Those who keep up with my book reviews know that I have read quite a bit of Christian fiction, from the supernatural scariness of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker to the historical tales from Gilbert Morris and Bodie and Brock Thoene. What may surprise some people, even a few of my friends, is the fact that I don't like the "Left Behind" series. It's got nothing to do with the doctrine; although I wouldn't say that the end of the world is going to happen exactly as LaHaye and Jenkins describe, their guess is as good as anyone's, since most of Revelation is written in symbolism. As long as you accept that it's a human interpretation, then it's fine. My problem with "Left Behind" is Jerry Jenkins' writing style. His prose is quite awkward, even in his other works, and it stymies me to this day why the "Left Behind" books have been so successful. I don't fault Tim LaHaye, because not only do the back covers of the "Left Behind" books say that all he did was come up with the ideas, and Jenkins just wrote them, but also because there are other series created by LaHaye, like "Babylon Rising" and "Edge of Apocalypse," that are much better written.
Now, for the actual review of the book in question. Well, it was, in a word, AMAZING. The writing was clear and sharp, everything--the scenery, the characters, even the emotions--was so well-described, it was like you were there. My only question is: Why couldn't the actual "Left Behind" series be written this well?
