Official Review: Difficult by Charmlene Junis

[inaramid]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Difficult" by Charmlene Junis.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Fifteen-year-old Petra Rose Everett grew up worrying about the end of the world. Her parents are devout members of a religious group called God’s People, and Petra and her two brothers are brought up in a regimented community called the Kingdom. Apart from ministering to "outsiders" — all of whom will allegedly perish in "the End" if they don’t join God’s People — contact with the outside world is very limited. Petra, however, knows something is wrong with the life they’re living. Her doubts are magnified when Nadine Porea, a Bible student Petra has been trying to recruit into their faith, relates a past experience with a cult. Petra and her brothers, Felix and Elliot, decide to dig deeper into the foundations of their religion, uncovering the shady origins of God’s People and its founder, Howard Alcazar. With the odds stacked against them, will the Everett siblings find their way out of the nightmare they’d been living?

Author Charmlene Junis dedicates DiffiCULT to “victims of cults everywhere,” and her stance on the issue shines through in the thoughts and actions of our young heroine. Petra is incredibly aware of the inconsistencies and absurdities of her religion. She thinks it’s irrational to fear the outside world, and she’s outraged at how the Apostles cherry-pick beliefs and Bible verses to suit their purposes. Admirable as she is, Petra also seems less like an authentic character and more like the author projecting herself into the narrative. For a girl who grew up being brainwashed, it’s implausible how she quickly became so rejecting of her own religion. I feel like I’m missing a catalyst, a life-changing experience, a significant exposure to the outside world…anything that will explain why Petra feels like she’s been “living in a nightmare.”

Petra’s plot armor is also quite impenetrable. Despite her outright defiance, the consequences she suffers don't seem proportional to her actions. The Apostles are apparently capable of rape, torture, and murder, yet Petra somehow manages to get away with a lot, like talking back to the Apostles and even attacking a Brother. Another young girl who pretty much did the same things ends up undergoing a horrific series of abuse.

The story alternates between Petra’s first-person point of view and the third-person perspectives of other characters. This style is somewhat jarring, as other POVs tend to encroach upon Petra’s narration. It’s also difficult to keep tabs of the characters themselves, as many lack introduction, basic description, or both. For instance, when two characters named Ruth and Phillip are mentioned, it took me a moment to realize that they’re Petra’s parents. Approximately 13 Brothers and 12 Apostles either appear in a scene or are mentioned by name, yet they all seem like the same man, just with varying shades of wickedness.

There are more narrative problems, like how the story glosses over moments that are relevant to the plot (e.g., Petra confronting her parents for the first time). The story raises several faith-based issues, but readers sometimes aren’t given the opportunity to make their own judgments about them. Rather, they're expected to take Petra's word for a lot of things. Given the overarching theme of the book, this amount of telling (versus showing) ironically makes the narrative feel skewed and preachy.

That said, readers who wish to know more about cults won't be disappointed in this book. Junis provides information on identifying cults, and she debunks many arguments these zealots use to manipulate their members. Unfortunately, the more crucial topic of escaping a cult could have been handled better. Petra’s reckless approach to conflict can be dangerous when applied in real life. And while the inclusion of supernatural elements effectively underscores the power of faith, it would have been more helpful to ground the story in reality if the aim is to help guide readers who may be in Petra’s situation.

DiffiCULT is a well-intentioned book that falls a little short in some areas. The author’s arguments have merit, but the delivery could have been more subtle. I think the supernatural elements are a misstep, but they may appeal to devout Christian readers. Several plot points have disappointing payoffs, but the book still manages to tie up all loose ends. Finally, the typos I noted don't interfere with the flow of reading. For these reasons, DiffiCULT gets a final rating of 2 out of 4 stars.

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Difficult
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[Miraphery]

Petra seems to have found herself in a religion with a lot of secrets. Are they actually a cult? Your review is nice, it is motivating me to find out more.

[Laura Lee]

Wow. Sounds like this could actually be triggering to those who have come out of cults. I enjoyed your analysis of the book. Even before you mentioned it in your review, I was wondering how realistic it would be for someone raised in that belief system to see through it so clearly and at such a young age. Thanks for your review!

[inaramid]

Petra seems to have found herself in a religion with a lot of secrets. Are they actually a cult? Your review is nice, it is motivating me to find out more.

Thanks for commenting!

Wow. Sounds like this could actually be triggering to those who have come out of cults. I enjoyed your analysis of the book. Even before you mentioned it in your review, I was wondering how realistic it would be for someone raised in that belief system to see through it so clearly and at such a young age. Thanks for your review!

I think it's meant to be cathartic and empowering, though the danger of bringing up unwanted memories could be there. Fleshing out the protagonist's background and motivations might help make her actions more realistic, I think. Thanks for dropping by!

[Connie Otwani]

You are right, something should trigger a brain-washed Petra to start rejecting what she grew up believing. The other points you raise are equally valid. All the same, plot has merit. The author just needs to flesh it out better. Hope she considers your views.

Great review!

[inaramid]

You are right, something should trigger a brain-washed Petra to start rejecting what she grew up believing. The other points you raise are equally valid. All the same, plot has merit. The author just needs to flesh it out better. Hope she considers your views.

Great review!

Yes, I hope so too. Thanks for dropping by!

[NetMassimo]

The impression I got about Petra's tale is of wishful thinking. Indeed, well-intentioned, sadly suitable only for a fantasy novel, not in the real world. I hope the novel can be useful to someone. Thank you for your honest review!

[inaramid]

The impression I got about Petra's tale is of wishful thinking. Indeed, well-intentioned, sadly suitable only for a fantasy novel, not in the real world. I hope the novel can be useful to someone. Thank you for your honest review!

Wishful thinking indeed. You're right. The reality is a different story. Thanks for commenting!

[Kanda_theGreat]

This wouldn't pass as my type of read but your review is excellent.

[Maria Esposito]

I’m interested in the topic of cults, and I would’ve loved to read this book if the plot and the character development were done properly. Nevertheless, I agree with your judgement. Thank you for your brilliant review!

[inaramid]

This wouldn't pass as my type of read but your review is excellent.

I understand, but thanks for dropping by anyway!

I’m interested in the topic of cults, and I would’ve loved to read this book if the plot and the character development were done properly. Nevertheless, I agree with your judgement. Thank you for your brilliant review!

There might be something here for someone who's really into the issue of cults. But, yeah. There are some issues to take note of. Thanks for commenting.

[Damis Seres Rodriguez]

It looks like an interesting book. Cults, though heavily mentioned in a lot of books, are rarely approached from this perspective. The lack of character development or proper introduction is a no-go for me, though. Thanks for the review!

[Juliet+1]

Such a promising story idea. It's too bad the plot didn't quite deliver on that promise. Great review, though!

[Prisallen]

It sounds like the plot was a good idea, but the writing was a little disappointing. Hopefully, the author will take your criticism constructively. Thanks for your honest and well-written review!

[inaramid]

It looks like an interesting book. Cults, though heavily mentioned in a lot of books, are rarely approached from this perspective. The lack of character development or proper introduction is a no-go for me, though. Thanks for the review!

I understand that that can be confusing. But thanks for dropping by!

Such a promising story idea. It's too bad the plot didn't quite deliver on that promise. Great review, though!

There are redeeming qualities still. Thanks for commenting!

It sounds like the plot was a good idea, but the writing was a little disappointing. Hopefully, the author will take your criticism constructively. Thanks for your honest and well-written review!

I hope so too. Thanks for your comment!