The Incendiaries
A Novel
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3.6 • 136 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Now a National Bestseller
"Religion, politics, and love collide in this slim but powerful novel reminiscent of Donna Tartt's The Secret History, with menace and mystery lurking in every corner." --People Magazine
"The most buzzed-about debut of the summer, as it should be...unusual and enticing ... The Incendiaries arrives at precisely the right moment." --The Washington Post
"Radiant...A dark, absorbing story of how first love can be as intoxicating and dangerous as religious fundamentalism." --New York Times Book Review
A powerful, darkly glittering novel of violence, love, faith, and loss, as a young woman at an elite American university is drawn into a cult's acts of terrorism.
Phoebe Lin and Will Kendall meet in their first month at prestigious Edwards University. Phoebe is a glamorous girl who doesn't tell anyone she blames herself for her mother's recent death. Will is a misfit scholarship boy who transfers to Edwards from Bible college, waiting tables to get by. What he knows for sure is that he loves Phoebe.
Grieving and guilt-ridden, Phoebe is drawn into a secretive cult founded by a charismatic former student with an enigmatic past. When the group commits a violent act in the name of faith, Will finds himself struggling to confront a new version of the fanaticism he's worked so hard to escape. Haunting and intense, The Incendiaries is a fractured love story that explores what can befall those who lose what they love most.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
With mesmerizing prose that twists and bends like a contortionist, R. O. Kwon’s slim novel explores the ever-shifting balance between uplifting faith and destructive fanaticism—a timely and fascinating topic. The Incendiaries follows the passionate relationship between two college students: lapsed evangelist Will and party girl Phoebe, who’s increasingly dissatisfied with her lifestyle. We can’t quite believe that this suspenseful and quietly explosive tale is a debut. Bottom line: We’ll read everything that Kwon writes.
Customer Reviews
Good read - interesting premise
Overall solid book, unique plot and angle
Sometime confusing with the narration, whose perspective is being shared, had to reread sections to get it straight
Characters could have had more depth
Different strokes for ,,,, folks
I very rarely have quit a book. And while I didn’t quit this one either, I easily could have. Still not sure what the author intended for this book, but I wasn’t impressed. Sorry. Of course - to each their own - YOU may love it! And that’s what makes reading so great....different perspectives!
Love it!!
My favorite book is ages!!