King's Theological Thriller Stimulates, Challenges

A Darker Place by Laurie King

Rarely have I read an author with the literary courage and skill of Laurie King. It's easy to be reactionary when dealing with a controversial topic. It's easy to be formulaic when writing in the mystery or thriller genre. She does neither. Instead, King tackles a polarizing topic with incredible sensitivity and creativity in a way that shatters stereotypes.

Warning: I have a lot to say about this book, so the review is long. I tried to write it so that if you're short on time, you could get by with reading the first sentence of each paragraph.

What A Darker Place Is

A Darker Place is a book of journeys. It is the journey of Anne Waverly as an undercover agent entering a religious community called "Change" that is filled with children. It is a journey into her own regret-filled past. It is the journey of a troubled teen toward desired enlightenment and away from the unfairness of abusive guardians.

It is also, ultimately, a book of hope. King's characters are ruthless in their self-exploration and by the book's end we believe in the productivity of such an examination.

A Darker Place is an exploration of religious communities-what the popular media calls "cults." King avoids that easy label and instead describes them in a much richer, complex depth.

What A Darker Place Is Not

A Darker Place is not a comfortable read. The protagonists do things that are decidedly unsympathetic. They do things that make us squirm. There are times while reading this novel that you shake your head at Anne and question why she is doing what she is doing. There is one scene between her and Glenn McCarthy, her FBI contact, that I am still undecided on. In order to prepare herself for entry into the religious community as her alternative identity, she insists on him having sex with her, and responds in a violent manner. With most other authors I would have called the scene gratuitous and unnecessary. Yet, King seems to be trying to accomplish something with it. It is what I would right now call the weak spot in the book.

It is not bubble-gum reading. There are times I want a book to read that is merely mind candy-something nice to chew on that doesn't require a lot of thought or attention. They're fun reads and give my eyes something to do while I'm going to the bathroom, eating, or trying to get to sleep. This is not one of those books. It's a book that requires the reader to be engaged, to be thinking, to be processing information, and to be challenging assumptions.

It is not a screenplay. While television and cinema has not replaced books, it has changed the way they are written. Often books are written with an eye to how they will appear on screen. A Darker Place is a thriller, but it is not one that would translate well to movies. The suspense is primarily in the character development and exploration of ideas.

It is not a book for the person who likes all of their conundrums to have black and white answers. The people in this book are, with one exception, fully drawn characters who have both admirable traits and character flaws. At the end of the book, we meet two of the community leaders of the English branch. Neither of them are drawn with any particular depth for the important role they play to the plot.

King shows us all the good that the religious community is doing, lest we think all cults are wacky or dangerous. She also examines communities such as David Koresh's in Waco, Heaven's Gate, and the Guyana tragedy.

The Ending - No Spoilers

I got to the ending during my lunch break and was reading it at Burger King. When I read the last sentence, I turned the page and exclaimed, "That's it?!"

Once the shock wore off, I was thrilled at the courage of the ending. King managed to resist the author's conceit of adding a chapter or two to tie up every loose end and beat the proverbial dead horse. Instead, she ended the story at the end, showing her dramatic craft. Also, I was able to go back through the book and see how King had very carefully built up to this ending, providing all of the answers to the would-be loose ends before the ending arrives. This book is incredibly well-crafted and the device she uses to provide catharsis is one that I cannot reveal here lest I take away the suspense of the book.

Engaging Features

Just a few other things I liked about the book:

~Each chapter begins with a drawing, letter, or journal entry from the FBI files on Anne Waverly. These are important to pay attention to.
~There is an interesting theological discussion on cults and enlightenment throughout the book.
~It is well-researched.
~It is suspenseful.
~I've formed an emotional attachment to several of the characters, especially little Dulcie.

In case the passion of this review thus far has not convinced you of my conviction about the quality of this book, let me close by saying this is by far the best book I've read this year.