Recently I signed up for Blogging for Books. The first e-book I chose was Signmund Brouwer’s The Canary List.
The so called “canary list” was created by leaders within the Roman Catholic Church and lists those who can sense the presence of demons. Therefore, they are used to determine if it is safe to proceed – much like canaries were used in the mines to determine the presence of dangerous gases.
If you enjoy a novel with believable characters, several intriguing plot twists, and a good blend of adventure and spiritual insights, you may enjoy The Canary List. I was impressed with the author’s ability to keep me off balance right up to and including the last chapter.
While I wanted to see how everything worked out, I did notice technicalities I would have missed if I didn’t write and edit. Brouwer’s tendency to repeat words, phrases, and information struck me almost right away. Unfortunately, I found it distracting.
Also, because I’m learning about “deep point-of-view,” I was surprised by the number of times Brouwer shows rather than tells. (I consider deep POV the classic show vs. tell – on steroids. Thoughts and emotions are revealed through dialogue and detailed description of the characters’ physical responses.)
And while the author delineates between the faithful within the Roman Catholic Church and those who strive for power and/or secretly worship the devil, some might find the fact that members of the Church play the role of protagonist offensive.
Still, if you enjoy Brouwer’s books, I don’t want to discourage you from reading The Canary List. And if you want to find out how one little girl can turn a schoolteacher’s world upside down, this would be a good book for you.
If I were to rate this book on a scale of one to five, I would give it a three.
Book ReVu 