American Omens is a multiple point-of-view novel about a kind-of post-apocalyptic world controlled by an elite group of wealthy, powerful individuals intent on eradicating Christianity using human-implanted technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
Though, I’m not usually a fan of multiple POVs, I found that this novel was easy to read and follow, but I was disappointed that the main characters’ stories didn’t really intertwine (some did, some only passing, and some totally did not). I also felt, like there were a lot of small talk between characters that felt unnecessary and slowed the action down. There were also a few character rhetoric and introspection scenes that were more confusing than compelling. Though it’s a stand-alone novel, it didn’t reach a satisfying conclusion. It felt like the beginning of a series, and this massive war the novel had been building up was nothing more than the beginning. It felt like a spark rather than an explosion, and I expected the explosion.
What American Omens does well is take a lot of today’s conspiracy theories and controversies and worst-case-scenario possibilities. What if there is an elite group of people controlling the trajectory of the world? The 1% of the 1% that have all the money and the power? That’s not a new concept, but the author did a great job of applying it to the Christian genre, weaving it with the tension and struggle between God’s absolute truth vs your truth; when is religious speech free speech and when is it hate speech; is love tolerance or is love saying the hard things; and free vs regulated internet. The faithless, Big Brother, freedom-is-a-facade future the author presents feels all too possible and it will mess with your head, in an interesting and thrilling way.
So with it’s good and bad, is American Omens worth the read? Yes, I think so. It’s a fast read with an intriguing plot and interesting characters. It’s not too much of a thriller to scare wimpy people like me, but it’s just enough of a head spinner to keep you reading.
Here’s an Amazon affiliate link you can use to buy the book. There is no further cost to you if you buy the book from this link, but it may give me a commission, which is very helpful. Link: https://amzn.to/2TMs0rv (links also included below)
Title: American Omens
Author: Travis Thrasher
Publisher: Multnomah (February 12, 2019)
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but as always, all opinions are my own and I wouldn’t recommend a book I didn’t like.
