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The Remaining
The Remaining is a novelization of the apocalyptic movie from Sony Affirm. Just after a young couple says their vows, the earth shakes, and some people die suddenly and are taken away. The rest of their wedding party and friends are left to wrestle with what happened and with their faith. Characters struggle with secret love, dreams, hopes, and beliefs as they continue to evaluate their faith. This book and movie are both action-packed thrillers that will encourage audiences to think about their beliefs.
368 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2014
30 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
About the author
Travis Thrasher
72 books419 followersNew York Times bestselling author Travis Thrasher has written over 75 books, from fiction in a variety of genres to memoirs and children’s books. He has collaborated with filmmakers, musicians, athletes, comedians and pastors. Travis lives with his wife and three daughters in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 29, 2014
I just finished reading an exciting new release, The Remaining, by Travis Thrasher. The Remaining is the novelization of an upcoming movie of the same name. It's a category I enjoy - Christian horror/thriller, so I was very excited to read and review this book, and look forward to watching the movie as soon as it comes out! The premise of this book isn't groundbreaking - a group of six friends (Skylar, Lauren, Tommy, Allison, Jack, and Dan), preparing for the Dan and Skylar's wedding. After the vows are exchanged, people suddenly begin dropping dead at the reception. It soon becomes clear that this is the Rapture, but instead of their bodies disappearing, just their souls are caught up into Heaven. All of the friends except Lauren are "left behind" and have to try to survive and figure out what's happening around them.
Although the concept is nothing new, the execution does bring some fresh ideas, such as the bodies being left behind and the events of the apocalypse happening very rapidly as opposed to over a period of years. Also, there is no antichrist figure in sight. Although these liberties are taken and it's by no means an extremely accurate representation of what people believe the Rapture and tribulation will look like, it works in the time frame of the movie and book and makes for an exciting, action packed book (and I'm sure, film).
I was so excited to read this that I opened it up as soon as it came in the mail and finished it in less than 24 hours. It wasn't quite as good as I was expecting, but it was scary, thrilling, and a very quick read. It isn't labeled YA, but it feels like it was written at a teenage level. It's a book that my 12 year old would be able to read (if the themes were a bit less scary - maybe in a year or two). This isn't an upbeat book by any means - it's an apocalyptic story and It's a book that will keep you entertained and turning the pages, but nothing life changing or absolutely amazing. I have a feeling that the movie will be better than the book, because there's so much action from page to page that there isn't as much depth as I would've liked - and that type of story lends itself much better to a movie than to a book. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a thriller with Christian themes, and am looking forward to seeing the movie.
I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Although the concept is nothing new, the execution does bring some fresh ideas, such as the bodies being left behind and the events of the apocalypse happening very rapidly as opposed to over a period of years. Also, there is no antichrist figure in sight. Although these liberties are taken and it's by no means an extremely accurate representation of what people believe the Rapture and tribulation will look like, it works in the time frame of the movie and book and makes for an exciting, action packed book (and I'm sure, film).
I was so excited to read this that I opened it up as soon as it came in the mail and finished it in less than 24 hours. It wasn't quite as good as I was expecting, but it was scary, thrilling, and a very quick read. It isn't labeled YA, but it feels like it was written at a teenage level. It's a book that my 12 year old would be able to read (if the themes were a bit less scary - maybe in a year or two). This isn't an upbeat book by any means - it's an apocalyptic story and It's a book that will keep you entertained and turning the pages, but nothing life changing or absolutely amazing. I have a feeling that the movie will be better than the book, because there's so much action from page to page that there isn't as much depth as I would've liked - and that type of story lends itself much better to a movie than to a book. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a thriller with Christian themes, and am looking forward to seeing the movie.
I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
January 17, 2015
One word: creepalicious. This is one book you will not want to read on a stormy dark night all alone in the house. This is a scare-your-pants-off kind of tale. Author Travis Thrasher knows how to take a reader to the edge of fright and then dangle him over the edge a bit, and as always, he does it with style.
The Remaining is an end of the world rapture story, but NOTHING like the Left Behind series. Think Stephen King meets Ted Dekker, then click it up a few notches. The story revolves around six college friends who discover that there's nothing tame about God's wrath.
Because there are technically six main characters, the beginning of the book was a little confusing, trying to keep sorted who was who. But once you figure that out, buckle up because the story takes off. I finished this book in two days, which is super freaking fast for me.
Disclaimer: don't read this story if you don't like horror. I mean, seriously . . . is there anything more horrific than God's wrath?
The Remaining is an end of the world rapture story, but NOTHING like the Left Behind series. Think Stephen King meets Ted Dekker, then click it up a few notches. The story revolves around six college friends who discover that there's nothing tame about God's wrath.
Because there are technically six main characters, the beginning of the book was a little confusing, trying to keep sorted who was who. But once you figure that out, buckle up because the story takes off. I finished this book in two days, which is super freaking fast for me.
Disclaimer: don't read this story if you don't like horror. I mean, seriously . . . is there anything more horrific than God's wrath?
December 9, 2014
I really, really didn’t like The Remaining by Travis Thrasher. In the first place the book didn’t really have a main theme or subject. It just seemed like everyone was running and being grossed out by everything that was happening. The events of the book were talking of the last days. Most of what is in the book is wrong in one way or another. It doesn’t follow the Biblical account as how things will be.
Don’t get me wrong I really love to read books about the end times and the things that will be happening, but I don’t like when things are changed just to make the book/movie more interesting.
In this book The Remaining when the end came and the believers were taken away, they just died, bodies left here and souls taken. Also another part when the unbelievers became Christians they were killed or devoured by beasts immediately.
The characters in this book were very flimsy, shallow people. They seemed like they only became Christians so they wouldn’t be cast into hell with these demons.
Very shallow story and characters. I will give it 2-stars because it had some interesting parts.
Don’t get me wrong I really love to read books about the end times and the things that will be happening, but I don’t like when things are changed just to make the book/movie more interesting.
In this book The Remaining when the end came and the believers were taken away, they just died, bodies left here and souls taken. Also another part when the unbelievers became Christians they were killed or devoured by beasts immediately.
The characters in this book were very flimsy, shallow people. They seemed like they only became Christians so they wouldn’t be cast into hell with these demons.
Very shallow story and characters. I will give it 2-stars because it had some interesting parts.
November 8, 2015
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN ESPAÑOL
Great book by Travis Thrasher. It provides much more action and realism to the characters.
December 20, 2017
I'm sure there's good Rapture fiction out there, but this isn't it.
January 15, 2015
***I received the eBook free as a review copy from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***
I knew before I started this book that I would read it first before watching the movie, even though it was the reverse of what usually happens and was created as a movie first. I thought it would mean that they would be more similar but as it happens I couldn’t find the movie anywhere. I searched the internet high and low but nothing. Nada. Zilch. This is a disappointment because I can so clearly visualise what it would have been like and would have loved to see it.
Travis Thrasher did such an amazing job even though I have nothing to compare, his writing itself is beautiful, and he has such a clear talent for creating empathy in a reader. Everything he wrote was so powerful and draws out so many emotions. Not all of them were good though because this book had such tragic circumstances that my heart was wrenched so many times.
It begins with a very classic before the wedding happiness, but even then the back of your mind is constantly saying not to get too comfortable because <>it will not end well. I should have listened, because even though it took a good 100 pages or so before the action really kicked in (before that was a lot of heavy character introductions) what comes next is the epitome of a wedding disaster...
It was simply death and destruction around every corner; one heartbreak after the next until you understood the character’s thinking that it would never truly end. Finally you reach those final chapters and there’s that feeling you get where there’s not enough pages left for everything you need to happen. I understood why it ended like it did, and it was definitely true to the characters, but a little pick me up might have been nice! After reading 300 pages of downright depressing stuff I definitely need a lighter read next.
Not to say I didn’t enjoy it because I did, but the religious aspect didn’t touch my heart the way it might others being an atheist. This is where personality will come to play, and this book will affect people differently when they take different things from it. I took away a feeling of gratitude that no one I loved was going through anything like the character’s journeys, as well as sadness for them rounded up in a great read. Others might be influenced differently.
In a way that’s why I’d recommend it; it’s a very emotional read that can make you think about your own life while reading through these characters eyes. I haven’t touched on them much because I had other things to say but they were equally as beautiful and very distinct. They teach a lot of heavy lessons about life and love, so if that’s what you look for in a book, The Remaining might just be the one for you.
Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/
I knew before I started this book that I would read it first before watching the movie, even though it was the reverse of what usually happens and was created as a movie first. I thought it would mean that they would be more similar but as it happens I couldn’t find the movie anywhere. I searched the internet high and low but nothing. Nada. Zilch. This is a disappointment because I can so clearly visualise what it would have been like and would have loved to see it.
Travis Thrasher did such an amazing job even though I have nothing to compare, his writing itself is beautiful, and he has such a clear talent for creating empathy in a reader. Everything he wrote was so powerful and draws out so many emotions. Not all of them were good though because this book had such tragic circumstances that my heart was wrenched so many times.
It begins with a very classic before the wedding happiness, but even then the back of your mind is constantly saying not to get too comfortable because <>it will not end well. I should have listened, because even though it took a good 100 pages or so before the action really kicked in (before that was a lot of heavy character introductions) what comes next is the epitome of a wedding disaster...
It was simply death and destruction around every corner; one heartbreak after the next until you understood the character’s thinking that it would never truly end. Finally you reach those final chapters and there’s that feeling you get where there’s not enough pages left for everything you need to happen. I understood why it ended like it did, and it was definitely true to the characters, but a little pick me up might have been nice! After reading 300 pages of downright depressing stuff I definitely need a lighter read next.
Not to say I didn’t enjoy it because I did, but the religious aspect didn’t touch my heart the way it might others being an atheist. This is where personality will come to play, and this book will affect people differently when they take different things from it. I took away a feeling of gratitude that no one I loved was going through anything like the character’s journeys, as well as sadness for them rounded up in a great read. Others might be influenced differently.
In a way that’s why I’d recommend it; it’s a very emotional read that can make you think about your own life while reading through these characters eyes. I haven’t touched on them much because I had other things to say but they were equally as beautiful and very distinct. They teach a lot of heavy lessons about life and love, so if that’s what you look for in a book, The Remaining might just be the one for you.
Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/
January 19, 2015
First of all, though I stretched it out into a few weeks because of busyness, I actually read "The Remaining" in two sittings. It is engaging from the beginning with characters who are what you would expect from a film: great looking, fun loving, and seemingly having everything in the world to look forward to. They may be a little over-the-top perfect, but hey, it is a movie novelization, and EVERYONE is over the top in movies.
The story focuses on the viewpoints of several characters. Through these characters we get a different perspective on faith, the event itself, and their own relationships. A few times I caught myself jumping back a paragraph or a page to figure out whose eyes I was currently looking through. Even when I backtracked, I still was lost in the book itself. Nothing pulled me away from the story.
This is not your typical end-times story. "The Remaining" covers the rapture and all things related into a day's time. It is spooky, gory and the stuff of your worst nightmare. A dream wedding dissolves into utter pandemonium. There is very little down time in the story. It is almost all high pressure and intensity.
All in all, I enjoyed "The Remaining" and if there was a sequel, I would read it. It was entertaining, fast paced and full of surprises.
The story focuses on the viewpoints of several characters. Through these characters we get a different perspective on faith, the event itself, and their own relationships. A few times I caught myself jumping back a paragraph or a page to figure out whose eyes I was currently looking through. Even when I backtracked, I still was lost in the book itself. Nothing pulled me away from the story.
This is not your typical end-times story. "The Remaining" covers the rapture and all things related into a day's time. It is spooky, gory and the stuff of your worst nightmare. A dream wedding dissolves into utter pandemonium. There is very little down time in the story. It is almost all high pressure and intensity.
All in all, I enjoyed "The Remaining" and if there was a sequel, I would read it. It was entertaining, fast paced and full of surprises.
May 7, 2021
This novelization of a movie is another perspective on the End Times. It is easy to read, fast-paced and easy to visualize, yet it lacks the depth and true Bible perspective that other fiction books in this genre have provided in the past. As an exciting, cautionary tale, this is definitely a great choice, but it will likely just seem strange to non-Christians.
A group of college friends, together to celebrate the wedding. As soon as the reception dancing begins, large numbers of people drop dead. Tragedy ensues with explosions, earthquakes and strange events. Attacks by bizarre creatures kill those who turn to God. Can the friends discover what is truly important before it is too late?
A group of college friends, together to celebrate the wedding. As soon as the reception dancing begins, large numbers of people drop dead. Tragedy ensues with explosions, earthquakes and strange events. Attacks by bizarre creatures kill those who turn to God. Can the friends discover what is truly important before it is too late?
September 7, 2014
This is supposed to be based on the book of Revelation and he does cover some of it, but the events happen here way faster than they do in the Bible. The rapture and trumpets are almost back to back and in one day, so definitely different than in the Bible. I get that you can only put so much into a book/movie that is only so long, but there was alot of things left out and it would be very confusing to someone that has never read the Bible. All in all, it was a horrifying look into some of the events that those left behind go through.
It's a book that kept me entertained but I just didn't think it was amazing. I am hoping the movie will be better. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
It's a book that kept me entertained but I just didn't think it was amazing. I am hoping the movie will be better. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
July 2, 2015
Pretty good novelization (I'd not heard of the movie) - Thrasher's a solid writer. This end times story provides a slightly different take on the "Left Behind" apocalyptic genre (religious fiction). The characters are believable. And as they realize that they're living through scenes from the Book of Revelation, they respond in a variety of ways as I think most people might - with doubt, fear, anger, repentance, resistance, etc. Piques my interest enough to want to find the film online.
August 6, 2015
I think this story is great, but there's something that didn't convinced me so much: The narrative.
I felt like the author was watching and telling me the movie, and I couldn't connect with the story. That's pretty sad because I TOTALLY LOVE Travis Thrasher's writing style but unfortunately not with this one.
I felt like the author was watching and telling me the movie, and I couldn't connect with the story. That's pretty sad because I TOTALLY LOVE Travis Thrasher's writing style but unfortunately not with this one.
October 21, 2024
Very easy read, slightly different Rapture take, made even me think if I was ready.
November 13, 2022
I own the book and saw the movie.
The Remaining is one of the better Apocalypse series that tries to follow the Bible that I have seen in a long time. Better by far then Left Behind. God bless the writer of Left Behind but I found the Remaining far more relatable, and far more disturbing.
From the characters all being young, fun loving college freshmen who you see yourself in, to the riveting and intimate plot twist of being at a wedding and seeing the rapture take place, this book cuts to the heart with emotion. I am a Bible believing Christian, and it forced me to really think about what the day of the Lord is going to look like for the people who aren't thinking about God. And even a Christian begins to examine how much of a true believer they are, when one of the characters left out of the rapture is a lifelong churchgoer.
Rather than villainizing and condemning the main characters after the rapture, the writer sympathetically follows them in the tumultuous and confusing aftermath. They wrestle with the whys, the griefs of family being taken, and the horror of watching the world Fall apart.
Take note that because both the book and the movie are thrillers, they accelerate the plot of the Biblical End Times. So someone of New Faith or a skeptic should not take this book as gospel. Such as the rapture in this universe the souls were raptured, and it appears people fall down dead.
Unlike the movie, the book delves deeper into the minds and backgrounds of the characters such as Allison, Skylar, and Tommy, that I genuinely appreciated. Each forms a good-hearted, unsure, character absorbed in their own human goodness, slowly coming to the realization that you can't ignore God forever. Or be good enough for heaven.
The book highlights also the stumbles and failures of the church whether in pushing people away, or lulling them into a false comfort with no faith. And yet, the story also makes it clear that each man or woman is responsible for their own choices. The issue is aptly demonstrated when the demon attacks the church, that the church is just a building without true faith in God.
Great book, especially if one reads the Bible immediately after.
The Remaining is one of the better Apocalypse series that tries to follow the Bible that I have seen in a long time. Better by far then Left Behind. God bless the writer of Left Behind but I found the Remaining far more relatable, and far more disturbing.
From the characters all being young, fun loving college freshmen who you see yourself in, to the riveting and intimate plot twist of being at a wedding and seeing the rapture take place, this book cuts to the heart with emotion. I am a Bible believing Christian, and it forced me to really think about what the day of the Lord is going to look like for the people who aren't thinking about God. And even a Christian begins to examine how much of a true believer they are, when one of the characters left out of the rapture is a lifelong churchgoer.
Rather than villainizing and condemning the main characters after the rapture, the writer sympathetically follows them in the tumultuous and confusing aftermath. They wrestle with the whys, the griefs of family being taken, and the horror of watching the world Fall apart.
Take note that because both the book and the movie are thrillers, they accelerate the plot of the Biblical End Times. So someone of New Faith or a skeptic should not take this book as gospel. Such as the rapture in this universe the souls were raptured, and it appears people fall down dead.
Unlike the movie, the book delves deeper into the minds and backgrounds of the characters such as Allison, Skylar, and Tommy, that I genuinely appreciated. Each forms a good-hearted, unsure, character absorbed in their own human goodness, slowly coming to the realization that you can't ignore God forever. Or be good enough for heaven.
The book highlights also the stumbles and failures of the church whether in pushing people away, or lulling them into a false comfort with no faith. And yet, the story also makes it clear that each man or woman is responsible for their own choices. The issue is aptly demonstrated when the demon attacks the church, that the church is just a building without true faith in God.
Great book, especially if one reads the Bible immediately after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2019
The closest thing I can liken this to is a very condensed version of the first 11 volumes of the Left Behind series, by LaHaye and Jenkins. You have the Rapture and the Tribulation; what's missing is the Antichrist, the Beast, and the Second Coming of Christ. Other than the extremely accelerated timeline, however, I cannot fault the author's theology. He makes it clear why "The Remaining" are left on Earth, and what they can do to escape their fate.
June 5, 2018
Imagine "The Mist" meets "Goosebumps" meets "Final Destination" and that's what you have here. It's a creepy story that didn't give me nightmares but that did make me think (about the Rapture that is). Beliefs aside, I think this book was well written. I didn't get attached to any of the characters, but that's probably a good thing anyways.
March 18, 2020
I liked the story line although it bothers me that the demons had more power than the name of Jesus. I thought the writing was a bit disjointed and a little hard to follow. I did like the story line but would have liked to see a different ending and a regard for the power of Jesus name.
July 20, 2018
Quick easy read. Went pretty much as expected. Looking forward to watching the movie.
November 16, 2020
Weird. At the real end times it will be too late for people. There won't be second chances. Bible says they will blaspheme.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2025
Not terrible, but should have been marked as a Christian thriller ? Took a few chapters to get up to speed - not my type of book, but glad to have tried reading this genre.
November 11, 2014
PLEASE NOTE: I Received a copy of the graphic novel for review purposes.
Kingstone Media released The Remaining last month to coincide with the theatrical debut of the film of the same name. From what I gathered in the book’s credits, the Kingstone team completed the comic as an adaptation of the original screenplay by Casey La Scala rather than the film version, which La Scala also co-directed. Since I cannot speak to the original screenplay nor the movie, I will review the book on its own merits and faults; however, I should note that the adaptation completed by Roland Mann may suffer from limitations over which he had no control. Therefore, I am also giving the book a bit of grace regarding some of my critiques.
But enough for qualifiers. Let me just lay the verdict on the table: The Remainingis good—not great but good. The story moves well, focuses on characters over clutter, and offers a fair share of surprises. Vast in scope yet small in canvas, the events that impact our characters also affect the whole world, but we never leave the presence of our core ensemble. The book offers a few good surprise turns, one specifically I had not considered but made all the sense in the world, leading me to one of those “duh” moments. In fact, I called the outcomes wrong on more than one occasion, thinking I’d be getting one thing then almost immediately getting another, and I like when that happens (so long as the unexpected is an appropriate choice for the story). So, that’s “the good”.
"The bad" is that The Remaining suffers from two failures. It fails to ask larger questions or pose counter theories. Once things go awry, one character thinks its Biblical; and within a few pages, everyone is on board. I would have preferred alternative viewpoints creating tension, perhaps that the antagonistic creatures are government experiments or the result of an alien attack. The overall ending would have been stronger if the final panel confirmed which of the various theories was true. Of course, I would not want to judge a work for what it is not rather than what it is. But The Remaining is a little light on scares--not surprises, per se, but real terror. There’s a fair amount of talking in this book, which led to a lull in a few areas where I forgot about the larger dilemma. Not a huge issue given that the story still moves, but I would have liked a more consistent feeling of tread the entire time. So there’s "the bad".
And what would the "good" and "bad" be without "the ugly"? If The Remaining has one glaring fault it’s that the three male leads are practically indistinguishable. In fact, from panel to panel, I could not tell them apart except for when they addressed one another by name. Granted, the different wardrobe at the wedding helped with this, but once the men were all down to black slacks and t-shirts, each looks like a generic white guy, which is a bummer because they did not need to be--not in this story (and particularly not in a comic format).
All that said, The Remaining is equal to most standalone indie books you’ll find—no better, no worse. It’s a bit more heavy-handed than I’d prefer, but nuance in any medium is difficult. If nothing else, the comic has now gotten me interested in the film, which I assume is half the reason it exists; and in that alone, its goal has been achieved. Because of the aforementioned limitations placed on Kingstone, I am going to lean more toward a favorable review than a negative one. This is not their best work, but it’s an adequate entertainment that one could read in an hour or so.
Kingstone Media released The Remaining last month to coincide with the theatrical debut of the film of the same name. From what I gathered in the book’s credits, the Kingstone team completed the comic as an adaptation of the original screenplay by Casey La Scala rather than the film version, which La Scala also co-directed. Since I cannot speak to the original screenplay nor the movie, I will review the book on its own merits and faults; however, I should note that the adaptation completed by Roland Mann may suffer from limitations over which he had no control. Therefore, I am also giving the book a bit of grace regarding some of my critiques.
But enough for qualifiers. Let me just lay the verdict on the table: The Remainingis good—not great but good. The story moves well, focuses on characters over clutter, and offers a fair share of surprises. Vast in scope yet small in canvas, the events that impact our characters also affect the whole world, but we never leave the presence of our core ensemble. The book offers a few good surprise turns, one specifically I had not considered but made all the sense in the world, leading me to one of those “duh” moments. In fact, I called the outcomes wrong on more than one occasion, thinking I’d be getting one thing then almost immediately getting another, and I like when that happens (so long as the unexpected is an appropriate choice for the story). So, that’s “the good”.
"The bad" is that The Remaining suffers from two failures. It fails to ask larger questions or pose counter theories. Once things go awry, one character thinks its Biblical; and within a few pages, everyone is on board. I would have preferred alternative viewpoints creating tension, perhaps that the antagonistic creatures are government experiments or the result of an alien attack. The overall ending would have been stronger if the final panel confirmed which of the various theories was true. Of course, I would not want to judge a work for what it is not rather than what it is. But The Remaining is a little light on scares--not surprises, per se, but real terror. There’s a fair amount of talking in this book, which led to a lull in a few areas where I forgot about the larger dilemma. Not a huge issue given that the story still moves, but I would have liked a more consistent feeling of tread the entire time. So there’s "the bad".
And what would the "good" and "bad" be without "the ugly"? If The Remaining has one glaring fault it’s that the three male leads are practically indistinguishable. In fact, from panel to panel, I could not tell them apart except for when they addressed one another by name. Granted, the different wardrobe at the wedding helped with this, but once the men were all down to black slacks and t-shirts, each looks like a generic white guy, which is a bummer because they did not need to be--not in this story (and particularly not in a comic format).
All that said, The Remaining is equal to most standalone indie books you’ll find—no better, no worse. It’s a bit more heavy-handed than I’d prefer, but nuance in any medium is difficult. If nothing else, the comic has now gotten me interested in the film, which I assume is half the reason it exists; and in that alone, its goal has been achieved. Because of the aforementioned limitations placed on Kingstone, I am going to lean more toward a favorable review than a negative one. This is not their best work, but it’s an adequate entertainment that one could read in an hour or so.
October 1, 2014
The Remaining
Novelization by Travis Thrasher
The Remaining is a story that you don't want to read right before bed. If you do be prepared to stay up through the night because this is the type of book that will keep you up.
One year ago Lauren started having visions, visions that ended in pain and hurting. And the pain was being felt by her best friends. And on the day of Dan and Skylar's wedding Lauren's nightmares come true...
Tragedy strikes shortly after the marriage vows are exchanged. And on a day that should be filled with celebrations of new beginnings, everything is forever altered and those left to make sense of everything are baffled. Carnage and chaos are making their presence known and the survivors have a choice to make. A choice that will either end everything or be a new beginning.
Sometimes the path to true freedom is the one that comes with facing the nightmare.
The Remaining is a novelization of a movie of the same name. This is an intense and dramatic Rapture story that is told through a variety of voices. The gathering of friends and family for a wedding is the focal point of the book until the Rapture occurs. This isn't your typical clothes left behind story which just from the cover of the book should be fairly obvious. I mean look at the cover it is pretty creepy looking.
Fans of Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti should find this book to be highly appealing.
I was provided with a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
Novelization by Travis Thrasher
The Remaining is a story that you don't want to read right before bed. If you do be prepared to stay up through the night because this is the type of book that will keep you up.
One year ago Lauren started having visions, visions that ended in pain and hurting. And the pain was being felt by her best friends. And on the day of Dan and Skylar's wedding Lauren's nightmares come true...
Tragedy strikes shortly after the marriage vows are exchanged. And on a day that should be filled with celebrations of new beginnings, everything is forever altered and those left to make sense of everything are baffled. Carnage and chaos are making their presence known and the survivors have a choice to make. A choice that will either end everything or be a new beginning.
Sometimes the path to true freedom is the one that comes with facing the nightmare.
The Remaining is a novelization of a movie of the same name. This is an intense and dramatic Rapture story that is told through a variety of voices. The gathering of friends and family for a wedding is the focal point of the book until the Rapture occurs. This isn't your typical clothes left behind story which just from the cover of the book should be fairly obvious. I mean look at the cover it is pretty creepy looking.
Fans of Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti should find this book to be highly appealing.
I was provided with a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
May 31, 2015
The reason for three stars on this book, even though I thought it was great, is because of how the writing is and how the chapters are divided up. It just kind of threw me off and kept me from giving it my full attention. I still wanted to finish the book because I was interested in how this book describes what happens after the Rapture versus how Left Behind describes it.
This book is intense and gives an idea of what the book of Revelation is actually going for. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the Left Behind series, it’s intense in it’s own way but I feel like The Remaining is, while not completely accurate, more so.
Don’t let the three stars turn you away from this book, that’s not what I’m trying to do here. I know it’s kind of confusing saying I’m giving this book this many stars and then saying go read this book, but I would suggest giving this story a try.
Also, the movie is absolutely fantastic. I know I have some movie reviewers following me, I would love to know what your opinion on The Remaining is. I work at a Christian bookstore and we had a movie day, and let me tell you, everyone was freaked out by this movie.
I tried to warn them because I read the book beforehand, of course the only thing I could say without giving anything away is that it is intense and more into keeping with the chaos that the book of Revelation says there will be.
Thank you for reading my review.
-Sam
This book is intense and gives an idea of what the book of Revelation is actually going for. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the Left Behind series, it’s intense in it’s own way but I feel like The Remaining is, while not completely accurate, more so.
Don’t let the three stars turn you away from this book, that’s not what I’m trying to do here. I know it’s kind of confusing saying I’m giving this book this many stars and then saying go read this book, but I would suggest giving this story a try.
Also, the movie is absolutely fantastic. I know I have some movie reviewers following me, I would love to know what your opinion on The Remaining is. I work at a Christian bookstore and we had a movie day, and let me tell you, everyone was freaked out by this movie.
I tried to warn them because I read the book beforehand, of course the only thing I could say without giving anything away is that it is intense and more into keeping with the chaos that the book of Revelation says there will be.
Thank you for reading my review.
-Sam
September 5, 2014
I have read several Travis Thrasher books, and his books are usually really different from the average Christian fiction book. He is an excellent writer, but some of his stuff is just..... weird. And this book falls into that category.
I have also read several fiction books about the Rapture, but this book is totally different from any that I have read. Instead of Christians disappearing, their souls were taken, leaving them quite dead. I guess that is a possibility, but it doesn't seem likely.
Things happened really fast in the book. It had things happening close together that the Bible indicates happen further apart.
I did like the characters, but didn't enjoy their going back in time and thinking. It detracted from the story line for me.
The book was entertaining at times, but overall, I didn't really care for it, and it is rare I say that about a book I review. The departure from the normal idea of the Rapture did bother me, but the book seemed more like a Stephen King thriller, than a book about the Rapture, and there were too many rabbit trails with the main characters.
Travis Thrasher is an excellent author, so I would lean towards the movie being that way, since this book is just a novelization of the movie. I wouldn't really recommend the book, but he has many others that are excellent reads.
I have also read several fiction books about the Rapture, but this book is totally different from any that I have read. Instead of Christians disappearing, their souls were taken, leaving them quite dead. I guess that is a possibility, but it doesn't seem likely.
Things happened really fast in the book. It had things happening close together that the Bible indicates happen further apart.
I did like the characters, but didn't enjoy their going back in time and thinking. It detracted from the story line for me.
The book was entertaining at times, but overall, I didn't really care for it, and it is rare I say that about a book I review. The departure from the normal idea of the Rapture did bother me, but the book seemed more like a Stephen King thriller, than a book about the Rapture, and there were too many rabbit trails with the main characters.
Travis Thrasher is an excellent author, so I would lean towards the movie being that way, since this book is just a novelization of the movie. I wouldn't really recommend the book, but he has many others that are excellent reads.
June 10, 2015
This book was so good and I had a hard time putting this book down. It was fast paced and so action packed.
This is about a group of 6 friends that go to a wedding for 2 of the 6. It seems like your typical wedding and having fun when everything changes when people start to die for seemingly no reason. They have to know figure out what in the world is going on and why these people are dying and what is it that is killing them before they are the next ones to die. could it be that the world is coming to an end or just the start of something far worse.
The characters were a lot of fun and they seemed to have a few problem with things in their friendship but you can tell they are still very close. They should have not had to worry about anything on this particular day but they had to find out what is happening and why people are randomly dying without a reason to. There was a lot of stress because not only are they seeing people die but also that the sky is looking not the way it should be and things are just beginning for them.
The story was a hard one to put down because of all the craziness that was going on in the book and you just wanted to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next to everyone. It was very entertaining to read.
This is about a group of 6 friends that go to a wedding for 2 of the 6. It seems like your typical wedding and having fun when everything changes when people start to die for seemingly no reason. They have to know figure out what in the world is going on and why these people are dying and what is it that is killing them before they are the next ones to die. could it be that the world is coming to an end or just the start of something far worse.
The characters were a lot of fun and they seemed to have a few problem with things in their friendship but you can tell they are still very close. They should have not had to worry about anything on this particular day but they had to find out what is happening and why people are randomly dying without a reason to. There was a lot of stress because not only are they seeing people die but also that the sky is looking not the way it should be and things are just beginning for them.
The story was a hard one to put down because of all the craziness that was going on in the book and you just wanted to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next to everyone. It was very entertaining to read.
February 25, 2015
This book was read on my kindle. I can not remember whether it was a paid for or not book.
The short blurb about this book reveals that it is a novelisation of a film. Here in the UK the film has not reached us - but I'll be keeping an eye out.
The theme of the book is a biblical end of days event; a different take on other stories that I have come across. In its rhythm and setup it seems quite parallel to the movie Cloverfield.
I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, and I think more could have been done to develop each stages.
I can not say that the book was well written, a bit clumsy in places; for me this did not detract from the book, and I was engaged with the story; I feel that the book has potential and with a little something this book could stand on its own without being associated with the film.
The short blurb about this book reveals that it is a novelisation of a film. Here in the UK the film has not reached us - but I'll be keeping an eye out.
The theme of the book is a biblical end of days event; a different take on other stories that I have come across. In its rhythm and setup it seems quite parallel to the movie Cloverfield.
I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, and I think more could have been done to develop each stages.
I can not say that the book was well written, a bit clumsy in places; for me this did not detract from the book, and I was engaged with the story; I feel that the book has potential and with a little something this book could stand on its own without being associated with the film.
October 25, 2014
The Remaining: After the Rapture, There are Fates Worse Than Death by Travis Thrasher is a thriller. The first part of the book sets the scene--a picture perfect day with an outside wedding that goes according to plan, but . . . then a trumpet sounds, the sky goes black and people begin to die. Is it the rapture as predicted in the Bible or something else? Soon only a few members of the wedding party are left. Will they find a way out? Do they have long kept secrets to tell before the world ends? Once that trumpet sounds, this book gets very good!
I loved the ending and the message it sends. This book is a movie too! So do both or just one but give it a chance.
(Gerard's review)
I loved the ending and the message it sends. This book is a movie too! So do both or just one but give it a chance.
(Gerard's review)
September 25, 2014
I love apocalyptic fiction and The Remaining is one of the most riveting I’ve read in this genre in a while!
I enjoyed getting to know the characters. At first the story jumps around a bit, introducing them little by little, but they are old friends coming together for a wedding that will take a very unexpected turn.
This book is dark and scary….more so than the ever popular Left Behind series, but in all honesty this time will be a very dark and scary time for many.
For me, this book was very entertaining, but also stirred something deep inside of me…an urgency to spread the gospel of Christ.
Heart-wrenching and suspenseful- you won’t want to miss The Remaining!!!
I enjoyed getting to know the characters. At first the story jumps around a bit, introducing them little by little, but they are old friends coming together for a wedding that will take a very unexpected turn.
This book is dark and scary….more so than the ever popular Left Behind series, but in all honesty this time will be a very dark and scary time for many.
For me, this book was very entertaining, but also stirred something deep inside of me…an urgency to spread the gospel of Christ.
Heart-wrenching and suspenseful- you won’t want to miss The Remaining!!!
February 26, 2015
You Must Read This Book!!
"If you knew the world was about to end, what would you say? Or maybe the question should really be, if this world was going to end, whom would you tell?"
This book is Biblical fiction at it's best. A story about the Rapture that is a vivid and shocking reminder that the Lord is soon to come.
In a nutshell, just after a young couple says their vows, the earth shakes, and some people die suddenly and are taken away. The rest of their wedding party and friends are left to wrestle with what happened and with their faith. They all have to answer this question: "How do you finally come before your Maker after a life of running away from him?"
"If you knew the world was about to end, what would you say? Or maybe the question should really be, if this world was going to end, whom would you tell?"
This book is Biblical fiction at it's best. A story about the Rapture that is a vivid and shocking reminder that the Lord is soon to come.
In a nutshell, just after a young couple says their vows, the earth shakes, and some people die suddenly and are taken away. The rest of their wedding party and friends are left to wrestle with what happened and with their faith. They all have to answer this question: "How do you finally come before your Maker after a life of running away from him?"
October 16, 2014
This was a fantastic and creepy read about the end of days. The art work was well done and the writing was great. Even though it was a horror version of the Rapture, it still drove home the fact that without salvation we will be separated from God for eternity. The only reason I gave it a 4 star review was because I believe it had potential to be more of a drawn out series. It seemed to be a bit rushed. There could have been several more issues that would allow more character development. It would be great to see more of this subject matter from Thrasher.
February 9, 2015
This was a really good book. Great characters and the stories behind each one. A group of friends gather for one special event and then it all falls apart when the Rapture happens. We follow them through the end of the world and the tribulations. The author had a different take on the rapture where the bodies stay and the souls are raptured. Overall a great book that I could not put down.
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