Soul Harvest (Left Behind, No. 4) [Kindle Edition]

This is an action adventure series and L&J provide the necessary tension to keep you guessing. It is however written at about the 8th grade level so you will not need a dictionary.

Having now read 4 of these books I can at least say that it is easier to look past the trite, simplistic and hackneyed writing. The dialogue is still like listening to 3rd graders play make-believe and the situations the characters get themselves into are sadly contrived. However, with each book it becomes easier to look past that and enjoy the serial-style excitement these books offer. The vapid characters have become less-annoying, like any friend that occasionally gets on your nerves.

The storylines become more complex as we make our way to the Glorious Appearing heralded in the final book. This complexity is due largely to the fact that we have so much back story now, and that may be another reason I continue to enjoy these books. Don't get me wrong, these are NOT complex books. One just becomes numb to the egregious flaws in the writing and carried away by the world proffered in this scenario.

This book tends to be a bit more blatant in its preaching, but the messages are not bothersome. While they do seem to be dropped into the middle of a chapter like a commercial for Jesus during your favorite soap opera, you are willing to role with them.

This book could have easily been cut in half (as they all could) especially since each of these books covers only about 1-2 weeks of story time. The authors waste so much time describing each character's actions, I often feel as if it is being done on purpose to stretch the series out for another book. Are they trying to get the message out there about God or are they trying to sell more books? You decide. The Tribulation is 7 years, and we get to read about it one day at a time.

From the other reviews I've read here the Christians that read these tend to believe they are the greatest books ever written (outside of the Bible, of course). To them, please read something by Steinbeck or Maughum and appreciate the Left Behind books for what they are: a fun repast that fictionalizes and dramatizes a very frightening and unknowable biblical event.

The non-believers tend to find them drivel. To them, lighten up! Find the nut buried in the sand. Your preaching is far more offensive because you have NO foundation to preach from. Have you ever stopped to wonder about the idea of Faith?

I simply wish the Christian faith could have been better served by good writing. Bad writing will alienate this message from getting through to so many people and further the cause of those who make fun of the faithful.

And yet, I will continue to read every single one of these books. I give it two stars solely because of the writing. If there was another rating for message and content, I'd give it 4 stars. laredarel@aol.com