Book Chop: The Fourth Nephite

Title: The Fourth Nephite #1
Author: Jeff Savage
Genre: LDS YA fantasy
Verdict: Good new series for LDS teens

Frequent readers of GrahamChops are no stranger to Jeff Savage's work, or the arch-rivalry he and I came so close to having. We run into each other a lot at authorly functions in Utah Valley, and I get to hear about his projects with his various publishers.

Last year he added a new series to his lineup of work when his publisher asked him for a hardline fantasy novel for LDS teens. After letting the idea simmer, he came up with The Fourth Nephite, a book that relies heavily on the Book of Mormon and LDS Church History as the source material for its story.

The plot centers on Kaleo Steele, an LDS teen who is less-than-excited about the gospel, the scriptures, attending seminary, all of that. He's not out living life riotously, but he doesn't believe the Church is true and doesn't want to bother with it.

When he gets caught at a bleacher-party with an open beer the day before his Big Football Game, his seminary teacher makes him a deal: he'll forget that he saw Kaleo there if he (Kaleo) goes up to Salt Lake and meets with the mysterious Ladan.

Soon Kaleo finds himself stuck in underground tunnels that lead to 19th century Palmyra, New York, the site of an excitable religious uprising. A man named Joseph Smith is the center of much debate and hysteria--people seem to love him or outright hate him, mostly the latter. They decry his so-called visions as born of the devil, and mock him for claiming to have seen God.

After Kaleo meets the Smiths and a number of other prominent residents of Palmyra, he's forced to decide what he really thinks about the situations and circumstances that brought about the Restoration of the Church. Was it the result of a deluded man? A con artist? Or a true Prophet?

Savage doesn't pull any punches with this book. It smacks of Chris Heimerdinger's Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites series, but isn't so heavy-handed in showing Church history. The characters show their feelings and opinions without being preachy or beating the reader over the head, and I think that will help teens get the message of the story quite well. His descriptions of Palmyra in the 1800 were really vivid and well-researched, and included an index of historical facts at the back to show what was real and what he'd woven into the story as necessary.

I was also impressed with the narrative and the quality of writing. Savage used some of his best work for The Fourth Nephite. I never got bored or skimmed over it. He didn't go easy on his characters either--tension ran high near the climax, and I liked that. Kaleo didn't have an easy way of resolving the issues he had to deal with.

The Fourth Nephite is due out next month. I got to read an ARC at my work. A quick, enjoyable read.