Book #13: Mercury Falls
Back Cover:
Christine Temetri is at her wits' end. For years she's covered the increasingly bizarre activities of End Times cults for theBanner, a religious news magazine. Yet Christine, who once dreamed of being a "real" writer, has nothing to show for the gig other than a regular paycheck and serious doubt that Armageddon will occur in time for her next deadline. But after a mysterious man entrusts her with a locked briefcase and orders to "take it to Mercury," Christine finds herself face-to-face with a ping-pong-playing angel by the name of Galileo Mercury. It seems Mercury was sent from heaven to make preparations for Armageddon, yet became sidetracked by the earthly delights he discovered: Rice Krispy treats, table tennis, and beer, to name just a few. Mercury's concern for the fate of mankind is middling at best, but he is happy to educate Christine on the details of the elaborate, if poorly organized, calamity to come. When Christine inadvertently saves the Antichrist--and obnoxious, thirtysomething gamer who still lives with his mother--from celestial assassination, she begins an ambitious battle to stop the Apocalypse and save the world. But the heavenly host is nothing if not persistent, and Christine, aided only by an apathetic angel and a reluctant Antichrist, has her work cut out for her. Packed with outrageous characters, Mercury Falls is a viciously funny (and occassionally absurd) morality tale for the twenty-first century.
My Review:
I have to admit that this is probably the funniest thing I've read is F My Life two years ago. Robert Kroese, author of Mercury Falls, spins a tale of morality mixed with laugh-out-loud humor. The first couple of pages really spoke to me because they spoke of the loss of archaic language and the difficulty of writing in anapestic tetrameter using English. I'm an English teacher; it was funny. That's what hooked me. After that, I was a little bored by the history lesson on End Times cults, but around chapter five, Kroese had me hooked just under the belly button and I went for one wild ride. The end of the book is less than extraordinary, but I found that there is a sequel, Mercury Rises, and I will be reading it to see if it gives any answers. At the end of the book, Kroese tries desperately to tie up all the loose ends by bringing in Archangel Michael, or rather, Michelle, to make a decision about whether or not the Apocalypse should occur. What the readers actually get at the end, is nothing really--just an assurance that nothing will be happening for a long time because everything will be tied up in angelic bureaucratic courts for some time.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Kelly <3