American Omens by Travis Thrasher

    Twenty years in our future, the world's leaders have outlawed Christianity. Christian leaders have been disappearing quietly without a trace.  A group has researched these happenings and is determined to bring these sinister happenings into the light. Centering around a genius searching for her father, a lost celebrity, an assassin searching for his life, and a dad from a history of lies, their stories merge all based on one person. The Reckoner is ready to make his announcement.

    I enjoyed the references to the 2010s culture and technology. The descriptions of how technology changed from present day to Thrasher's designed world helped add to the reality he was trying to create, which made it believable to me as a reader. Other references to the past such as Bible stories or even 1800s or 1900s famous people helped remind the audience that even though the story was in the future, its past was the same as ours.

    However, I had a hard time getting excited about the plot. It was slow, disjointed, and confusing. I felt like I was left guessing even after the book ended. It was not the suspense filled chase I was expecting and hoping for. There could have been more close calls to give it that feeling of peril. With so many characters, the depth to the characters or growth throughout the story was missing for me.

(I received this book for free from Waterbrook/Multnomah in exchange for a review and this is my honest opinion after reading the book.)