The Rapture

by Liz Jensen.

Quickie Recap: Bethany has already driven one psychologist crazy: she's a young girl in a high security facility because she stabbed her mother to death with a screw driver. And now she's predicting deadly storms culminating in Armageddon...or is she causing them? Her new therapist, fresh from her own wounds, has to sort out the difference while keeping her sanity.

Quickie Review: Oh man. This was intense. It takes extremes of religion and environmentalism and makes the end of the world sound all too plausible. It's light on psychological fare, surprisingly, and heavier on psychic abilities, so yes, suspension of disbelief is necessary. But fun.

Quickie Recommendation: Pretty okay.

The Unit

by Ninni Holmqvist.

Quickie Recap: On her 50th birthday, Dorrit is declared by her government to be disposable, so she, and others like her, are whisked away to the unit. They have no children, and no fame to redeem them, and so they are used as lab rats until such a time as they can ultimately be used for spare parts and make one big "final donation."

Quickie Review: Destined to be viewed as a great dystopian novel, I was immediately angry, fascinated, repulsed, and drawn the fuck in. Irresistible. Imaginative. Scary as hell.

Quickie Recommendation: Oh yeah, this one is very, very high on my list of loves.

The Answer is Always Yes

A novel by Monica Ferrell

Quickie Recap: Matt is a high school loser with big ambitions for college. Over the summer he's carefully crafted a definition of cool - but despite his painful efforts, he fails. But then he's discovered by the owner of a popular club, and as a new promoter he suddenly has everything he always thought he wanted.

Quickie Review: A professor supposedly researching the socialization of children contributes to the novel via footnotes that are mostly just distraction. The main story is familiar but interesting and would be more readable if it stood on its own. It does an excellent job of portraying cringe-worthy loserdom. Oof.

Quickie Recommendation: Needs editing.