LitPick Review
James Salley, the main character in This is Not the End, may seem like a normal kid at first glance, but the people around him feel weird. They feel like they are living either a great discomfort or a great sadness. Most people who make others feel like this don’t have a lot of friends. Worse, James has an enemy who bullies him because he gets a really bad dose of anger and sadness when James is around.
At school nobody wants to have anything to do with James until the new school librarian tells James that he is the antichrist. The librarian, or so he says, tells James that he is from a different planet and that his planet is connected to James’s planet, Earth. He tells James that he must save his planet from the total destruction that will happen when the civil war on the librarian’s planet starts. The librarian says James is the War-Bringer: He says James will start the war, but James is also the only hope of stopping it. Can James save his planet as well as the librarian's planet? Is the librarian even telling the truth? How can one normal boy save two planets?
Opinion:
This is Not the End is a short and complex read filled with great adventure and the potential for self-contemplation. The main character, James, goes through many changes throughout the storyline. Readers will see his doubts, his confusion, and his growing confidence as he learns to decide his own destiny.
Along the way you might just find more meaning in your own life and the power of family and friendship. The plot is ever-changing, with a different destiny for James just around the bend. It is hard to predict what will happen next, but that's the fun of the story. I recommend this book to readers ages 12 or older who enjoy fantasy interwoven with religious elements.
