Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1998)
The format--a story told from alternating viewpoints, with a few letters, radio and e-mail transcripts, and other realia thrown in--is becoming familiar, but two practiced writers employ the tactic and run with it in this page-turner. Marina loves her family, her faith, and her little brothers, but she is horrified when she discovers that her mother's favorite preacher, Reverend Beelson, has just declared that the world will end on July 27, 2000; in another family, Jed accompanies his father to the mountaintop where Beelson says they will await the end of the world and prepare, as 144 of the faithful, to begin anew. They stockpile supplies, dig latrines, live in tents, and build an electrified fence to keep out everyone else. Yet these details are background to the real story of Jed and Marina--she is a Believer, and he is not--as they wrestle with faith, skepticism, family attachments, and their interest in each other. The authors pull off the remarkable feat of making the sacred tangible, of delineating what it means to believe. Beelson is a particularly rounded character: a man who believes that God has spoken and that he must obey. The harsher aspects of fundamentalist religion are not glossed over, and the final conflagration is right out of the headlines. Jed and Marina have epiphanies great and small, and they emerge whole, still searching for belief in its myriad aspects, and for each other. 1998, Harcourt Brace, $17.00. © 1998 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, September 1998 (Vol. 32, No. 5))
Yolen and Coville combine their talents here to give us a story about a particular religious fanaticism that nearly destroys a community; in a delicate balance, throughout they manage to retain respect for religious belief and experience. The plot unfolds in alternating chapters by two narrators: Marina, whose mother demands that Marina and her five little brothers accompany her to a mountaintop where they expect the Armageddon to come; and Jed, who reluctantly follows his disturbed father to that same mountaintop. The leader of their community is a charismatic, complex man who claims that on a certain day 144 believers will be saved from the wrath of God as the end of the world occurs. He gathers them together two weeks before this date and the two teenage narrators tell what happens over these two weeks -- their Armageddon summer. It would have been easy to smirk at and criticize this religious leader and his followers, but Yolen and Coville manage a much more layered and challenging account. All readers, from whatever religious perspective, will be drawn into the dilemmas of Marina and Jed and the others on that mountaintop. Many of the characters are made real and multidimensional by the talented writers, whose collaborative efforts have produced a memorable YA novel here. Adolescent themes of loyalty to family conflicting with self-development; of parents disturbed and acting irresponsibly, and teenagers picking up the pieces; of the wonders of first love, combine with more unusual aspects of the book, making it a reading experience that will satisfy most YAs. KLIATT Codes: JS*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 1998, Harcourt Brace. 275p, $17.00. Ages 13 to 18.

Elizabeth Bush (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 1998 (Vol. 52, No. 1))
No blockbuster asteroids here, folks; this is the real Armageddon, which 144 of Reverend Beelson's righteous congregants expect to occur on July 27, 2000. Marina's Bible-thumping mother and Jed's ex-alcoholic father have come with their children to the mountaintop refuge in Massachusetts which, Beelson assures them, will be spared. Marina is a willing participant, whose recurrent concerns are that her father won't be saved and that her July 27th birthday will be weird; Jed is an outright skeptic, along for the apocalyptic ride to keep an eye on Dad. Each tests the other's strongly held beliefs, and they fall in love at the worst of all possible times. Marina and Jed, each voice strong and individual, narrate events in alternating chapters. Jed's journey from faith into doubt is particularly well realized, as his wisecracking manner barely masks his growing respect for his end-of-the-world companions ("But even though a few of them--like Marina's mother--were seriously over the edge, most of the people were pretty nice and pretty normal. Except for the fact that they believed this one ridiculous thing"). That there will be no actual Armageddon for a grand finale is never a real issue here. Yolen and Coville do, however, eschew a predictable showdown between federal agents and Believers in favor of an ironic and frightening bloodbath between Beelson's devotees and those of lesser faith who crash the gates seeking last-minute salvation. Although the plot is vastly overdrawn, and consequently the doomsday clock ticks mighty slowly, the Caroline Cooney crowd may find this an intriguing spin on the teen disaster theme. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 1998, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1998, Harcourt, 272p, $17.00. Grades 5-9.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 1999)
A charismatic preacher leads his followers up a mountain to prepare for the end of the world on July 27, 2000. Narrated in alternating chapters by two teenagers, the provocative novel explores the nature of faith, the dangers of religious fanaticism, and burgeoning friendship and love. Marina, who wants to be a Believer, and skeptical Jed offer different perspectives on the events that bring them together even as life as they know it is being torn apart. Category: Older Fiction. 1998, Harcourt, 266pp, $17.00. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Lynne Hawkins (VOYA, October 1998 (Vol. 21, No. 4))
With world-destroying comets in summer movies and in the news, and memories of David Koresh at Waco and Jim Jones in Guyana, YA readers of Armageddon Summer will find much to contemplate in this realistic and sympathetic portrayal of the evolution of a cult incident and will be drawn in by the two narrators. Marina has been brought to the mountain by her mother who, in her devotion to the charismatic Reverend Beelson, virtually abandons her children, leaving the youngest ones in Marina's care. Marina wants to be a Believer, but constantly struggles with doubt. Jed has come with his father and is not a Believer. Beelson prophesizes that the end of the world will come with fire on July 27, 19_2000, about three weeks away. Only the 144 disciples who have quietly fled up to Mount Weeupcut in western Massachusetts will be saved. Are all others, including Marina's dad and Jed's mom, doomed? Relatives of Beelson's followers claim that he has kidnapped their loved ones. Frightened Believers try to break into the camp as electric fences are built and armed guards are posted. Is Armageddon at hand, or only a short, fierce hell on Earth born of intolerance and fear on all sides? Yolen and Coville write successfully in tandem. Marina and Jed complement one another; one beginning to doubt her belief, the other finding belief creeping into his doubt. The two authors facilitate each character having a distinct voice--Jed and Marina react to similar circumstances in unique ways while being drawn together by those same events. With its fiery cover and suspenseful story, this book will not only attract readers, it also provides opportunites for discussion on many issues. Parental neglect, family relationships, medical care, hypocrisy, news media behavior, cults, and abortion are all part of this solid story. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 1998, Harcourt Brace, 272p., $17.00. Ages 11 to 15.