No Parking at the End Times

Abigail’s faith has been shaken. Her parents sold their home and belongings in order to make a cross-country pilgrimage in preparation for the end of the world, but the rapture failed to materialize. Now, living in a van with her parents and moody brother, Abigail feels lost. She no longer trusts God or her parents, so where does she go from here?

Few YA titles outside the dystopian genre start off in as dire and dour a place as No Parking at the End Times, but despite Abigail’s trials and tribulations, her story remains optimistic. She wants to maintain her closeness with her brother. She wants a reason to believe in her parents again. And, although the book’s events continue to challenge her, that message of optimism is a crucial one.

Bryan Bliss invests most of his energy in Abigail, leaving her family and other characters as fairly simple ciphers for Abigail’s frustration and optimism. While they’re by no means one-dimensional, none of them get half the emotional investment or depth of our protagonist.

That being said, the vulnerable, yet resilient Abigail makes for an intriguing musing on faith and family.