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Reviewed by Laurie Gray for Readers' Favorite
“Unfallen” by Lilith Saintcrow is a young adult short story set in a dystopian Christian nation called Murica where secret-agent Myrmidons drive around in Lectro SUV’s, armed with taze guns, flashing their double-crossed badges. Julie Kingstree, a disobedient sixteen-year-old, lands in Holy Camp for some hardcore orthodox rehabilitation. Her only friend, Rob Maguire, is more than disobedient; he is proud. So proud, in fact, that he thinks he is the Antichrist. Not really believing Rob, Julie suggests he kill her father and get her out of there. Rob suddenly disappears, and Julie returns home because her father has unexpectedly died. Julie tries to protect her fragile, over-medicated mother from being brotherwifed by her Uncle Irv, but they are both at risk of being deresurrected, or worse yet, rechristened, which may include having their organs harvested. Julie must decide whether to trust Rob or the Myrmidons who promise to help her and her mother if she leads them to Rob.
The audio version lasts approximately 50 minutes. In the audiobook, “Murica” and “Murican” sound ominously like “America” and “American.” Saintcrow’s smart and sassy protagonist uses a religion-speak that is as recognizable as it is disturbing. Still, these two teenage rebels seem oddly normal despite the cataclysmic eternal consequences of their struggles. Though Saintcrow’s humor is dark at times, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the unique twist in the ending. I recommend the book to all who aren’t inclined to take the 'Left Behind' series too seriously. Strong character voices and crisp dialogue left me wanting more. Unfallen’s conflict and characters could easily sustain a full-length novel. I would have preferred that to the “bonus” paranormal short story titled “The Last Job” following the adventures of private investigator Izzie Borden (approximately 20 minutes). Though entertaining in its own right, “The Last Job” seems to target an adult audience rather than Unfallen’s young adult readers.
