Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Genre: Contemporary, 4 stars, Fiction

People who should read this: Anyone who likes controversial topics, books that lead to more questions, books about hard topics, books without a good guy character, literary writing.

“I didn’t think I’d die, he said. It’s a fringe benefit of the faith. I believed I’d always live, along with everyone I loved.”

I wish I could give you the exact reason why I loved Incendiaries. Alas, I still don’t know. I fell into the writing like I did for The Fountainhead, getting lost in the words from the very first line. Maybe it was the themes? Will leaves the church the same way I did, wishing to still believe but knowing the switch has already been flipped. He speaks the same words I’ve said to myself a dozen times. He walks the edge of good and bad, believing himself to be inherently good until a split second decision changed his life. Most authors toe that line, but Kwon jumped right in, letting the reader decide.

Maybe Incendiaries wasn’t the best choice for book club. The book is described as two college students getting sucked into a North Korean cult created by a former college student. It was far from that. Yes, one of the students gets sucked in, but the story follows Will closely, acting as his statement to the police about his girlfriend. The long, drawn out search stated in the synopsis played out over the last few chapters. In the end, the story was really about Will’s downward spiral to the point that he’s pushed over the edge.

“Toward the end, when I felt faith slip from me like the last remnants of a loved, radiant dream, I looked around during church services at all the believing fools, and I grieved with envying them. I used to think I valued truth more than I did the Lord, but I wasn’t so heroic. If I could have stayed, I would.”

And I haven’t even mentioned all the edgy topics that are discussed in the book - rape, abortion, cults, religion - most of them not fit for large discussions. My book club is amazing though, and each member respected everyone’s voice, as well as pushed the discussion forward with hard questions. Like the parallels between Will’s experience with the church and the cult. Or the abortion bombings and the deaths. This is the one time we spent the whole hour talking about the book instead of all the other books we’ve read.

What was wrong with the book? A lot if you read any review on Goodreads. I’m a very unpopular opinion, and I think my own life experiences - experiences that most people have not had - are the reason I loved the story. The writing is hard to get into. The sentences are short, descriptors used liberally, and the chapters take some time to figure out. However, the story is entirely from Will’s perspective. So all those problems lend to the story and his frantic, one sided view of the entire event. And the synopsis does not help prepare the reader. It’s like a bad M. Night Shyamalan trailer.

“They lit bonfires until bonfires until the sweat flowed into tears. The light tinged the circling trees with blood.”

There was never a moment to breath in the story, which fits the theme of Will giving his statement. I wanted more though. I needed more. I loved and hated how much Phoebe played a part. I was led to think this was her story, but it was Will’s story in the end. Again, another reason that the synopsis was a poor example of what the story is about.

“But all God looks to find in us is desire.”

All and all, this book needs to be read with an open mind. Not one of us in the book club could really agree on the what we read. Where some people saw possessiveness, others saw normal behavior. I’m really glad I didn’t read the book alone because it made me think deeper about the story. I already want to read it again. Maybe then I can piece together the reasons I loved it. However, I don’t think this story is for everyone. It’s a tough read, that could leave many people putting it down. I would recommend reading some other reviews before you read it.

Love Kait

Happy Reading

Reading Challenge: 42/100