This is southern gothic: heavy air, overgrowth, the passage of time, familial abuse, inspired spirituality, and of course, impressionistic accounts of the insane. The south is otherworldly. The Rapture of Canaan follows a teenager named Ninah as she deals with newfound feelings for her prayer partner. Her world is engulfed in the spirit of God, and her mother is an unending, self-righteous force of conflict. Beyond questions of doubt and belief, the Rapture of Canaan presents a heartfelt, beautifully written story with standout moments of brutality that will floor you.

Well written and gripping. The story of a teenage girl in a religious community that is focused on sin and atonement. The story explores a bit of how people get caught up in extreme beliefs. It ends with hope.

This book was definitely different. The story is centered around the lives of the members of the Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind. It takes place in a community where everyone in that particular neighborhood is related in one way or another and they all belong to that particular "church sect", headed up by Grandpa Herman. Basically everyone is primarily preparing for the Rapture but, of course, people being people...some are going to occasionally slip up. Their punishments could be anything from sleeping in an open grave overnight to sleeping on barbed wire. The narrator is a 15 year old girl who is experiencing her first romantic feelings and where that all leads. I can't say this was a page turner for me but it was certainly a fascinating look at a way of thinking way out of my imagination.

I *think* this was a re-read. I thought I’d read this in high school (nearly 20 years ago), but it felt totally new. There was so much done extremely well in this book that it outweighs the stuff that didn’t quite work for me. Brilliant scene writing and plotting, incredible story overall, but some of the important characters were flat.

I have much in my mind about the ‘innocence’ of my youth that affected choices and events in my life. Reading this book has brought to mind many circumstances that I’d like to mark in reflection of what I’ve learned and experienced.

From as early as I can remember, my thoughts were naive and immature in regards to those around me. I remember thinking that there was no one to talk to about what was happening within my body. It is this type of thing that I've always tried to avoid with my own children. This is a thought provoking book and one that reveals many things that can happen to the young children. Any parent and young woman can learn from this story.

Excellently written and one that I will refer to often to remind myself what its like to be young and not know how to protect my own feelings. Something that will stir up confidence for standing up for your own feelings. A great read and true to real-life experiences.

Oddly enough, I loved this book. It might have been really messed up and crazy, but I think that's what made it so great for me.

Good. Mixes fundamentalist elements of The Chrysalids with sacred/bloody imagery of Toni Morrison’s Beloved. A little strange because of certain images of Jesus that are morphed into sexually charged adolescent dreams.
t
Summary
Ninah grows up in a community of extended family that centers around a fundamentalist church led by her Grandpa Herman. After her “prayer partner” James learns that she is carrying his baby he drowns himself rather than face Herman’s cruel punishments.
Ninah is nearly cast out when the community learns she is pregnant out of wedlock. She claims the child is holy, born of God, and is “dunked” for her blasphemy in the same pond James drowned in. During her pregnancy she is placed in isolation where her only consolation is her “Nanna” who speaks frankly about both her distaste for Herman’s law and her uncompromising love for her husband.

When Canaan is born, the community is shocked to see the “sign” of his hands, which are permanently joined in prayer. As the new “mother of God”, Ninah enjoys new freedoms, like cutting her hair and wearing James’s clothes. However, Canaan is given over to another couple who could not have children and who restrict Ninah’s corrupting visits.
t
Herman has a stroke. Nanna cares for him, though he rarely recognizes her as his wife. He wanders away one day and the community thinks he has been raptured; they’ve been left behind. Then he returns.
t
Ninah steals away with Canaan as the community erupts in confusion. Story ends with Ninah cutting Canaan’s palms apart, praising his normality.

More of a 3.5. Enjoyed its subtle and not-so-subtle creepiness, and that it never tiptoes around religious misogyny, but it does take an awfully long time to get where it's going. It reminded me of a favorite YA outing, The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

Even though this book had its weird moments, it has been my favorite book yet and it was so hard to put down. All of the weird and awkward events just made me wanna read more!

SPOILERS:This wasn't a book I wanted to savor, but along with some weaknesses, it definitely had its moments. There's a matter-of-fact line I found chilling, about women often dying in childbirth due to their boycott of doctors. The dunking and the rapture were also favorites, though I wondered if the latter was unintentionally funny. This book felt like a fairly convincing look at the inside of a religious cult, even if the language often wobbled.

Read this book in four days as it really held my interest. I really enjoyed Sheri Reynolds writing style as she developed the characters from the Church of Fire and Brimstone, a family religious cult led by Grandpa Herman. Ninah, the main character of this story, sees so much more clearly than most all the members of the Church as she tries to navigate through her childhood and early adulthood while living in this strange cult. Quite the story!

Intriguing story.
Note June 2017: I remember this really is an intriguing story, have to reread.