scrutiny, lack of privacy, and familial differences of opinion, and you’ve got the recipe for drama.

This is the aspect of the book that really appealed to me. I enjoyed watching how the teens’ lives were transformed by their sudden stardom. It was interesting to see how each individual handled fame differently, with secret relationships, family tension, and even time in an Italian jail all figuring into the plot.

Another strength of Idolism is that it features some great wording and humor. At one point, Ginger is aghast at her concert outfit, which consists of a purple satin jacket with feathers growing out of the pocket. She describes herself as “looking like a prostitute walking Sesame Street,” which amused me to no end. Another sentence I found particularly wonderful was, “You’re a deer in the headlights of enlightenment, wisdom, and reason; startled and scared.” These are just a couple of examples of Herzig's great wit and descriptive abilities, which pleased me greatly.

As much as I appreciated Idolism’s positive elements, though, I had a big problem with one aspect of the book: I just couldn’t get behind Julian as a character. For one thing, he’s awkward and strange. As Ginger puts it, “On a normal day Julian displayed all the regular mental and emotional features of your average seven-year-old[…].” Although he’s highly intelligent, Julian’s not great at interacting with people and is described in several situations as being almost retarded. He gets so caught up in his own head that he becomes blind to those around him. He can ramble on about a given topic for hours, becoming so enrapt in his speech that he doesn’t even notice when his audience sneaks out of the room. He simply continues to prattle on, obliviously preaching to an empty room.

One of Julian’s favorite topics about which to speak is religion. He vehemently opposes any and all forms of religion, eschewing believers as ignorant and cowardly. He views religion as a tool wielded by authorities to control the masses and keep people compliant and tractable. He also disagrees with faith and prayer, seeing them as excuses for people to absolve themselves of all responsibility, instead relying on a non-existent god to solve their problems for them.

Although I consider myself a Christian, I was surprisingly not bothered much by Julian’s ideology. There are one or two passages in the book that did offend me, but for the most part I was able to tolerate Julian’s disdain for religion. If anything, it inspired me to more carefully examine my own beliefs. Am I a Christian simply because I was raised that way, or because I actually believe in Christ and what He stands for? Do I have valid reasons for being defensive towards Julian’s statements, or is my frustration simply a knee-jerk reaction not backed up by a logical argument? In this way, reading Idolism was a very helpful exercise in self-awareness.

So, if Julian’s beliefs aren’t necessarily what bothered me, what was my problem with him? I think what rubbed me the wrong way was that I saw no evidence that Julian practiced what he preached. Ginger, Tummy, and Michael refer to Julian as heroic and glorious and wise, campaigning for love and kindness over bigotry and hypocrisy. They consider him a role model, fighting for a better world, but I just couldn’t see him that way.

Julian talks a big game, but I never once witnessed him doing anything that could be considered loving or kind. This is the kid who laughed when an old man fell down the stairs and died, which doesn’t strike me as being particularly compassionate. He supposedly loves all of mankind, so I expected him to try to help the downtrodden, such as feeding the hungry, providing aid, donating money, etc. This never happened, though. For all that Julian talks about how people should be like Jesus – who he saw as a good example of love and kindness, if not as the son of God – he sure doesn’t follow his own advice. Jesus fed the hungry, healed the lame and blind, and provided comfort to the outcasts of the world; Julian can’t even be bothered to donate any of his vast, newly acquired rock-star wealth to charity.

All in all, I just wasn’t a fan of Julian, which is what kept Idolism from earning a 4- or 5-star rating. Still, I definitely enjoyed the other, non-Julian elements of the book, such as the relationships between the other band members and the whole televangelist-turned-media-mogul-turned-Pope twist. And so, my final recommendation? It's worth reading, as long as you're not particularly sensitive about religion.

A free copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.

[Dan Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many taboo subjects that are likely to rile people up. War, governments, Justin Bieber and Jar Jar Binks to name a few. But the one thing GUARANTEED to start up a storm is religion. Even in this day and age, people hold religion very close to their hearts and some are willing to follow it to the letter – even using it to justify their evil actions.

Now myself, I am not religious (I’m agnostic if anything), but I do appreciate religion and see its positive message as much as its faults. Therefore, I was very interested in reading this book when it was sent for a request.

And a Child Will Lead Them is a novel that follows Julian and his friends as their band sets to fame – and Julian’s rise as a new messiah. If you thought the Beatles were controversial for their infamous “Bigger than Jesus” quote – you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Our main characters are 17 year old students that are part of the band Puerity and each chapter (which is listed as “The Gospel According to...”) is told from the POV of them. They are Tummy, an overweight, but loveable chap that has family issues – Michael, a technological genius that is also best friends with Julian – and Ginger, who is the only girl in the band, but often very outspoken and able to stand up to most of the boys. Through each chapter, we get to hear their thoughts as we see them go from a simple school band, to a worldwide sensation – partly down to Julian’s controversial statements about religion.

Interestingly, the only member of the band that we DON’T get a POV chapter of was Julian himself. So all we really know about Julian is what we hear from the other characters. This I think added a lot of mystery to Julian’s character – even though we did get ideas of his back-story (and learned he was a shy, somewhat autistic child), we never truly heard the story from his POV. This I think was a great move by the author, as it leaves the reader free to interpret Julian themselves. I also found it interesting how the new Pope (in an effort to make himself look “cool” to the younger audience) tries to manipulate Julian for their own needs – though that doesn’t go as planned!

Now Julian’s views about religion definitely raise a few eyebrows in both the story and no doubt the readers – but strangely enough, I actually agree with MOST of what he says! Like I said, I respect all religion – but I am strongly opposed to the way that a minority of human beings use it to justify their evils. What Julian tries to do is show the world that love and kindness are more important that worshipping a God. Much like Jesus tried to do, Julian wants to teach everyone to love his fellow man. Because at the end of the day, isn’t that more important? And whilst some may try to silence him, he is totally indestructible and cannot be stopped. Julian is a modern day revolutionary – but winning wars through words, not violence.

But the other characters are just as interesting and great to read about. All of them have their own quirks and feelings which make them likeable (I never once found any of them annoying) and you see their transformation throughout the story. As the band’s fame increases, the pressure starts to get to the other kids and we see how the stress of being famous starts to ruin their personal lives. It’s especially heartbreaking when the band goes their separate ways and Julian seems to choose his fame and fortune over his friendship. At least – that’s how it appears. I won’t give anything away for spoilers, but does feel that way at first. I also found Tummy’s story especially tragic with his family problems.

But it’s not all doom and gloom – there are some hilarious moments in the book that made me chuckle. Whether it’s Julian’s witty put downs, a moment where he sings the wrong National Anthem at a football game – or an absolutely priceless moment where Julian completely owns Bill O’Reily, there is plenty of humour as there is pathos. And the fact that you get to see it from so many POV’s means that there is no shortage of funny moments in this book.

There isn’t so much what I didn’t like, but what some readers may not like. Like I said, religion is a terribly taboo subject and there are many out there that do not like them being challenged. And some of the stuff that And a Child Will Lead Them comes out with will most definitely wind up a few. I’m not saying that if you’re religious that you will hate this book (because I like to think that many people can be open minded about it), but if you’re sensitive about the subject, you might want to read this at your own risk.

Another thing that may put off some people is the relationship between a 17 year old and a 22 year old – which some may find uncomfortable. Now, the author did send me a sample chapter before I agreed to review this book, just so I could gauge the content (as you know I do make it clear to contact me if there are any strong sexual content, or anything that I may find offensive). But I gave him the benefit of the doubt and the content between these two is handled sensitively enough. It’s not a problem for me, but I should just warn you guys about that.

And a Child Will Lead Them is a novel that I think that both John Lennon and George Carlin would love to read. It’s a very bold statement against religion, but it never openly insults it either. It’s a story that teaches forgiveness and love for your fellow man – something we seem to have forgotten about. If you have an open mind and want to read something that will make you think, then I highly recommend this book. The strong characters, witty dialogue and moving pathos will keep you entertained throughout and leave you wanting more! The review is ended – go in peace and grab yourself a copy of this excellent book!

[Joanne Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hardly know where to start on this story. At first I thought it was a teen coming of age story. The flow and pace of the story worked really well with this assumption: four 17 year olds who are vaguely misfits, playing in a band in their spare time. I thought the story would follow a few small real-life teen adventures, or misadventures, and they’d get into a bit of trouble, then get out of it, learning something along the way. Yadda yadda.
The first sign I had of this book not following my expected path was when the band, through a mis-timed (well-timed?) media revelation, actually became famous. Then rich beyond their wildest dreams. Then had a bigger message to spread.
That’s the general movement of the story, but doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. The book is way, way more than just a story about a band that finds fame and how the four members, plucked from obscurity, cope with their stellar rise.
The four teens each present their very different points of view. Tummy comes from a deeply religious Catholic family, and has not yet analysed the reason why he calls himself a Catholic. He’s also been bullied all his life for being overweight and a bit of an idiot. Michael is a computer geek, brain the size of a planet, who spends more time with an artificially intelligent programme he created than eating or sleeping. Ginger is the only female in the group, comes from a loving and supportive home, and doesn’t feel she fits in with other kids her age since they are all immature yobs. Julian, the only group member not to have a voice in the book, has the most to say. He writes the lyrics and is the group’s mouthpiece. He creates for himself a worldwide stage on which he can stand and educate the masses.
Mr Herzig is a philosopher, there is no doubt about it. There were passages that I simply didn’t want to end; I became so engrossed in seeing how far the author would follow through with his ideas. I feared that he’d reach a question he couldn’t answer and just leave me hanging, but he never did. He’d considered everything.
I was tricked into reading philosophy, and I loved it. Early on in the book Julian spent a few pages comparing humanity’s evolutionary development with that of a single person, and I was so fascinated by it that I had to go back and read it twice. It had me cocking my head to the side and thinking, “huh – fancy that…” So maybe this theory isn’t new, and maybe I’m late to the party, but I’d certainly never considered it in this way before and it had me enraptured.
Julian is a really interesting character. At 17, he’s much more intelligent than anyone else in the room, of which he is fully aware, making him also insufferably superior. As charismatic as a cult leader, as well-read as a university professor, and as “well-considered” as Descartes, he’s also Don Tillman… which makes him a little bit of a jumble, but he really works. I was over three-quarters of the way through the book before it occurred to me that Julian had been peddling his wares, preaching from his own personal point of view, as far back as the others had ever known him, but since they hadn’t noticed, the reader hadn’t been allowed to either. This is so clever. All the band’s songs contain religious significance. Who wrote the lyrics? Julian. The other members all mention the reasons they are in the band at one time or another, and all downplay its importance – someplace to hang out, something to do, “I’m just the bass player”, all they’re doing is playing covers of old tunes - and yet I suddenly realised that Julian didn’t see the band in the same way, and that he never had.
And the moment when Michael denied who he was… let’s just say that’s when the scales fell away.

[Melysah Bunting · Rating 3 out of 5]

And a Child Will Lead Them by Marcus Herzig is the story about a group of teens who take the world by storm with their band Puerity. One in particular, Julian Monk, who is the singer, is on a mission. Julian’s message encourages people to look deeper into their spirituality. Is Julian their new evangelist? Well, the Pope just died, so…

This is an interesting story from the perspectives of Tummy, Ginger, Michael, and Julian. Tummy is the overweight, funny one, Ginger is the feminist, Michael is the computer whiz, and there’s Julian, who too smart for his own good, you could say.

The story shows the fine line between celebrity and clergy. I certainly can’t deny that we treat celebrities like divine beings.

I really like the dynamic between the friends. Each character has traits and a storyline that keeps the plot stimulating. Julian’s story is heavy, so it’s nice to change course now and then.

The pace moves along, and it is well written. I can’t complain about anything. I have to say, I’ve never read a book about an atheist pop star before.

Even if you are religious, I don’t think this book will offend you. It’s not meant to be oppressive. It’s a lighthearted read involving a heavy topic.

[Sean Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, yes. I mean what's not to like about this book? It's got superbly penned - and I mean down to the wire here - British teens, captured with nothing left out. Tummy was so very authentic, Michael unquestionably geeky but also of course a good, solid, dependable force and Ginger? Well. She didn't stand out, but that works because it just glues this whole group together in a dynamic that you can just transfer to any of your younger days. And I like her belief system.

Julian was, as another reviewer mentioned, not as well built up in terms of character; but then we never see through his eyes in quite the same way as we do with the rest. That feels right, somehow - it feels as if we're following him in the media as the world does in the book with the added benefit of these detailed and of course hugely interesting tidbits from the inner circle, too. And it's tongue in cheek, yes. It's funny, and lighthearted, and even knowing that going in I was swept up. I really enjoyed The sermon in the park. I read it twice, because it was just neat. And I think even though I can't eloquently explain why, this book has a place on the high shelf for me. it just fitted into a gap I didn't even see was there.