This is a YA book and I can definitely see the appeal for teens -- it's full or questions and rebellion and rightly so. Really this gets a 3 for content -- it's an original idea, but the story-telling falls a little short with predictable glowering, sullenness, running, fighting, more running. But the premise is very clever. Abigail is the 16-year old narrator and through her eyes we learn what has befallen her family. They are living in a van (down by the river), on the streets of San Francisco after selling all their worldly goods in North Caroline, donating the money to Brother John of multiple billboard fame, and traveling West to be raptured at the End Times which are imminent (according to Brother John). The big date has come and gone and despite the family's destitution, Brother John continues to ask for Faith and time (and money). Abigail and her twin brother Aaron no longer believe it. Though it has only been a couple weeks since they arrived in San Fran, Abigail and Aaron are quick to see what their parents can't. Bro. John is a fraud and they are being duped. Their Mom seems to have a slight sense of reality, but is bent on supporting their father (who had lost his job in NC before he became a religious fanatic). Abby says: "Every night as we fall asleep in the van, I cannot escape the fact that our parents have ruined everything. That's true. But we have a choice -- all of us. We can spend every day look for reasons to snipe, to pick and pull at what little we have left until it is nothing but crumbs. Love and family, in the ruins. Or we can fight to stay together." (48) Faith was always an important family value, but the limits are being tested, especially the twins' faith in their parents. When Abigail realizes Aaron has been sneaking out of the van at night (a little hard to believe that wouldn't be noticed), she follows him and realizes he has a whole life outside of her with other street kids. Things take a turn for the worse when Aaron offers to sell drugs for a thug to earn money to get Abby and him back home. After some street violence (that seems a little sterilized for the reader's sake) the twins force their parents to choose between them and Brother John. This book does not denigrate religious faith, but it does offer a litmus test of belief -- and God wins over man. Some rough language and implied sexual violence, but probably ok for the mature 7th grader and up. ( )

it was ok. not the best of plot or characters, but not the worst either. not 100% sure i understood this novel. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A quick, easy read about a struggling family that has given everything up to a ridiculous cause.

Opening Sentence: Dad borrowed Uncle Jake’s jeep because he said he liked to feel the mountain air.

The Review:

Abigail’s father first connected with Brother John when he was recently fired. Whether he heard a sermon on the radio, saw one of the billboards, it doesn’t matter – that was the first step towards everything going to hell. Brother John preached about the end of the world, the death of all life on earth, and her father kept making donations until they were deep in debt. Suddenly, Abigail and her brother Aaron are forced to sell their house and move across the country to San Francisco, where they live in their van, going to the Brother John’s church every night and singing about God’s plan.

The world didn’t end, of course. Life went on. But since Abigail’s parents weren’t prepared for life to go on, they are out of money. They skip from food kitchen to food kitchen, sleeping in their van, visiting the church nightly. Any money they do come across goes straight to Brother John, despite his obvious failure at depicting the end of the world. And although the only thing that Abigail wants is to leave this city, her father is in too deep. Aaron, her moody brother, has a plan that may get her out, but it would involve betraying her parents and leaving her family. Are the people who made so many mistakes still important enough to deserve loyalty?

I enjoyed Abigail’s character, for the most part. She’s illustrated as the good child, the responsible one, the loving one. But even her more innocent eyes can still see how badly her parents have destroyed their lives. As time goes on, her character develops into something that has more of a spine. She’s forced to grow up so fast, in this horrible situation. Aaron, her brother, sometimes annoyed me in his rudeness and moods – but despite his shortcomings, he was an interesting character, and added more depth to the story.

“They sat in the church, praying – asking God to do something when every moment of the past week should have told them that number was disconnected.”

Her parents were the oldest of the family, and yet in a way they were the least wise. They had let themselves be sucked into this religion that clearly had taken everything from them. One thing I wish that had happened was a scene that told us whether or not Brother John was a con artist. I mean, clearly he was preaching a made-up religion and wasn’t qualified, but was he actually a believer in the nonsense he spouted or did he know exactly what he was doing, taking everything from his followers?

Altogether, this book was a good enough read. It was super short, and I liked the different aspects of family and friendship that it explored. There wasn’t a love interest for our main character/point of view Abigail, but there was a romance between her brother and another homeless girl. I almost liked it better that way – Abigail was focused less on a boy and more on her more important situation. I think that people will be interested by this book and enjoy it. I thought it was okay!

Notable Scene:

Before I can apologize, the bike manager curses and says, “I’m so tired of all you homeless kids. Is it possible for me to rent bikes and not have you sit up here all day jerking off? Is that possible?”

“I’m not homeless,” I say, shocked.

“Yeah, of course you’re not,” the man says. “Just get out of here or I’ll call the cops on you, too.”

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen/Greenwillow Books provided me with a copy of No Parking at the End Times. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

It's an interesting read regarding a family of four, the parents and a set of 14 yr old twins, a boy and a girl. The father decided that he had a calling from the Lord through a questionable radio evangelist, Brother John, that they needed to get from North Carolina to San Francisco before a certain time because the end was coming. So they sold all their belongings and took only the bare necessities and headed to Brother John so they wouldn't be left behind.
I loved the way Mr. Bliss used the main protangist, Abigail who was torn about the whole sititation, but wasn't ready to make the decision her brother had already made. She had her own feelings regarding Brother John, yet she was devoted to her faith as well as her parents.
I read this book in about one setting, it's a great read. ( )

Abigail's family is falling apart, they've lost everything, their money, their possessions, their home. One minute they're living in South Carolina, the next they find themselves in San Francisco living out of their van, giving any extra cash they might stumble upon to Brother John.

Brother John, he said the world was ending, he said he knew how to prepare people from the end, for the ultimate unknown. But so far all Brother John has done is take everything from Abigail and her family.

When Abigail's twin brother Aaron tells her he's planning on leaving San Francisco and heading back to home she's hesitant to follow, but it doesn't take long for Aaron to change her mind. Their father isn't going to change, Brother John isn't going to change and their situation isn't getting any better.

Torn between family loyalty and self preservation Abigail must choose to have faith in herself and whatever higher power she believes in in order to survive.

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This was a very interesting read, it was really short so I flew through it in one sitting but it did leave me thinking afterwards.

Mostly about how angry it makes me that their are people in this world who use religion as a way to con people out of their life savings.

I couldn't help but shake my head at Abigail's father and think to myself "Who would believe this man? How stupid do you have to be?" But you see it on the news all the time, con artists are smart and conniving and most of the time they get away with it.

I was hoping for a slightly more fast paced book when I started this and although I finished it rather quickly there were some parts that dragged on for me.

I feel like it could have been a little more suspenseful, especially towards the end, and I wouldn't have minded a couple more chapters.

But all in all it was a lovely debut and I look forward to seeing what comes next from this author.

Until next time,
Ginger

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review.

My review is my honest opinion. ( )