The Viper Within

DISILLUSIONED WITH HIS childhood faith, Jon longs to restore that sense of belonging to something greater than himself. Enter Jeremiah, magnetic and mysterious founder of the Brotherhood of the Hebetheus. In Jon, Jeremiah finds a willing disciple for his “new” religion, and an eager participant in the Brotherhood’s daring plan: they will kidnap a classmate who Jeremiah believes is part of a terrorist cell. By foiling her plot to blow up their school, the boys of the Hebetheus will command the world’s attention, show a righteous religion as the only real tool to thwart terrorism, and become avenging heroes.
But fate and faith have a twist in store for Jon as the captive girl they call Snake causes him to confront the reflection of what he's become in her eyes. Will the appeal of a blind faith be enough to sustain Jon’s allegiance? Or will he be unable to deny the viper glimpsed within himself?

Grade 7 Up—In this dark and dour novel, Jon, 16, willingly joins a small cult called the Brotherhood of the Hebetheus, headed by Jeremiah, a charismatic classmate at St. Sebastian's. They kidnap a suspected terrorist, code-named SNAKE, to prevent a bomb from going off at school. Bumbling doesn't begin to describe the ineptitude and neediness of this sorry gaggle of disaffected misfits who liberally sprinkle their dialogue with racist and misogynist epithets throughout the repetitive and convoluted plotline. Will Jon complete his initiation into the Brotherhood by complying with Jeremiah's order to hang SNAKE, aka Padma Laxsmi, a beautiful and terrified classmate, against whom Jeremiah seems to harbor a personal grudge? Or will Jon succumb to his desire for SNAKE and somehow help her escape? From the dead body of an elderly woman festering near their hideaway to the adolescent Hebethian "scriptures" and rules Jeremiah spouts to control his small flock, this is a putrid tale, albeit in keeping with various nutcase religious personality cults throughout time and from around the world. Unfortunately, the plot has too many holes. Significant details, such as Jon having twice had access to weapons that he could have used to free Padma, are dropped without explanation. Absurdities, such as killing for peace, are hammered home without subtlety, but relationships among the lads, between Jon and his estranged father, his mother, and Padma are unresolved, leaving a story that is raw and muddled.—Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA
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In two hours’ time I—and the rest of the Brotherhood—will kidnap a terrorist. From its opening line to the stunning conclusion, this psychological thriller will keep readers eagerly turning the pages. Disenchanted with his family’s religion, Jon falls under the spell of Jeremiah, leader of the Brotherhood of Hebetheus, a youth cult seeking peace. Jeremiah convinces the group to kidnap a classmate, Padma, or Snake, telling them she is a Muslim terrorist planning to set off a bomb at school. Most of the action takes place in a remote house where the Brotherhood is holding their hostage, filming videos with their demands, and preparing Jon for his initiation: hanging Padma. In an effort to survive and escape, Padma initiates intimate overtures with Jon, who is the most compassionate and empathetic of the captors. While the snake metaphor is a little heavy at times, the gripping crime story and insight into cult psychology will fascinate readers. Grades 8-11. --Cindy Dobrez