The Raptures by Jan Carson

 

Hello my lovely readers!

I bought this book when I was in Ireland last year and I started reading in July. It took me a YEAR to finish it. I blame the pregnancy!

BACKGROUND

 Before we get into the review, here are a few pictures from Ireland! This was my first time returning to Ireland in 13 YEARS. I had first visited in 2010 for three weeks as part of a study abroad program with my university. Ireland is one of my favorite countries and this time I got to see it with my husband! We only spent three days, this time around, but we definitely will be back.

We spent most of our time in Dublin, but we did travel to the Cliffs of Moher and had a quick stop in Galway.

As always, I made sure to find a local bookstore, but it turns out Chapters is a bookstore chain. I didn't learn this until after the fact and was a bit disappointed, but what matters is that I FINALLY bought a book by an Irish author in Ireland.  The employees at Chapters helped me decide which book to buy and it ended up being The Raptures by Jan Carson.

SYNOPSIS

It is late June in Ballylack. Hannah Adger anticipates eight long weeks' reprieve from school, but when her classmate Ross succumbs to a violent and mysterious illness, it marks the beginning of a summer like no other.

As others fall ill, questions about what - or who - is responsible pitch the village into conflict and fearful disarray. Hannah, ever the outsider, is haunted by guilt as she remains healthy while her friends are struck down. Isolated and afraid, she prays for help. What happens next will force her to question everything she believes.

MY THOUGHTS

I loved this book. It was simple and direct, but was a beautiful story that combined so many themes: religion, illness, death, grief, ghosts, coming-of-age and family.

Carson's portrayal of Hannah is smart, innocent and sincere. She ironically treats 10-year-old Hannah as a real human being with feelings. Usually when I read books that have child or teenage characters, they treat them in a stereotypical, one-dimensional manner. It was a breath of fresh air to read this novel from Hannah's point of view.

She's a girl trying to make sense of what's going on around her in a time where everything is uncertain. This book is storytelling at it's finest.