Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle

Starred review from September 7, 2015
In Coyle's pointed sequel to Vivian Apple at the End of the World, Vivian and her best friend, Harp, have just finished their cross-country adventure in a post-Rapture world. After falling in with a group of militia fighters and reconnecting with Vivian's sister, they launch a new mission: to save Vivian's love interest, Peter, who has been captured by the Church of America. Coyle dials back the urgency of her debut, adopting a more languid pace while still delivering plenty of action. This time, Vivian's journey is less personally transformative, instead taking a broader look at the sacrifices others have made to survive as the Church of America churns out merchandise from a global network of sweatshops and allows the rich and elite to dodge the stringent rules that keep the rest of the devout in line. As Vivian and Harp attempt to solve the mystery of the faked Rapture in an effort to expose the Church as a fraud, Coyle again offers searing commentary on present-day religiosity and consumerism. Ages 12âup. Agent: Sarah Burnes, Gernert Company.

July 1, 2015
Vivian Apple survived one Rapture in Vivian Apple at the End of the World (2015); now, can she survive a second? In a not-too-distant America in which the effects of climate change are obvious and palpable, the Earth is in a slow, foreseeable decline. Self-proclaimed prophet (and largely unstable) Beaton Frick and his corporate sponsor, the Church of America, gave the country hope by promising its Believers would be Raptured. Now it's been thrust into zealous bigotry that thrives on oppression and capitalism since only a small number have been taken. Vivian and her best friend, Harp, weathered the Rapture and no longer believe their families have ascended to heaven, though they still seek answers to lingering questions. When the Church predicts a second Rapture, the country goes into a religious frenzy. Vivian, Harp, Viv's boyfriend, Peter, and Vivian's newly discovered family members seize their chance to take down the Church and expose its sinister motives, but taking down a corporation can prove difficult when all of America is searching for you. This genre-bending story has elements for every reader: a realistic world with a healthy smattering of sci-fi and romance, along with liberal dashes of humor and satire. Coyle adeptly handles an exceptionally multifaceted plot, easily seguing from snarky social criticism to heart-pounding action to stomach-fluttering romance, creating a breathless whirlwind that keeps the pages flying until the very end. A distinctive, complex, and thoughtful page-turner certain to leave readers clamoring for more. (Fiction. 14 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-With the rapture predicted by the Church of America having passed, Vivian and Harpreet are two of the few who know the truth: that the rapture was staged and the believers who were chosen are either missing or dead. Can they stop Pastor Frick and the church's mad grab for power and control over society? Or will this rapture really be the beginning of the end. Vivian and Harpreet are idealistic teens who will stop at nothing to reveal the truth in this sequel to Vivian Apple at the End of the World (HMH, 2015). The characters are well rounded and believable and represent multiple personalities and ideologies. The plot is fast paced but difficult to follow for newcomers to the series. Religion-the lack of faith or unwavering belief in it-is a central component to the story line. Readers will be questioning their own belief systems and asking themselves just how far they would go to uncover the truth. Fans of the first volume will want to read this thought-provoking continuation. VERDICT A great addition to YA collections.-Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford College, Weatherford, TX

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2015
Grades 9-12 When we meet Vivian and her foul-mouthed friend Harp, it's just a bit after we left them in Vivian Apple at the End of the World (2015). Though their parents have disappeared in the Rapture of Pastor Frick and the Church of America, along with thousands of others, Vivian and Harp remain undeterred in their quest to find out exactly what was up with that. They have followed the cross-country trail to San Francisco, but, predictably, they are finding more questions than answers. As before, Coyle takes an intriguing premise, covers it with questions of faith and loyalty, adds a gallon of cynicism, and keeps it moving. In some ways, the twists here are a little easier to see coming (though not all of them), but that doesn't much deter from the story's compelling momentum. Along with the questions about religion and consumerism that are in the forefront of the girls' quest, tucked away are important insights about human nature and what people will and won't do to keep themselves wrapped in the illusion of safety.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2015
In Vivian Apple at the End of the World (rev. 1/15) Vivian, her best friend Harp, and Viv's love interest Peter found preacher Beaton Frick's compound in California, where they discovered that, contrary to Frick's claims, the cultlike Church of America only staged the supposed Rapture and that Believers are either dead or being hidden somewhereexcept for Viv's mom, who is alive and well in San Francisco. Now Viv and Harp are set on bringing down the Church with this knowledge, as well as on finding Peter, who didn't escape the compound with them. On the run as wanted criminals, the girls join an extreme militia of anti-Church revolutionaries of which Viv's long-lost sister Winnie is a leader. Coyle furthers her searing critiques of fundamentalism; corporate power; humankind's role in the world's destruction by climate change, terrorism, and other disasters; and the use of violence in fighting for a cause. Nonstop twists and breathless action flirt with crossing the line into absurdity, but that's just part of this sequel's appeal. Fans shouldn't hesitate to continue Viv's quest along with her, and they'll be satisfied with how her mission to save humanity from fear-fueled delusion plays out. Because, ultimately, faith among the most precious of our human abilities, our capacity for believing without seeing should be cherished, not exploited. katrina hedeen

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)