Books

The Incendiaries

R.O. Kwon

R.O. Kwon's debut novel is a story of religion and fanaticism at an elite college. Will Kendall is a lapsed evangelical who arrives at Edwards University and immediately falls in love with Phoebe, a Korean-American student. Phoebe in turn falls under the sway of John Leal, a barefoot proselytizer who supposedly was abducted into the North Korean gulag while doing missionary work in China. The story follows Phoebe and Will's relationship through her induction into Leal's cult and to a shocking act of violence. There are echoes of Emma Cline's The Girls, Donna Tartt's The Secret History and even Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. I was also reminded of the story of John Chau, killed last year in the Andaman Islands while attempting to preach to an uncontacted tribe. The central question of the book is why Phoebe is susceptible, and Kwon suggests a few too many explanations for Phoebe's actions. We see Phoebe's childhood piano playing; her father's evangelical Christianity and her parents' tangled relationship; and even an uncomfortable relationship-rape scene between her and Will. Overall, structure of the novel is tight and suspenseful, and is an enjoyable and quick read.

January 1, 2020