BOOK REVIEW: The Falling Away by T.L. Hines

This is a story of good versus evil as seen through the eyes of an unlikely group of Americans. Street people with obsessive compulsive disorders become soldiers for God. Drug users and alcoholics, drug runners and criminals, all are pawns in this battle. Cult members are sedated by the evil one to get them to infect others with hate and evil.

There are two main characters, Dylan Runs Ahead, a recent veteran of the war in Afghanistan, who was wounded at the same time his friend was killed. He is also an American Indian, but left the reservation to join the Army after his sister Joni disappeared. He felt the blame for her disappearance since he was late picking her up.

The other main character is Quinn Simmons, who was fifteen years old when her mentally ill mother disappeared from the homeless shelter where they were staying, leaving Quinn to manage on her own. She became a member of the Falling Away to rid the earth of evil, sometime through prayer and sometimes through more extreme means. Her job in the book was to keep Dylan from being taken over by the demon Li, who ran the HIVE, a cult communal farm.

This is a book best read all the way through without stopping. Not because it's hard to read, but because it's hard to put it down after you start reading it.

I made the mistake of starting it one night after I climbed into bed hoping to get sleepy quickly and, like I usually do, drop the book where it falls as I reach up to turn off the lamp.

That didn't happen with The Falling Away.

I stayed engaged with the story straight through to the end. The author did an excellent job of quickly getting into the action while slowly, unobtrusively, inserting back story about Dylan and Quinn. However, by the time I finished the book, I knew it was not the story of God's love that I thought it would be. It reminded me of Rosemary's Baby in a way. I'm not against the use of symbolism, but I didn't find the redeeming factors I need to make the story useful and fulfilling.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. 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.” The book was donated to a non-profit organization after I read it.