The Canary List

Protected by the dark of night, Jaimie Piper runs. But is anywhere safe when Evil is hunting you?

She's just a twelve year-old girl, bumped around between foster homes and relegated to school classes for challenged kids, those lagging in their test scores or with behavioral issues. But her real problem is that she can sense something the other kids can't--something dark. Something compelling her to run for her life.

All Crockett Grey wants is to mark the anniversary of his daughter's death alone.

But when his student Jaimie comes to him, terrified, her need for protection collides with his grief, and a tangled web of bizarre events sends them both spiraling toward destruction.

Crockett's one hope of getting his life back is to uncover the mysterious secrets of Jaimie's past and her strange gift. It isn't long before his discoveries lead him to a darker conspiracy, secrets guarded by the highest seat of power in the world--the Vatican. 

~~~~~

When I saw this fictional book offered for review I thought it looked interesting and thought-provoking.  I will admit, the first half of the book had me captivated.  It went quickly downhill after that.  The second half of the book, particularly the ending, was wildly disappointing, if not completely frustrating.

Perhaps because I don’t know much about the Catholic faith or maybe because I felt it cast a largely negative light on it, I was slightly offended.  The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer is far grittier than any books I ever take the time to read.  Maybe I am sheltered, or choose to bury my head in the sand against such issues as pedophilia within the Catholic church, but some things I just don’t need in my mind.

The book deals largely with demons and the “spiritual realm”, which I agree is real.  I think too much attention was given to it in this book…and far too little to the saving, redemptive grace of our Savior.  FAR too little…as in none.  Also, so much was written about DNA and genealogy.  Yawn.  So boring. 

I was hoping for a much more satisfying, happy ending the whole way through the book.  I was disappointed.  It left many unanswered questions and lots of loose ends.  When the book ended, I was left confused and sad that I had wasted my time reading it.  

Read the first chapter here. 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.