Isolation develops a surprising degree of depth throughout the course of the novel, proving itself to be far more than a cheap thrill. Though Thrasher doesn’t consider himself a Christian novelist, Isolation’s plot is faith driven from start to finish. Jim and Stephanie’s struggles with their faith are authentic. Stephanie in particular is a vivid portrait of a wounded woman - flawed, floundering, and realistic, I deeply empathized with her. In addition to pairing these imperfect individuals with spiritual truths, Thrasher drives the fear home through the faith elements, contributing to the novel rather than detracting from it, or seeming tacked on. While there is light and hope to be found and an eventual end to the interminable isolation, there is a long dark night of the soul that must be passed through while the forces of light and darkness battle against each other.
I was advised not to read Isolation at night. Disregarding that excellent wisdom I found myself trembling in the dark as I paged through this novel as quickly as eyes, mind, and fingers can fly. The spiritual message will attract readers from outside of the thriller genre with the potential to speak wisdom into their lives, and through some mysterious synchronicity the fear will dig it in deeper. With Ghostwriter releasing in 2009 it seems that Thrasher won’t be leaving the domain of darkness anytime soon in his writing, a scary development indeed.
Article comments