"Virginia" by Susan Hughes

"Virginia" by Susan Hughes will blow readers away. Hughes keeps readers turning each page, not feeling compelled to put the book down due to its controversial nature. There are two girls, Virginia and Ivy, that were friends are young girls but grew apart. One day, out of the blue, Virginia reconnects with Ivy and confides in her that she had an angel come to her with startling news. Ivy does not believe at first. The plot heightens as readers and Ivy discover a startling truth about Virginia's family that involves a jihad-like cult of Christianity. Virginia and one of Ivy's brothers set out to stop it before any real damage occurs. All the while, the book has Ivy's narration with Virginia's at the end of each chapter (some of which are flashbacks). In the end, Virginia commits a jaw-dropping act that saves the day, but not how she originally thought. Strong Christian readers will relish this book as it warns of the false prophets of Matthew 7:15 ("Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves"). There is one contradiction of the second coming of Christ being through a womb; however, that never comes to fruition. Additionally, the way Hughes weaves her story, readers will think Virginia is hallucinating at first or simply viewing a member of her family in a divine light. However, by the end of the book, readers will be scratching their heads and wondering if Virginia really did see an angel.