Coming of Age at the End of Days by Alice LaPlante

Published August 4, 2015 by Atlantic Monthly Press

Alice LaPlante's acclaimed psychological thrillers are distinguished by their stunning synthesis of family drama and engrossing suspense. Her new novel is an affecting foray deeper into the creases of family life—and the light-and-dark battle of faith—as LaPlante delves into the barbed psyche of a teenager whose misguided convictions bear irrevocable consequences.

Never one to conform, Anna always had trouble fitting in. Earnest and willful, as a young girl she quickly learned how to hide her quirks from her parents and friends. But when, at sixteen, a sudden melancholia takes hold of her life, she loses her sense of self and purpose. Then the Goldschmidts move in next door. They're active members of a religious cult, and Anna is awestruck by both their son, Lars, and their fervent violent prophecies for the Tribulation at the End of Days. Within months, Anna's life—her family, her home, her very identity—will undergo profound changes. But when her newfound beliefs threaten to push her over the edge, she must find her way back to center with the help of unlikely friends. 

My Thoughts…

Coming of Age at the End of Days may not be my typical type of book to read.   It has a cult storyline, which quickly pulls teenager Anna in to their folds.    From the very beginning I was concerned about her.    She starts with a depression and stuck on death and dying.     Then she meets her neighbor, Lars, who opens her eyes to the Termination that is coming.  To say she becomes obsessive is an understatement.   As a parent I am not sure how to handle this situation but I feel like her parents just let her do it.  They are so happy to not have her depressed that they don’t fight her on her.   When Anna’s life changes yet again her path in life also changes.    This is where Alice LaPlante lost me a little bit.   It took me some serious reading to catch on to what Anna was into now.  

The adults in this book cause me serious concern.    There was lack of concern, lack of care, and lack of knowledge.    Both Lars and Anna came and went as they wanted, did as they wanted, and did not give a lot of thought to how their actions would affect anyone else.   There were no repercussions or punishments for their actions.   

I will say that the western part of the United States is part of the country that I want to visit.  I love the descriptions of the mountains, the scenery.   I could see where Anna and Lars were heading and what they were seeing as they traveled.   The fact that you can go from dessert to mountains, heat to snow, all in the same state makes me love it even more.  

I could not put Coming of Age at the End of the Days down, yet I am not sure how to recommend it.   I enjoyed it.   I came to care and worry for Lars and especially Anna.      If you enjoy a cult story definitely check this out.    If you are unsure if you like cult stories consider checking this out.    If you struggle with cult stories pass on this book.     

Book Links

Amazon   |   Goodreads   |   Barnes and Noble  

As of December 1, 2009, According to The Federal Trade Commission (FTC),  product reviewers on blogs must disclose whether they received products for free or received payment for their review.

 The books I review on this site ( A Soccer Mom's Book Blog) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. .This is a very common practice.  I never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.