Come Again is a novel that represents Rick Novak’s fictionalized vision of the end of the world from a religious view point. When advertising executive Ray Cass needs a miracle, he asks God to save his dying daughter. In exchange, God asks for a favor in return. Jesus is coming back to earth, and God wants Ray to use his marketing expertise to promote His return. So Ray starts a campaign to advertise the second coming of Jesus. Some people are in support of Ray, like Ted Cavanaugh, an assistant to the Archbishop of Chicago, and Scott Darrow, a priest whose mission is to minister to the poor. But there are many who oppose Ray and his religious campaign, and those in opposition include both the non-religious, the extremely religious zealots, and some televangelists. The violence is escalating quickly. Some of the stronger opposition even threaten the life of Ray’s assistant, Gina, and Ray finds himself caught in the crossfire.

Come Again is a really interesting story, especially if you are religious or familiar with the idea of the end of days. But even for those that are not overly religious, this story has broad appeal. It talks about the end of the world and shows the crazy and violent ways people react. I really liked the setting that Rick Novak used for this story. Novak created a vivid world that was very familiar. It felt real and as if all of the actions he described were actually happening. I thought his work on world building was very impressive.

Come Again by Rick Novak is a story about what happens when a person pleads with God. Ray Cass asks God for one favor: save the life of his dying daughter. In exchange for this request, Ray must promote Jesus’ second coming. So Ray begins an interesting campaign that is fraught with a number of different dangers. Religious zealots scream that his antics are heresy. His house is crawling with people, both supporters and protesters, who want him to hear what they have to say about his work. Through this entire journey Ray has to decide what it is he believes in, since his faith in a higher power was rocked by the death of his wife five years ago. It isn’t easy to hear what people are saying about him or the man he is promoting, but over the course of history when has it ever been easy being associated with the Son of God?

Come Again is a very unique novel. I commend Rick Novak for coming up with this highly creative idea. And I think a lot of readers will be intrigued by the topic. How far would you go to save someone that you loved? And how would you deal with the stress of trying to promote the Son of God that so many people don’t believe in? I thought Rick Novak handled this topic beautifully, and the writing was witty, funny, and engaging. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning and couldn’t wait to find out how the story ended.

Think about this: your daughter is dying of leukemia and there is little left the doctors can do to save her. So who do you turn to? Would you ask one last favor of a god you don’t really believe in anymore, after the death of your significant other five years ago? And what if God answers with a surprising miracle, only to ask for a favor in exchange. Your child for his. He wants you to help promote the second coming of his son, Jesus Christ. This is the premise that Rick Novak wrote in Come Again. Ray Cass asks for and receives his miracle. But he isn’t prepared for the wave of response he gets for orchestrating the second coming. Some people accept his work. Some think he is a deranged fanatic. As coverage by the media increases, Ray must start defending his work from the zealots who try to scream over his blasphemy. And throughout it all, Ray must decide how much he believes. And who he believes in.

I really enjoyed Come Again. It is a different type of story, but I think it will appeal to a lot of different readers. Even nonreligious readers can appreciate the dilemma that Ray faces as he tries to sort through his emotions as well as the reaction that he receives from the people in his community. The writing is very strong and the characters are sharp. Ray’s internal thinking is clearly set out for us and we get a real sense of the turmoil that he is going through.