Rating: 
Summary: It's OK...
Review: This book is well-written, but I agree with another reviewer that the descriptions of the murders are disconcerting. It was somewhat depressing that so many people died. Still, the characters are well-developed. I did find the Biblical allusions a bit much. I have absolutely NOTHING against Biblical allusions, but the continued parallelism between the characters and events of the book and things in the Bible was frankly a little far-fetched.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining start to a new series
Review: America after World War III is a vastly different place. It is divided into 7 large States, technology has significantly advanced, and no one is permitted to practice organized religion. As with any activity that is banned, there is always an underground movement afoot. This is where we find Paul Diapola, the main character in this novel. He finds himself torn between the only way of life he has ever known and the temptations of the New Testament.
This book has the same fast paced page-turning story telling of the books in the Left Behind series, however it was a bit strange getting adjusted to the state of America and the world at first because it is so vastly different from what is described in the early stages of the Left Behind books, especially given that the premise is that this series of events leads up to the End of Times and the Rapture where Left Behind begins. However fans of Jerry Jenkins and his entertaining writing will not be disappointed.
This book is not likely to win any awards for superior literature, but the story telling does not disappoint and this book is overall a very entertaining read.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Story
Review: An easy read, for sure, but this story depicts what the future world would be like if all religion was banned. It blames all the wars in the world on religious beliefs and theorizes that wars will end when religion is banned. A compelling story that, I am affraid, is a little too realistic. Jenkins does a great job with character development from atheists to believers in Christ. I can't wait for the sequal....
Rating:
Summary: Despite flaws, this futuristic thriller is a compelling read
Review: Fans of the Left Behind series (which will conclude with the final book, GLORIOUS APPEARING in March 2004) have wondered what's next for the co-authors. For Jerry Jenkins the road has led to a new trilogy, which begins with SOON.SOON is a futuristic thriller. The prologue, which starts with some hard-edged powerful writing, is more in-your-face chilling than anything in the Left Behind series. It's edgy and graphic. It is the reader's opening clue that Jenkins is pushing the envelope further with this new series. The story is set in 36 P3. What is that, you ask? World War III ended in the Fall of 2009, and with it the world as we know it has changed. The religious war has eliminated entire countries and redefined the world, and a tsunami caused by exploding nuclear warheads has obliterated most of Asia, Hawaii and Southern California. The war's result: the world ends up committed more than ever to peace. How can this be achieved? By banning religion and enforcing a law where anyone caught practicing their faith is punished with death. The United States is now divided into the United Seven States of America, and its National Peace Organization seeks out religious terrorists in the goal of maintaining peace. This story takes place in the 36th year after the war's end, post-Word War III, or P36. By the time readers have gone through the opening chapters, Jenkins has laid out a huge concept. Thinking about the wars over the centuries where man has fought over religious turf and religious beliefs, readers will take pause at the concept of life without religious conflict. Jenkins is at his best when he lays out an idea like this. He plays with it from a number of angles, and by the time he is done, readers have moved into this new world to hear the story. Paul Stepola is a zealous agent in the National Peace Organization. He takes his role as an enforcer seriously, and travels around the country killing believers on sight. Along the way he starts to see some startling new trends as there are some unexplained supernatural events, which defy meaning. The NPO labels them as conspiracies, but Stepola starts to see them as signs of something else --- a force that is greater than man, but illegal. After he has a miraculous healing of his own after a blinding accident, he recognizes that religion is a force that should not be denied. He begins to work with religious zealots to spread the word of God while embracing the concept that the rapture will be coming "soon." Thus there is an urgency to get religious information into the hands of those who are not yet committed, as only believers will be assumed into heaven. While I appreciated the concepts outlined in SOON, there are times where I felt the writing hastened the story along way too quickly. There needed to be more tension between Stepola seeing a concept and embracing it. All too often the reader sees the challenge and the setup, and the resolution within a few paragraphs instead of exploring it with more tension, or questioning. Also, whenever I read Jenkins' writing I harken back to my college English professor who once told me after hearing the dialogue in one of my stories --- "people do not talk like that." He was right. The words I used were herky and jerky, and not as smooth as the natural cadence in people's phrasing. I always think of this reading Jenkins. His dialogue should be punched up, as well as descriptions of body language and personality. It's all black and white, and the characters plod more than glide. The awkwardness of the writing becomes more apparent when so much energy has been put into the set up and the plot. That said, when I read the last page, I was wondering what happens next. The futuristic angle had drawn me into the overarching premise, and after years of listening to the nightly news filled with stories fraught with religious conflict, the concept of life without religious tension definitely gets a reader thinking Those who enjoy wondering what if, those who want to know how others have had their faith tested and emerged stronger, and those who enjoy futuristic theories will be interested in SOON. --- Reviewed by Carol Fitzgerald
Rating:
Summary: Just didn't "grab" me
Review: Finished "Soon" not too long ago. Can't quite put my finger on it, but had to force myself to finish it. I've enjoyed other Jerry Jenkins' books, but won't buy the next one in this series. I found myself not caring about what happened to the characters by the end of the book. It wasn't terrible, by any stretch of the imagination, it was just average.
Rating:
Summary: Easy read.
Review: I consider this to be light reading as far as Christian reading goes. It had a great plot, well developed characters, and a somewhat surprising ending. It is written in a way that all ages can enjoy it, and is not overly "preachy" at all. Seldom does a Christian novel meet this standard. If you like mysteries, this is the book for you. If you like intrigue, this is the book for you. It also shows the power of faith, even to those that feel they might not deserve the love of God. The only reason I gave it four stars was I thought the book could have been longer and still hold the attention of the reader.
Rating:
Summary: a real page turner
Review: I had never heard of Jerry Jenkins until I started reading the Left Behind series. I was skeptical about this book, mostly because the flaws of Left Behind are in that it isn't extremely well written (powerful and compelling, but not exceptionally well written). I wasn't sure I wanted to read another religious End Times type story, especially from the same guy. Parts of the premise started sounding more interesting, and I finally decided to give it a shot. The style is very similar, it is a fast paced novel and rather simplistic at times, but a lot of fun to read. It is 36 years after World War III (which happened in 2009). The war was a religious war and the end result was that there is a worldwide ban on religion. This would ensure that there would be no more conflict as most of the world's conflicts had to do with religion. Now, 36 years later, whatever religion that exists has gone underground. Religion and all aspects of it are illegal, and it is hated, feared and denounced by most of the world's population (think a Big Brother sort of indoctrination against religion). Paul Stepola is an agent for the National Peacekeeping Organization. He is rabidly anti-religious, though he is a religion scholar (know thy enemy). His role is to kill (persecute) believers. There are reports of Christian groups popping up all over the country and it is his job to track them down and shut them down, with force. Paul begins the novel as rabidly anti-religious as you can be, but over the course of the book he softens and his journey mirrors that of Paul the Apostle (in the Bible, see the book Acts of the Apostles). There are some very interesting concepts in this book, specifically the vision of the future where religion is outlawed. We know from the beginning that this book will have a Christian tint to it and will naturally support a Christian worldview, but this is also just an interesting book to read. I mentioned earlier that it was a fast moving book, and it is. This is the kind of book that I just fly through. Like the Left Behind novels, the writing is simplistic (not necessarily a bad thing) and this time there weren't any names that felt amateurish and grating like Buck Williams did. I didn't expect to enjoy this novel, but I did. It is the first book of a proposed trilogy, and considering how fast Jerry Jenkins writes, you won't have to wait long for book 2 to come out. If you like religious fiction, give this one a try.
Rating: 
Summary: Imagine John Lennon ran the gestapo:"Soon"
Review: I just finished reading "Soon." I thought it was well done.
John Lennon wanted a world without "religion," at least any but his own humanism. Today, social liberals such as Bill O'Reilly, etc. after 9-11, believe they see the moral (or imoral) equivalance of all religions. Jenkin's book is set in a future where the powers to be are ignorant of the Truth and asssume that all strongly held beliefs including Christianity are evil and false. The events were exciting, fast-paced without being hectic. The character development seemed better than in the "Left Behind" series. Although I liked those very much too! I was going to encourage a follow up sequel, but I see from Jenkin's web site that it is part of a trilogy. How soon (no pun) is the next installment planned I wonder?
Rating:
Summary: It is a great read
Review: I must say I got tired of the complexity of the Left Behind series. Not that they are the most complicated novels to read, but adding on one novel after the next (going from 6 to 10 to finally 12 novels). To be honest, I by this time wonder if TL just wants to make money from the LB series instead of preaching. Not that I disagree with LB's theology. I totally agree with premil theology because it is the most accurate and correct theology in comparison to the lack-of scriptural wisdom the other theologies have. Furthermore, I agree with the belief that in these end of days, these novels can be used as great forms of witnessing. Witnessing the truth toward what is happening while you even read this review... Soon is a great novel, something that has pushed into the territories of James Bond and Tom Clancy. I really like the structure of the novel, the realistic attitudes of those who hate Christianity because ... low and behold ... we see these anti Christian activists such as the ACLU, the Democrats as a whole, and so many other groups flaming the same hatred of the antiChristians in this book. The storyline is well versed and I hope that this is the beginning of a series instead of an off shot story, though I could be wrong. I just hope that, if it is a series, it won't be one of those 12 to a million books series.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Left Behind
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was afraid it was just going to be part of the "Left Behind Franchise", but it definitely is not. While still action-oriented, it does not have the cartoonish quality that Left Behind slid into. It presents a very dark future for the Church. I think it's premise is entirely believable, as we see the Church slip into moral relativism and complacency. Today, no public displays of faith, tomorrow no faith. Please be aware, the cruelty, tortures, etc. that are depicted in this book do go on RIGHT NOW around the world - talk to Christians in Africa, China, and other countries - they are living this today. We are simplistic to think that life is all just a big shiny Jesus-bubble for us, and that we will be raptured out before persecution begins here. This book should serve as a wake-up call.
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