THE NORTHERN FORCE

A Christian young-adult novel centered on the End Times.

Izzy is a rebellious teen with little concern for her family or her education. When a quick trip to Alaska doesn’t go as planned, she’s stranded in a small town with only a dollar to her name. She begs a man in a diner for help, and he turns out be a pastor with a heart of gold–he drives her to his hometown, where members of his congregation are more than willing to offer her room and board. However, shortly after her arrival, Izzy finds that the pastor and most of his congregation have all mysteriously vanished without a trace. Confused and yet again desperate, she’s befriended by other townsfolk, who cite alien abduction and a serial killer as possible reasons for the disappearances. By befriending a strange man named Geo, Izzy soon learns the truth–that the biblically prophesized Rapture has begun, and all true Christians have been taken to join God while chaos begins to unfold on earth. Izzy and a handful of fellow sinners decide to amend their ways and become true believers. They band together and use their faith to cope with a world that is quickly deteriorating around them. They study their Bibles relentlessly, using the pages to predict the terrible events yet to unfold. The book ends with the followers still devising plans, and this–as well as the book’s being part of a series–causes it to bear an uncanny resemblance to the popular Christian Left Behind series. Original or not, the plot and characters are believable and enthralling, and Izzy is a likable, suitable protagonist. The writing is sometimes uneven, with stilted dialogue and text that could use a good copy editor. Still, Erickson’s skill at creating suspense will pull in readers despite these shortcomings.

Christian readers are sure to enjoy this modern interpretation of biblical prophecy.