Untaken

Author: C.O. Wyler
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Release Date: November 9, 2017
Pages: 204
Publisher: Self-Published

What would you do? Your husband is missing; you don't want to be pregnant; you witness a horrific airplane accident, and you learn all babies and young children have disappeared. Twenty-eight-year-old Sarah Colton may think she is in control, but she's far from the truth, not realizing the Rapture has occurred. Enter the writer's mind as she deals with this imminent, amazing event.

---

Reviewer: Rob Seabrook

Untaken is a bit quirky, written as an internal monologue that offers a deep insight into the character's emotions, thoughts, and inner voice. You feel you really get under veneer to understand the true character. Actually a much truer insight than usual.

The book deals with some quite challenging issues - belief, relationships, unexpected pregnancy, and the decisions it creates. Then the consequences of the rapture ... believers, and children (including the unborn) being instantaneously taken, leaving what the world sees as loss, tragedy, death, and disaster. At times the descriptions are realistic, not sugar-coated, but always decent.

What follows is confusion and searching for an explanation. With all believers gone, the explanations from science, logic, and conspiracy theories come thick and fast, with none of them really making sense. It is quite disturbing to observe the chaos, fear, denial, and ignorance.

It is interesting to consider that, whereas the world view of the rapture and its consequences are as loss and disaster, the believer's view has to be the opposite. It is the next phase in what was promised in the scriptures. It should not be a surprise or unexpected. The author is clever at weaving into the story some of the Biblical promises and prophecies about the end times, which help to frame all that is happening.

It is also interesting to observe how rapidly the world may fall into chaos and despair as the face of God turns away, and with it goes protection, hope, and kindness. Our main character is opinionated and clearly an unbeliever or, at best, a sceptic. The denial becomes more entrenched as the realisation begins to take hold as to what may have occurred in the rapture.

This book is designed to make you think, and it really does. The reader can't help but consider their own situation and beliefs. The "how," "what," and "when" of the rapture may be informed speculation, but the implications are clear.

It is a fascinating story that should encourage believers to be more ready and perhaps encourage non-believers to think a little further.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author through Interviews & Reviews.

---