Carbon County, Wyoming is like a current running through Daphne’s heart.
When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s the sound of trumpets.
Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.
Daphne landed in Carbon County for a reason. She only has to read the signs—and believe.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Eerie times in Carbon County, Wyoming
By nonpareil
It was all Daphne's fault. Her mother blamed her when she defended herself from her predatory stepfather and the evil dude died. No matter what she did she was wrong. Why then, are ethereal trumpets sounding when she arrives in the dusty, dried-up Wyoming town seeking refuge with her real father's family? Why do things start to go right here tho she's hiding her guilty secret, so far from Detroit? Not everything is perfect, for sure - her cousin's babydaddy is a scary bully - but at least her uncle's family cares for her and then... a miracle! The desperately poor town flourishes, she gets a good job and a most mysterious boyfriend.Anna Schumacher deftly mixes small-town Wyoming culture and the lives and language of young adults whose main passion is Motocross, with oil-strike reality and something eerie coming from a lost hippie commune, something with the power to transform everything... with a Prophecy. But how to tell who's good and who's evil? Who are the Children of the Earth? How are Daphne's talented trick-biker boyfriend Owen and his "sister" Luna who have appeared - almost vaporized - onto the scene involved with whatever this force may be? Will Daphne and Owen survive the evil of blame that would like to sweep them under? Are these End Times?Take the chapter in which we learn about a full-moon orgy years ago at the commune where Owen and Luna were conceived. It starts with the prophetic dreams both are having, goes on with Luna's explanation about what happened that night that still does not satisfy serious Owen's longing to know his origin, and includes a scene where Luna coolly acquires two twenties to pay for their oversized breakfast. The writing is hip and smooth and fun. It reads easily but is never trite.Throughout the plot is persuasive, the action riveting, and there's just the right touch of eeriness. Best yet, those of us who love serial novels can look forward to more as this, "The Prophet Emerges", is just the first in this young author's series about the Rapture.This review was written thanks to the loan of an Advance Reading Copy.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.Looking forward to the next one
By Annie K. S.
I normally read mysteries or legal thrillers but this sounded intriguing. And it was - I found myself caught up in the strange little world of these characters. Each one had a unique personality and I loved how we got to see the different views of the same events. By the end when they started to all tie together, I was disappointed that I have to wait to read the next book!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.Can't wait for book two!
By Jessica H.
I'm a fan of YA books, but don't read them often--I was glad this one was recommended to me. I zipped through it and couldn't put it down! I liked the accurate depictions of small town life, the struggles of teen pregnancy, and religious fervor. I was impressed that the evangelicals in the book were not caricatures, and that the prophecy-believing religious community wasn't written about in a mocking manner (an easy trap to fall into, I suspect.)I enjoyed the slow build, as various strange things occur around town, and then they slowly all come together--and when I finished reading I wished I'd had book two in hand to start with right away! The sign of a good book, for sure.
