The End of the World
Reviewed by Phee Paradise
The Mayan Apocalypse
By Mark Hitchcock and Alton Gansky
Did you know the world is going to end on December 21, 2012? Apparently the Mayan calendar predicts it. In The Mayan Apocalypse, a Mayan descendent warns the world of its pending demise and promises a way to survive it – to those who can afford to pay. Andrew Morgan believes him. Lisa Campbell doesn’t.
The two main characters of the book couldn’t be more different. Morgan is an oil executive who blames God for the deaths of his wife and son. Lisa is a reporter for a Christian news magazine. They meet while she is covering the story of the Mayan predictions and develop a friendship of sorts. While he is drawn into the inner Circle of people who will be saved, she tries to gather information about it. And they both try to reconcile their attraction for each other with their different beliefs.
The premise and basic plot of the book were unique and kept my interest, and I really liked Morgan. He was a gentleman and had great integrity, in the midst of a privileged life filled with grief. Lisa was a little harder for me to relate to. At first she fit a stereotype of a persistent, insensitive reporter, but she also showed compassion and remorse for her pushiness. As the story progressed she grew on me.
Hitchcock and Gansky did several things with the plot that had me shaking my head. The first half of the book takes place a year and a half before the doomsday. The plot develops slowly and naturally. And then the story jumps to just before the big day. We learn in retrospect that Morgan and Lisa have become close friends and that Morgan has committed himself to the plans for survival.
There is also a subplot woven through the book that didn’t go anywhere. In retrospect, I wasn’t sure why it was included at all. But the book has a realistic ending that doesn’t tie up all the loose ends neatly. If it were a TV show I’d be looking for part two. It was a good end for the book, though.
Pros: Interesting take on the end of the world theme, with excellent explanations of the Mayan calendar system and a very natural explanation of the gospel. The characters are interesting and the plot has some surprises.
Cons: The plotting was unusual and left out a part of the story.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Alton Gansky is the author of 30 books—24 of them novels, including the Angel Award winner Terminal Justice and Christie Award finalist A Ship Possessed. A frequent speaker at writing conferences, he holds BA and MA degrees in biblical studies. Alton and his wife reside in Southern California.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Andrew Morgan is a wealthy oil executive in search of the meaning of life. In his quest for answers he encounters the ancient Mayan predictions that the world will end in 2012. That the claims seem supported by math and astronomy drives him to check on them. Then he meets Lisa Campbell, an attractive Christian journalist also researching the Mayan calendar. When he learns that she is a Christian, he quickly dismisses what she has to say.
As the time draws closer to December 21, 2012, a meteorite impact in Arizona, a volcanic eruption, and the threat of an asteroid on a collision-course with earth escalate fears. Are these indicators of a global apocalypse? Will anyone survive? Does Lisa’s Christian faith have the answers after all? Or has fate destined everyone to a holocaust from which there is no escape?
Watch the book trailer:
To read the first chapter of The Mayan Apocalypse, click HERE.
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