Helpful Score: 2
This hilarious and thought-provoking novel follows the exploits of Julie Katz, the miraculous progeny of the humble, lighthouse dwelling Murray Katz and God Herself, as she traverses the hellish terrain of a New Jersey ruled by a tyrannical, Fred Phelps-like theocrat and comes face-to-face with the Devil. There were lots of very funny and memorable characters with whom many readers will definitely connect with, but my favorite by far was Julie's ill-behaved lifelong best friend Phoebe. Outrageous, irrepressible, and unflinchingly loyal, the bisexual hedonist Phoebe was an excellent foil to the more conservative and oftentimes deeply conflicted Julie. The story itself is reminiscent of the film Dogma and also reminded me a little bit of Neil Gaiman's and Terry Pratchett's book, Good Omens. Highly recommended to those readers with an open mind and a good sense of humor.
