Book Review: What in God's Name: A Novel by Simon Rich

Mixed feelings on this title - see full review. :-)
What in God's Name: A Novel
by Simon Rich

Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books; First Edition first Printing edition (August 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316133736
ISBN-13: 978-0316133739
Genre: Comedy
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Welcome to Heaven, Inc., the grossly mismanaged corporation in the sky. For as long as anyone can remember, the founder and CEO (known in some circles as "God") has been phoning it in. Lately, he's been spending most of his time on the golf course. And when he does show up at work, it's not to resolve wars or end famines, but to Google himself and read what humans have been blogging about him.

When God decides to retire (to pursue his lifelong dream of opening an Asian Fusion restaurant), he also decides to destroy Earth. His employees take the news in stride, except for Craig and Eliza, two underpaid angels in the lowly Department of Miracles. Unlike their boss, Craig and Eliza love their jobs - uncapping city fire hydrants on hot days, revealing lost keys in snow banks - and they refuse to accept that earth is going under.

The angels manage to strike a deal with their boss. He'll call off his Armageddon, if they can solve their toughest miracle yet: getting the two most socially awkward humans on the planet to fall in love. With doomsday fast approaching, and the humans ignoring every chance for happiness thrown their way, Craig and Eliza must move heaven and earth to rescue them - and the rest of us, too.

Review:

I do have mixed feelings about this book. I selected it to read as it seemed like a cute premise. However I had some trepidation about the tone of the novel and I should have paid more attention to that intuition.

I appreciated the dedication and drive of both Craig and Eliza, two angels who enjoy making little and big miracles that touch human lives. Although they are both mostly ‘nerdy’, their up- beat characters and their love and concern for human beings are endearing. They are certainly more likeable than the God portrayed by Mr. Simon as a bored executive who cares more about his favorite sports teams, his golf game and checking on his personal ratings then he does about humans and their dangers, sufferings or prayers. Another not so likeable character is Vince who is a rather harsh Arch Angel at God’s right side who sneers at the efforts of Craig and Eliza until they convince him to help them in their effort to save the world.

God has decided to “cancel” earth and open a restaurant. Craig and Eliza discover that God has ignored years of prayer requests that were carefully sorted in priority by Eliza. Craig convinces God to save the world if Craig can perform a miracle that fulfills one of the old prayers. Craig and Eliza have 30 days to bring Sam and Laura together. These two met in college and were attracted to each other but never connected. Now they only live six blocks apart but they are the equivalent of couch potatoes, rarely leaving their homes or socializing with the world outside of their own rooms. Craig and Eliza will have to do their greatest manipulation ever to pull off this miracle.

I have to acknowledge that the book is very funny.  It is also completely sacrilegious.  As I started reading I began to get uncomfortable with the tone and became more and more concerned that there would be little edifying about the book. Considering that I believe in an Amazing God, creator, savior and comforter, I had to feel hurt in my spirit at the portrayal in this book. I struggled through to the end in hopes that there would be a glimmer of redemption. Actually I was a bit calmer by the end as I decided to view the book as I might a complete fantasy.  I do think that there was a light of hope shown at the ending.  Unfortunately, God had little to do with the ultimate outcome and although the angels were the ones behind the positive movements it is not even clear if their influence or chance had the final impact.

I have to give the book a good rating for solid writing and entertaining humor. But I put a warning for other Christians that this one may not be something you want to read as it disappoints the inner spirit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A discussion between Craig as he introduces Eliza to her new job in the Miracles Department:

{Craig}  "Actually, the truth is...ninety-nine percent of the things that happen to humans are just crazy and random and serve no function whatsoever. ...
{Eliza}   "But the other one percent? Those are miracles, huh?"
Craig nodded.
"Well, hey!" she said. "That's something!"  Page 16

Thank you to Anna for providing this book from Reagan Arthur div of Hachette for review.

I will add this to my ARC and New Author challenge lists.

Book Review and Giveaway: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

This a beautifully written and haunting story. 

The Snow Child 

by Eowyn Ivey

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books (February 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316175676
• ISBN-13: 978-0316175678

     Genre:  Fiction

     My Rating:  4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: February 1, 2012
Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.. 

Review:
This tale starts slowly but ends wonderfully. At midway I was actually thinking of stopping. I am sincerely glad I did not as from that point on the tale was captivating and I didn’t want to put the book down.

The story starts by introducing Mabel and Jack: a couple in mid life who are struggling to survive a new life they have chosen in the brutal, harsh land of Alaska. Their nearest neighbors are miles away and Jack is barely able to get enough crop to see them through winter. They are together but separated by unshared grief at the loss of their only child who died at birth.  Jack was unable at the time to comfort Mabel and she drew into herself so they became disconnected as a couple. They moved to Alaska so that Mabel could be away from her family and all the reminders of what she lost and does not have. The depression, sorrow and life struggles, though poignantly written, made the story difficult at that point.

One evening Jack and Mabel have an unexpected frolic in the new snow.  They join in making a little snow girl. It is the first time in a long time that they have shared some happiness together. The next morning when they look out the scarf and mittens are missing and there are footprints leading away into the woods. They begin to see a child, who wears the scarf and mittens, peeking out from the trees. But is it just a dream?  At first Jack barely acknowledges the presence and allows their new “neighbor” friends to think that Mabel has suffered from snow madness. Yet slowly the child begins to show herself and finally comes into their home. But when summer comes Faina disappears and they, and the reader, are left wondering if she was real.

Mabel had a fairy tale story as a child about a snow child. Is this all a creation from her childhood memories?  And how did that story end? Was there a happy ending or only tragedy?

Over the next years Jack and Mabel watch over the wild child, Faina, as she visits in winter and disappears each summer. She becomes a daughter to them. Their neighbor’s son, Garrett, who loves hunting and trapping, has become an invaluable help to Jack on the farm.  They have to be careful that Garrett doesn’t shoot Faina’s companion, a red fox, but, in truth, that will not be their only worry.

It became fascinating to share the joy and pain of Mabel and Jack as they watch their “child” come and go...and grow. They have no way to hold her wild spirit, and no way to protect her.  The writing is beautifully rich and haunting.  I am not certain if there are real fairy tales of a snow child but this one certainly brings the idea alive. Although you may want to be prepared for a slower pacing in the beginning, I do recommend this as a wonderfully enchanting story full of rich human emotion.

Examples of the beautiful writing:
Mabel's depression:

Fear of the gray, not just in the strands of her hair and her wilting cheeks, but the gray that ran deeper, to the bone, so that she thought she might turn into a fine dust and simply sift away in the wind. P32

Motherly love:

Love and devotion, the devastating hope and fear contained in a woman’s swelling womb—these were left unspoken. P338

Thank you to  Little Brown & Co. (Reagan Arthur Books) for providing this book for review.

This story is set in Alaska for the Where you are Reading Challenge. I will add this to my ARC and New Authors challenges too.
TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the hardcover review copy:

1. Please visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest there OR follow the book link at the title above, watch the video trailer and comment on that.   One of these is required for entry. 

2.  For an extra entry, become a follower (GFC, Twitter, FB, email) or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For two more entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(four total entries possible.)

THERE WILL BE ONE WINNER.

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on March 30, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries and announced on March 31 with 72 hours to complete the winners form.