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End Times
“A fascinating reimagining of the rapture...” — Kirkus Reviews
"... fearless and gripping, surprising and heartfelt. Schumacher takes us to the beginning of the end, and leaves us wanting more.” — Danielle Paige , New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die
Carbon County, Wyoming, is like a current running through Daphne’s heart.
When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s the sound of trumpets.
Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie, and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.
Daphne landed in Carbon County for a reason. She only has to read the signs—and believe.
"... fearless and gripping, surprising and heartfelt. Schumacher takes us to the beginning of the end, and leaves us wanting more.” — Danielle Paige , New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die
Carbon County, Wyoming, is like a current running through Daphne’s heart.
When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s the sound of trumpets.
Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie, and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.
Daphne landed in Carbon County for a reason. She only has to read the signs—and believe.
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2014
19 people are currently reading
2660 people want to read
About the author
Anna Schumacher
7 books44 followersAnna Schumacher received an MFA in fiction writing from The New School. Born and raised in the tiny town of Guilford, VT (no traffic lights, no post office, one store), she now lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and two cats. END TIMES is her first work, but she hopes to publish many more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
May 21, 2014
This is such a weird and interesting book...
Here's my video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDaEW...
Here's my video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDaEW...
February 9, 2017
Bored. I can sum up my entire reading experience in one word. I gave this book more than enough time, and I just - finally - couldn't take it anymore.
You probably want some more though. Okay. This book is told in alternating third-person POV with three main characters (so far): Daphne, her cousin Janie, and Owen. Owen's the only one that's remotely interesting to me, and that's not saying much because I'm not real interested in him either. Daphne has potential, but she's so busy trying to fade into the background that I'm bored with her. Janie's ... pregnant. Apparently that's the sum of her personality. That and she "loves" her boyfriend who's an obvious asshole.
42% I read, and I didn't even get to the part of the blurb where the "townsfolk declare that the End Times are here." Trumpets are sounding when Daphne gets into town, but after they stop (later that night) they're pretty much forgotten. Life goes on. I get to read about boring day to day life stuff. Then Daphne is apparently Jed Clampett and black gold comes bubbling up out of the ground. More boring day to day stuff. More boring. More. More. More.
The writing feels pretty simplistic, too. That's not always a bad thing, but here there was nothing that made me want to do anything other than skim. The dialogue also felt really forced and not at all like how people actually talk.
Finally, there's shaping up to be some sort of confrontation between the (Christian) God-loving folk of Carbon County (which despite its name is actually a town) and the Earth Children - children of the Earth God apparently. Honestly, I'm just not interested. The Christians in this book felt like caricatures, and then there was the free-loving "hippie" vibe of the main "Earth Child" that we've met so far. Meh. Stereotypes aren't awesome.
The one good thing I can say is that - despite being bored - the book reads fairly quickly. It took me a couple of hour to read nearly half of it, and I kept pausing to do other things.
You probably want some more though. Okay. This book is told in alternating third-person POV with three main characters (so far): Daphne, her cousin Janie, and Owen. Owen's the only one that's remotely interesting to me, and that's not saying much because I'm not real interested in him either. Daphne has potential, but she's so busy trying to fade into the background that I'm bored with her. Janie's ... pregnant. Apparently that's the sum of her personality. That and she "loves" her boyfriend who's an obvious asshole.
42% I read, and I didn't even get to the part of the blurb where the "townsfolk declare that the End Times are here." Trumpets are sounding when Daphne gets into town, but after they stop (later that night) they're pretty much forgotten. Life goes on. I get to read about boring day to day life stuff. Then Daphne is apparently Jed Clampett and black gold comes bubbling up out of the ground. More boring day to day stuff. More boring. More. More. More.
The writing feels pretty simplistic, too. That's not always a bad thing, but here there was nothing that made me want to do anything other than skim. The dialogue also felt really forced and not at all like how people actually talk.
Finally, there's shaping up to be some sort of confrontation between the (Christian) God-loving folk of Carbon County (which despite its name is actually a town) and the Earth Children - children of the Earth God apparently. Honestly, I'm just not interested. The Christians in this book felt like caricatures, and then there was the free-loving "hippie" vibe of the main "Earth Child" that we've met so far. Meh. Stereotypes aren't awesome.
The one good thing I can say is that - despite being bored - the book reads fairly quickly. It took me a couple of hour to read nearly half of it, and I kept pausing to do other things.
June 23, 2014
I always love a new angle on end-of-the-world mythology.
Almost the entire story takes place in the town of Carbon County, a poky but devout and close-knit town in beautiful Wyoming. Soon enough, we and the (primary) narrator see the town more and more for what it is, a run-down town with a glamorous and unsavory preacher leading the flock. The details of the setting had enough of a twist to them that Carbon County felt like a real place to me.
What really pleased me about End Times was the growing realization that the two narrators were moving into position to become rivals, and that it wasn't at all clear which side I should be rooting for. Both narrators seem to be good people, but the "evil cult" side is committed to protecting the Earth, while the "good Christian" side is wrapped up in getting rich by exploiting the Earth. I love the ambiguity. And I think it's gutsy to write a book where Christian scripture is true and yet the Christians aren't necessarily the good guys, you know?
I did feel it leaned a little on some common Young Adult tropes, namely the reluctant hero who doesn't want to accept how special she is. But Book Two will be a definite buy for me. End Times was all about putting the chess pieces on the chessboard, and I'm eager to watch the game play out.
Almost the entire story takes place in the town of Carbon County, a poky but devout and close-knit town in beautiful Wyoming. Soon enough, we and the (primary) narrator see the town more and more for what it is, a run-down town with a glamorous and unsavory preacher leading the flock. The details of the setting had enough of a twist to them that Carbon County felt like a real place to me.
What really pleased me about End Times was the growing realization that the two narrators were moving into position to become rivals, and that it wasn't at all clear which side I should be rooting for. Both narrators seem to be good people, but the "evil cult" side is committed to protecting the Earth, while the "good Christian" side is wrapped up in getting rich by exploiting the Earth. I love the ambiguity. And I think it's gutsy to write a book where Christian scripture is true and yet the Christians aren't necessarily the good guys, you know?
I did feel it leaned a little on some common Young Adult tropes, namely the reluctant hero who doesn't want to accept how special she is. But Book Two will be a definite buy for me. End Times was all about putting the chess pieces on the chessboard, and I'm eager to watch the game play out.
January 4, 2014
The sense of urgency, a little bit of fear, but intense concentration, deep deep focus on tackling a really difficult problem
The crinkle of the eyes up, and around the mouth is a sign of optimism. And the eyebrows up is surprise. This is a gamer who is on the verge of something called an epic win
Yes, now that I finished the book I am almost on the same page as this gamer on the pic, on the verge of an epic win.
This is the face captured by photographer Phil Toldano and explained in the excellent Ted talk by game designer Jane McGonigal. It captures the emotion of gaming. Toldano set up a camera in front of gamers while they were playing. McGonigal in the video alerts us to the subtle nuances in this photo.
July 6, 2015
Find the original review at This is the Story of My(Reading) Life
I kind of went into this one blind. I thought I had read about. So when a blogger friend asked me if I wanted her ARC to review because she wasn't feeling it I jumped on it. But it turns out, I either didn't read the blurb or I didn't understand the blurb. Oops. Turns out I am not the right type of reader for this book.
End Times mainly follows Daphne. She's just gone through a very traumatic experience well living with her mom in Detroit. And they aren't really seeing eye to eye at the moment(her mom pretty much hates her). So she jumps on the bus to go live with her uncle, aunt and cousin in a small County in Wyoming. Daphne decided it was best not to tell them the real reason why she was fleeing Detroit so fast. And I guess luckily for her they didn't really ask. They just took her in because they love her. But Daphne's arrival is marked with weird occurrences. As soon as she steps off the bus an orchestra of trumpets are heard throughout the County. Nobody knows where they are coming from. And eventually they just stop. That's just the start.
Carbon County is a very small run down place. It's obviously hurting for money. And so are most of its residents. It really relies on the goodness of its people and God. But unfortunately a lot of them do have their own agendas. And that really comes through when Daphne strikes oil in her families backyard. Suddenly Daphne is marked as the savior and her uncle is going to become rich. He hires an oil company to come and secure the site and set up a rig. This of course brings a whole bunch of workers to Carbon County and well the residents aren't totally happy with them.
End Times gives us a bunch of interesting characters to say the least. Honestly I hated a bunch of them. Daphne is a plan girl with a broken past. She doesn't really trust people, especially guys. She's trying to find her place in Carbon County but she's different from the residents. She doesn't put all her trust in the church. She doesn't believe what it's selling to say the least. Daphne's also use to hard work, so when the rig sets up she applies to work there. She wants to help out and needs the pay. And that's where she meets Owen.
Owen has been having these very weird dreams. These dreams are pointing him to somewhere and someone. So he gets on the road in search of them. Along the way he meets up with Luna. Luna and Owen apparently grew up together in a cult. The cult lived off the Earth and the adults just slept around with all the members. Owen doesn't know who is father is and Luna tells him that's because he's a son of the Earth. Yea, pretty effed up. The whole Earthen cult thing will come into play throughout the story. Anyhow, Owen's dreams become more prominent the closer he gets to Carbon County. Add on the job opportunity to work on the rig. It's a easy decision.
We've also got Uncle Floyd, who is super trusting of everyone. He's kind of a pushover. He puts his trust in the church. But when he suddenly has all this money coming in because of the oil he puts it directly back into the town. He's more concerned with keeping the town afloat than getting his family out of their trailer and into a house.
There's also her pregnant 17 year old cousin Janie. Poor innocent Janie. Obviously being an unwed teenage mother is close to blasphemy in her town. But Janie thinks her unborn child is a sign from God. And than the church and minister start to believe that too. Even calling the child a prophet. Needless to say things get crazy there. And let's not forget Janie's boyfriend and baby daddy. What an asshole. He's under the impression he's the shit. All his friends bow to his every move. Janie is under some sort of spell when it comes to him, too. He does some awful things, starts a lot of rumours and is just an awful person with a massive temper. He'll make you angry and want to punch something.
There's a ton of other "interesting" characters. But it would take me all day to write about them. Just know that these people have put all their trust and faith in the church and God. It's pretty much a cult. They will say and do whatever the minister tells them. Their opinions change every few pages based on what's happening in the town. I don't like these kind of people and I don't like reading about them. So this makes Brittany very angry.
End Times is a start of the apocalypse, rapture type book. Very heavy on the religious aspects. With a lot of frustrating characters. I'm pretty sure a lot of readers will find this book super interesting. Especially with the build up to finding the prophet and what is to be an epic showdown between Carbon County and the daughters and sons of the Earthen. I'm unfortunately just not the right reader for it. It is not a Brittany type of book.
I kind of went into this one blind. I thought I had read about. So when a blogger friend asked me if I wanted her ARC to review because she wasn't feeling it I jumped on it. But it turns out, I either didn't read the blurb or I didn't understand the blurb. Oops. Turns out I am not the right type of reader for this book.
End Times mainly follows Daphne. She's just gone through a very traumatic experience well living with her mom in Detroit. And they aren't really seeing eye to eye at the moment(her mom pretty much hates her). So she jumps on the bus to go live with her uncle, aunt and cousin in a small County in Wyoming. Daphne decided it was best not to tell them the real reason why she was fleeing Detroit so fast. And I guess luckily for her they didn't really ask. They just took her in because they love her. But Daphne's arrival is marked with weird occurrences. As soon as she steps off the bus an orchestra of trumpets are heard throughout the County. Nobody knows where they are coming from. And eventually they just stop. That's just the start.
Carbon County is a very small run down place. It's obviously hurting for money. And so are most of its residents. It really relies on the goodness of its people and God. But unfortunately a lot of them do have their own agendas. And that really comes through when Daphne strikes oil in her families backyard. Suddenly Daphne is marked as the savior and her uncle is going to become rich. He hires an oil company to come and secure the site and set up a rig. This of course brings a whole bunch of workers to Carbon County and well the residents aren't totally happy with them.
End Times gives us a bunch of interesting characters to say the least. Honestly I hated a bunch of them. Daphne is a plan girl with a broken past. She doesn't really trust people, especially guys. She's trying to find her place in Carbon County but she's different from the residents. She doesn't put all her trust in the church. She doesn't believe what it's selling to say the least. Daphne's also use to hard work, so when the rig sets up she applies to work there. She wants to help out and needs the pay. And that's where she meets Owen.
Owen has been having these very weird dreams. These dreams are pointing him to somewhere and someone. So he gets on the road in search of them. Along the way he meets up with Luna. Luna and Owen apparently grew up together in a cult. The cult lived off the Earth and the adults just slept around with all the members. Owen doesn't know who is father is and Luna tells him that's because he's a son of the Earth. Yea, pretty effed up. The whole Earthen cult thing will come into play throughout the story. Anyhow, Owen's dreams become more prominent the closer he gets to Carbon County. Add on the job opportunity to work on the rig. It's a easy decision.
We've also got Uncle Floyd, who is super trusting of everyone. He's kind of a pushover. He puts his trust in the church. But when he suddenly has all this money coming in because of the oil he puts it directly back into the town. He's more concerned with keeping the town afloat than getting his family out of their trailer and into a house.
There's also her pregnant 17 year old cousin Janie. Poor innocent Janie. Obviously being an unwed teenage mother is close to blasphemy in her town. But Janie thinks her unborn child is a sign from God. And than the church and minister start to believe that too. Even calling the child a prophet. Needless to say things get crazy there. And let's not forget Janie's boyfriend and baby daddy. What an asshole. He's under the impression he's the shit. All his friends bow to his every move. Janie is under some sort of spell when it comes to him, too. He does some awful things, starts a lot of rumours and is just an awful person with a massive temper. He'll make you angry and want to punch something.
There's a ton of other "interesting" characters. But it would take me all day to write about them. Just know that these people have put all their trust and faith in the church and God. It's pretty much a cult. They will say and do whatever the minister tells them. Their opinions change every few pages based on what's happening in the town. I don't like these kind of people and I don't like reading about them. So this makes Brittany very angry.
End Times is a start of the apocalypse, rapture type book. Very heavy on the religious aspects. With a lot of frustrating characters. I'm pretty sure a lot of readers will find this book super interesting. Especially with the build up to finding the prophet and what is to be an epic showdown between Carbon County and the daughters and sons of the Earthen. I'm unfortunately just not the right reader for it. It is not a Brittany type of book.
June 2, 2014
This book was just eh. I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing - who compares something that's supposed to be beautiful to Fruit Loops? Also, the plot felt implausible at times, and the characters were flat and felt like caricatures. Lastly, I couldn't help but wonder if this was a Christian book thinly veiled as mainstream YA. The congregants of the Church of God, like Uncle Floyd and Aunt Karen, are all "gee whiz!" and pure of heart, despite following their pastor with a cult-like loyalty and intensity, and Daphne spends a lot of time wishing she could have the simple faith of her aunt, uncle and cousin and is never critical of their blind, and slightly crazy, faith. Lastly, there seemed to be no condemnation AT ALL of the fact that Janie was pregnant as a teenager, and there seemed to be no explanation of how this seemingly very religious teenager reconciled her active sex life with her boyfriend to loving Jesus and believing in an end times theology that is most common in fundamentalist sects. It just didn't ring true in the least.
All that being said, I gave it two stars rather than one because there is a chance that I will read the sequel just to see how/if Anna Schumacher addresses the issues I've listed above. A book that has so many problems but still makes me curious to see how it all turns out can't be all bad.
All that being said, I gave it two stars rather than one because there is a chance that I will read the sequel just to see how/if Anna Schumacher addresses the issues I've listed above. A book that has so many problems but still makes me curious to see how it all turns out can't be all bad.
April 7, 2016
An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes pulled from the ARC may be incorrect and may be subject to change.
I liked this one but it was very predictable. The writing is superb. The characters are fully fleshed and you can tell which characters were clearly on the side of good or evil. Naturally, the main character was straddling this line and I couldn't decide if she was on any side. The end made it seem like she was in the middle so maybe there's a lot more than what was revealed.
Everything was brought up before anything happened and I had to say I was a little bored with some parts. I just wanted something to happen and it finally did, in the end. By then I lost interest in it. I'm not even sure I'm interested enough to pick up the sequel. The plagues and the random drawings in the book were all good predictions about what was to come and I was excited to see how it would play out. There are some religious aspects to the story, and that wasn't anything new since I already know the biblical stories. But it was still rather interesting to read about it in this version of events. A little creepy too I might add.
Overall, I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a different version of the seven plagues.
I liked this one but it was very predictable. The writing is superb. The characters are fully fleshed and you can tell which characters were clearly on the side of good or evil. Naturally, the main character was straddling this line and I couldn't decide if she was on any side. The end made it seem like she was in the middle so maybe there's a lot more than what was revealed.
Everything was brought up before anything happened and I had to say I was a little bored with some parts. I just wanted something to happen and it finally did, in the end. By then I lost interest in it. I'm not even sure I'm interested enough to pick up the sequel. The plagues and the random drawings in the book were all good predictions about what was to come and I was excited to see how it would play out. There are some religious aspects to the story, and that wasn't anything new since I already know the biblical stories. But it was still rather interesting to read about it in this version of events. A little creepy too I might add.
Overall, I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a different version of the seven plagues.
April 20, 2014
By all accounts and purposes, End Times by Anna Schumacher ought to be the perfect April book. It’s a book about the beginnings of the apocalypse and THE RAPTURE. So, pre-apocalyptic, I guess. As a heathen, this kind of thing is actually really fascinating to me for some bizarre reason. And you know, I did like this debut well enough, but I am not an evangelist for it. I don’t feel the need to shout this book from the rooftops. It is an okay read featuring an intriguing heroine, yet it falls into some tropes that I find quite tired. At least it isn’t as nuts as Left Behind, so there is that.
Read the rest of my review here
Note: Review will post on May 8, 2014
Read the rest of my review here
Note: Review will post on May 8, 2014
February 20, 2017
Meh. An interesting story about Daphne, fleeing her current home and running to family in order to try to connect with family and live around people who love her. She struggles with feeling like a burden and just tries to help all she can.
But odd things start happening once Daphne arrives, starting with day 1 and the trumpets playing when she got off the train.
All of this sounds really interesting but it ended up feeling a little...forced. The characters felt like stereotypes. Doug and his family have role to play as well as Owen, Janie, Trey and even the uncle, aunt and Pastor. The plot feels pushed and so obvious - it's just short of the bad guys stroking their mustaches and laughing manically....
I wish I'd loved it...
But odd things start happening once Daphne arrives, starting with day 1 and the trumpets playing when she got off the train.
All of this sounds really interesting but it ended up feeling a little...forced. The characters felt like stereotypes. Doug and his family have role to play as well as Owen, Janie, Trey and even the uncle, aunt and Pastor. The plot feels pushed and so obvious - it's just short of the bad guys stroking their mustaches and laughing manically....
I wish I'd loved it...
March 23, 2014
Probably more like 3.5 stars.
I enjoyed this book, but it's definitely setting things up for the rest of the series. It's not that this book is boring (it isn't) but it seemed like its primary purpose was to make sure to (a) introduce the characters and situation and (b) make sure that book 2 would start off like a rocket. (Mission accomplished; I cannot wait for book two.)
I loved the premise of this story, too. I don't believe t hat we're in the final days (which people have been predicting since about 20 minutes after Jesus left) but this book absolutely gave me the creeps.
Absolutely a fun read and I'm very excited for the sequel.
I enjoyed this book, but it's definitely setting things up for the rest of the series. It's not that this book is boring (it isn't) but it seemed like its primary purpose was to make sure to (a) introduce the characters and situation and (b) make sure that book 2 would start off like a rocket. (Mission accomplished; I cannot wait for book two.)
I loved the premise of this story, too. I don't believe t hat we're in the final days (which people have been predicting since about 20 minutes after Jesus left) but this book absolutely gave me the creeps.
Absolutely a fun read and I'm very excited for the sequel.
January 11, 2015
Nope, Nope, Nope this book is definitely not for me. The first chapter was really good and then the next chapter turned into WTFFFFFFF. I went into this book blind and it still didn't help me like the book. I don't want to go any further cause I'm afraid I'll spoil it for you. But just know that this book and me did not get along.
June 24, 2015
I finished this in one night so it definitely kept my interest. My only issue is that it took the whole book to find out about this "war" and then the war didn't even happen. Will definitely need to read the 2nd book to find out what happens!
September 12, 2018
Forgive me if I don't write like a 9 page review on this. I'm not a writer in any aspect of the word. With that said I do know if I like a book or not, and I loved this book. I'm going to rush out and try and get the second book. Well not right now cause it's midnight, but first thing in the morning. And a personal note if I was Daphne, and having to deal with all those people, namely Doug, I'd choose the dark side. Just sayin.
April 8, 2018
This book actually took me about a week or so to read, i forgot to update my currently reading.
I found it was kind if slow for myself personally. It did pick up towards the end and overall i enjoyed reading it.
I found it was kind if slow for myself personally. It did pick up towards the end and overall i enjoyed reading it.
January 24, 2018
So this one was a little confusing to start with, but as I continued on it wasn't to bad. A retelling of the coming of the Rapture.
March 8, 2019
Already looking for the next book.
September 5, 2022
Just couldn’t get into it. I got so bored with it way to easily even after trying to read it 30 pages in.
August 21, 2017
Not a bad story, and I found it an interesting story of the battle of hell and heaven. With the fact I bought it for a buck at the dollar store, I'm ok with it. I just couldn't give it more stars because never before have I hated so many character's personalities in one book. From Luna, the hippie, to the incredible naive uncle, I wanted to face palm myself every page. The story being told in 3rd person from multiple character's point of view threw me off a bit, and actually made me hate their personalities even more. I bought the 2nd one (also dollar tree) and I still plan on reading it.
April 17, 2014
My Initial Reaction:
That's it?!?!?! Don't be fooled by the synopsis as I was. This is not a standalone book and ends with a major cliffhanger after taking nearly the whole book to get to the climax.
End Times by Anna Schumacher is the first in a series about well the end of times. Told in limited 3rd person POV and alternating POV between three main characters and a few ancillary characters, I found the storyline hard to follow and the plot dragged out. The book begins with Daphne, a seventeen year old, who is running from her past and runs straight to her uncle and his family in Carbon County, Wyoming. On her arrival strange things begin happening, trumpets sound when she crosses the town border and she strikes oil for her uncle. But that's only the beginning.
Oh where do I begin?!
It's so easy to write a review for a book you love and a book you hate, but very hard to write one on a book that you are indifferent to. I'll break it down for you:
What I liked:
1. The alternating POVs: I love books that give the readers an overall picture and this one does with the different POVs. It alternates mainly between the two main characters, Daphne and Owen, whose individual stories come together about midway through the book. But it also gives us the POVs of Janie (Daphne's cousin) and her boyfriend Doug (who happens to be the antagonist of this book).
2. The Plot: I liked the premise of the plot, you know doomsday, end of times stuff.
3. The Resolution: The ending, though it is definitely a cliffhanger, still redeemed this book for me. It answered many of the questions that hovered throughout the whole book.
What I didn't like
1. The characters: I was very apathetic towards the characters. I didn't feel any real connection with them and to be honest could have cared less what happened to them. Only one instance did I actually feel any emotions towards the characters and that was an event that happens towards the end (so no spoilers!!) with Janie and I'm not sure if I felt something for the characters themselves or the event stirred emotions in me (I'm thinking it was the event that occurred).
2. The plot: So as I already stated I liked the premise, but the execution I did not care for! There was a lot, and I do mean a lot, of build up to the climax and then it was just okay. It was not mind-blowing, or even something that I didn't predict. I had already guessed, so I found it very anti-climatic, especially after the build-up (which was essentially the entire book, as the climax occurred in the last two chapters).
3. The Resolution: Again, it's a cliffhanger and I was under the impression that this was a standalone book, so this dislike is all my own and has nothing to do with the book or author. I was just sorely disappointed when I reached the ending and it was not concluded.
Overall I have mixed feelings for this book. Did I like it? Eh, maybe a little. Would I have purchased it on my own? Definitely! The synopsis and cover alone were enough to entice me. Will I keep reading when the next in the series comes out? Yep. Why you ask if I am so indifferent. Well, I'm a little OCD when it comes to books or anything with a cliffhanger. I like to know the ending and after investing a few days into the first book, I will definitely watch for the rest of this series as I think the author has laid a good foundation and the rest of the series should be excellent! If you like YA dystopians, doomsday, and action/suspense/mystery you should give this book a go. You may find you enjoy it!
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through the First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.
That's it?!?!?! Don't be fooled by the synopsis as I was. This is not a standalone book and ends with a major cliffhanger after taking nearly the whole book to get to the climax.
End Times by Anna Schumacher is the first in a series about well the end of times. Told in limited 3rd person POV and alternating POV between three main characters and a few ancillary characters, I found the storyline hard to follow and the plot dragged out. The book begins with Daphne, a seventeen year old, who is running from her past and runs straight to her uncle and his family in Carbon County, Wyoming. On her arrival strange things begin happening, trumpets sound when she crosses the town border and she strikes oil for her uncle. But that's only the beginning.
Oh where do I begin?!
It's so easy to write a review for a book you love and a book you hate, but very hard to write one on a book that you are indifferent to. I'll break it down for you:
What I liked:
1. The alternating POVs: I love books that give the readers an overall picture and this one does with the different POVs. It alternates mainly between the two main characters, Daphne and Owen, whose individual stories come together about midway through the book. But it also gives us the POVs of Janie (Daphne's cousin) and her boyfriend Doug (who happens to be the antagonist of this book).
2. The Plot: I liked the premise of the plot, you know doomsday, end of times stuff.
3. The Resolution: The ending, though it is definitely a cliffhanger, still redeemed this book for me. It answered many of the questions that hovered throughout the whole book.
What I didn't like
1. The characters: I was very apathetic towards the characters. I didn't feel any real connection with them and to be honest could have cared less what happened to them. Only one instance did I actually feel any emotions towards the characters and that was an event that happens towards the end (so no spoilers!!) with Janie and I'm not sure if I felt something for the characters themselves or the event stirred emotions in me (I'm thinking it was the event that occurred).
2. The plot: So as I already stated I liked the premise, but the execution I did not care for! There was a lot, and I do mean a lot, of build up to the climax and then it was just okay. It was not mind-blowing, or even something that I didn't predict. I had already guessed, so I found it very anti-climatic, especially after the build-up (which was essentially the entire book, as the climax occurred in the last two chapters).
3. The Resolution: Again, it's a cliffhanger and I was under the impression that this was a standalone book, so this dislike is all my own and has nothing to do with the book or author. I was just sorely disappointed when I reached the ending and it was not concluded.
Overall I have mixed feelings for this book. Did I like it? Eh, maybe a little. Would I have purchased it on my own? Definitely! The synopsis and cover alone were enough to entice me. Will I keep reading when the next in the series comes out? Yep. Why you ask if I am so indifferent. Well, I'm a little OCD when it comes to books or anything with a cliffhanger. I like to know the ending and after investing a few days into the first book, I will definitely watch for the rest of this series as I think the author has laid a good foundation and the rest of the series should be excellent! If you like YA dystopians, doomsday, and action/suspense/mystery you should give this book a go. You may find you enjoy it!
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through the First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2017
Everything in this novel was over-the-top. Main character Daphne’s past was over-the-top, love interest Owen’s motocross skills are over-the-top, cousin Janie’s giggle factor is over-the-top, the “signs from God” are over-the-top, as is the entire premise for the book: an impending apocalyptic war between the Children of God and the Children of Earth that will be the end of the world. Despite the 2-dimensional characters and cliched scenario, I unwillingly found myself liking Daphne and Owen, so I had to give this book 2 stars. I won’t read the sequel.
February 22, 2015
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. On one hand, it kept my attention and read very quickly. In fact I finished in one afternoon as the family fished along the bank. However, there just didn't seem to be any real substance despite keeping my attention. The characters were a bit wooden and slightly off, almost as if they were mostly fleshed out, but not quite. And then the plot, well there didn't really seem to be a clear cut one honestly. The story just kinda meanders around, and then at the end there are attempts to tie everything together, but again, it just felt a bit... off. Then when you add in the almost zealot religious aspects and I was left scratching my head at some points. Look don't get me wrong, I realize that there have to be some towns that take their religion really really serious like this, and revolve a lot around it, but this case was just a bit over the top. Everything somehow was a sign from God be it good or bad, and quite frankly it was a bit too much for me. I think everyone has a right to believe what and how they want, but this just was overboard in my opinion as they seemed to continually throw reason out the door for the sake of religion and that just isn't my cup o tea.
Getting further into the characters, this story rotates through several perspectives, and while they all seemed to be missing a bit of something in my opinion, I will say that each one did have a very unique voice. Daphne was incredibly strong, yet broken due to what she went through prior to and during this story. Her being standoffish to men was completely understandable because of that. What threw me though was her instant and fierce attraction to Owen. It just seemed forced, almost as if it was decided there must be a love interest, so hey, let's make this guy work. This false nature especially held true at the end when certain plot lines are revealed, and once again I'm left scratching my head. Owen on the other hand had no such issues with relationships etc, so it was natural for him to be attracted to Daphne, but again there was a wrench thrown into things when he tried to push things too fast. Once again I was thrown out of the story as it didn't quite jive.
When I first finished reading END TIMES, I rated it a three as I figured despite my frustrations, as I said, it did keep my attention. But now that I've put my thoughts all together in this review, I realize a three is a bit high. I'm not saying it's a terrible book, but it definitely was missing a good bit that kept me from fully enjoying the read. If any one of my issues had of been corrected, I think this could have been a much better read honestly as it had all of the components, they just weren't quite there. I'm not opposed to giving the second book a shot, if nothing more out of curiosity for what comes yet, but it probably won't be on my most anticipated list. Still all in all, if you don't mind a slower moving book that heavily revolves around religion, this one may be worth a shot.
I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. On one hand, it kept my attention and read very quickly. In fact I finished in one afternoon as the family fished along the bank. However, there just didn't seem to be any real substance despite keeping my attention. The characters were a bit wooden and slightly off, almost as if they were mostly fleshed out, but not quite. And then the plot, well there didn't really seem to be a clear cut one honestly. The story just kinda meanders around, and then at the end there are attempts to tie everything together, but again, it just felt a bit... off. Then when you add in the almost zealot religious aspects and I was left scratching my head at some points. Look don't get me wrong, I realize that there have to be some towns that take their religion really really serious like this, and revolve a lot around it, but this case was just a bit over the top. Everything somehow was a sign from God be it good or bad, and quite frankly it was a bit too much for me. I think everyone has a right to believe what and how they want, but this just was overboard in my opinion as they seemed to continually throw reason out the door for the sake of religion and that just isn't my cup o tea.
Getting further into the characters, this story rotates through several perspectives, and while they all seemed to be missing a bit of something in my opinion, I will say that each one did have a very unique voice. Daphne was incredibly strong, yet broken due to what she went through prior to and during this story. Her being standoffish to men was completely understandable because of that. What threw me though was her instant and fierce attraction to Owen. It just seemed forced, almost as if it was decided there must be a love interest, so hey, let's make this guy work. This false nature especially held true at the end when certain plot lines are revealed, and once again I'm left scratching my head. Owen on the other hand had no such issues with relationships etc, so it was natural for him to be attracted to Daphne, but again there was a wrench thrown into things when he tried to push things too fast. Once again I was thrown out of the story as it didn't quite jive.
When I first finished reading END TIMES, I rated it a three as I figured despite my frustrations, as I said, it did keep my attention. But now that I've put my thoughts all together in this review, I realize a three is a bit high. I'm not saying it's a terrible book, but it definitely was missing a good bit that kept me from fully enjoying the read. If any one of my issues had of been corrected, I think this could have been a much better read honestly as it had all of the components, they just weren't quite there. I'm not opposed to giving the second book a shot, if nothing more out of curiosity for what comes yet, but it probably won't be on my most anticipated list. Still all in all, if you don't mind a slower moving book that heavily revolves around religion, this one may be worth a shot.
September 9, 2016
End Times was a very interesting book for many reasons, but I will let you know that this book will not be for everyone. It is a little quirky, and a little strange at times, and I will admit that I raised my eyebrows at times wondering what the author was up to because the characters were just that strange and the circumstances were just that weird. But overall End Times is a book like none other, it combines realistic fiction with that of a dystopian, and it does it with ease.
The mystery surrounding the small town of Carbon County, Wyoming was the large part of why I kept reading this book. I wanted to know what was going on in this town and what was ultimately going to happen. First a young girl arrives (Daphne) and everything begins to change. Strange things begin to happen and they all revolved around her. Then she meets Owen, who seems to be the only person who understand her and what she is feeling. I really liked Owen, he was a great character to read, I thought he was very different then a lot of the other character that we met, especially since he is an outsider like Daphne to this small town.
This book has many different POVs and although I usually criticize a book for having many characters speaking about the same things, this book was different. It seemed to work really well for the story and I found myself wanting to see different point of view because I wanted a full understanding of the town and the different perspectives of that town and what was happening. But I will admit that some of the characters made me grind my teeth because they just seemed useless to me. Like Daphne's cousin. Although we figure out what he purpose t at the end of the book, her character was infuriating because she was so stupid! I wanted to scream at her all the times because it was like she didn't care about her own life, she just wanted everyone else to think it was perfect when really it was far from it. It was scenarios like that that caused me to lower my rating because I did not like all of the characters and disliking some of them dampened my enjoyment of the book.
I also thought that the story itself was a little far fetched. All of the events were very conveniently placed and based on the bible and plagues etc. I am not a religious person in the least and when a book shoves a religion in my face I tend to not like it as much, and I feel like that happened here a bit. I felt overwhelmed by religion because it was on every page. And I understand that it was what the story was based on and kept it going but for me, it was very overwhelming.
Overall End Times was a very interesting book and I did enjoy reading it overall. I disliked some of the characters and some of the religious aspects of the book, but the mystery of what was happening in the town and how Daphne was involved was very intriguing. A good read for those that are looking for something along the lines of a Dystopian but with a twist.
The mystery surrounding the small town of Carbon County, Wyoming was the large part of why I kept reading this book. I wanted to know what was going on in this town and what was ultimately going to happen. First a young girl arrives (Daphne) and everything begins to change. Strange things begin to happen and they all revolved around her. Then she meets Owen, who seems to be the only person who understand her and what she is feeling. I really liked Owen, he was a great character to read, I thought he was very different then a lot of the other character that we met, especially since he is an outsider like Daphne to this small town.
This book has many different POVs and although I usually criticize a book for having many characters speaking about the same things, this book was different. It seemed to work really well for the story and I found myself wanting to see different point of view because I wanted a full understanding of the town and the different perspectives of that town and what was happening. But I will admit that some of the characters made me grind my teeth because they just seemed useless to me. Like Daphne's cousin. Although we figure out what he purpose t at the end of the book, her character was infuriating because she was so stupid! I wanted to scream at her all the times because it was like she didn't care about her own life, she just wanted everyone else to think it was perfect when really it was far from it. It was scenarios like that that caused me to lower my rating because I did not like all of the characters and disliking some of them dampened my enjoyment of the book.
I also thought that the story itself was a little far fetched. All of the events were very conveniently placed and based on the bible and plagues etc. I am not a religious person in the least and when a book shoves a religion in my face I tend to not like it as much, and I feel like that happened here a bit. I felt overwhelmed by religion because it was on every page. And I understand that it was what the story was based on and kept it going but for me, it was very overwhelming.
Overall End Times was a very interesting book and I did enjoy reading it overall. I disliked some of the characters and some of the religious aspects of the book, but the mystery of what was happening in the town and how Daphne was involved was very intriguing. A good read for those that are looking for something along the lines of a Dystopian but with a twist.
July 31, 2015
Won the series in a giveaway. Based on how this one ended (not spoiling anything), I can't wait to get on to the next one!
This book is very interesting and unique, I've never really read anything similar to this, which is an automatic plus. In the beginning, Daphne who lives in a big city, Detroit, is un-happy with her life their, and moves to the comforts of the suburban life. Only when she gets there, she is not greeted by people, but the sound of trumpets. Just when she gets there, people now are starting to believe that Daphne was sent to them by God (in this story it's a very religious small town), and now the 'End Times' are coming. Daphne sort of shrugs it off, and goes to her Uncle, Aunt, and pregnant cousin, Jamie's house. Short after her arrival there, she discovers oil around their house, which changes all three of their lives. They've practically struck gold in the short time Daphne's been there, which now supports the townspeople's theory that perhaps Daphne really was sent to them by God. She still believes that statement is ludicrous. She then starts hanging with the pregnant cousin and her friends, then the book starts to go in to the character development aspect of the book. I found Owen really interesting, especially when the book started to switch POV's (yes, this book switches POV from character to character). Although, of course there's going to be characters that you won't like, especially Jamie's arrogant boyfriend. Even though he was annoying, the author was aiming for that, so kudos to her for achieving that and more.
Overall, I really liked this book, and can't wait to get on reading the second book. My only knock that makes the rating 4 stars instead of 5 would be that the plot was a little slow for my pace. It was like a day-to-day basis theme that dragged on a little too long. Other than that, I feel the author successfully achieved what she was aiming for this book to be, and she kept me interested, even with it being slow-paced.
Thank you, Anna Schumacher!
This book is very interesting and unique, I've never really read anything similar to this, which is an automatic plus. In the beginning, Daphne who lives in a big city, Detroit, is un-happy with her life their, and moves to the comforts of the suburban life. Only when she gets there, she is not greeted by people, but the sound of trumpets. Just when she gets there, people now are starting to believe that Daphne was sent to them by God (in this story it's a very religious small town), and now the 'End Times' are coming. Daphne sort of shrugs it off, and goes to her Uncle, Aunt, and pregnant cousin, Jamie's house. Short after her arrival there, she discovers oil around their house, which changes all three of their lives. They've practically struck gold in the short time Daphne's been there, which now supports the townspeople's theory that perhaps Daphne really was sent to them by God. She still believes that statement is ludicrous. She then starts hanging with the pregnant cousin and her friends, then the book starts to go in to the character development aspect of the book. I found Owen really interesting, especially when the book started to switch POV's (yes, this book switches POV from character to character). Although, of course there's going to be characters that you won't like, especially Jamie's arrogant boyfriend. Even though he was annoying, the author was aiming for that, so kudos to her for achieving that and more.
Overall, I really liked this book, and can't wait to get on reading the second book. My only knock that makes the rating 4 stars instead of 5 would be that the plot was a little slow for my pace. It was like a day-to-day basis theme that dragged on a little too long. Other than that, I feel the author successfully achieved what she was aiming for this book to be, and she kept me interested, even with it being slow-paced.
Thank you, Anna Schumacher!
June 25, 2014
The cover of End Times was so interesting I had to get my hands on the book. I had no real idea what it is about (I don’t always read synopsis) so I was going into it blind. Man, it was definitely not what I thought it would be.
Likes:
For Anna Schumacher’s first book, she did pretty well. I was fairly impressed by her prose and the book’s pacing. I am sure she will have great career since she started so well with End Times.
I think the book is a perfect metaphor for faith, prophecy and life. I am a Christian and do believe in the biblical end times, so it was interesting to see this twist on the story. To see how people in the town reacted and those who had faith. Although, I do believe that thoughts and attitudes were emphasized for the story.
The setting of a poor, little town in Wyoming was great. I loved the towns people and how quickly the clung to the slightest bit of hope.
The interesting “events” happening in the town were intriguing. I could just imagine what it would be like to see hundreds of teal and pink birds fly into Fargo! That would be crazy!
Gripes:
WTF – the whole time I was like What? Seriously? How is this going to end? The book was definitely a set up, but I still don’t know exactly what for yet. Some war, but why? Confused.
Daphne’s story is so rushed. You start with her in the hospital with her mother, who hates her for stabbing her step-father, and then all the sudden she is in Wyoming with her dad’s family. I wanted more about Daphne’s home life and her father, it was just so rushed.
Quite honestly, I am not sure if I was intrigued enough by the storyline to continue with the series. It was an ok read, but I am not dying to know what happens next.
For more reviews visit
A Flurry of Ponderings
Likes:
For Anna Schumacher’s first book, she did pretty well. I was fairly impressed by her prose and the book’s pacing. I am sure she will have great career since she started so well with End Times.
I think the book is a perfect metaphor for faith, prophecy and life. I am a Christian and do believe in the biblical end times, so it was interesting to see this twist on the story. To see how people in the town reacted and those who had faith. Although, I do believe that thoughts and attitudes were emphasized for the story.
The setting of a poor, little town in Wyoming was great. I loved the towns people and how quickly the clung to the slightest bit of hope.
The interesting “events” happening in the town were intriguing. I could just imagine what it would be like to see hundreds of teal and pink birds fly into Fargo! That would be crazy!
Gripes:
WTF – the whole time I was like What? Seriously? How is this going to end? The book was definitely a set up, but I still don’t know exactly what for yet. Some war, but why? Confused.
Daphne’s story is so rushed. You start with her in the hospital with her mother, who hates her for stabbing her step-father, and then all the sudden she is in Wyoming with her dad’s family. I wanted more about Daphne’s home life and her father, it was just so rushed.
Quite honestly, I am not sure if I was intrigued enough by the storyline to continue with the series. It was an ok read, but I am not dying to know what happens next.
For more reviews visit
A Flurry of Ponderings
May 24, 2015
Daphne's life was filled with abuse while living with her mother and step-father. The first few pages of this book are so darned depressing, I was tempted to put it down. Fortunately, the author didn't dwell on individual incidents of abuse during these dark aspects of Daphne's life. Instead, She used these events as the catalyst to motivate our protagonist to "flee" her old life in Detroit, and begin anew at her Uncle Floyd's home in Carbon County, Wyoming. Here, Daphne feels like she finally has a Family who loves her. Janie, her cousin, is approximately the same age, but preggers from a local boy. This seems to fly in the face of the devout Christianity permeating the towns citizens, (including Uncle Floyd's family), and isn't the only contradictory Christian theme at work here. Schumacher's characters in this novel, may be devout Christian's, but don't seem to practice what they preach. As she throws metaphors at us regarding "wolves in sheep's clothing",like frisbees at the park, (almost to the point of being overdone), I could see where this could be a bit aggravating to someone of faith. At one point the reader has to ask, "What's the point Schumacher, are you lumping all Christian's into the same category of hypocratic heathenism? I almost find it laughable, the character with the least faith becomes the Prophet! But I still gave this one a 4 star rating, because even though I don't agree with Schumacher's attempts at injecting her personal feelings regarding Christianity into the story, (save that for a non-fiction book whydontcha?), I still found the character's memorable, and yes likeable. The placement of a "motorcross" community within Carbon County, to give the teens an outlet for something to do in a boring town was very clever......and different, yes...... I would even go so far as to say original!
August 15, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. My only disappointment here was that there was so little resolution. The book ends with so much up in the air that it felt kind of rushed. The plot was good, the action well written, the perspectives effectively "sounded" like the characters whose perspectives are being illustrated, and the characterization of each person is quite strong. Even Luna, from whom we hear much less than the other characters, is well illustrated by the external observation of those around her.
The ending though... (Really...don't click here if you haven't finished reading. It gives a LOT away.)
Overall, I enjoyed the storytelling. I enjoyed the weaving of perspective and mystery. I think the choice NOT to tell any story from Luna's perspective is a wise one. She holds too many answers that would either give away too much or feel like an intentional deception of the reader.
I had a great time with this book and stayed up entirely too late two nights this week because of it!
The ending though... (Really...don't click here if you haven't finished reading. It gives a LOT away.)
Overall, I enjoyed the storytelling. I enjoyed the weaving of perspective and mystery. I think the choice NOT to tell any story from Luna's perspective is a wise one. She holds too many answers that would either give away too much or feel like an intentional deception of the reader.
I had a great time with this book and stayed up entirely too late two nights this week because of it!
April 8, 2014
I don't know what I was expecting when I requested this book, but it's not what I thought it would be. During the first half of this book, I really wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I was gradually pulled in and am anxious to see where the story goes in the second book of the series.
The MC, Daphne, was easy to like. She'd been through a trauma that could easily have caused her to withdraw from life, but instead, she was strong enough to continue on and change her circumstances for the better. Her efforts to maintain some independence while also being dependent on Uncle Floyd and his family were very admirable. I was also intrigued by where this story is going - the big picture. There were just a few things I didn't care for.
If the story had a little faster pace, I may have been pulled into it sooner. The first part of the book seemed to be more backstory and filler, while the last half finally got to the core of the story. Without giving away a spoiler, I'm unsure how some readers will react to a sensitive issue with Daphne's cousin, Janie - I was a little surprised myself. The portrayal of the citizens from small town Carbon County was very stereotypical and I was disappointed the author didn't attempt to veer away from the usual description.
While I struggled with some aspects of this first book, I think the second book will move at a faster pace.
This review is based on a digital ARC through the Penguin First to Read program.
The MC, Daphne, was easy to like. She'd been through a trauma that could easily have caused her to withdraw from life, but instead, she was strong enough to continue on and change her circumstances for the better. Her efforts to maintain some independence while also being dependent on Uncle Floyd and his family were very admirable. I was also intrigued by where this story is going - the big picture. There were just a few things I didn't care for.
If the story had a little faster pace, I may have been pulled into it sooner. The first part of the book seemed to be more backstory and filler, while the last half finally got to the core of the story. Without giving away a spoiler, I'm unsure how some readers will react to a sensitive issue with Daphne's cousin, Janie - I was a little surprised myself. The portrayal of the citizens from small town Carbon County was very stereotypical and I was disappointed the author didn't attempt to veer away from the usual description.
While I struggled with some aspects of this first book, I think the second book will move at a faster pace.
This review is based on a digital ARC through the Penguin First to Read program.
July 13, 2014
OUT's Review
New story lines and themes always grab my attention. I’m always looking for a read that isn’t difficult to follow and allows the imagination to have its way. Basically, keeps me reading nonstop, no matter how tired I may be after a long day at work. This debut novel hit some of those highlights on my wish list of reading. Originality and strength in character details was a huge plus in End Times. This was a novel that didn’t have a typical plot. However, at times it was somewhat hard for me to follow and in many instances understand what was going on. Additionally, there are several themes mentioned in the story that I believe are a bit too mature for a middle level reader.
Daphne is our main character. Her arrival has truly created a domino effect of events in the small town of Carbon County. Events, in one way shape or form, have an effect on the people that live there. End Times has several minor characters with mini-storylines of their own. However, the bigger picture here is the discovery of oil, how it was discovered, and how it changes the lives of many. The discovery of oil is just the symbol of change. Change that is about to occur to Daphne and the others that she cares for. Change for the people around her. The title End Times speaks for itself. Times are changing, the end of near.
New story lines and themes always grab my attention. I’m always looking for a read that isn’t difficult to follow and allows the imagination to have its way. Basically, keeps me reading nonstop, no matter how tired I may be after a long day at work. This debut novel hit some of those highlights on my wish list of reading. Originality and strength in character details was a huge plus in End Times. This was a novel that didn’t have a typical plot. However, at times it was somewhat hard for me to follow and in many instances understand what was going on. Additionally, there are several themes mentioned in the story that I believe are a bit too mature for a middle level reader.
Daphne is our main character. Her arrival has truly created a domino effect of events in the small town of Carbon County. Events, in one way shape or form, have an effect on the people that live there. End Times has several minor characters with mini-storylines of their own. However, the bigger picture here is the discovery of oil, how it was discovered, and how it changes the lives of many. The discovery of oil is just the symbol of change. Change that is about to occur to Daphne and the others that she cares for. Change for the people around her. The title End Times speaks for itself. Times are changing, the end of near.
February 23, 2015
End Times Haunted by her past, Daphne Peyton (MC) is nothing but ready to leave Detroit, her mother, and the memories behind to head to Carbon County, WY. Daphne is welcomed into town not only by her Uncle Floyd, aunt, and cousin, but also the sound of trumpets from the sky. That is only the beginning of weird occurrences that Daphne is in store for while staying with the Peytons. Owen has been plagued with nightmares and voices; it is not until he arrives in Carbon County that things start to click into place. Daphne and Owen both begin to realize that the end of days is upon them and they are both in the center of the storm.I did not enjoy this book until Owen arrived into Carbon County. Things were very slow to start and the necessary back story information was delivered in a dragging manner. Things begin to escalate when Owen arrives and more things begin to happen to Daphne.Overall, by the end of the book, I was left wanting more. In the last few chapters I wanted to finish the entire book in a single sitting. I imagine the second book will be a more enjoyable read and full of action.
I received this book from First To Read for this review. "First to Read provides members with the chance to be the first to read the best new books, before they hit the shelves." All opinions expressed are my own.
I received this book from First To Read for this review. "First to Read provides members with the chance to be the first to read the best new books, before they hit the shelves." All opinions expressed are my own.
June 28, 2014
New story lines and themes always grab my attention. I’m always looking for a read that isn’t difficult to follow and allows the imagination to have its way. Basically, keeps me reading nonstop, no matter how tired I may be after a long day at work. This debut novel hit some of those highlights on my wish list of reading. Originality and strength in character details was a huge plus in End Times. This was a novel that didn’t have a typical plot. However, at times it was somewhat hard for me to follow and in many instances understand what was going on. Additionally, there are several themes mentioned in the story that I believe are a bit too mature for a middle level reader.
Daphne is our main character. Her arrival has truly created a domino effect of events in the small town of Carbon County. Events, in one way shape or form, have an effect on the people that live there. End Times has several minor characters with mini-storylines of their own. However, the bigger picture here is the discovery of oil, how it was discovered, and how it changes the lives of many. The discovery of oil is just the symbol of change. Change that is about to occur to Daphne and the others that she cares for. Change for the people around her. The title End Times speaks for itself. Times are changing, the end of near.
Daphne is our main character. Her arrival has truly created a domino effect of events in the small town of Carbon County. Events, in one way shape or form, have an effect on the people that live there. End Times has several minor characters with mini-storylines of their own. However, the bigger picture here is the discovery of oil, how it was discovered, and how it changes the lives of many. The discovery of oil is just the symbol of change. Change that is about to occur to Daphne and the others that she cares for. Change for the people around her. The title End Times speaks for itself. Times are changing, the end of near.
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