SMALL TOWN SINNERS revolves around a church’s production of a Hell House – a Christian alternative to a haunted house. Lacey Anne Byer covets the lead role of “abortion girl” – but when an old classmate, Ty, returns to town, Lacey begins to question if she really wants to star in hell house after all.
Back when I was a teen in Ohio, my church put on a version of Hell House called Reality House. I talk more about that later, but first, let's discuss the novel.
Hell House presents a parade of sins – from abortion to spouse abuse to online porn. A Demon Guide leads visitors from sin to sin and finally to judgment. It’s pretty controversial stuff – especially the lines the demon guide says as he condemns the various sinners to hell. During the few weeks of rehearsals, Lacey has to deal with friends going through teen pregnancy and alcohol abuse as well as having her eyes opened to the possibility that one of her close friends is homosexual. As Lacey deepens her relationship with Ty – much to her parents displeasure – she is encouraged to approach all kinds of sinners with more compassion and realizes that one cannot simply take over one’s parents values without questioning them first.
This type of storyline is full of landmines, but Author Melissa Walker treats her characters with sensitivity – never letting them become one-note stereotypes. Lacey Anne was pretty similar to Christian teens I grew up with - sheltered, committed to the church and blissfully unaware of her own prejudices. I liked that a romance with Ty was the catalyst for Lacey realizing that things aren't as black and white as she had always thought. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, but I can at least understand why Lacey made the choices she did. Also, even though I thought I knew what Hell House was, I was pretty shocked by the extreme way it was staged.
Reality House at my church was very mild in comparison. I participated for four years and though each year had a different storyline, the basic structure was the same. The first year, visitors attended a “party” and then piled into a van. The van had an “accident” and then everyone was delivered to the morgue. The doctor put each individual on a tray and pushed him or her into a refrigerated drawer. He or she would emerge in a coffin in the funeral home (I usually played a mourner in this scene). After the funeral, they were taken to judgment where God cast them into hell. Hell was full of strobe lights and teens dressed in black that would jump out and try to scare the group. At the end, there were counselors standing by in case anyone wanted to talk about God, death, and the afterlife. Cost of entry was one canned good that we donated to a food bank. I enjoyed the experience and am very glad that my church never put on the more extreme Hell House version. I'd likely have nightmares still!
SMALL TOWN SINNERS comes out TODAY and is available for purchase now. Find out more about it at the author’s website.
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13 comments:
I am looking forward to this book SO MUCH! And I am slightly scared that things like Hell House and Reality House actually happen. That's just so... creepy. I guess I should be very thankful that the way I was raised and my community was so liberal about things. I never would have imagined things like that happened when I was a kid/teen. I was pretty sheltered I guess in a good way. (I know that until I moved from my hometown, which wasn't small or rural) and into the downtown core of the city near me, I'd never even known that racism was something that didn't happen on TV or in books. I was shocked and I was 23 for pete's sake! ;))
I am so intrigued by this book. Where on earth were these spooky houses when I was growing up? I've never seen such a thing.
I never knew there were real Hell Houses, and I'd never heard of this book until your review. You certainly made me curious about it!
*O* Wow, my church never did anything similar to this, nor have I heard about it before reading this novel's synopsis. It takes talent to write something controversial and not make an enemy out of half the world. Thanks for the review.
I absolutely LOVED this book. I am so happy it is out for the world to see - Thanks for sharing about Reality House, I definitely did not know that that sort of thing really was put on - I loved reading the story.
I'm not sure this book is for me but, boy, do I love that cover!
I have never heard of a Hell House in my entire life (other than when people throw that term around casually). This is a totally new concept to me. Now I am completely intrigued.
Wow, this looks really interesting. I've seen a few different reviews that all seem pretty positive. Very cool.
I am reading this one this week but could not resist your review. Wow!!! Now I want to read it all the more.
I have never heard of these Hell Houses before, but thing they sound fascinating. I don't think that I would like to see one of these extreme versions, but the one you did sounds pretty cool. I imagine that it probably taught a lesson that couldn't be approached any other way, but done in a different way with less tolerance might have been a little scary.
oh wow. i have never heard of those kinds of things. i do not think we do them in Australia? :/
i am really hoping to get my hands on this book. it sounds gorgeous and thoughtful and very unique :)
I am so excited to read this book! Mostly because my name is Lacy and I was raised in a small town in an extremely conservative church. I am also really interested to learn about Hell Houses... I think I've heard of something like it, and I've seen plays and drama skits put on by some other churches, but I don't think anything this involved.
I read the whole book yesterday. And I still don't know how I feel about it.
Let me explain by saying I am agnostic. And some things about religion disgust me, but I've always be interested in knowing as much as possible about them anyway.
The way her town was made me uneasy and the idea of the Hell House being real makes me want to be sick.
I hate that some people try "saving people" when their actually scaring people into their religion or forcing their opinions on them.
I did enjoy the book to some level too though. I like how Lacey wasn't straying from her roots but was willing to question the things she was simply told and had followed without questions. But she didn't stray from the good, she picked the good things from the Bible and stayed with them. That's what I liked.
All in all, I think I'd suggest this book to my friends. :)
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