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Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet
Luke Hunter thinks he’s joking when he tells a good friend exactly when – 8:37 the following morning – and how – hit by a red van from out of town – that friend will die. But when events unfold as Luke foretold, he wants none of he has enough problems being an average teenager without the added burden of seeing into the future – not to mention the ever-after. Terrified, but pretending not to be, Luke pushes his friends and family away, while the local news crew, a Christian fundamentalist preacher and a missing girl’s frantic mother all draw nearer, seeking to profit from Luke’s new-found ‘gift’. Written in clear, precise prose, Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet is a darkly comic coming-of-age novel with a difference. Hormonal and humorous, exhilarating and wise, it is a book about fear and truth, life and death, and the music that plays inside us all. Written in clear, precise prose, Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet is a darkly comic coming-of-age novel about death and life.
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2007
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September 30, 2008
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
As I mentioned here at the website last week, there are sadly a number of issues from my daytime life that are keeping me these days from penning the usual thousand-word book reviews I normally post here every day or two; one of those issues, for example, is that I've recently gotten involved with a new literary site called Authonomy.com, sponsored by the major press HarperCollins, in which unsigned novelists post their unsigned novels and everyone else there reads and rates these unsigned novels, with the top five manuscripts at the end of each month being "kicked upstairs" to actual employees of HarperCollins (whatever that means -- the company itself is remaining frustratingly mysterious about the actual mechanics of the system). I'm there, frankly, because I'm trying to get practice as an editor at a publishing company, something I talk a lot of smack about but that realistically I've never actually held a paying job doing; I figure that if I approach things there the right way, I can get the same kind of practical editing experience at Authonomy as any 24-year-old slush-pile junior editor at any major press you can mention, only without the 9-to-5 commitment and the a--hole bosses and all the other crappy things that come with being a 24-year-old slush-pile junior editor at some rapidly dying major press. And thus is it that every single day these days, I'm reading via RSS the pitches of every single new manuscript being uploaded to Authonomy (30 to 50 a day, every single day); and thus is it that I'm actually reading the first chapter of three or four of these manuscripts each day, and then reading a lot more of at least one of these novels each day, and writing up lengthy "coverage" style notes regarding this one manuscript each day. All in practice for CCLaP's own publishing program, which is finally (finally!) starting next month, and for which in the future I really hope to go out and find absolutely brilliant unsigned novels that no one else has discovered yet, and be able to bring them to you via CCLaP in an inexpensive way so that all of us can merely enjoy them.
And thus is it that I've come to a much better appreciation in my life these days of what exactly an editor does; and this just happens to coincide with me reading the novel Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet, the first full-length book by a hipster short-story writer named Joanne Proulx, that actually illustrates quite well why it's so damn important to have a good editor at the heart of any good published book. Because the fact is that this is a great novel, a nearly brilliant one, certainly one of the better first novels I've read in a long time; but it's simply hampered by it being too lengthy, a manuscript that should've been cut to about two-thirds the length it currently is before it was ever published. If that had been done, this would've freaked people out by how amazing and tight and powerful it is; as it stands, it's a better-than-average book but merely that, something that starts out great but that wears out its welcome by the time page 356 rolls around. This is not the author's fault, not at all; as I've learned from my time at Authonomy now, it is clearly the fault of whoever this book's editor was, and sadly a sign of everything wrong with modern American mainstream publishing these days. It's a recommendation today that I'm giving, but only a limited one; the rest of today's essay is dedicated to why that is.
And why is that? After all, you can't really argue with Proulx's credentials: an academic short-fiction veteran, her publishing credits before this novel range all over the obscure yet respected academic world, the exact kind of delicate metaphorical work so loved by all those snotty little writing professors out there. But yet she's a hipster too, so bridges the divide into the popular mainstream; and make no mistake, this first novel of hers could've easily been published by Punk Planet or Soft Skull without anyone blinking an eye. Essentially the tale of teenage white male burnouts in suburban Detroit in the early 2000s, Prophet centers around our troubled yet insightful antihero Luke; stoner, metalhead, too cool for school and too cleverly smart for the small-town academic administration where he lives. Used to the fact that they must entertain themselves most of the time, the realization that most bored midwestern teens make right around the age of sixteen, Luke and his pals have gotten into the habit of saying and doing outrageous things in front of each other on slow Friday nights, as they all sit around smoking a bong in one carpeted basement rec-room or another; and thus it is that one hazy smoked-filled night, just for sh-ts and grins, Luke predicts the insanely detailed grisly death of the wispy-mustachioed friend over in the corner of the White-Stripes-blasting basement where they're all currently toking.
Only one problem -- the next day, the friend dies in the exact insanely detailed way that Luke predicts, prompting all his stoner buddies to immediately blab to both their friends and the media about it, prompting on a slow news week a feeding frenzy among the "Local Emmy Award Winning" news teams kicking up dust around the Detroit metro area. And thus does this book suddenly spin from a literal story into a metaphorical one; because to be sure, this book is not really about the ongoing series of ghostly revelations Luke has, regarding a whole series of acquaintances and strangers who end up dying around him, even though ostensibly this is exactly what the literal plot is about. No, no, Proulx is actually very smart here, and uses all this merely as an excuse to talk about a bigger issue in more symbolic terms; of the budding adulthood facing our hero, of the suddenly complex and morally ambiguous adult truths about the world that Luke is suddenly starting to understand on a daily basis.
At least, this is certainly the analysis I had of the story, walking away from it at the end; I saw the entire thing as a metaphorical tale about adulthood and the maturation process itself, of the way we all suddenly understand these profound new truths about the world during our late teen years, radical and sometimes upsetting truths that severely mess with what had up to then been an unshakeable paradigm in our heads of how the world works. Now that I'm twenty years out from my late teens myself, this is the main thing I still remember from them, of just how upsetting it was to suddenly accept all this new complexity about life I learned back then, things I take for granted now as a permanently bitter and cynical middle-ager but that were legitimately paradigm-shifting experiences back then. Think about the very first time as a teen, for example, that you profoundly and sincerely understood that you were smarter than the adult currently lecturing you; think about what a legitimately upsetting experience that was, of how that suddenly threw into doubt every single accepted belief you had had before then of the relationship between adults and children, of all the accepted beliefs you had had about adults before that moment. That's what Proulx is so great at here in Prophet, is capturing those small, easily forgotten moments of late youth, stuff I literally hadn't thought about in decades but that all came flooding back to me while reading this book, even more brilliant than normal precisely by being told through this magical-realism element of this kid accurately predicting the grisly adult fates of the various people around him.
And that, like I said, is what makes this such a disappointment from an editing standpoint; because this would've made an astounding 250-page novel, a short book that would've wowed people all over the world and suddenly made Proulx a hipster household name. But at 350 pages, it's officially 100 pages too long; and that's a third of an entire novel too long, simply unacceptable when you're talking about a person being paid a good salary supposedly to dedicate eight hours a day to making a manuscript as tight and powerful as possible. Before this book ever came out, someone in the publishing process should've recognized this as longer than it should've been; and that someone should've trimmed this book down to the point where it would've wowed everyone, and why this was never done is simply beyond my understanding. Like I said, we should never blame the author themselves for such a situation, because this is what a writer is supposed to do, is write; an author is supposed to turn in a horribly bloated, overwritten mess, while the job of an editor is to edit this mess, to turn it into the brilliant little sculpture that all professionally edited books are supposed to be, after the whole process is over.
This is still a great book, I want to make clear, one I think all you regular CCLaP readers will enjoy very much, a dark and funny and unexpected story that will make you glad that you sat down and read it in the first place; I guess I just can't help but be at least slightly disappointed by it, merely because of understanding how much better it could've been if merely matched up with a good editorial team, and a marketing committee that didn't ring up the cash register according simply to word count. I'm tired of watching publishing companies judge a book's worthiness according to postal weight; this is clearly the fault of overzealous marketing committees and powerless editors, a situation I would like to see change in the publishing industry as soon as possible.
Out of 10:
Story: 9.1
Characters: 8.7
Style: 8.1
Overall: 8.5
As I mentioned here at the website last week, there are sadly a number of issues from my daytime life that are keeping me these days from penning the usual thousand-word book reviews I normally post here every day or two; one of those issues, for example, is that I've recently gotten involved with a new literary site called Authonomy.com, sponsored by the major press HarperCollins, in which unsigned novelists post their unsigned novels and everyone else there reads and rates these unsigned novels, with the top five manuscripts at the end of each month being "kicked upstairs" to actual employees of HarperCollins (whatever that means -- the company itself is remaining frustratingly mysterious about the actual mechanics of the system). I'm there, frankly, because I'm trying to get practice as an editor at a publishing company, something I talk a lot of smack about but that realistically I've never actually held a paying job doing; I figure that if I approach things there the right way, I can get the same kind of practical editing experience at Authonomy as any 24-year-old slush-pile junior editor at any major press you can mention, only without the 9-to-5 commitment and the a--hole bosses and all the other crappy things that come with being a 24-year-old slush-pile junior editor at some rapidly dying major press. And thus is it that every single day these days, I'm reading via RSS the pitches of every single new manuscript being uploaded to Authonomy (30 to 50 a day, every single day); and thus is it that I'm actually reading the first chapter of three or four of these manuscripts each day, and then reading a lot more of at least one of these novels each day, and writing up lengthy "coverage" style notes regarding this one manuscript each day. All in practice for CCLaP's own publishing program, which is finally (finally!) starting next month, and for which in the future I really hope to go out and find absolutely brilliant unsigned novels that no one else has discovered yet, and be able to bring them to you via CCLaP in an inexpensive way so that all of us can merely enjoy them.
And thus is it that I've come to a much better appreciation in my life these days of what exactly an editor does; and this just happens to coincide with me reading the novel Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet, the first full-length book by a hipster short-story writer named Joanne Proulx, that actually illustrates quite well why it's so damn important to have a good editor at the heart of any good published book. Because the fact is that this is a great novel, a nearly brilliant one, certainly one of the better first novels I've read in a long time; but it's simply hampered by it being too lengthy, a manuscript that should've been cut to about two-thirds the length it currently is before it was ever published. If that had been done, this would've freaked people out by how amazing and tight and powerful it is; as it stands, it's a better-than-average book but merely that, something that starts out great but that wears out its welcome by the time page 356 rolls around. This is not the author's fault, not at all; as I've learned from my time at Authonomy now, it is clearly the fault of whoever this book's editor was, and sadly a sign of everything wrong with modern American mainstream publishing these days. It's a recommendation today that I'm giving, but only a limited one; the rest of today's essay is dedicated to why that is.
And why is that? After all, you can't really argue with Proulx's credentials: an academic short-fiction veteran, her publishing credits before this novel range all over the obscure yet respected academic world, the exact kind of delicate metaphorical work so loved by all those snotty little writing professors out there. But yet she's a hipster too, so bridges the divide into the popular mainstream; and make no mistake, this first novel of hers could've easily been published by Punk Planet or Soft Skull without anyone blinking an eye. Essentially the tale of teenage white male burnouts in suburban Detroit in the early 2000s, Prophet centers around our troubled yet insightful antihero Luke; stoner, metalhead, too cool for school and too cleverly smart for the small-town academic administration where he lives. Used to the fact that they must entertain themselves most of the time, the realization that most bored midwestern teens make right around the age of sixteen, Luke and his pals have gotten into the habit of saying and doing outrageous things in front of each other on slow Friday nights, as they all sit around smoking a bong in one carpeted basement rec-room or another; and thus it is that one hazy smoked-filled night, just for sh-ts and grins, Luke predicts the insanely detailed grisly death of the wispy-mustachioed friend over in the corner of the White-Stripes-blasting basement where they're all currently toking.
Only one problem -- the next day, the friend dies in the exact insanely detailed way that Luke predicts, prompting all his stoner buddies to immediately blab to both their friends and the media about it, prompting on a slow news week a feeding frenzy among the "Local Emmy Award Winning" news teams kicking up dust around the Detroit metro area. And thus does this book suddenly spin from a literal story into a metaphorical one; because to be sure, this book is not really about the ongoing series of ghostly revelations Luke has, regarding a whole series of acquaintances and strangers who end up dying around him, even though ostensibly this is exactly what the literal plot is about. No, no, Proulx is actually very smart here, and uses all this merely as an excuse to talk about a bigger issue in more symbolic terms; of the budding adulthood facing our hero, of the suddenly complex and morally ambiguous adult truths about the world that Luke is suddenly starting to understand on a daily basis.
At least, this is certainly the analysis I had of the story, walking away from it at the end; I saw the entire thing as a metaphorical tale about adulthood and the maturation process itself, of the way we all suddenly understand these profound new truths about the world during our late teen years, radical and sometimes upsetting truths that severely mess with what had up to then been an unshakeable paradigm in our heads of how the world works. Now that I'm twenty years out from my late teens myself, this is the main thing I still remember from them, of just how upsetting it was to suddenly accept all this new complexity about life I learned back then, things I take for granted now as a permanently bitter and cynical middle-ager but that were legitimately paradigm-shifting experiences back then. Think about the very first time as a teen, for example, that you profoundly and sincerely understood that you were smarter than the adult currently lecturing you; think about what a legitimately upsetting experience that was, of how that suddenly threw into doubt every single accepted belief you had had before then of the relationship between adults and children, of all the accepted beliefs you had had about adults before that moment. That's what Proulx is so great at here in Prophet, is capturing those small, easily forgotten moments of late youth, stuff I literally hadn't thought about in decades but that all came flooding back to me while reading this book, even more brilliant than normal precisely by being told through this magical-realism element of this kid accurately predicting the grisly adult fates of the various people around him.
And that, like I said, is what makes this such a disappointment from an editing standpoint; because this would've made an astounding 250-page novel, a short book that would've wowed people all over the world and suddenly made Proulx a hipster household name. But at 350 pages, it's officially 100 pages too long; and that's a third of an entire novel too long, simply unacceptable when you're talking about a person being paid a good salary supposedly to dedicate eight hours a day to making a manuscript as tight and powerful as possible. Before this book ever came out, someone in the publishing process should've recognized this as longer than it should've been; and that someone should've trimmed this book down to the point where it would've wowed everyone, and why this was never done is simply beyond my understanding. Like I said, we should never blame the author themselves for such a situation, because this is what a writer is supposed to do, is write; an author is supposed to turn in a horribly bloated, overwritten mess, while the job of an editor is to edit this mess, to turn it into the brilliant little sculpture that all professionally edited books are supposed to be, after the whole process is over.
This is still a great book, I want to make clear, one I think all you regular CCLaP readers will enjoy very much, a dark and funny and unexpected story that will make you glad that you sat down and read it in the first place; I guess I just can't help but be at least slightly disappointed by it, merely because of understanding how much better it could've been if merely matched up with a good editorial team, and a marketing committee that didn't ring up the cash register according simply to word count. I'm tired of watching publishing companies judge a book's worthiness according to postal weight; this is clearly the fault of overzealous marketing committees and powerless editors, a situation I would like to see change in the publishing industry as soon as possible.
Out of 10:
Story: 9.1
Characters: 8.7
Style: 8.1
Overall: 8.5
August 8, 2012
I sincerely hope that Ms. Proulx keeps writing because she has such a wonderful talent for creating rich characters that lift you up and take you along on their journey - if only for a couple-hundred pages. The issues dealt with; God, religion, teen angst, love and loss are tough on any author but Joanne Proulx carries it off like a pro! I was left feeling a kinship with my fellow man and a renewed faith that divine grace is carried within each of our hearts - not behind the walls of a church. Don't let the dark cover art fool you, this book will make you laugh and cry lift your spirits for days after you read the final page!
March 14, 2012
*mild spoilers*
Much like its teenage characters, who, like most young adults, seem to think the world stops for them, this one bit off more than it could chew, trying to be a tad more impactful than it had the chops to back up.
Centering on the story of Luke, who somehow accidentally predicts the future and the death of his friend Stan, Anthem is a fairly realistic (at times) portrayal of a stoner teen with admittedly atypical teenage drama. Though the story of Luke's premonitions is the one to sell, the story gets bogged down by his altogether typical slacker coming-of-age while trying to be under the raider, underachieving high school issues.
This one had a good deal of potential. It was given to me by a friend and I picked it up and immediately put it down a few times as, after briefly skimming, I got trapped in the language, which felt a little like a forced attempt at teenage slang. I tried it again a few days ago and suddenly found myself fifty pages in. I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat, but it was moving along fairly quickly, so I thought I'd tough it out for the long haul. There are swiftly moving scenes and plot points that did hook me in from time to time, but then again there were many chapters that I skimmed just to get going, not being able to commit to the slower moments and the bits and pieces that seemed disjointed and unnecessary. What was the main message of this novel? The major revelation? Luke learned he had been a shitty friend. And......maybe gained some sense of spirituality. And wasn't really psychic. And didn't ever connect with his elusive uncle. But he got laid and really liked The White Stripes.
The story just fell a bit short, trying to be more than it was. The repetitive references to rock bands, while at first seemed realistic, began to feel more and more like a gimmick, a way to stay young and 'current', though, clearly, the references will date this novel.
I do have to give Joanne Proulx some kudos for her ability to write some very touching moments and some very relatable characters. There were some scenes that really struck a chord with me, feeling very genuine and real, very human. One in particular that made me rethink my opinion of the novel is one in which Luke awakens from a rather vicious nightmare. His brain is bogged down in sleep and fear and he tries to make sense of his surroundings. In the darkness, as he lies next to Faith, anxiety creeps up and he reaches out to brush the hair from her face, just to make sure she is Faith and not the specter of his dreams. At which point he thinks 'Of course it's her. Of course it is.". Proulx ability to get inside the panicked mind of someone trying to escape the clutches of irrationality was perfect. I could feel exactly how Luke felt in this brief instant, it was such an honest interaction. I would read other works by Proulx, having faith that she can spin even an often unlikeable set of characters into a highly readable character drama.
Much like its teenage characters, who, like most young adults, seem to think the world stops for them, this one bit off more than it could chew, trying to be a tad more impactful than it had the chops to back up.
Centering on the story of Luke, who somehow accidentally predicts the future and the death of his friend Stan, Anthem is a fairly realistic (at times) portrayal of a stoner teen with admittedly atypical teenage drama. Though the story of Luke's premonitions is the one to sell, the story gets bogged down by his altogether typical slacker coming-of-age while trying to be under the raider, underachieving high school issues.
This one had a good deal of potential. It was given to me by a friend and I picked it up and immediately put it down a few times as, after briefly skimming, I got trapped in the language, which felt a little like a forced attempt at teenage slang. I tried it again a few days ago and suddenly found myself fifty pages in. I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat, but it was moving along fairly quickly, so I thought I'd tough it out for the long haul. There are swiftly moving scenes and plot points that did hook me in from time to time, but then again there were many chapters that I skimmed just to get going, not being able to commit to the slower moments and the bits and pieces that seemed disjointed and unnecessary. What was the main message of this novel? The major revelation? Luke learned he had been a shitty friend. And......maybe gained some sense of spirituality. And wasn't really psychic. And didn't ever connect with his elusive uncle. But he got laid and really liked The White Stripes.
The story just fell a bit short, trying to be more than it was. The repetitive references to rock bands, while at first seemed realistic, began to feel more and more like a gimmick, a way to stay young and 'current', though, clearly, the references will date this novel.
I do have to give Joanne Proulx some kudos for her ability to write some very touching moments and some very relatable characters. There were some scenes that really struck a chord with me, feeling very genuine and real, very human. One in particular that made me rethink my opinion of the novel is one in which Luke awakens from a rather vicious nightmare. His brain is bogged down in sleep and fear and he tries to make sense of his surroundings. In the darkness, as he lies next to Faith, anxiety creeps up and he reaches out to brush the hair from her face, just to make sure she is Faith and not the specter of his dreams. At which point he thinks 'Of course it's her. Of course it is.". Proulx ability to get inside the panicked mind of someone trying to escape the clutches of irrationality was perfect. I could feel exactly how Luke felt in this brief instant, it was such an honest interaction. I would read other works by Proulx, having faith that she can spin even an often unlikeable set of characters into a highly readable character drama.
January 10, 2018
I am... honest to God very confused as to the purpose of this book in it's entirety. The plot seemed really definite and interesting at the beginning and looked as if the story had great potential, but then reading on, it just got super confusing and just all over the place. I didn't really understand what was happening most of the time, the ending was just very lacklustre and didn't really explain anything. Astelle actually being alive was super confusing, Luke had been seeing her as dead for so long and she just turns up? Does he actually see his dead friends, or was it just the drugs? This book made it seem like everything could be accounted to drugs, so I'm unsure as to what was real and what was not, there was no distinguishing.
Also, I very much did not appreciate the more than necessary accounts of deaths of animals in excruciating details. Nor did I love the homophobic atmosphere of the book, which doesn't really have a place or a purpose in the actual story or to the main character until much later on, and by then the homophobia isn't really mentioned anymore and we never really get to expand on Fang's story.
The book just leaves off on a rather bland note. Reading this book took me ages to actually get into the story, there's not much structure and like I said it's just pretty confusing. I don't think the particular concept was really that well executed.
But one thing I did enjoy about the story was the writing. It was a mix of literate but with believable teenage boy-type language. It sort of hinted at this underlying trait that Luke is smarter than he lets on, this is executed by Luke's story telling clearly involving some pretty advanced word choice. But all in all, I didn't find this book to be all that enjoyable. The excruciating religion plot didn't help the story along in any way, if anything it was just annoying and overbearing, I didn't see any use for it or for it having such a big role that it did.
A lot of this didn't make sense and it was a pretty decent read but I'm just left feeling confused, disappointed with the ending and just plain bored.
Also, I very much did not appreciate the more than necessary accounts of deaths of animals in excruciating details. Nor did I love the homophobic atmosphere of the book, which doesn't really have a place or a purpose in the actual story or to the main character until much later on, and by then the homophobia isn't really mentioned anymore and we never really get to expand on Fang's story.
The book just leaves off on a rather bland note. Reading this book took me ages to actually get into the story, there's not much structure and like I said it's just pretty confusing. I don't think the particular concept was really that well executed.
But one thing I did enjoy about the story was the writing. It was a mix of literate but with believable teenage boy-type language. It sort of hinted at this underlying trait that Luke is smarter than he lets on, this is executed by Luke's story telling clearly involving some pretty advanced word choice. But all in all, I didn't find this book to be all that enjoyable. The excruciating religion plot didn't help the story along in any way, if anything it was just annoying and overbearing, I didn't see any use for it or for it having such a big role that it did.
A lot of this didn't make sense and it was a pretty decent read but I'm just left feeling confused, disappointed with the ending and just plain bored.
March 10, 2010
The experience of reading Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet is much like taking a roller coaster with endless elevation.
The takeoff is particularly mind-blowing: with Luke casting his ultra-authentic death prophecy and his friend Stan almost instantly becoming his victim, the novel seizes my heart in a blitzkrieg.
And there’s more to come. As the coaster rumbles ahead, Fang, Luke’s buddy of life along with Faith Taylor, his dream girl hops on the coaster and joins the adventure. Faith’s blonde hair is blinding under the blistering sun; and a gust of breeze sends her minty smell to me. “This is gonna be interes--” I turn to Fang in the back seat, suddenly feel like screaming but can’t hear myself -- the safety lock swings in the air, the seat occupied my Fang just one minute ago is now blank. Eyes wide open; I sense a woman’s voice scratches through my ears: “Fang’s involved in an underground homosexual orgy; he will commit a suicide as his name will be revealed by the local newspaper.” I gasp for some air, close my eyes, thinking the coaster will plummet to the ground.
Unaware of how many seconds have actually elapsed, heart bounding and spine quivering, I slice open my eyes -- the coaster is still climbing. I throw a confounded glimpse to Faith, barely read anything from her pale face. The rough whisper creeps again and demands me to look up –in a dim glow way above, I see Luke is surrounded by three figures; all wear I-can-save-you expressions and chant to the evil-infused problem child. Overwhelmed by the mechanic squawk from down under the track, I can’t catch their conversations. “What the hack” I curse, then a slight, scratchy laughter slips across my right ear.
I desperately crane my neck, attempt to see a slope that will lead me into the ground – nothing, the ascension seems to be endless. “Where’s Fang??” I hear myself asking “he’s probably dying, what Luke is doing there...” The sound from above finally makes its way through the bothersome clacks, “...three steps of salvation...repentance...baptism...” Luke awkwardly recites the bible; a sanctimonious expression is plastered on his face. Given the truth that he is a perverted stoner who worships dopes as his god, I’m pretty sure he is brainwashed. I hear a distant sizz, this time from inside, as if an inflated balloon becomes floppy in a slow motion.
“Okay, this is enough” I shout, unsnap the lock of my seat, leap into the vacuum underneath.
The takeoff is particularly mind-blowing: with Luke casting his ultra-authentic death prophecy and his friend Stan almost instantly becoming his victim, the novel seizes my heart in a blitzkrieg.
And there’s more to come. As the coaster rumbles ahead, Fang, Luke’s buddy of life along with Faith Taylor, his dream girl hops on the coaster and joins the adventure. Faith’s blonde hair is blinding under the blistering sun; and a gust of breeze sends her minty smell to me. “This is gonna be interes--” I turn to Fang in the back seat, suddenly feel like screaming but can’t hear myself -- the safety lock swings in the air, the seat occupied my Fang just one minute ago is now blank. Eyes wide open; I sense a woman’s voice scratches through my ears: “Fang’s involved in an underground homosexual orgy; he will commit a suicide as his name will be revealed by the local newspaper.” I gasp for some air, close my eyes, thinking the coaster will plummet to the ground.
Unaware of how many seconds have actually elapsed, heart bounding and spine quivering, I slice open my eyes -- the coaster is still climbing. I throw a confounded glimpse to Faith, barely read anything from her pale face. The rough whisper creeps again and demands me to look up –in a dim glow way above, I see Luke is surrounded by three figures; all wear I-can-save-you expressions and chant to the evil-infused problem child. Overwhelmed by the mechanic squawk from down under the track, I can’t catch their conversations. “What the hack” I curse, then a slight, scratchy laughter slips across my right ear.
I desperately crane my neck, attempt to see a slope that will lead me into the ground – nothing, the ascension seems to be endless. “Where’s Fang??” I hear myself asking “he’s probably dying, what Luke is doing there...” The sound from above finally makes its way through the bothersome clacks, “...three steps of salvation...repentance...baptism...” Luke awkwardly recites the bible; a sanctimonious expression is plastered on his face. Given the truth that he is a perverted stoner who worships dopes as his god, I’m pretty sure he is brainwashed. I hear a distant sizz, this time from inside, as if an inflated balloon becomes floppy in a slow motion.
“Okay, this is enough” I shout, unsnap the lock of my seat, leap into the vacuum underneath.
August 21, 2008
The style of writing is amusing, just as a stoner teenage boy from the Midwest would talk. But the references to music (the Anthem if you will) that repeatedly appear in the book are poor. I really find it distracting and poor writing when authors resort to identifying popular bands (i.e., White Stripes and the Red Hot Chili Peppers) in their writing. There is something automatically limited in such references. The book will never be timeless or classic or appealing to readers of the future. That is just me.
So popular references aside, the story was written in a fun style but lacks the teeth to cause the reader to really question God, life, death, and fate. Its a nice try though.
So popular references aside, the story was written in a fun style but lacks the teeth to cause the reader to really question God, life, death, and fate. Its a nice try though.
March 12, 2019
This book gets a 4 because this is her 1st novel and the story was strong but the lead character knocked it out of the park. I can barely remember the precise details of being 17, it is more a memory of how it felt to be 17. This author gave insight into the life of a 17 year old male and he was 100% 3 dimensional. I laughed at many parts because reading this book shone the light on high school days.
July 14, 2020
For a book about a "Prophet of Death" stoner teenager, I was not expecting it to strike as deeply as it did. Proulx tackles hard topics like death, loss, and God in a way that doesn't beat you over the head but instead guides you along with a story of music and teenage angst.
Luke is a great protagonist, flawed and real and desperate. I rooted for him while he contemplated the why him and, more importantly, the why not him.
Luke is a great protagonist, flawed and real and desperate. I rooted for him while he contemplated the why him and, more importantly, the why not him.
September 22, 2024
This is red.
the only reason why I read it was because i wanted to read 7 books in rainbow order but this book was so bad i had no clue what was going on with a horny teenage male character. all i knew was that his friend died and he had the hots for his gf. i skipped through like the last 80 pages just to get it done with but i never ever recommend this book to anyone.
the only reason why I read it was because i wanted to read 7 books in rainbow order but this book was so bad i had no clue what was going on with a horny teenage male character. all i knew was that his friend died and he had the hots for his gf. i skipped through like the last 80 pages just to get it done with but i never ever recommend this book to anyone.
June 30, 2008
i really wanted this to be good. i really did. and now i wonder why. why did i want it to be good? because it had a cool cover? because it had a sufficiently creepy premise? probably the cover.
what i found, instead of a good book, was overdone teenage macho crafted by a woman of indeterminate age who apparently thinks all 17-year old boys are assholes who will listen to anything.
is it authentic to talk constantly about tits and dope and offer no redeeming character at all? it may be, but i lived through my own teenage years in total fear of creatures that looked, from the outside, just like this one, so i don't find him endearing or fully-created. i find him over the top in a way that makes my skin crawl.
this book meanders and wanders, promising some sort of direction only to take it away again. the protagonist realizes he has a creepy power, which strikes a few times in a row and then disappears for vast numbers of pages while he goes to see the red hot chili peppers (who cares?)and hits on his dead friend's girlfriend. there is a mysterious uncle held over our head, who fails to really materialize, or mean anything. the realization at the end, the supposed enlightenment of who your friends really are and how you should take care of them, is too long coming and, frankly, incredibly flat.
if i hadn't been sick when i read this, i would probably have thrown it against the wall and gone outside to let the fog wash clean my brain. instead i finished the damn thing and then threw it against the wall and then tried to sleep. to no avail. sigh.
what i found, instead of a good book, was overdone teenage macho crafted by a woman of indeterminate age who apparently thinks all 17-year old boys are assholes who will listen to anything.
is it authentic to talk constantly about tits and dope and offer no redeeming character at all? it may be, but i lived through my own teenage years in total fear of creatures that looked, from the outside, just like this one, so i don't find him endearing or fully-created. i find him over the top in a way that makes my skin crawl.
this book meanders and wanders, promising some sort of direction only to take it away again. the protagonist realizes he has a creepy power, which strikes a few times in a row and then disappears for vast numbers of pages while he goes to see the red hot chili peppers (who cares?)and hits on his dead friend's girlfriend. there is a mysterious uncle held over our head, who fails to really materialize, or mean anything. the realization at the end, the supposed enlightenment of who your friends really are and how you should take care of them, is too long coming and, frankly, incredibly flat.
if i hadn't been sick when i read this, i would probably have thrown it against the wall and gone outside to let the fog wash clean my brain. instead i finished the damn thing and then threw it against the wall and then tried to sleep. to no avail. sigh.
October 27, 2008
A boy who learns he has a psychic gift...but he isn't really psychic and it really isn't a gift
November 21, 2023
I have a bit of a celebrity crush on Cameron Monaghan, which occasionally prompts me to watch something just because he's in it. Most of the stuff he's been in isn't very good. He was in a movie in 2017 called Anthem For a Teenage Prophet. It was okay, had an interesting premise - and when I heard it was based on a book, I thought it might be the old case of a book being better than the movie.
The film cut out a lot of the extra plot points in the novel, and I think that was for the best. There's a lot of pseudo-spiritual nonsense, with the protagonist Luke facing off against paper-thin religious fundamentalists. A subplot about Luke sleeping with a missing girl who turns out to be a drug addict gets into some really thorny territory, but never goes anywhere. Our hero really likes alternative bands from the 2000s, and the author tries to use this shared love of music to say something meaningful or profound about life or whatever, but it ain't that deep.
In short, I agree with the other reviewers. Proulx is clearly a talented writer and she does some good work here. Her characters felt human and flawed. It's a very promising first novel, but it's nothing to really write home about, and sixteen years after its publication it already feels very dated.
The film cut out a lot of the extra plot points in the novel, and I think that was for the best. There's a lot of pseudo-spiritual nonsense, with the protagonist Luke facing off against paper-thin religious fundamentalists. A subplot about Luke sleeping with a missing girl who turns out to be a drug addict gets into some really thorny territory, but never goes anywhere. Our hero really likes alternative bands from the 2000s, and the author tries to use this shared love of music to say something meaningful or profound about life or whatever, but it ain't that deep.
In short, I agree with the other reviewers. Proulx is clearly a talented writer and she does some good work here. Her characters felt human and flawed. It's a very promising first novel, but it's nothing to really write home about, and sixteen years after its publication it already feels very dated.
June 5, 2017
I feel only slightly guilty adding this to my Read shelf. However, if I make it exactly halfway through a novel and I still find the main character completely revolting, all other supporting characters lacking any kind of true human emotion, and the plotline itself just lackluster and dull, well then it's time to give up the ghost. Luke has a holier than thou attitude but has nothing to back it up: the fact that he treats his family and friends like they are idiots when he seems to have no deeper thought than how hot the librarian's a*s looks in white pants just makes him obnoxious. Faith is such a cliché of a character that despite my best efforts, I just can't be on her team, and every other character is forgettable to say the least. If the plot of the story was interesting enough, I might have been able to ignore how unlikeable all of these characters were, but the story just floats on with dull anecdotes told by a depressing "protagonist." I tried, I really did, I was excited to read the novel and especially excited when I found out this was going to be adapted into a movie, but all hope and interest is just gone.
June 28, 2025
Nice hook to start things off. Luke and his friends are hanging out when he is feeling snarky and says he sees someone dying on the way to school tomorrow and proceeds to give details including that it’ll happen to Stan. Then it happens and when he gets another premonition he tries to thwart it. No luck. After that he just does his best to ignore everything. This means taking his usual recreational use of marijuana and upping it with prescription drugs. I get the reluctant part, but three quarters the way through and no attempts at resolving or handling the premonition issues. Luke is just full of rage and feelings of unworthiness, he gets high and sabotages his relationships.
Started off great, nice easy read while waiting for something to happen. More [tedious] waiting. Finally a change. 4.8 to 3.9 before settling on 4.2 stars.
Started off great, nice easy read while waiting for something to happen. More [tedious] waiting. Finally a change. 4.8 to 3.9 before settling on 4.2 stars.
October 19, 2021
(Spoilers)
The start is promising and seemed like it was going somewhere exciting and interesting but it failed to meet its potential.
Luke seemed like an interesting character and I was looking forward to continuing the book to see him manage his predictions and the consequences of them, but at an early point, the plot became flat and boring.
Astelle being alive was disappointing and confusing, it made no sense.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone and, I don't normally regret reading any books, but this one may be the exception.
I'm sure Joanne Proulx is a great writer, I liked her writing style but the plot design was lacking in many aspects.
The start is promising and seemed like it was going somewhere exciting and interesting but it failed to meet its potential.
Luke seemed like an interesting character and I was looking forward to continuing the book to see him manage his predictions and the consequences of them, but at an early point, the plot became flat and boring.
Astelle being alive was disappointing and confusing, it made no sense.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone and, I don't normally regret reading any books, but this one may be the exception.
I'm sure Joanne Proulx is a great writer, I liked her writing style but the plot design was lacking in many aspects.
September 19, 2013
You’d think that being able to see the future would be quite exciting—who wouldn’t want a glimpse of events that were yet to happen, to be able to avoid disasters, or plan your approach towards a certain turning point in your life? However, when you think about it, it would just be really depressing to be able to, especially if the only future you’re tuned into is death.
Indeed, depression is where Luke Hunter, our title character, spirals into after he predicts the death of a good friend of his, and immediately thereafter predicts another death, and another, and another. All of which, he had not been able to do anything but let them happen. Already a substance user even prior to discovering his unique ability, Luke resorts to liquor and drugs to drown out his guilt and his helplessness at witnessing and ‘feeling’ the deaths of a number of people.
If that isn’t enough, his dead friend’s girlfriend is now making herself a part of his life, his best friend is becoming estranged, and his family are going through some equally troubling times. It was all Luke could do not to kill himself, and if he didn’t have a particularly lazy principle about suicide (“…why bother putting effort to something that’s going to happen on its own?”), he would have probably kicked the bucket a long time ago. Instead, he endures—at least in the only ways he can: drinking, smoking weed, doubling his dosage of his antidepressant.
Narrated in the title character’s voice, the reader is given a more intimate view of what Luke is going through. Alternately, he can be funny, noncommittal, sarcastic, emotional, and sometimes daring you to punch him in the gut with his attitude. With that, it might be boldly labelled as a modern-day The Catcher in the Rye, with a supernatural twist. (Except that I found myself being able to relate more to Luke than Holden.)
Luke can be quite eloquent (with or without profanity) in telling his story, peppered here and there with poetic turns of phrase and sarcasm. Other times, he could be quite crass, and very male, especially when describing the tits and asses of the attractive women in his life. An example is when he’s eyeing Faith, his dead friend’s girlfriend. One moment, he’s objectifying her: appraising her scent, the shape of her breasts and her bottom in the least romantic manner, and the next moment, he is overcome with such emotion that his thoughts become more poetic. Either side of him contributed to an amusing read.
His taste in music is also impeccable. Ranging from Red Hot Chilli Peppers to Marilyn Manson and to Linkin Park, this boy is after my own heart.
What was fascinating about Luke’s newfound ability is how he ‘feels’ the person at the moment of his/her death. He described it as seeing the person for what he was, what he has been through in his life, and it felt beautiful as it rushed through his being. As he put it, it was like hearing a person’s swan song. Despite the tragedy of death, there was still something beautiful to be drawn from it. Heartrendingly beautiful.
Going back to wanting to punch him in the gut, Luke is painfully like a lot of troubled teens: pushing away people who want to help them, his parents, friends, professionals; messing things up by trying to handle things on their own; and being a boiling vat of negative emotions. It was deliciously real, convincing.
However, as relatable and entertaining a narrator as Luke is, I still find myself more sympathetic towards his best friend, Fang. Like Luke, he also goes through some major issues in his teenage life, and like Luke, deals with them in a very destructive manner. The difference is that Fang’s issue is shoved in the background for the most part of the story, and only dealt with near the end. Still, it does not change the fact that his issue is just as serious as Luke’s (and also a bit more realistic). Until now, even after I’ve already moved on to a different book, my heart still aches for Fang.
What with the heavy atmosphere throughout the entire book, it was an enormous feeling of relief when both boys managed to resolve their own personal conflicts in the end. Honestly, I had a stomach ache from emotions while reading.
Being a book about death, certain characters that lean towards religiosity and fanaticism cannot be absent. Luke, however convincing and charming these persona might be, handles them without breaking character and holds onto himself without surrendering to their self-proclaimed notion of what is right and godly, what is good and evil. I couldn’t help but give him a standing ovation after that.
It is also a book about life, and living, as Luke comes to realize—before these people in his visions died, they lived, and that was what mattered. Perhaps that was what made their swan songs beautiful to witness. A book about friendship: about his relationship with his stoner buddy, Fang and his dead friend Stan. And a book about love; for his parents, for a girl, and for the other people around him.
Heavily laden with angst, profanity, teenage vices, and a taste of the supernatural to boot, this book is certainly one to recommend for teens, or for people wanting an insight on teens, or just to have a good, heart-crushing read about teen drama that isn’t highly overrated.
Indeed, depression is where Luke Hunter, our title character, spirals into after he predicts the death of a good friend of his, and immediately thereafter predicts another death, and another, and another. All of which, he had not been able to do anything but let them happen. Already a substance user even prior to discovering his unique ability, Luke resorts to liquor and drugs to drown out his guilt and his helplessness at witnessing and ‘feeling’ the deaths of a number of people.
If that isn’t enough, his dead friend’s girlfriend is now making herself a part of his life, his best friend is becoming estranged, and his family are going through some equally troubling times. It was all Luke could do not to kill himself, and if he didn’t have a particularly lazy principle about suicide (“…why bother putting effort to something that’s going to happen on its own?”), he would have probably kicked the bucket a long time ago. Instead, he endures—at least in the only ways he can: drinking, smoking weed, doubling his dosage of his antidepressant.
Narrated in the title character’s voice, the reader is given a more intimate view of what Luke is going through. Alternately, he can be funny, noncommittal, sarcastic, emotional, and sometimes daring you to punch him in the gut with his attitude. With that, it might be boldly labelled as a modern-day The Catcher in the Rye, with a supernatural twist. (Except that I found myself being able to relate more to Luke than Holden.)
Luke can be quite eloquent (with or without profanity) in telling his story, peppered here and there with poetic turns of phrase and sarcasm. Other times, he could be quite crass, and very male, especially when describing the tits and asses of the attractive women in his life. An example is when he’s eyeing Faith, his dead friend’s girlfriend. One moment, he’s objectifying her: appraising her scent, the shape of her breasts and her bottom in the least romantic manner, and the next moment, he is overcome with such emotion that his thoughts become more poetic. Either side of him contributed to an amusing read.
His taste in music is also impeccable. Ranging from Red Hot Chilli Peppers to Marilyn Manson and to Linkin Park, this boy is after my own heart.
What was fascinating about Luke’s newfound ability is how he ‘feels’ the person at the moment of his/her death. He described it as seeing the person for what he was, what he has been through in his life, and it felt beautiful as it rushed through his being. As he put it, it was like hearing a person’s swan song. Despite the tragedy of death, there was still something beautiful to be drawn from it. Heartrendingly beautiful.
Going back to wanting to punch him in the gut, Luke is painfully like a lot of troubled teens: pushing away people who want to help them, his parents, friends, professionals; messing things up by trying to handle things on their own; and being a boiling vat of negative emotions. It was deliciously real, convincing.
However, as relatable and entertaining a narrator as Luke is, I still find myself more sympathetic towards his best friend, Fang. Like Luke, he also goes through some major issues in his teenage life, and like Luke, deals with them in a very destructive manner. The difference is that Fang’s issue is shoved in the background for the most part of the story, and only dealt with near the end. Still, it does not change the fact that his issue is just as serious as Luke’s (and also a bit more realistic). Until now, even after I’ve already moved on to a different book, my heart still aches for Fang.
What with the heavy atmosphere throughout the entire book, it was an enormous feeling of relief when both boys managed to resolve their own personal conflicts in the end. Honestly, I had a stomach ache from emotions while reading.
Being a book about death, certain characters that lean towards religiosity and fanaticism cannot be absent. Luke, however convincing and charming these persona might be, handles them without breaking character and holds onto himself without surrendering to their self-proclaimed notion of what is right and godly, what is good and evil. I couldn’t help but give him a standing ovation after that.
It is also a book about life, and living, as Luke comes to realize—before these people in his visions died, they lived, and that was what mattered. Perhaps that was what made their swan songs beautiful to witness. A book about friendship: about his relationship with his stoner buddy, Fang and his dead friend Stan. And a book about love; for his parents, for a girl, and for the other people around him.
Heavily laden with angst, profanity, teenage vices, and a taste of the supernatural to boot, this book is certainly one to recommend for teens, or for people wanting an insight on teens, or just to have a good, heart-crushing read about teen drama that isn’t highly overrated.
April 3, 2019
I was more disappointed with this book than anything. It had SO much potential to be a really interesting story about a boy with this ridiculously heavy burden but instead devolved into a "Will he get with the girl or not" kind of story. Also, everything involving Fangs was so so so much more interesting than literally everything in the main plot.
August 8, 2019
This felt really drawn out. The self-centered, hypersexually focused main character is not a surprise since he's 17, but he wasn't terribly interesting to follow. Actually none of the characters were that interesting. The ending was very unsatisfying. The Christian fundamentalists were exhausting. But the writing itself was alright, and the book wasn't unreadable, so it got an additional star.
May 25, 2020
The main character was someone I couldn't figure out which I think was the point seeing as he didn't know himself either. I liked how he owned up to his crap at the end though.
This book struggled to have any definite story line up until the last half of the book, which was okay but didn't make for an easy read at the beginning. This book did and still does have me confused.
This book struggled to have any definite story line up until the last half of the book, which was okay but didn't make for an easy read at the beginning. This book did and still does have me confused.
January 31, 2018
The beginning was very good and then it kind of fizzled out. The story goes everywhere after that. I feel like I can kind of tell where the author was trying to take the story, but it fell a little short. I read that this is going to be a movie - prob will wait until it comes out at Redbox.
June 1, 2017
Really liked this weird book
December 23, 2017
DNF unless I decide to pick it up again. Possible DNF review to come
January 8, 2024
Probably tried to do more then it needed to but was enjoyable and I do recommend. More character driven than plot driven but enough happened to drive things forward. The protagonist felt flawed and very real which was a high point of the book. Dealt with religion and death in a cool way I’ve not really seen before.
October 9, 2021
CW: kidnapping, rape/statutory rape, drug abuse, alcohol addiction, underage drinking, child death, forced religion/proselytizing, forced outing for sexual orientation (Whew, that's a lot of content warnings.)
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Read for the "Read the World/States" Challenge for: Michigan, USA
I'm legitimately surprised I liked this book as much as I did, which sounds kind of bad, but isn't. It really is very far out of my genre. It's a strange, contemporary piece set in the Midwest that's extremely slice of life, narrated by a teenage boy who REALLY wants you to KNOW how horny and male he is, with themes of Christian fundamentalism.
Sure sounds like most of the things I hate - but it worked well for me.
While there is an element of fantasy/religion/paranormal-ism, whatever you want to call it, this story is very grounded in both its setting and time period.
I wouldn't say I loved Luke or anything, but I started to get to know him through the story and I feel like he'll turn out okay in whatever future literary world he lives in. Like, he's annoying and horny, but I was able to skip over most of it. And it is set in 2002, so I guess I'll give it a pass for realism.
Like everyone else, I think, my biggest issue with this story was the plot line with the fundamentalist Christians. (I think they were Baptist?) The scene towards the end was genuinely kind of triggering for me. As a non-Christian, I've also been forced into situations where people proselytize and force their religion onto me. But, while I wouldn't necessarily say I wanted to see more of the fundamentalists, I think it would have been better for the overall plot if it was more cohesive through the rest of the story.
There's also a very sad, but surprisingly positive, LGBT twist towards the end. At least, that's how I interpreted it.
I don't know if I'd read this book again, but I'm glad I did the first time. If you're a fan of Donnie Darko, I might suggest trying this one out - it gave me similar vibes. It's extremely Americana and a very interesting ride through six or so months in the shoes of someone who changes so much from beginning to end.
This is definitely a good piece for character growth.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Read for the "Read the World/States" Challenge for: Michigan, USA
I'm legitimately surprised I liked this book as much as I did, which sounds kind of bad, but isn't. It really is very far out of my genre. It's a strange, contemporary piece set in the Midwest that's extremely slice of life, narrated by a teenage boy who REALLY wants you to KNOW how horny and male he is, with themes of Christian fundamentalism.
Sure sounds like most of the things I hate - but it worked well for me.
While there is an element of fantasy/religion/paranormal-ism, whatever you want to call it, this story is very grounded in both its setting and time period.
I wouldn't say I loved Luke or anything, but I started to get to know him through the story and I feel like he'll turn out okay in whatever future literary world he lives in. Like, he's annoying and horny, but I was able to skip over most of it. And it is set in 2002, so I guess I'll give it a pass for realism.
Like everyone else, I think, my biggest issue with this story was the plot line with the fundamentalist Christians. (I think they were Baptist?) The scene towards the end was genuinely kind of triggering for me. As a non-Christian, I've also been forced into situations where people proselytize and force their religion onto me. But, while I wouldn't necessarily say I wanted to see more of the fundamentalists, I think it would have been better for the overall plot if it was more cohesive through the rest of the story.
There's also a very sad, but surprisingly positive, LGBT twist towards the end. At least, that's how I interpreted it.
I don't know if I'd read this book again, but I'm glad I did the first time. If you're a fan of Donnie Darko, I might suggest trying this one out - it gave me similar vibes. It's extremely Americana and a very interesting ride through six or so months in the shoes of someone who changes so much from beginning to end.
This is definitely a good piece for character growth.
February 5, 2019
Recensione completa su Peccati di Penna
Immaginate una classica lettura YA dove ci si cala nella vita di un banale adolescente, e immaginate che il banale adolescente improvvisamente, straparlando, racconti la morte di un suo amico e che questa avvenga il giorno dopo.
Ecco che una piccola componente paranormale entra in gioco.
Da questo incipit cominciamo il calvario di Luke che non solo deve attraversare un lutto ma anche affrontare occhi indiscreti e i media curiosi.
I personaggi sono caratterizzati da piccoli dettagli che riescono a stamparli nella mente del lettore, e Luke non manca di presentarceli durante la narrazione in prima persona tramite dei salti nel passato attraverso i ricordi. In particolar modo emergono l'insolito Fang e Faith, la ragazza che creerà un po' di scompiglio nei pensieri del protagonista, coetanea ed ex dell'amico di cui aveva predetto la fine. Insomma, il suo interesse amoroso.
Come detto, il romanzo non ha un percorso lineare, spesso Luke ci riporta indietro per farci conoscere meglio i suoi amici e delineare il suo rapporto con loro, e se da un lato è apprezzabile e utile, a volte forse c'è un abuso di flashback che allontanano dal flusso corrente.
Se dovessi definire di cosa è intriso L'inno di un profeta riluttante Joanne Proulx direi tormento, perché la vita di un adolescente è già difficile a aggiungerci del "macabro" e il tema del lutto conferisce una drammaticità maggiore al genere. ...continua
Testo fornito dall'editore.
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Immaginate una classica lettura YA dove ci si cala nella vita di un banale adolescente, e immaginate che il banale adolescente improvvisamente, straparlando, racconti la morte di un suo amico e che questa avvenga il giorno dopo.
Ecco che una piccola componente paranormale entra in gioco.
Da questo incipit cominciamo il calvario di Luke che non solo deve attraversare un lutto ma anche affrontare occhi indiscreti e i media curiosi.
I personaggi sono caratterizzati da piccoli dettagli che riescono a stamparli nella mente del lettore, e Luke non manca di presentarceli durante la narrazione in prima persona tramite dei salti nel passato attraverso i ricordi. In particolar modo emergono l'insolito Fang e Faith, la ragazza che creerà un po' di scompiglio nei pensieri del protagonista, coetanea ed ex dell'amico di cui aveva predetto la fine. Insomma, il suo interesse amoroso.
Come detto, il romanzo non ha un percorso lineare, spesso Luke ci riporta indietro per farci conoscere meglio i suoi amici e delineare il suo rapporto con loro, e se da un lato è apprezzabile e utile, a volte forse c'è un abuso di flashback che allontanano dal flusso corrente.
Se dovessi definire di cosa è intriso L'inno di un profeta riluttante Joanne Proulx direi tormento, perché la vita di un adolescente è già difficile a aggiungerci del "macabro" e il tema del lutto conferisce una drammaticità maggiore al genere. ...continua
Testo fornito dall'editore.
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October 14, 2022
“Yeah, everyone is going to die. But first, we get to live. And that's big. That's beautiful. That's not to be missed.”
This is a reread of one of my favorite books as a teen, which I haven't picked up in 10 years. It tells the story of Luke, a 16-year-old stoner who one day starts getting premonitions of deaths in his small town. It starts with his friend, the golden boy, and then a neighbor, and then everyone's calling him the Prophet of Death... But he's just a boy, and he doesn't know what's happening.
I was curious when I started if this would hold up after 10 years since my last read and... Surprisingly not bad!
Of course, the story is from the perspective of a 16-year-old cishet white boy from the Midwest. It isn't without its problematic elements—he's in love with a mixed Black girl whose skin color he describes as "mocha." It isn't distracting but he does reference female characters' boobs a decent amount. And, though he is a central source of support when his best friend is forcibly outed as gay to the whole town, he uses a homophobic slur (not directed at a person, but still).
That being said, other characters do call him on his shit regularly. He isn't written as infallible or even a Hero. He acknowledges his own flaws, that he can be cruel and judgmental and kind of an asshole sometimes. He knows when his actions are inexcusable.
And most importantly, he's just trying to get by any way he can. There's a recurring problem with self-esteem and anxiety, expectations to live up to someone he can't (who is dead), realizing that everyone is going to die one day including himself, surrounded by death as the US invades Iraq (the story was set in 2002) and climate change starts killing Lake Erie. I thought the way it came together, the way Proulx describes people dying as music that moves your entire body was beautiful and unforgettable, and Luke's arc as he comes to understand people, faith, and love make it all worth it.
That being said, I also deducted half a star for pacing as it's strange sometimes. It feels like nothing is happening at times and chaotic in others, especially as for the first half of the book, Luke spends it locked in his room, hiding from the world, and abusing his anxiety medication.
This is a reread of one of my favorite books as a teen, which I haven't picked up in 10 years. It tells the story of Luke, a 16-year-old stoner who one day starts getting premonitions of deaths in his small town. It starts with his friend, the golden boy, and then a neighbor, and then everyone's calling him the Prophet of Death... But he's just a boy, and he doesn't know what's happening.
I was curious when I started if this would hold up after 10 years since my last read and... Surprisingly not bad!
Of course, the story is from the perspective of a 16-year-old cishet white boy from the Midwest. It isn't without its problematic elements—he's in love with a mixed Black girl whose skin color he describes as "mocha." It isn't distracting but he does reference female characters' boobs a decent amount. And, though he is a central source of support when his best friend is forcibly outed as gay to the whole town, he uses a homophobic slur (not directed at a person, but still).
That being said, other characters do call him on his shit regularly. He isn't written as infallible or even a Hero. He acknowledges his own flaws, that he can be cruel and judgmental and kind of an asshole sometimes. He knows when his actions are inexcusable.
And most importantly, he's just trying to get by any way he can. There's a recurring problem with self-esteem and anxiety, expectations to live up to someone he can't (who is dead), realizing that everyone is going to die one day including himself, surrounded by death as the US invades Iraq (the story was set in 2002) and climate change starts killing Lake Erie. I thought the way it came together, the way Proulx describes people dying as music that moves your entire body was beautiful and unforgettable, and Luke's arc as he comes to understand people, faith, and love make it all worth it.
That being said, I also deducted half a star for pacing as it's strange sometimes. It feels like nothing is happening at times and chaotic in others, especially as for the first half of the book, Luke spends it locked in his room, hiding from the world, and abusing his anxiety medication.
October 25, 2010
“’Stan,’ I said, and I said it kind of loud so of course he had to look up. ‘Tomorrow morning: 8:37. The red van with the out-of-state plates? You go head to head. You lose. You die.’” (Proulx, 5) Bingo! Stan is hit by a red van at 8:37 in the morning on his way to school; the day after Luke Hunter prophesies Stan’s death while doing drugs at Delaney’s basement.
After reading “Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet” a coming-of-age novel written by Joanne Proulx, meet the protagonist, Luke Hunter, a death prophet as well as a unmotivated, druggy teenager living in a dead suburban area, Stokum. This, indeed, fascinated me as a debut novel. One of the interesting elements of the novel is the realism of talking about nowadays teenagers, how teenagers fleeing from reality after problems arise. For example, the protagonist Luke Hunter chooses to lock himself inside his room after knowing his friend’s death and remains silent, leaving himself being isolated by the public. Furthermore, it brings up the main issues around teenagers, their ability to deal with stress and problems. Instead of telling the truth to the people around him, Luke rather stays at home and having “himself” dealing with the problems and stress. This reflects most of the situation that happens around teenagers.
However, the storyline of the novel was rather disjointed as if a roller coaster only climbs up high to the sky but never goes down to the ground. In the novel, the girl who always hovering over Luke’s mind is one of the confusion. Her sudden appearance in the town gives confusion as the purpose of this is uncertain. Moreover, the connection between Luke and his parents is confusing. For instance, it doesn’t make sense that Luke would do drugs as he has a wonderful family, which his parents do care about him ( her mum get so worried when he is alone in the doctor’s office, panicking whether he has problem or not), and even bring him to a vocation.
In conclusion, as a debut novel, it is enjoyable to think about the theme of the story which reminds us of most of the important issues around us, and teenagers. I am looking forward to the next novel from the writer.
After reading “Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet” a coming-of-age novel written by Joanne Proulx, meet the protagonist, Luke Hunter, a death prophet as well as a unmotivated, druggy teenager living in a dead suburban area, Stokum. This, indeed, fascinated me as a debut novel. One of the interesting elements of the novel is the realism of talking about nowadays teenagers, how teenagers fleeing from reality after problems arise. For example, the protagonist Luke Hunter chooses to lock himself inside his room after knowing his friend’s death and remains silent, leaving himself being isolated by the public. Furthermore, it brings up the main issues around teenagers, their ability to deal with stress and problems. Instead of telling the truth to the people around him, Luke rather stays at home and having “himself” dealing with the problems and stress. This reflects most of the situation that happens around teenagers.
However, the storyline of the novel was rather disjointed as if a roller coaster only climbs up high to the sky but never goes down to the ground. In the novel, the girl who always hovering over Luke’s mind is one of the confusion. Her sudden appearance in the town gives confusion as the purpose of this is uncertain. Moreover, the connection between Luke and his parents is confusing. For instance, it doesn’t make sense that Luke would do drugs as he has a wonderful family, which his parents do care about him ( her mum get so worried when he is alone in the doctor’s office, panicking whether he has problem or not), and even bring him to a vocation.
In conclusion, as a debut novel, it is enjoyable to think about the theme of the story which reminds us of most of the important issues around us, and teenagers. I am looking forward to the next novel from the writer.
September 29, 2011
The Story
While hanging with friends, Luke suddenly turns into "Chatty Cathy" and predicts the death of one of their group. He only thinks he's making it up.
What follows is a persecution of Luke by news media, people in town who recognize him, and religious nuts who believe he is stained by Satan. Even his friends betray him somewhat when they consent to media interviews. Retreating into himself, rejecting his parents' efforts, it takes months for Luke to come to terms with truth.
A truth he comes to through the efforts of a girl/woman he considers not his, an unexpected neighborhood friend, and one of his teachers, the persistent caring of his family, and the unexpected encounter with Pastor Ted.
The Characters
Luke is a good kid and the reluctant prophet. So dubbed by the media when his friends "out" him to the media when one of his friends does die in exactly the conditions Luke specified.
Fang, Todd Delaney, has been Luke's best friend since they were 5. His drunk of a mother is never there for him and Luke's family has always been his backup. The boys have a life of experiences together…there's just one thing Luke never did pick up on.
There's the religious group insistent upon Luke being saved. Stan is the friend who truly saw Luke and Faith is the girl who forces him to understand the truth which Stan saw in him. I think Mrs. Bernoffski's insight was a turning point for Luke.
My Take
Wow! This was amazing! A combination of teen and guy insecurities trying to make sense of his own world, his place in it, and the pre-cognitive curse he must suddenly struggle with in an attempt to understand and survive it.
What I love the most is this inside look at how Luke sees life and everyone in it. It has such a massive ring of truth/reality to it and I love understanding someone else's perspective.
The Cover
The cover is an interesting blend of wings on top of which is a person wearing a hoodie whose back is to us. All of which is topped by a revolutionary-style layout of the title complete with stars. The title is Luke's song, the struggles and realizations he's had to face.
While hanging with friends, Luke suddenly turns into "Chatty Cathy" and predicts the death of one of their group. He only thinks he's making it up.
What follows is a persecution of Luke by news media, people in town who recognize him, and religious nuts who believe he is stained by Satan. Even his friends betray him somewhat when they consent to media interviews. Retreating into himself, rejecting his parents' efforts, it takes months for Luke to come to terms with truth.
A truth he comes to through the efforts of a girl/woman he considers not his, an unexpected neighborhood friend, and one of his teachers, the persistent caring of his family, and the unexpected encounter with Pastor Ted.
The Characters
Luke is a good kid and the reluctant prophet. So dubbed by the media when his friends "out" him to the media when one of his friends does die in exactly the conditions Luke specified.
Fang, Todd Delaney, has been Luke's best friend since they were 5. His drunk of a mother is never there for him and Luke's family has always been his backup. The boys have a life of experiences together…there's just one thing Luke never did pick up on.
There's the religious group insistent upon Luke being saved. Stan is the friend who truly saw Luke and Faith is the girl who forces him to understand the truth which Stan saw in him. I think Mrs. Bernoffski's insight was a turning point for Luke.
My Take
Wow! This was amazing! A combination of teen and guy insecurities trying to make sense of his own world, his place in it, and the pre-cognitive curse he must suddenly struggle with in an attempt to understand and survive it.
What I love the most is this inside look at how Luke sees life and everyone in it. It has such a massive ring of truth/reality to it and I love understanding someone else's perspective.
The Cover
The cover is an interesting blend of wings on top of which is a person wearing a hoodie whose back is to us. All of which is topped by a revolutionary-style layout of the title complete with stars. The title is Luke's song, the struggles and realizations he's had to face.
Read
November 30, 2009Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet is a novel that looks into the life of Luke Hunter, a self-proclaimed “loser” problem child. It deals with everything an average teenage boy might deal with in everyday life and more. It talks about family, school, sex, drugs and religion and the list can go on. What makes Joanne Proulx’s story unique from all the other teenage novels, besides dealing with the endless problems of daily life, is that she spices things up by adding a pinch of premonition à la death.
What was interesting about this novel was the voice of the story. It was written in first person point of view, but the way Luke is portrayed makes the story more appealing. Luke is not any ordinary character you’d see in a regular book. The rawness of his persona draws readers in; making them wonder what he might say or do next. He openly swears and is harshly opinionated, like a true teenager of our era. For example, even in the first sentence of the book, profanity is evident; “The first time it happened, I was bullshitting.” (Proulx 1) The realness of Luke’s character is what keeps readers entertained and why it is easy to relate to him. He is an out-of-control character who can’t get a hold of himself because of the visions he has of people— strangers— dying.
What I was not particular about in this novel was the bias against the Church. Although I am not religious, the strong negativity towards the Christian community was burdensome for me as a reader. I felt as if an opinion was being shoved down my throat whenever it spoke about the Pastor and his constant nagging for Christian conformity. An example of this is Pastor Ted saying to Luke, “You have a gift, but you’ve made some bad choices— failing to accept Christ into your life, for one— which have left you vulnerable.” (Proulx 309) Anti-religion is a teenage rebellion cliché, but the intensity of it used it this book was overwhelming. Besides that fact, overall the novel is a decent one, and its play on paranormal activities is intriguing, though unrealistic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2008
PROULX, Joanne Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet 368p. Soho Apr. 2008. pap. $14. ISBN 978-1-56947-487-7. LC 2007037538.
Adult/High School-“Stan….Tomorrow morning. Eight thirty-seven” is teen protagonist Luke Hunter’s stoned premonition of someone’s death. He jokingly shares it with his gang of “basement dwellers” gathered for “bad dope, bad company and even worse music” in bland, middle-class suburban Stokum. But when Stan dies the next day, exactly as predicted, life veers wildly off track for Luke, his friends, his family, and the town’s citizens as they attempt to make sense of it all. Proulx’s thoroughly engrossing first novel is a darkly comic, yet naturalistic portrayal of the interior and external world of contemporary teens. Her kids are refreshingly authentic. They are not exaggerated, self-absorbed cartoons spewing vacuous, ironic sound bites. Rather, they are warmly human, rich, and developed individuals. Luke is tagged the “prophet of death” by an overzealous self-serving news anchor. But he is no prophet, nor does he want to be. His fleeting clairvoyance predicts a few more deaths, but then fades away as quickly as it manifested. He attempts to alter the outcomes of these other premonitions, but he is powerless to do so. Neither well-intentioned nor less-benign adults, including a doctor and a preacher, can provide Luke with the answers he is seeking. Beautiful, unpretentious Faith, Stan’s girlfriend, acts as Luke’s anchor and forgiver. He eventually learns he can only work to heal himself, and be true to his friends and those who love him. This ultimately redemptive story celebrates adolescence with compassionate understanding. A glorious wow of an ending has Luke discovering his own salvation, standing with Faith in the front row of a White Stripes concert, rejoicing simply in their youth.–Jodi Mitchell, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Adult/High School-“Stan….Tomorrow morning. Eight thirty-seven” is teen protagonist Luke Hunter’s stoned premonition of someone’s death. He jokingly shares it with his gang of “basement dwellers” gathered for “bad dope, bad company and even worse music” in bland, middle-class suburban Stokum. But when Stan dies the next day, exactly as predicted, life veers wildly off track for Luke, his friends, his family, and the town’s citizens as they attempt to make sense of it all. Proulx’s thoroughly engrossing first novel is a darkly comic, yet naturalistic portrayal of the interior and external world of contemporary teens. Her kids are refreshingly authentic. They are not exaggerated, self-absorbed cartoons spewing vacuous, ironic sound bites. Rather, they are warmly human, rich, and developed individuals. Luke is tagged the “prophet of death” by an overzealous self-serving news anchor. But he is no prophet, nor does he want to be. His fleeting clairvoyance predicts a few more deaths, but then fades away as quickly as it manifested. He attempts to alter the outcomes of these other premonitions, but he is powerless to do so. Neither well-intentioned nor less-benign adults, including a doctor and a preacher, can provide Luke with the answers he is seeking. Beautiful, unpretentious Faith, Stan’s girlfriend, acts as Luke’s anchor and forgiver. He eventually learns he can only work to heal himself, and be true to his friends and those who love him. This ultimately redemptive story celebrates adolescence with compassionate understanding. A glorious wow of an ending has Luke discovering his own salvation, standing with Faith in the front row of a White Stripes concert, rejoicing simply in their youth.–Jodi Mitchell, Berkeley Public Library, CA
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