Vivian Apple At The End Of The World by Katie Coyle

Series: Vivian Apple #1
Author: Katie Coyle
Published: January 6, 2015
By: HMH Books for Young Readers
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4 Stars

Seventeen-year-old Vivian Apple never believed in the evangelical Church of America, unlike her recently devout parents. But when Vivian returns home the night after the supposed "Rapture," all that’s left of her parents are two holes in the roof. Suddenly, she doesn't know who or what to believe. 

With her best friend Harp and a mysterious ally, Peter, Vivian embarks on a desperate cross-country roadtrip through a paranoid and panic-stricken America to find answers. Because at the end of the world, Vivan Apple isn't looking for a savior. She's looking for the truth.

*ARC scored at the NCTE Convention in D.C. back in November* 

I'll be honest, I wasn't too sure what I was getting myself into when I picked this one up but the synopsis intrigued me. I was expecting a religious satire and while this does poke fun at the most extreme cases of religiosity and cults, overall, I found an unexpectedly refreshing story (that I read in one sitting) about family, friendship, respect and what it really means to have faith.

Not faith in the religious sense per say, because this isn't a preachy book at all, but Katie Coyle does address the issue that anything taken to the extreme: religion, faith, even anti-faith, is not healthy. Vivian and her friends learn some good lessons, the one that stood out the most to me, was respect.

This paragraph might be my favorite part of the whole book.

VAAtEoTW Page 203

My second favorite part was Harp, Vivian's BFF. Harp is a "Non-Believer" who is a little bit wild, a little irreverent and whole lot of fun! As far as I'm concerned, she stole the show and I would definitely want her on my team during the Apocalypse.

The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger but not a major one. I'm really curious to see where Vivian's journey takes her next!

~ Favorite Quotes ~

"Vivian Apple, what the hell? Are you trying to ascend? In the middle of my party?" ~ Harp

"Anyway, he had no good answers--like, not even rehearsed ones. When I asked them, he'd laugh nervously and then take his shirt off to distract me. And I'm sorry to say, that trick always worked." ~ Harp

"Maybe the hills are too steep and the Holy Spirit is too lazy to climb them," Harp says.