Rumble

by Ellen Hopkins

[Angie]

Rumble is a fascinating examination of religion, but as with all of this author's books, it's more than that. She covers a lot of topics including suicide, bullying, censorship, PTSD, and infidelity. But amongst all that, I think the main messages were of love forgiveness. Those two things are suppose to be the basis of Christianity, but of course, they can and do exist outside of religion. Matt is struggling with both of these in the aftermath of his younger brother's suicide. And a paper he writes about why God cannot exist raises some red flags. Matt was just stating his opinion, but underlying that is a lot of anger.

I really, really liked Rumble. Matt is one of those characters who is difficult to like, but at the same time is an engrossing narrator. He's not the nicest guy, but he's not a bad guy either. He just says and thinks horrible things sometimes (don't we all!), and has a mighty high opinion of himself. I did find him a bit hard to care about at first, but soon enough, I loved his honesty and could totally understand all of these negative feelings he had. Later his anger turns to guilt as he learns some things about the circumstances of his brother's suicide.

I also liked the way Rumble handled religion. Matt is obviously atheist, but his girlfriend is Christian. It's an odd pairing, but he respects her beliefs even if he doesn't agree. And she doesn't try to convert him, and only asks for his understanding and acceptance. However, throughout the book she gets deeper and deeper into her religion and further and further from Matt. He still loves her, but then secrets come out and it's the last straw. I was mad at her right along side Matt, but at the same time I felt bad for her, because I really believed that she thought she was doing the right/Christian thing. It's just a big mess, but I liked how it didn't feel like the author was taking sides. They each had their own beliefs, and both were equally valid.

Like I said earlier, I felt like Rumble was a lot more about love and forgiveness than any religious journey for Matt. He has a lot of people who he could forgive, but isn't ready or willing to. There's also people who he needs forgiveness from. Matt is very good at holding a grudge, which is part of the reason why he can't move on, not that he thinks he should. He also sees that there's different kinds of love, and that love can change over time. He sees his parents' marriage fall apart, as well as his own, but then there's his uncle and his girlfriend who are going strong despite never marrying.

Rumble does have a surprise ending. I never saw that one coming at all! But I do think that was the point, since it's something that often just happens, seemingly out of nowhere. There are signs, but they're ignored until it's too late. It was an experience that changes Matt deeply, and while at first it seemed to come out of left field, I do think it was a fitting ending to Matt's journey.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.