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book review: caitlyn's journey

by Belinda Anders

December 28, 2010

I was not aware when I chose to read “Flight of Shadows” by Sigmund Brouwer, that I was choosing to read the sequel to Brouwer’s novel “Broken Angel.” If I had previously read “Broken Angel,” I believe that the reading of the first few chapters of this second novel would have simply been a smooth transition and I would not have struggled to understand the futuristic societies and cultural changes on which the second book is based. However, although reading “Broken Angel” would have provided me with the framework to jump right into the story of “Flight of Shadows,” it was not necessary to have read the first novel to understand and enjoy the continued saga of Caitlyn Brown.

This second book finds Caitlyn Brown in a futuristic America filled with turmoil and strict governmental control. Caitlyn has a genetic abnormality which makes her invaluable to several influential people who will do anything to capture Caitlyn so that they can unlock the secrets found within her genetic code. In this dark portrayal of humanity, Caitlyn can trust no one in her quest for freedom and her desires for a “normal” life. As she struggles to stay ahead of her assailants, Caitlyn learns the significance of her DNA as she comes to terms with her differences and discovers her individual purpose in life.

I enjoyed the fact that Sigmund Brouwer uses this novel to bring up several controversial topics such as war, governmental control, immigration, and faith. Although this book is not written from a strong Christian perspective, there are several sprinklings of Christian ideas throughout. All in all, Brouwer effectively brings up many ideas and leaves them on the table for you to process further in your own. I would recommend this book as a good read for anyone who enjoys the futuristic “sci-fi” genre entangled with current issues and topics for debate. Excellent read!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.