Holly's review
status:
Read in January, 2008
** spoiler alert **
Hey Nostradamus.
My personal review: Personally, I thought that this book was excellent. I gave it 5 stars because I actually thought that it was well deserved. The novel was fast paced. I liked how it changed points of view, because that way, the story could be told in different lights, reflected by the characters’ different opinions. This novel kept my attention in such a way, that when I had the opportunity to begin reading, it was difficult to put away. This book also hit close to home, because the main setting takes place in the lower mainland, BC. The only thing that disappointed me about Hey Nostradamus was that Jason’s disappearance was never resolved. I really wanted to see if things would improve between Jason and his father, and if his relationship with Heather would progress. However, that fact does not change the rating I gave it, because I think that everyone should read this book if they can.
Summary: Because this novel’s story is told in ...more
Hey Nostradamus.
My personal review: Personally, I thought that this book was excellent. I gave it 5 stars because I actually thought that it was well deserved. The novel was fast paced. I liked how it changed points of view, because that way, the story could be told in different lights, reflected by the characters’ different opinions. This novel kept my attention in such a way, that when I had the opportunity to begin reading, it was difficult to put away. This book also hit close to home, because the main setting takes place in the lower mainland, BC. The only thing that disappointed me about Hey Nostradamus was that Jason’s disappearance was never resolved. I really wanted to see if things would improve between Jason and his father, and if his relationship with Heather would progress. However, that fact does not change the rating I gave it, because I think that everyone should read this book if they can.
Summary: Because this novel’s story is told in four parts, it may be kind of confusing to understand a summary of it… but I’ll try my best to explain what happened simply. There was a massacre at Delbrook high. The school that Cheryl and Jason- Cheryl’s boyfriend/husband (unknown to anyone) attended. Cheryl is killed in the massacre, so we don’t get as much insight to her life/worldview, however we can come to the conclusion that she dies with Christian beliefs. Jason is not killed in the massacre, and has a hard time getting over Cheryl. He is also rebelling against his father’s religious-cult-like views; and lives out the typical bachelor life, along with part-time work positions, drugs, alcohol, and run-ins with some sketchy characters. He still seems to be struggling with his worldview, as he considers life with clones, and his narrative part fades into Heather’s. Heather is the woman that Jason meets. They fall in love, and make their own secret world together. This allows Jason to open up, and makes for a stronger connection; and when Jason disappears, Heather is devastated. Because she doesn’t have any sort of belief, she finds clings to the hope that a false psychic brings to her when she offers her “clues” or a connection to Jason. When Heather realizes that she is being scammed, she goes on a hunt to find the truth, and leaves her narrative part with an inner peace that was perhaps given to her by God. The final part of this novel is Reg’s. Reg started the novel off as a man with insane, misguided beliefs about God; and inflicted them upon everyone he knew. Over the course of the novel, he ended up realizing what Christianity really means, and resolves to change, and goes to try and reach out to his lost son, Jason, wherever he may be.
Now, that is just a very basic summary of this novel. You need to read the novel to get the full idea, and read up on some of the details that I did not include. And I strongly encourage everyone to do so.
Personal connections: The story forced me to think about how I feel about Christianity, and consider my religious doubts. Going through the testimonies of 4 diverse characters; I was able to have insight into the different views that each character saw God in, and I was therefore also able to try and connect with one of them. I didn’t connect with one of the Character’s exactly, but I suppose that I have the most character traits of Reg’s conformed Christian beliefs: Unsure some days, but confident in Jesus’ love for me during most.
World view: This novel told the life stories of 4 different characters over a long period of time, and explained how their lives entwined. Each of these characters appears to view the world differently, although there are some similarities which can be seen through religion:
Cheryl’s view is that there is a God in the world. Because she is so young when she is murdered, she does not have the same opportunity to question her faith to the extent of the other characters. However, her doubts are laid out for us, as she is being scrutinized by her friends; as she writes “God is nowhere, God is now here” on her binder. (9) Those short phrases represent her uncertainty of God’s kingdom, yet also reflect her reassurance, as she dies with the last sentence on her binder being “God is now here”.
Jason grows up in an environment where God is and always will be the center of the universe. He is told, taught, and punished in a way that displays a misguided form of righteousness. This behavior (inflicted upon him by his father) causes him to question his belief in God, and rebel against Reg’s perfect religious world. Near the end of the story, it seems as though Jason still has unresolved feelings towards his world view, as we leave him questioning the world being a better place with clones. “Look at us. We’re all born lost, aren’t we? We’re all born separated from God – over and over life makes sure to inform us of this – and yet we’re still real: we have names, we have lives. We mean something. We must. My heart is so cold. And I feel so lost … and I feel like the un-holiest thing on the earth.” (146)
Heather also begins telling her story with an uncertain worldview. She is hesitant to accept any form of Christianity, and her doubts are shown throughout her story as she battles Reg’s conformed Christian ideas with her confusion upon Jason’s disappearance. She is equally doubtful of the psychic whom “brings her clues” to Jason; yet clings to her and her practices because it is the only thing that is getting her anywhere. This shows possibility of adapting to Christianity, under the circumstances of a personal connection to God. We leave her at a place where she is still questioning what she believes In life, although she does have some unexplained peace in her life; perhaps given to her by God?
Reg begins this story off with a harsh, strict Christian World view. He forces his flawed opinions of the Kingdom of God upon his family, and in-laws; and receives only bad things from it. Because no one could obtain his level of perfection, they were out casted from him. He drew the people he was, or should have been closest to, away because he firmly believed that if he associated with their imperfect natures, he would be infected, and distracted from God’s laws and Kingdom. Towards the end of the novel, Reg makes huge movements of changing his mind towards religion; and comes to the realization that his worldview consists of Jesus’ love. This love fills him, as he tries to reach Heather, and also makes a movement to find and tell Jason of his radical change, which can be seen through this great quote: “But I haven’t lost you, my son. No no no. And you will find one of these letters. I know you will. You never missed a trick of mine, so why stop now? And when you do find this letter … I’ll shout over and over ‘Awake! Awake! The son of mine who once was lost has now been found!’” (244)
Some ideas about worldview from:
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/printe...
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Hey Nostradamus! 
