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The Children's Crusade by Elliott Hall (view source)
Revision as of 15:17, 12 May 2011
, 15:17, 12 May 2011no edit summary
Felix (is that his real name?) travels widely throughout great chunks of America on this current mission. Dodgy companies, secret deals, the Middle East, the FBI and much more are all in the mix which gives the book a thriller element. But the writing is both subtle and enjoyable. The main characters are engaging. I wanted to keep turning the page to find out what was going to happen next.
I also think that the whole religious cult/crusade idea works very well. It's very more-ish. And when the leader of hundreds - perhaps even thousands of individuals, many of whom are old enough to be the leader's father or mother speaks, everyone almost holds their breath in awe. There are numerous tense and secret meetings which take place between Felix and others who we know sometimes have a questionable past. There's a lovely line on page 20 (courtesy of Felix) which reads ''''So how's the assassination going?'' he finally asked, as if I were trimming wisteria''. Guns, knives and very quick reflexes all play a part in this book. It's all very effective.
As Felix gets deeper and deeper into this religious cult and its aims for the wider world, it's fascinating to read some of the follower's individual stories. What would make a grown man or woman willingly leave everything of their former life behind and hang on the word of a twelve year old boy? This psychological element is extremely interesting and some of us can relate to real-life similar scenarios which just ups the ante. I loved the tile, by the way. I found the second part of the book to be more action-packed and overall, I found this an engaging and enjoyable read courtesy of Hall's natural storytelling style. Recommended.