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Book Review of The Rising: Before They Were Left Behind (Left Behind)

The Rising: Before They Were Left Behind (Left Behind)
reviewed on + 5 more book reviews


I am collecting all the books in the Left Behind series so I ordered this book. I have to say that I found it interesting and wanted to know how the story would unfold.
I caught myself thinking "Do people really fall for this stuff" after reading how the character Marilena Titi fell for the phonyness of Viviana Ivinisova. But I realize people can be vulnerable when they are like Marilena.
I wanted to shake Marilena when she heard the enemy speak to her and God speak to her in the same evening and chose to listen to the enemy instead of God because the enemy was going to give her what she thought she wanted. Supposedly the enemy put an unquenchable want for a child into her thoughts so she couldn't think straight. That is when her life got really bad. She was artificially inseminated and literally gave birth to the child from hell.
I was taken by surprise when I found out that her so-called husband was in on the whole deception plan with the enemy and Viviana Ivinisova.
The book kept jumping back and forth from Marilena's life to Rayford Steele's life starting from when he was a boy in school and ending when he was a man with a wife and children. Rayford's life was centered on making right choices even though you really would rather do something else, and helping others, and planning for your future. It tells how he struggles with life choices, like his dad wanting him to take over the family business but he doesn't wish to.
Roller coaster ride comes to mind when I think about how this book jumps back and forth between the characters lives. But I would recommend it to others because I think it was written well.