This, weirdly, was one of the formative books of my elementary-school years. No, it's not a young adult book. I was just a weird kid.The year was 1992. I was nine years old, and two months into fifth grade. My parents had just moved us to a new house, which meant a new school, and the kids in my class were about to spend three days taking a standardized test-- the same standardized test I had taken a couple of weeks before at my old school. The new school obviously thought it would be dandy if I would consent just to take the test again, but I refused. So for three days, I sat in the principal's office and read while my classmates clutched No. 2 pencils and stared at row after row of scantron bubbles.Don't ask why I wasn't allowed to stay home instead of sitting in the principal's office, because I have no idea. But in those days, I didn't really care where I was sitting as long as I was allowed to read. Yes, I say "allowed" to read, because I read so much that my mother would occasionally tear the book out of my hands in exasperation, hoping to jolt me into participating in conversation at the dinner table. The woman who cut my hair when I was growing up told me later that she was always terrified that my hair would come out noticeably crooked, because I insisted on having my head bent down toward my book during my haircuts.Back to the story. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, hanging out in the school administrative offices at age 9 with a book approximately the size of my head. But this book blew me away. I was riveted. Fascinated. It was, now that I think about it, probably my very first step into a dystopian future. I remember astonishing levels of detail, twenty years later, down to the year, make, and model of the car that figures into one of the escape scenes. (A 1993 Chevy Caprice, if you care, which you don't, because it is the epitome of trivial detail. Still, as a kid I loved the idea of a capricious car, which is probably why I remember it.) This is the book that first taught me the word "tsunami," a word that no one else around me learned until 2004. This is the book that first caused me to think about how credit cards and debit cards could be used to track someone's movements. This is the book that first sent me fumbling in my pocket for a dollar bill, to examine for myself the weird eyeball on top of a pyramid that was pictured there. Finally, this is the book that is probably at the root of my tendency to develop mild crushes on computer nerds. So twenty years later, I tip my hat to Larry Burkett. Thanks for writing a book that captivated me completely.
wow, that was some BAD writing. and i mean awful. cringe-worthy terrible. more importantly, the story was farfetched and fanatical. the premise of a christian 'minority' being persecuted by a secular government with the help of a docile population could *maybe* have worked if they'd set the book *way* in the future...and had some sort of rationale for why that would happen. totally just an excuse for pious sighing. ew and ick. if you want to read some christial lit, the Left Behind series is much less offensive and way more scifi-y.
What do You think about The Illuminati (1992)?
I enjoyed this book very much. It was written in 1991 and this novel is a pretty darned good picture of what's happening in the world right now, including the earthquake/tsunami that hit Japan, the economy, the state of the middle east, the problems facing the United States, etc. It's pretty eerie how closely this author seemed to have looked into the future. The internet was not widespread in 1991...remember Prodigy and Compuserve? The author calls it the Data-Net, but wow...very interesting so far.
—Suz
“In the year 2015, an ancient society takes over the presidency. The world's only prayer rests with a handful of Christians ready to take on the illuminati.From before the time of Christ, there have been rumors of a secret society called the Illuminati - a vicious tribe of Druids with mystical, supernatural powers. Many saw them as demons or gods. Those who opposed them simply disappeared - or met an even worse fate.As the centuries passed, this shadow - like group cloaked themselves in new identities, slowly infiltrating world organizations and financial institutions. The stealthy society had a singular goal - to bring the planet to its knees by controlling the world's economic system.Now fast-forward to the year 2015. The Illuminati has succeeded in placing one of their people in the office of the presidency of the United States. With the worldwide launch of a financial system known as Data-New, they have gained seemingly unlimited power.The Illuminati is a futuristic thriller tied to ancient mysticism that will leave fans of Christian Fiction wondering where facts fantasy begins.”Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”Nora St LaurenttTBCN Where Book Fun Begins www.bookfun.org The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
—Nora St Laurent
What starts as a political thriller slowly starts to turn into a heavily biased book by halfway through. The bad guys are all minions of Satan (yes, actual Satan) and the good guys, regardless of how they started the book, end up Christian because miraculously they see the light. Even a staunch opposer becomes a preacher with his own television show. A lot of stuff rankles in retrospect, but it got so heavily biased towards Christian Faith is good and casting Democrats as Satanic Society-following evildoers that it distracted a lot in the final pages of the plot. If it had kept out all the heavy faith leanings, it probably would've gotten 3.5 stars from me, but as is, it gets the two.
—Manda
