Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Caleb's religious mom Evelyn believes Caleb to be the second coming of Jesus Christ. Ostracized from their hometown, they leave for a secluded religous community. Though Caleb feels a sense of belonging, tragedy strikes.
I had mixed feelings about this novel. I like the writing style of third person sections, and I felt sympathy for young Caleb. His mom Evelyn is an intriguing, if tragic figure.
Unfortunately, most of the characters are flat. Though I felt sympathy for Caleb, I never quite connected to him. His personality is undefined, and he mostly reacts to other characters, rather making his own choices. He's a passive protagonist, especially as an adult. The writing also declined in the first person, adult Caleb sections.
I liked this novel, but ultimately didn't emotionally connect to it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

Set in 1990s rural Oklahoma, this is a powerful and heart-breaking exploration of the havoc that religious mania can bring in its wake and an insightful and thoughtful portrait of a mother who becomes unhinged because of her religious convictions. It tells the story of Caleb Gunter, whose fanatical mother believes he is the 2nd coming of Christ, and that the two of them are destined to lead the chosen into the Kingdom of Heaven, on a day which is imminent. As they await the end of the world amongst a small community of like-minded believers, events start to spiral out of control. I found it a masterful evocation of a young boy’s conflicts when faced with his mother’s interpretation of the world while his own self-belief starts to shatter. The psychological and emotional consequences of being in a sect or cult are intelligently portrayed without judgement or condemnation. No need, the results are obvious. The pacing is excellent, especially as the tension mounts and I found it an immersive as well as a deeply disturbing piece of writing. When religious extremism seems to be on the rise worldwide, the book is a timely reminder of the human cost of such irrational beliefs. Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

What a book! The blurb/summary caught my interest immediately. The topic of cults and/or extreme faith has always been of interest to me.

This book was ... so unique. The writing style was beautiful. The pace was perfect. The characters were SO interesting. The storyline was unique. I adored this book, I really did.

Read it.

I had Into Captivity They Will Go on my kindle for a few months before I finally read it, and once I started, I read the book rapidly. The book was very biblical, but not in a preachy kind of way, more in a way that manages to incorporate religion while also caution against it. The plot itself was addictive and fast-paced. It certainly wasn't the deepest book I've ever read but it was a fantastic, page-turning read and a good way to end my 2019.

As a social studies teacher, I am a fan of works that review human nature and historical events. When I picked up this book, Into Captivity They Will Go by Noah Milligan, I had no idea that I was going to find a novel that spoke to so many of my fields of interest. I knew the premise going in, that a mother believed her son to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, but I wasn't sure what angle the author was going to take. Milligan was able to explore family dynamics, religion, the formation of cults, free will, and consequences all in one novel. This book did not take a heavy-handed approach to religion or faith, but rather followed the life and choices of a boy (and eventual man) who was raised to believe that he was the answer that people were seeking.

I have been on a major true crime kick lately, largely inspired by my devotion to the My Favourite Murder podcast. I share a fascination of cults with one of the hosts, which means that when I saw the blurb for Into Captivity They Will Go I was gripped immediately. Combining two highly controversial topics, family and faith, I had very high expectations going into Milligan's novel. I'm glad to say he lived up to all of them. Thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As I wrote in my review for Sonja Livingston's The Virgin on Prince Street, religion and faith are difficult topics to write about. Whereas Livingston took a very personal and autobiographic approach, Milligan's approach is personal in a very different way. His bio reveals he grew up in the Bible Belt and his theological knowledge does shine through in the novel. In Into Captivity They Will Go he chooses a fictional approach to the the dissection of faith. Many aspects of the novel's plot will remind the reader of sensationalist news pieces and the less savory aspects of devout religion. The novel's title itself is taken from the Book of Revelation (13:10), which is hardly standard fare for many Christians. What Into Captivity They Will Go really shows is faith can become extreme and dangerous, and how far people are willing to go for what and who they believe in. Religion isn't the only focus, or even the main focus, of Milligan's novel though. Family and childhood are just as crucial. The vulnerability of children to their parents, the endless burden of shame and guilt, and the difficulty of overcoming abuse. These are heavy topics, but Milligan handles them carefully and directly, resulting in a compelling read.

Into Captivity They Will Go is split into three "acts": The Book of Genesis, The Book of Judges, and The Book of Revelations. Without giving too much away, the first act shows us Caleb Gunter's start in life as an ordinary boy, with an admittedly quite religious background. In the second act we, and Caleb, are confronted with tragedy. The final act, 'The Book of Revelations', finds his adjusting and coping to a world suddenly strange to him. As the name of each act suggests, Caleb goes through major emotional and psychological upheaval during these times. Milligan masterfully crafts Caleb's character throughout these three acts. On the one hand he sounds like a normal boy who wants to play with his friends, who loves his mother, and who cares deeply for those around him even if he can't quite verbalize that. On the other hand Milligan always makes the reader aware of this shadow that clings to him, that heavy weight of "something" that he can't quite shake. It's a difficult balance to strike but Milligan does so brilliantly. It's not just Caleb that is written with insight, though. Milligan's own childhood growing up in America's Bible Belt shows in his portrayal of the cast of characters around Caleb. The way religion inspires people, supports them in their day to day life, but can also lead them astray, is shown with a sharp kindness in Into Captivity They Will Go.

I hadn't read any of Noah Milligan's writing before, but I had heard of him. As such, I had high expectations of Into Captivity They Will Go. As I wrote above, I was amazed by his portrayal of Caleb. he captures the awkwardness, determination and confusion of growing up. In the middle section of the novel, many pages are dedicated to the theological underpinnings of the Book of Revelation, and therefore the Church of Seven Seals Caleb now belongs to. I found this fascinating myself, although it may not be the same for every reader. Milligan also excels at describing Caleb's surroundings, which means that the more action-packed scenes are riveting. There is a slow ratcheting up of tension during the second act which, upon its conclusion, leaves Caleb and the reader floundering in the final act. The question of 'Now what?' hangs over him and as he slowly comes to grips with what happened the reader find themselves once again engrossed by his story.

Into Captivity They Will Go is a fascinating read that engrossed me. It is a highly compelling and immersive read that tackles some very challenging topics without ever loosing its way.

The terrifying dangers of religious fundamentalism.

I loathe extremes of any sort, whether it be in politics or religion. This book shows all too starkly, the horrors that a religious fanatic can bring down upon family and community alike.

The novel revolves around two people, Eleanor Gunter and her son Caleb. Eleanor has been brainwashed into religious fundamentalism by her father and when he dies, she becomes even more fanatical in her beliefs. She grooms her son Caleb, making him believe he is the ‘Saviour of the World’. Her extreme views are based on the Seven Seals of the Book of Revelation. Finally, her community have had enough, telling her she’s mad. They throw her and Caleb out and they go, leaving her husband and other sons behind. They settle in a trailer part, where she finds sympathy for her extremist views. A cult is formed where she becomes the leader but when a tornado hits the trailer park, she takes it as a sign and will allow no outside help, although they are left without food and water and many fall sick and die. News of the cult spreads and the National Guard is called in. Eleanor in an act of desperation shoots the remaining members of the congregation and she and Caleb are arrested.

Caleb spends five years in a juvenile detention centre and on the release is given a new identity. The last part of the book deals with his attempts at rebuilding his life. With the help of a girlfriend he manages eventually to confront his past, even visiting his mother on death row and witnessing her being given a lethal injection.

This is not an easy read and even with the uplifting ending, it is a sombre and thought-provoking story. The writing is compelling and the background convincing and authentic. It is well worth persevering to the end.

Jane

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

This novel isn't half as deep as it'd like to be.

Every other review is impressed and keeps talking about "the consequences of religious extremism" and how it's "sympathetic" and "compelling". I personally had a completely different experience: I thought the book was deeply boring.

About 60% of the book is made up of verbatim Christian sermons that I started skimming after a while. The aforementioned religious extremism was more like "a single mentally ill woman convinces people that they're the Chosen Ones and they don't hurt anyone but themselves". I think reviews should mention more that this is a cult situation and, spoiler alert, I don't care all that much about cults.

The author feels incredibly detached from everything. Serious events aren't given the necessary weight, characters are deeply traumatized and yet the emphasis is on "His coworker, that he has a crush on, is also fucking his boss", or yet ANOTHER sermon, again and again. There's no passion in the writing.

The characters aren't very developed or explored, especially Caleb, our protagonist. Even though the narration turns into first person ("I got a job" etc) in the second half, I never felt like I knew him, never felt like I was in his head. Like the author, he was detached from everything, like an observer in his own life. While it could be argued that his trauma was the cause of that, I don't think it was a deliberate writing choice at all. More like "the author wanted to write trauma but he didn't know anything about it so he chose to be super vague about it" The only interesting part of the second half of the book was when he started visiting his mother in prison and we got a little glimpse into her mind.

The story never grabbed me. It was always a hard decision when I picked up the book, "Let's just get this over with", and I was conscious of every single word instead of the pages flying by.

I don't think I'm expressing myself very well in this review. Let's just say, to wrap this up, that I was very underwhelmed with the book, and that it was very lackluster and vague considering the serious subject matter.

Small town Oklahoma....me too!
First Baptist Church in the small town...me too!
The second coming of Jesus....NOT ME.

Caleb is growing up in a small rural town and attends a small church. As his mother grows more and more involved, she starts to study and obsess over Revelations and the end times. She also believes that Caleb is the second coming of Jesus. She and Caleb leave their town and join a group of zealots - like...David Koresh-y zealots. As with almost every over-zealous cult like group - things do not go well.

Noah Milligan is a fabulous writer and is able to capture small town Oklahoma better than anyone. I wonder if we grew up together and he changed his name because my GOD, he got it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Noah Milligan for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This title is a cautionary story about the dangers of religious fundamentalism and grooming. Evelyn Gunter was vulnerable and brainwashed by her stepfather. Her son Caleb, becomes her obsession as she believes he is the saviour of a world that is self-destructing. It is her belief that only 144 000 souls can make their way to the gates of heaven, and so she begins radicalising her youngest son. She takes him away from his father and older brother and they begin a new life with their leader Sam Jenkins who provides them with a home in a community of trailers. Here Caleb feels accepted after experiencing bullying and ostracism in his old life. He comes to believe he is the chosen one and after a tornado hits the community of Grand Lake, leaving its inhabitants without food, clean water or medicine, he feels that perhaps this is God's punishment and he must do all he can to save the world. As more and more people become sick with dysentery, and as news of the cult spreads, the National Guard are called in, and the community barricade themselves in to their worship hall. Evelyn becomes more and more fixated on the end of the world, and as members of their cult begin to question her sanity, and leave their hiding place, she breaks down and ends up shooting the remaining members of her congregation.

The rest of the book deals with Caleb trying to rebuild his life after he serves his sentence in a juvenile detention centre. He is provided with a new identity and is able to get a job, meet a girl and move on from his past. However, as news of his mother's death row execution spreads, he is recognised and his identity is exposed. Refusing to be defined by his past, he instead confronts it head on. He visits his mother in prison, and in one of the most difficult scenes to read, he is there to witness her death by lethal injection. He makes peace with his father and brother, and in the final scene, revisits the site of the trailer community to finally lay the ghosts of his past to rest. Original and beautifully written, this is a difficult read but a brilliant one too.

Caleb is created in an unusual way and born into an ultra-religious home in the new novel, Into Captivity They Will Go.

After her father’s death, Caleb’s mother, Evelyn, begins to believe she and Caleb are God’s chosen ones. In fact, they both believe Caleb is the second coming of Jesus. To prepare Caleb, who is in elementary school, Evelyn teaches him the Biblical Book of Revelations backwards and forwards. Then they begin to proselytize on street corners...

If you have studied Revelation, there are wide swaths of pages that will be as boring to you as they were to me. The story does eventually pick up the pace and plotting. However, the question is if it is worth waiting for it. For me personally, the answer is no because I didn’t need or like the elaborate setup to the main action. But you may not be as familiar with Biblical prophecies and may need the extended explanation. However, I can only rate Into Captivity They Will Go by my own experience with it. 3 stars.

Thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

From the second I heard the synopsis for this story, I knew I had to read it. For some reason, I’ve been really drawn to books with a religious angle lately, and I’m not mad about it!

This story revolves around the life of Caleb Gunter, a young boy growing up with his family in rural Oklahoma. Following the death of his grandfather, Caleb is caught up in his mother’s intensifying faith and is eventually convinced that he is the second coming of Jesus Christ. Together, the two escape their small town to join the refuge of a new church – one who believes Caleb is indeed who he says he is, and that the end of the world is upon them. Following an immense tragedy, Caleb must reintegrate himself back into society without the help of his mother and friends.

This book does such a good job at giving us an inside look at something we’re so fascinated with – cults. When the story begins, Caleb is a normal boy who is merely growing up in a religious household, but soon we begin to notice things going awry. Following the young boy and his mother, the reader is able to experience everything through Caleb’s eyes, and you really get a sense of how people can be so easily convinced to join extremist groups. It was also very interesting seeing Caleb try to re-enter society, and surprisingly I felt a lot more empathy than I was expecting to. This book was such an interesting read, and the more I think back on it, the more I realize that I really enjoyed it! My only issue with this book is that the last third seems a little rushed, but aside from that I really liked this one! I think this book offers a completely different perspective than we’re used to when it comes to extremist faith, and it really makes you stop and think about how people are so easily convinced to join extremist groups.

Fair warning, the first half of this book is very religious (I mean, we are along for the ride with the second coming of JC), but it’s all part of the story.

Thank you to Netgally and Central Avenue Publishing for an advanced copy of Intk Capitivty They Will Go in exchange for an honest review.

This book is written in three sections. Set in rural Oklahoma the first section is about the birth of Caleb Gunter and his childhood. After a miscarriage Caleb’s mother Evelyn is convinced she will never conceive another child. But after her devoutly religious stepfather performs a ritual over her, eleven weeks later she is pregnant again with Caleb. At first Caleb and his older brother Jonas live a normal life, but when Evelyn’s stepfather dies she goes off the deep end. A Sunday school teacher, she is now more extreme in her teachings, focusing on the book of Revelation and the coming end of the world. She is also convinced that Caleb is the second coming of Jesus and together they are destined to lead the chosen into the Kingdom of Heaven. Everyone in the community now considers Evelyn crazy. Her family is ostracized from the church; Caleb and his brother have no friends; and the boys are bullied and beaten. My heart hurt for the way Caleb was treated by others in the community and the abuse from his mother. Can you imagine the pressure on a child when his mother is telling him “ all the souls of the world are counting on you”? Caleb had no say in his life and, of course, as a young boy he fully trusted his mother. When her husband does not support her in her teachings Evelyn takes Caleb and flees to a friend of her stepfather. There they join an evangelical church and become part of a “cult community” where Evelyn’s visions are more accepted.


The second part of the book follows Evelyn’s descent into madness and the impact of her extremist beliefs has on the “cult community” she has joined and on Caleb. When a tragedy hits the town everything falls apart eventually pitting Evelyn’s community against the outside community and law enforcement.


The first and second parts of the book were intense. With compassion and empathy Milligan expertly spelled out the impact the mother had upon her son and the consequences of religious fanaticism. He showed us how loving parents in a peaceful community which has separated itself from the outside community can be swayed by an authoritarian figure. Surprisingly, even though I could see where this was going, I had compassion for the people caught up in Evelyn’s web. I also reflected on how Evelyn ended up on this path in the first place.


The third part of the book revolves around Caleb, now 18 years old, and his effort to join “normal” society. This part of the book left me wanting so much more. This is a boy who has not known a “normal” life. He had no friends so how does he now cope? His entire life has been based on a false vision. I felt as though Milligan had not thought this part out and just quickly wrapped up the book.


Thank you Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for the egalley. My review reflects only my opinion.

Wow! What a page turner. Divided into three sections, this is a story of Caleb, a 13-year old boy in Oklahoma whose mom who dives deep into her new-found faith. She convinces her of the second coming of Christ, and then takes him away to join a community, aka “cult” of like-minded people. I was so fascinated by the story line because this stuff happens all the time. This book was really something. I highly recommend.

Thank you Central Avenue Publishing & NetGalley for gift this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Noah Milligan's Into Captivity They Will Go is a powerful novel - written in three parts, much like the trinity. It follows protagonist Caleb as he grows up moving into the depths of religious extremism because of his mother's fervent belief that he is the second coming of Jesus Christ. The first two parts of the book were the most engaging for me personally (pre- and during their time in the cult), but the whole story is one that will leave readers questioning the role that religion can play in society.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

3.5 Rounded up to 4

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley. Any thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Into Captivity They Will Go is the story of Caleb Gunter and his mother Evelyn. 13-year-old Caleb's life was pretty normal. He was raised in a Christian home in Oklahoma, he went to school, went to church, had friends, he played with his brother, it was all pretty normal. One day his mother's stepfather dies and this causes something inside of Evelyn to snap. She basically stops living and only exists for awhile. When she finally comes out of this state she has changed, gone slightly crazy. All of a sudden she is telling Caleb he is the second coming of Jesus Christ and is preaching Revelations and of the The Seven Seals on the street corner. The church finds this behavior alarming and kicks the family out, parents are concerned and will not let their children hang out with Caleb or his brother anymore. Evelyn's crazy behavior is also causing problems in her marriage and one night after a fight with her husband she sneaks away with Caleb in the middle of the night and takes him away where she believes they will be safe. They end up living in a trailer park where everyone accepts Evelyn's preachings and they believe Caleb will lead them into Heaven. Things start to go wrong at the trailer park and eventually everything falls apart. Now Caleb is left to figure out how to live a normal life without any support system and must figure out how he can move on and how to cope with what him and his mother have done.

The writing was really good. The characters were really well done. I thought the characters were dimensional and showed emotion. Milligan done an amazing job of portraying the mothers desperation in her beliefs. I found myself feeling bad for Caleb, his brother and his father. The way the author describes the mentality and the beliefs of Evelyn is truly great. We see her first as a normal Christian and then after losing someone dear to her she dances right over the line of a normal Christian and right into a crazed fanatic. Caleb's mother clearly needs help, however she truly believes what she is saying.

I wasn't brainwashed - it wasn't like that because in order to be brainwashed, the person convincing you must realize they're telling you lies. In my case, it couldn't be any different - my mother truly believed I was Jesus Christ reborn, and so why wouldn't I believe her? She was, after all, my mother. She birthed me and raised me and fed me and taught me, and so why wouldn’t I trust her? My very life depended on her.

What, in my opinion, makes this book so raw and emotional is the realness of it. One of my first thoughts is 'and not one person thought maybe this chick is just crazy?' However, this is how cults work. If you look into real life cults (such as Jim Jones & Jonestown) you'll find similarities between this work of fiction and those real life accounts. Mainly, I'm talking about the charismatic leader and the first couple of ready and willing followers. In that aspect, this book was a little scary for me as I don't think it's too far fetched.

This was a pretty good read for me. I found it interesting enough to get through but not enough to just devour it, although if I had read at another time maybe I could of enjoyed it more. Overall, I do recommend this book as it is well written and interesting.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This captivating book follows Caleb Gunter, a young boy whose mother has convinced her that he is the Second Coming of Christ. You follow Caleb and his mother as their faith takes more and more extreme turns, and explore the fallout that results, culminating in their joining an evangelical church/cult far from home.

What worked for me: I enjoyed the exploration of evangelical Christianity and its perception by the surrounding community. It was difficult to watch Caleb’s loyalty to his mother even as their world collapsed around them. I appreciated the complexities that Milligan brought into the story, particularly with Caleb’s own reactions to different events and the faith that he has been brought up in. Similarly, I enjoyed the delicate way in which he tried to present both sides of Caleb’s mother’s descent into radical religion.

What didn’t work as well: The last 3rd of the book was jarring. I appreciate what Milligan was trying to do with it, but it did not work for me. Instead, I wish we had spent more time with the religious community instead and perhaps the last portion translated into a shorter epilogue. I also struggled with the lengthy sermons and biblical passages. I felt as though they slowed the story down.

However, Milligan’s writing is incredible and the story gripping. It will raise a lot of questions for readers, regardless of their faith.

Caleb's mother believes that her son is the second coming of Christ and that together, they will lead the chosen into the Kingdom of Heaven. Every natural disaster, every incident, makes her believe more and more that they are living in the end times. Taking Caleb, the two run away from their home to join a group of other religious people living in a trailer park. After a hurricane hits, they are left to fend for themselves. Weeks go by without help, until one by one the small group begins to fall ill. When the National Guard finally arrives, the small community refuses them entry, leaving everyone in a dramatic stand-off.

SPOILERS. 5 years later, Caleb is let out of juvie and witness protection has given him a new name. His mother is on death row for murdering the congregation.

The first part of the book was an interesting build-up of how a cult can form and how a stand-off can occur. However, there were several things in the second part of the book that made absolutely no sense. I can't imagine any scenario where 13 year old Caleb was imprisoned for five years because of the actions of his mom. It was also unbelievable that Caleb was in witness protection, and when his cover was blown that he wasn't relocated and given a new identity. Based on these things, this book was a complete bust.