Can an atheist be saved? The New York Times bestselling author of Crank and Tricks explores the highly charged landscapes of faith and forgiveness with brilliant sensitivity and emotional resonance. "There is no God, no benevolent ruler of the earth, no omnipotent grand poobah of countless universes. Because if there was ... my little brother would still be fishing or playing basketball instead of fertilizing cemetery vegetation." Matthew Turner doesn't have faith in anything. Not in family—his is a shambles after his younger brother was bullied into suicide. Not in so-called friends who turn their backs when things get tough. Not in some all-powerful creator who lets too much bad stuff happen. And certainly not in some "It Gets Better" psychobabble. No matter what his girlfriend Hayden says about faith and forgiveness, there's no way Matt's letting go of blame. He's decided to "live large and go out with a huge bang," and whatever happens happens. But when a horrific event plunges Matt into a dark, silent place, he hears a rumble … a rumble that wakes him up, calling everything he's ever disbelieved into question.
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I seriously cannot get through this book without crying. It is so striking and poignant and needed in life. The story she tells in this book is one that a lot of people need to be aware of, a story that a lot of people may have experience with themselves. For me, it applies on so many levels. Being an atheist in a family of religious people of varying degrees isn’t easy. Nor is being bi in that same family. It’s a struggle that I and many others live with on a daily basis and I cannot thank Hopkins enough for writing this story. This, and any other of her novels, is a necessary book. They open your eyes to the harsh truths of reality and makes you realize that this isn’t some golden age. We are being enlightened of the horrors and ills of society, and that’s important to recognize and try to change.
Rumble focuses on Matt, a high schooler who just lost his brother to suicide after he had been bullied for his sexuality. After the horrible incident, Matt wrote a paper for school basically bashing God and religion, and it got some negative reviews from teachers and his parents. His comments regarding gods et al. were not positive in the least, and he had let go of some steam about losing his brother. The book follows Matt as he deals with the aftermath of his brother’s death, and the guilt he has, and how people are responding to his paper, and how he finally learns how to find faith. Quickly, I am going to mention that if you are going to read this, I highly recommend that before/during/after reading this, you read This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life by David Foster Wallace. This speech also tackles the topic of faith and everything, and these two pieces really go hand in hand. Just keep it in mind. You can basically find a copy of it online. But both pieces revolve around faith with differing views on the topic. As in, how atheism is not atheism (which I do agree to in a way!). A very good combo if you ask me. Matt’s story progresses as he gets into riffs with the school and his family and his friends/girlfriend, and you can see in places where Matt is becoming…more. Like any teen in anger he gets into plenty of trouble and does whatever he wants. He’s coping, and that is why I think he’s mostly ignored. He just needs a way to vent all of that pent off anger (and guilt) after losing his baby bro.
The story/plot is completely enrapturing. Once you get into it, you are never escaping. It’s so frank and real and relatable. And when things really get to heat up between him and others, you want to know what they lead to. And in the very end (or even at any point) you just want to know if he’s okay. He’s a lost man in need of comfort which he isn’t getting from the people he needs to receive it from. This book holds you in its clutches until the very end, and afterward it sticks with you for a while. The characters are of an equal balance. Matt is angry and relentless and loud. Everyone around him holds a different aspect that both compliments his and pairs with his. Some are also loud but loving. Some are detached but familiar. Everything is in a balance that helps carry the story far and get you interested. I loved and hated each person, and I always like books like that: where you find faults in the characters side by side with their strong points. Golds stars for that. And with that, it’s all easy to picture. As in, the situation is very believable. This could—and does—happen, so the story isn’t too farfetched. It’s a very tear-jerking story, too, so that could be a plus or a minus for some people. It depends on how people react to certain things.
The writing is absolutely lyrical, beautiful, eye-catching. Hopkins unique style of in-verse is always a treat, and can still get a full, heart-breaking story across with everything in between. That didn’t change with this book. I was still in love with every word on the page. And I think everyone will agree with me who have read this book. It’s still an excellent read without all the prose.
Read this. No joke. Beyond being a brilliant tale, it’s a very important thing to become aware of. This is not something that happens once in a blue moon. It happens everyday, all over the world. Break your ignorance, please. Read this, and share. Speak out against bullying, especially those of LBGTQA+. This cannot be stressed enough: stop the unequal treatment of people who are a little different in their preferences. We are not animals of a different genus. We are still human beings. Read Rumble, and then read some more of Hopkins books which also real with other important topics. Let your mind become learned of these societal ills that we are still dealing with today. Please understand the world better. This is no feel-good book. This is a book to become aware, or a book to be able to relate to. This is a novel of importance, that needs to be shown all over. It tackles the issues of bullying, suicide, religion, censorship, and LBGTQA+. This is a book of wonders, so I recommend that you all fall into wonderland.
Thanks for acting like you’re paying attention.
All quotes pulled from the novel, and included bonus content.
Carpe diem.
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