Armageddon Summer, Jane Yolen & Bruce Coville

Armageddon Summer, Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville

The main criterion for my selection of my 52 favorite books ever, is "how long did this book stay with me after reading it, and how did it change me?"

Armageddon Summer is an intriguing novel. Each chapter is in the voice of either Marine or Jed. I always wonder if Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville each 'became' the girl and the boy and wrote to each other?

The world will end on Thursday, July 27, 2000. At least, that's what Reverend Beelson has told his congregation. Marina's mom believes him. So does Jed's dad.
That's why they drag their teen children to join the reverend's flock at a mountain retreat. From the mountaintop they will all watch the end of the world -- and then descend to begin the world anew. But this world has only just begun for Jed and Marina, two teenagers with more attitude than faith. Why should the world end now, when they've just fallen in love?

Told in alternating chapters from both Jed's and Marina's points of view, this first-ever collaboration between two masters of children's literature is a story about faith and friendship, love and loss . . . and the things that matter most at the End of the World.

A powerful read. It will make an interesting book club read for discussion in high school classes.

1 comment:

Carol Baldwin said...

I remember this book also; well-written and disturbing.