Broken Angel

Author Sigmund Brouwer ventures into Cormac McCarthy territory with his latest thriller, set in a post-apocalyptic America, where a group of nomads led by the mysterious "Caitlyn" is on the run from ruthless bounty hunters in a territory known as Appalachia. Gifted narrator Kirsten Potter offers a simple yet compelling reading that mirrors the nomads' journey in its tone and pace--slow, steady, relentless. Potter's voice twists and bends to accommodate the varying dialects of the unusual characters who wander into the tale, never failing to convey a strong sense of foreboding throughout. Potter takes her listeners on the journey right alongside the main characters. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

March 24, 2008
In this addictively readable futuristic Christian dystopia, Brouwer (The Last Disciple
) takes readers inside a state run by literalistic, controlling fundamentalists. There, reading is a serious crime; citizens are drugged into submission; and those who break rules are either sent to slave labor factories or stoned to death. Occasionally, a few brave souls try to escape to “Outside.” At the center of this novel is Caitlyn, a disfigured but graceful and brave young woman whose father essentially orders her to make a run for it. For reasons not revealed (even to Caitlyn) until the very end, she is chased by a variety of people who want her dead or alive. While trying to escape, Caitlin meets up with two traveling companions who have their own reasons for fleeing, and she is aided by a sort of underground railroad. Its leaders believe the fundamentalist government has distorted true Christianity, so they risk everything to help people get Outside to freedom. The terrific pacing is surpassed only by the character development; the many supporting characters are extremely well-drawn. Brouwer adds even more suspense by regularly revealing that some of these characters are not who they appear to be.