Armageddon Summer
Encyclopedia
Armageddon Summer is a 1998 novel by Jane Yolen
and Bruce Coville
. It chronicles the experiences of two teens, Marina and Jed, whose parents have joined a millennialist movement
whose members call themselves "The Believers". Neither Marina nor Jed firmly believes that the world is going to end, though Marina finds comfort in the religion
while she mourns for her dad, who was left below the mountain in the arms of another lady. Jed's mother ran off to Colorado with a photographer, and Jed's dad has immersed himself in various things since her departure, including this cult.
The leader of the cult, Reverend Beelson, proclaims that the world will end on July 27 in the year 2000, and 144 of the faithful must go to the top of a mountain and set up a camp there. Only those who seek heaven at the top of a mountain will be spared from the fiery wrath that God
will rain down upon non-believers. As the cultists prepare for Armageddon
, Marina and Jed fall in love.
The camp is closed to all of the nonbelievers, and none of the believers are allowed out, for their own protection. As the story progresses, Jed comes to hate and fear "the Believers." They have shut out everyone, including a man who just wants to get into the camp to visit his wife and children. He also discovers that they are keeping a stockpile of weaponry.
Jed's father and Marina's mother are both distant, distracted parents. Marina, the oldest of her siblings, winds up caring for her younger brothers and sisters much more carefully than her mother does. (The Marlow children: Marina, Grahame, Martin, Jerold and Jordan (twins), and Leo. Jed has a sister, Alice, who refused to join their father on the mountain.)
Outside the camp, people gather. Some just want to see family members who are in the camp. Others missed the 144-person cutoff and want to be saved (these are called 'LMCs' - Last Minute Christians). Police arrive to monitor the situation and threaten action against the camp.
On the morning of armageddon, the leader of the cult, Reverend Beelson, hands out white robes to symbolise the members of the cult being angels. The entire camp gathers in the main hall, armed men guard the doors, and Rev. Beelson preaches to the crowd. Suddenly, the door bursts open and a horde of the LMCs rush in. Chaos erupts. Jed's father shoots a woman who is attacking Jed, and he flees to try and find a communication method. Marina gathers and rescues all the children she can find.
Jed discovers that the police outside were murdered and the gates of the compound were knocked down. The radios in the police cars are shot out, so Jed finds his laptop (which he snuck in under the technology ban) and gets help.
At the end of the story, it is revealed that 20 people out of 144 were killed, along with numerous LMCs and the police. Reverend Beelson and Jed's father were among the dead. There is a close symbolism between the Armageddon that Beelson promises and the Armegeddon that the believers experience.
The concept of the novel was originally Yolen's idea. Later, she asked Bruce Coville to co-write the story. The book is written with the viewpoints of Jed and Marina alternating every chapter. Coville wrote the chapters from Jed's perspective, and Yolen wrote the chapters from Marina's perspective. There are also occasional excerpts from Reverend Beelson's sermon
s, police transcripts and FBI memos interspersed throughout the book for exposition.
Jane Yolen
Jane Hyatt Yolen is an American author and editor of almost 300 books. These include folklore, fantasy, science fiction, and children's books...
and Bruce Coville
Bruce Coville
Bruce Coville is an American author of children's and young adult novels. He was born in Syracuse, New York and lives there currently; he has spent most of his life there, leaving to attend Duke University and then to live in New York City....
. It chronicles the experiences of two teens, Marina and Jed, whose parents have joined a millennialist movement
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
whose members call themselves "The Believers". Neither Marina nor Jed firmly believes that the world is going to end, though Marina finds comfort in the religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
while she mourns for her dad, who was left below the mountain in the arms of another lady. Jed's mother ran off to Colorado with a photographer, and Jed's dad has immersed himself in various things since her departure, including this cult.
The leader of the cult, Reverend Beelson, proclaims that the world will end on July 27 in the year 2000, and 144 of the faithful must go to the top of a mountain and set up a camp there. Only those who seek heaven at the top of a mountain will be spared from the fiery wrath that God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
will rain down upon non-believers. As the cultists prepare for Armageddon
Armageddon
Armageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
, Marina and Jed fall in love.
The camp is closed to all of the nonbelievers, and none of the believers are allowed out, for their own protection. As the story progresses, Jed comes to hate and fear "the Believers." They have shut out everyone, including a man who just wants to get into the camp to visit his wife and children. He also discovers that they are keeping a stockpile of weaponry.
Jed's father and Marina's mother are both distant, distracted parents. Marina, the oldest of her siblings, winds up caring for her younger brothers and sisters much more carefully than her mother does. (The Marlow children: Marina, Grahame, Martin, Jerold and Jordan (twins), and Leo. Jed has a sister, Alice, who refused to join their father on the mountain.)
Outside the camp, people gather. Some just want to see family members who are in the camp. Others missed the 144-person cutoff and want to be saved (these are called 'LMCs' - Last Minute Christians). Police arrive to monitor the situation and threaten action against the camp.
On the morning of armageddon, the leader of the cult, Reverend Beelson, hands out white robes to symbolise the members of the cult being angels. The entire camp gathers in the main hall, armed men guard the doors, and Rev. Beelson preaches to the crowd. Suddenly, the door bursts open and a horde of the LMCs rush in. Chaos erupts. Jed's father shoots a woman who is attacking Jed, and he flees to try and find a communication method. Marina gathers and rescues all the children she can find.
Jed discovers that the police outside were murdered and the gates of the compound were knocked down. The radios in the police cars are shot out, so Jed finds his laptop (which he snuck in under the technology ban) and gets help.
At the end of the story, it is revealed that 20 people out of 144 were killed, along with numerous LMCs and the police. Reverend Beelson and Jed's father were among the dead. There is a close symbolism between the Armageddon that Beelson promises and the Armegeddon that the believers experience.
The concept of the novel was originally Yolen's idea. Later, she asked Bruce Coville to co-write the story. The book is written with the viewpoints of Jed and Marina alternating every chapter. Coville wrote the chapters from Jed's perspective, and Yolen wrote the chapters from Marina's perspective. There are also occasional excerpts from Reverend Beelson's sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
s, police transcripts and FBI memos interspersed throughout the book for exposition.