A Danger to God Himself

by John Draper

Imagine if a Mormon missionary went insane on his mission. That’s A Danger to God Himself—a book with everything. Drama! Comedy! Sex! The God of the universe striking people dead!

Mormon missionary/onetime hedonist Kenny Feller has realized that God isn’t about to give him an ounce of the miracle power he needs to succeed on his mission—as promised. What’s more, he’s concluded that, frankly, people aren’t worth the trouble. Then his new junior companion shows up—the wisecracking Jared Baserman—and immediately starts hearing heavenly voices and seeing fantastic visions. For Kenny, it is immediately clear that God has sent Jared to propel him into Mormon Manhood.

But Kenny’s not the only person who takes note. Interests both virtuous and malevolent cozy up to Kenny and Jared, eager to make use of Jared’s gifting. At first, Kenny takes this as a sign that his perceptions of Jared are spot on. God is using Jared.

But something’s not quite right.

Specifically, why in the hell would God choose someone as slope-shouldered as Jared—someone so unreligious, so strange—to be a channel for His supernatural power? He doesn’t even read the Book of Mormon. Plus he smells funny. As their tracting grows fruitless and Jared’s messages grow more bizarre, Kenny begins to wonder: Is Jared really touched by God?

And, if so—what the !#%$@! is God doing?

A Danger to God Himself is a scathing takedown of religious certainty, a life-affirming tale set in 1970s Washington state—equal parts spiritual road map and coming-of-age tale.

Genres: Humor, Religion, Fiction

334 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2015

Reviews

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when I sit down to write a review I have multiple directions or slants to go with my write-up. It's paralyzing, not knowing where to start. This is one of those times. As with anything too complicated to wrap your mind around at once, the best approach is to break it into pieces. So that's what I'll do here, starting with a focus on the basics of the characters and the story, moving into the religious aspects, and finishing off with my ruminations on the kind of reader who I think would be the most likely to enjoy A Danger to God Himself. I expect a lot of words will be spilled.

The main characters are great. Kenny, a young adult (which we all know is still just a kid) who does what's expected of him, even if maybe he'd rather not. He's a type we've probably all seen, even if the situation is different. His missionary companion, Jared, is a strange duck, keeping the reader off balance, not sure what to make of him. In the beginning, he provides comic relief, but he also drives much of the story.

The secondary characters are all well formed as well, each helping move the story forward. I especially liked Jared's dad and sister who were integral to the story and to gaining a complete understanding of Jared. Some of the characters are caricatures, not in the sense that they aren't well formed or are flat. More in that they may seem just a touch over the top, which is fitting for a story that is satirical.

The story is satirical in a couple ways. One is that it satirizes religion, especially those who take what many consider to be myths containing lessons to help in living a good life and interpret them too literally. But on another level, Jared and everything that happens to him is a satire of Joseph Smith and the founding of the Mormon church.

Which is a segue into the religious part. Those not familiar with Mormonism might wonder how much of the story is realistic. The answer is that while satirical, nothing here is out of the realm of possibility. In fact, Mormonism has a long history of spawning splinter groups that go way beyond the mainstream church. Even within the mainstream, the culture rewards followers and extremism while discouraging critical thinking or questioning of any kind.

That last part is a clue of who this book isn't for. It's doubtful a devout Mormon has read this far unless it is one of my still-faithful sisters, wondering how far I've gone this time. This isn't the book for them. However, anyone without a problem with taking a critical look at religion, regardless of their personal beliefs, will find much to like. I'll end this with a quote from the book. If you read this and give a knowing nod, it is especially for you.

"Mormonism isn’t just a religion. It’s a way of being. Like alcoholism, I guess. Alcoholics say they never stop being alcoholics, don’t they? They’re always recovering alcoholics. Same thing with Mormonism. It’s a culture. If you’re born a Mormon, you’re always a Mormon—more so if you were actually raised in the church."

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘A Danger to God’ is the début novel from American author John Draper. It’s a satirical work, written colloquially and predominantly in the first person, through the eyes of the main protagonist, Kenny Feller.

The black background of the cover design and the way the letter ‘O’ is formed could be symbolic, I’m not sure. However, it is bold and will stand out from other titles to attract the casual reader.

A lot of background research into the Mormon faith has clearly gone into this work and I commend the author for sticking to his task. Draper makes full use of literary devices such as irony, sarcasm, cynicism, alliteration and humour to tell his tale. I particularly liked: ‘a turd in the tapioca’ and the idea of a character devising a subterfuge for speaking in tongues and deciding to shout out: ‘shamma-lamma-ding-dong’ which may not mean anything to younger readers but made me smile. (For those that don’t know, it’s a song lyric.)

We witness the intricate and interwoven relationships between the players with jealousy and petty rivalries in abundance. Kenny and Jared, his main foil, are both strong three-dimensional characters and the relationship that builds between the two is compelling. Among a plethora of backstories, I particularly enjoyed Jared’s which gave a detailed insight into his early life.

The novel is clearly written and maintains an even pace at the beginning, certainly piquing my curiosity. The tempo and mood changed in the middle of the book with a darker theme coming to the fore. Complex and emotive areas are touched on, which may challenge or unnerve some readers. Towards the end, there is another change of emphasis and the focus turns to theodicy with a result that the momentum tends to sag slightly.

For me, this was a book of two halves and I’m not convinced that they belong together. What started out as a light-hearted humorous dig at organised religion suddenly plunged the reader into a deeply disturbing account of a character’s submersion into their own private hell and its aftermath. Whilst it is definitely thought-provoking, I’m not sure of its intended target audience.

As a fan of satirical fiction, there were aspects of this book that I admired; I certainly enjoyed the first half of the tale and was intrigued and unsettled by the second. I struggled with a rating but on balance, whilst I have some difficulty with the structure, the strength and quality of the informal writing style wins through and I award ‘A Danger to Got Himself’ four stars.

Reviewed by Julie at www.whisperingstories.com

[Jessica Buike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, this book has a lot of Mormonism in it, and yes - at times that made it a little difficult and/or confusing, as I am not very familiar with the Mormon faith. However, if you can look past the Mormon references what you'll find at the core of this book is a story about mental health disorders and the vast discrepancies there are in treatments and beliefs. Some people believe faith is all you need, others tout medicines, still others just try to avoid the subject all together. This shows the various treatments and leads the reader to think more about what mental health disorders encompass and how "faith" or "religion" can sometimes be used to avoid the life-saving treatments that some people desperately need.
There were a lot of parts I liked in this book, along with a lot of parts that were just not my style. It left me feeling decidedly neutral - I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. You'll have to read it to figure out where you fall on the spectrum.

[Dan Post · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusual tale of religion and madness, with maybe just a hint that they're really not so far apart. It's the story about a young man on a mission from God, or man, or both or maybe just the voices in his head.
It's a breezy read that doesn't hit you over the head with its point of view. I'd describe the tone of the book as follows: It's almost as if John Irving had told Joseph Heller to tone it down a little, and Joseph Heller suggested to John Irving that he keep it real.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read a debut novel on a topic and with characters from “real life” that should have been fascinating. In a word: nope. By contrast, John Draper’s first novel, A Danger to God Himself, had me (as they say) “at hello.”

He’s no rookie. I learned he was a former journalist; I was in no doubt he knows his craft. But fiction is a different animal—and I hope to see more of his in years to come. Highly-visual prose. Great pacing. Spot-on dialogue. Characters so real (named with Dickensian flair) that you’re sure you’ve met them at a party or a coffee shop. And so funny—literally, body-shaking LOLs. In public. Although I laughed throughout the read, it’s not flippant. There are some real tragedies here—dysfunctional families, death, and mental illness are not Sundays in the park with George, after all. Each cock-up, though, whether comedic or life-altering, is handled with a mixture of insight, bemusement, and tenderness. It has sarcasm and disillusionment, drama and hijinks, but it also has heart.

A Danger to God Himself ticks a lot of boxes. It’s saleable as simply the story of a missionary-gone-mad seasoned with a little sex, humor, and sacrilege. It certainly shines some light on a religion that most Judeo-Christian mainliners, at least, don’t know much about. But it also summons some of the more pressing questions about the human experience: What is family? What are the constraints of human bonding? What is the relationship between freewill, freedom, love, and loyalty? How different are belief, faith, nonbelief, disbelief, and religiosity or, inevitably, madness and religious fervor? Committed, or committable?

Take it as you please, though. Draper is not pompous or smug. Think about the deeper questions if you like—or just enjoy the story. I think you will.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprising book. Who knew that a book about two mormon missionaries could be so intriguing? Just a short synopsis without giving too much away: Kenny is a fairly unsuccessful mormon missionary going door to door annoying people as they generally do. He gets paired up with Jared, a wise cracking kid who was forced into the mission field by an aunt in order to protect his father and sister, an equally challenging and unconventional duo. On their mission, Ken and Jared run into bizarre situations involving Pentecostal mormons who speak in tongues and prophesy, a black bishop in a crisis of faith, and various other odd folk. Well, actually everybody's having a crisis of faith. Kenny and Jared become close friends, then Jared starts to unravel mentally. What symptoms of mental illness he has are misread by the pentecostals as being gifts of the Holy Spirit. Or are they right?
It's a fascinating, tender, wonderful book about love and friendship set in a world most of us know little about. I identified with it because i went through similar stuff in the world of fundamentalist christians. The door to door canvassing. The questioning. The charismatic offshoots. The craziness of it all. A great book.

[Joe Vitucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty enjoyable. There were many times I burst out laughing during the first half of the book. I learned a lot of things about Mormons and mental disease, not that the two are connected. 😉 So much of this reminded me of the original Rolling Stone magazine, when it was good in its first five to ten years, Throw in some of the Last Whole Earth Catalog too, and the book achieved that type of strangeness. The second half of this story still shows some humor, but everything is overshadowed by Jared's disease and his eventual passing. Jared's twin sister is a hoot, and so is Kenny and the black Bishop. I liked it.

[Enrique Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

great gobs of fun

[Sirpi Nackeeran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! First half reads like a Wes Anderson movie on novel form and the latter half gets really real. Well worth your time!

[We Said It: Literary Reviews w/ Ts Blogging · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Publisher’s Read
A Danger to God Himself by John Draper

Reviewed by K. Royce
3/20/16
9:00 p.m.

Elder Kenny Feller is in the last few months of his assignment when he is introduced to a new mission companion, Jared. The two quickly become friends as they knock on doors attempting to convert people to Mormonism. Jared begins to stir things when his premonitions start, and he shares a vision in which he claims he can hear God’s thoughts. His admission causes chaos in the Mormon Church, because God speaks only to the High Prophet, not some kid. Intrigued by Jared’s claim, a former church leader, who has his own doubts about Mormonism, begins to do some research into Jared’s questionable mental state. Things really get interesting when Jared’s visions suddenly become darker.

John Draper’s “A Danger to God Himself,” is a well-written and thoroughly researched read. This novel stands-out from the rest due to how creative the story is told. Draper’s main character recaps the story as if it is his very own memoir in the summer of 1979. And more importantly, the author brilliantly uses characters that are right at the edge of adulthood, as they are questioning the direction of their life; tapping into a time in which readers can relate to the internal struggle of where to take their life next and what to believe. It is the connection of inner struggle that is established and keeps readers turning the page.

This book is absolutely fantastic! Readers will grow attachments to the characters. Book lovers will struggle with the characters as well as suffer through their beliefs, and share in their triumphs. There is also a strong family bond shown throughout the read and makes for a wonderful story of love and acceptance, especially since unconditional love is a quality often overlooked today.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and deem this a Publisher’s Read.

Enjoy!

K. Royce

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes the words you dread most coming from a friend are, “Hey, man, I want you to read my book.” John has been a friend of mine for many years. I cheered him on as he spent his early mornings in coffee houses and evening in bars, diligently working on his novel. Early one he even allowed me to read through his first draft of his first chapter. He wanted to know my thoughts and gave them all to him. I know I wasn’t the only person he asked. His writing group, fellow writers, they all gave him feedback. And he did something few others did, he took all the good advice he got and rewrote, and rewrote. I had no idea the extent of work he placed into the book until after ordering it from Amazon I read the final version. The first chapter surprised me. He’d been outlining his book to me for months, and I was surprised. By the second chapter I let out an involuntary snort. It was the type of snort you give when you laugh at a particularly good or funny point in the story. The story was good and pulled me in. By the third chapter I was completely engrossed. I forced myself to read slowly. I didn’t chug my way through it. I wanted to enjoy all of it as much as I could. “A Danger to God Himself” takes a skewed look at dogma and the need for spirituality. It nonchalantly shows how happiness is elusive. And it does so without being heavy handed or setting an agenda. When I finished reading the book I was happy and sad: happy because I eagerly await John’s next book, sad because there wasn’t another on the shelf for me to read. When I talk to john, at least a couple times a week, I have to bite my lip and keep from asking how the next book is coming.

[Alex Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Danger to God Himself is a fascinating period piece taking place shortly after the LDS church lifted the ban on blacks in the priesthood. It follows a wide cast of sharply-drawn characters through a series of bizarre, hilarious, and thought-provoking events affecting the Mormon congregation in the little town of Sedro-Woolley, Washington.

The biggest strength here is the characters. It would be impossible to pick a favorite. Jerusha's fiery passion, Jared's sly wit, Nephi's quiet loyalty, Dewey's unusual philosophizing, Mavis's demure vulnerability, Briskey's dichotomous inscrutability...they feel like real people, and that makes it easy to become emotionally invested in their stories.

I thought there was a bit of a pacing issue, with some sections seeming too rushed and others seeming too laid-back. But other than that, the humor and tragedy and drama and theology and insanely accurate depictions of Mormon culture combine to produce a fantastic novel.

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did I want to read this book?

This year my twenty seven year old daughter started to go a Mormon church every sunday.

When I found this novel my daughter and I both wanted to read it.

So what did we both think?

First of all the author John Draper has a special way with words. My daughter and I really enjoyed every page. Whether or not you believe in God I can honestly say that who ever decides to read Danger to God Himself you will take something away with you. The characters Elder Jared Baserman and Elder Kenny are believable, their friendship during their mission and afterwards is quite remarkable. What my daughter loved most was John Draper's idea that God ad lips and is the one doing a guitar solo and improvises.

Full marks to John Draper who wrote this first novel entirely at a coffee shop and in a bar morning and night.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stepped outside my usual genre preference with this book, because it seemed quite interesting, and as a former Mormon myself, I felt like it might be right up my alley. I was not wrong.

I hadn't expected it to be a mix of humor, outrageous--yet somehow believable--characters, healthy doubt in religion and God (okay, I expected that), and the heavy toll of living with and loving someone with a severe mental illness.

I found myself nodding in many places, as I found relatable thoughts and words. The book kept me engaged for the most part, and I found it to be unlike anything I've read before. It was excellently written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Well done.

[Underground Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Draper’s irreverent approach to spirituality is nothing less than downright refreshing. His unique debut maintains a nice balance between the holy and the profane from beginning to end. Offering his audience an intriguing and provocative read, A Danger to God Himself is perfect for those who appreciate reading about hypocrisy in organized religion while at the same time are doing a bit of soul searching. Comes highly recommended!!

...read the whole review at undergroundbookreviews(dot)org!