Review of THE DEPARTED written by Kristy Cooper

The Departed

by Kristy Cooper

(The Departed Series, #1)

Publication date: July 6th, 2016

Genres: Dystopian, Thriller, Young Adult

What if someone tried to fake the rapture?

When hundreds of thousands of people disappear in the middle of the night, including sixteen-year-old Gwen’s best friend Lana, no one knows why. Some believe they were taken in the rapture, while others are convinced that it can’t be true. Doomsday prophecies abound that involve horrifying tales of plague, famine, earthquakes, and more.

At first, Gwen doesn’t know what to think. While she is busy mourning Lana, many people around her are getting taken in by the cultish True Believers Temple, including Gwen’s dad and her friend Mindy. It is clear that more and more people are going to be pressured to join this church, as it takes over the media and the government, gaining zealous followers all over the world.

Then Gwen starts receiving emails from Lana. She claims to have been forced into hiding with thousands of others in an underground compound. Gwen is convinced the emails are real and the only other person who also believes her is Isaiah, her moody crush. Together they resolve to find out where everyone is hiding and help set Lana free.

REVIEW

Try as I might to like this book, all it did was leave a bad taste in my mouth. Therefore, thankful it is only 137 pages or I would not have been able to finish reading it. The plot is lackadaisical, foreseeable, and mundane making it hard to stay interested. Of the approximate 7.125 billion humans that exist on earth overnight, three hundred thousand people disappear due to this phenomenon people around the world believe the Rapture happened. Whoops, the author made a mistake by overlooking the fact all babies and small children ascend to Heaven when the Rapture really occurs, therefore, making the plot feel fake from the start. The book emphasizes that you must be a true Christian to ascend to Heaven yet, what about other religions? Jesus was Jewish when he was on earth. In addition to portraying the most negative issues regarding organized religions.  I understand the book is fictitious thought even in fiction, actual facts should be correct. A quote from the main character Gwen: “I decided to keep my paranoid ramblings to myself and not bother Isaiah again. They would seem more real, and hence more likely to happen, if I spoke about them out loud.” Now, I really hate giving negative reviews, but I must be true to myself so accordingly, I try and find a couple favorable elements to insert into my review. A supporting character Isaiah possesses a decent sense of humor. Also, the author does do a good job of explaining the basics of Revelations. Now just because this book is not my cup of tea does not mean you will not enjoy it. I shall conclude that this book is not to be for all readers yet I predict some of you reading this review will enjoy it. PURCHASE: AMAZON | GOODREADS Kristy Cooper found herself often contemplating unusual what-if scenarios and knew it was time to start writing them down. She worked as a librarian for years and is now busy raising small children and writing YA novels. http://www.kristycooper.com | @kristycooperYA | Facebook “I was given the opportunity to review this book by Xpresso Book Tours for my honest opinion”