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    The Incendiaries: A Novel
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    The Incendiaries: A Novel
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    The Incendiaries: A Novel
    Audiobook5 hours

    The Incendiaries: A Novel

    Written by R.O. Kwon

    Narrated by Keong Sim

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A powerful, darkly glittering novel of violence, love, faith, and loss, as a young woman at an elite American university is drawn into acts of domestic terrorism by a cult tied to North Korea.

    Phoebe Lin and Will Kendall meet their first month at prestigious Edwards University. Phoebe is a glamorous girl who doesn't tell anyone she blames herself for her mother's recent death. Will is a misfit scholarship boy who transfers to Edwards from Bible college, waiting tables to get by. What he knows for sure is that he loves Phoebe.

    Grieving and guilt-ridden, Phoebe is increasingly drawn into a religious group—a secretive extremist cult—founded by a charismatic former student, John Leal. He has an enigmatic past that involves North Korea and Phoebe's Korean American family. Meanwhile, Will struggles to confront the fundamentalism he's tried to escape, and the obsession consuming the one he loves. When the group bombs several buildings in the name of faith, killing five people, Phoebe disappears. Will devotes himself to finding her, tilting into obsession himself, seeking answers to what happened to Phoebe and if she could have been responsible for this violent act.

    The Incendiaries is a fractured love story and a brilliant examination of the minds of extremist terrorists, and of what can happen to people who lose what they love most.

    Editor's Note

    Gripping and lyrical…

    R.O. Kwon’s celebrated debut is very much a story about devotion — to faith, to love, to causes — and the ways that devotion can be simultaneously comforting and blinding. Even more entrancing than this gripping plot, though, is Kwon’s language. She writes in gorgeous, lyrical prose that is somehow never gratuitous.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 31, 2018
    ISBN9780525626916
    Unavailable
    The Incendiaries: A Novel
    Author

    R.O. Kwon

    R.O. Kwon’s nationally bestselling first novel, The Incendiaries, is published by Riverhead, and it is being translated into seven languages. Named a best book of the year by over forty publications, The Incendiaries was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award for Best First Book and Los Angeles Times First Book Prize. Kwon’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Paris Review, NPR, and elsewhere. She is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow. 

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    Reviews for The Incendiaries

    3.5/5

    241 ratings20 reviews

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    • 4/5
      At times I felt like the writing style felt forced and then it would get into a flow that worked for me. This is the 2nd short book I've read in a row and it was powerful. Dealt with cults, abortion and the resulting terrorism. It's the kind of book that leaves you with questions. Is she alive or isn't she? It's worth a read.
    • 3/5
      3.5 There were times when this book gripped me as well as confused me. I found myself rooting for the characters, but then I didn't like them. I'm glad I read The Incendiaries, but it was odd.
    • 4/5
      R. O. Kwon's debut novel begins with the end; a group of people standing on a rooftop and watching an explosion in the distance and celebrating. And then the book returns to the start of the story, when an awkward sophomore, who transferred from his Bible College when he lost his faith, is standing alone at a party when he has a drink spilled on him by the vivacious, popular Phoebe. Both have secrets. Will's are routine and prosaic - he doesn't have money and to get by works at an Italian restaurant on the other end of town. He also has a difficult relationship with his mother. Phoebe's secrets go much deeper - her mother is dead and she feels it was her fault, the specific circumstances change over the course of the book, and she had devoted her entire childhood to the piano, and once giving that up, she's left floundering for purpose. Which leaves her open to the oddly charismatic John, who reportedly was held for a time in a North Korean labor camp, and who arrives in town and begins to drawn people to him and his version of Christianity, carefully controlling who is allowed in. A lot is going on in this slender novel. Kwon tells the story from the viewpoints of the two main characters and she dives deeply into who they are and what motivates them. I found Will to be the more compelling character as he struggles with his girlfriend becoming more and more entangled with John's cult, and his own ambivalence about his past. There are a lot of ideas here, presented with some beautiful writing.
    • 3/5
      An interesting novel about a young woman who becomes involved in a cult and ends up committing a terrorist act. Told from different perspectives, including the cult leader and the boyfriend who tries to keep her out of trouble, this book attempts to trace the journey of how one gets pulled into an extremist group. It's interesting, but others have tackled this subject matter and written books I enjoyed more. I felt really bad for Will by the end of the book, wondering if he would continue to cling to his idealized vision of who his girlfriend had been.
    • 2/5
      Troubled Phoebe and impoverished former evangelical Will, students at prestigious Edwards College, are drawn into a mysterious cult. Violence erupts. This lifeless, implausible tale does not live up to the hype.
    • 4/5
      I wanted to love this so much more since I saw RO Kwon and have heard so many rave reviews. Alas, I found it somewhat forgettable, especially the characters. I didn’t understand a lot of their motivations. There are some really good sentences that stand out, but almost too much that they distract from the story. The characters and plot remind me a lot of A Secret History. It’s a short read so I wouldn’t deter anyone from it, but definitely not one of my faves of the year.
    • 4/5
      When Will comes to Edwards University at Noxhurst, he has a lot of things to hide from his fellow student: he does not come from a prestigious background, quite the opposite with his mother an addict and his father bullying the family, he is ashamed of his constant lack of money and the fact that he left a Christian college since he lost his faith is also something he’d rather keep for himself. When he meets Phoebe, he immediately falls for the girl of Korean descent. Soon they cannot live one without the other, but they both keep some things for themselves. Phoebe, too, has things to hide but the feeling of having to share them is growing inside her. It is John Leal and his group where she feels confident enough to talk about her past. But the enigmatic leader is not just after the well-being of his disciples and it does not take too long until he comes between Will and Phoebe.R.O. Kwon’s debut is a rather short read which nevertheless tackles quite a number of very relevant topics: love and loss, faith and cult, abuse and how to deal with it and last but not least abortion. A lot of issues for such a novel and thus, for my liking, some were treated a bit too superficially and I would have preferred less. In the centre of the novel, we have the two protagonists Phoebe and Will who, at the first glance, couldn’t hardly be more different than they are. But when looking closer at them, it is obvious what brings them together: as children and teenagers, they had a kind of constant in their lives which gave them orientation and lead them. For Phoebe, it was music, for Will, his Christian believe. When they grew older and more independent, they lost that fixed point and now as students they are somehow orbiting around campus searching for their identity and guidance. Opposing them is the charismatic leader of the Jejah group. The way he precedes is quite easy to see through from the outside, but it also clearly illustrates why he can be that successful nonetheless. He offers to Phoebe exactly what she needs at that moment and thus it is not too complicated to put a spell on her. John always remains a bit mysterious, but there is no need to reveal all about him, that’s just a part of being a strong leader of a cult, keeping some mystery and fog around you.“The Incendiaries” is one of the most anticipated novels of 2018 and I was also immediately intrigued by the description. I definitely liked Kwon’s style of writing a lot, it is lively and eloquent. Also the development of the plot and her characters are quite convincing. However, I think she could have gone into more depth, especially towards to end.
    • 3/5
      Ugh, another "nerd tries to save a privileged manic pixie dream girl" story. Nope nope nope.
    • 4/5
      The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon is one of those style-reads. The plot is engaging but an equal player in this story is the delivery. The narration is 'punchy' and not 'flowery' if you understand my meaning. The chapters are short, the energy is up, and none of this is a bad thing by any stretch. Just know that the how is as important as the what here.
    • 2/5
      I think this is just not my cup of tea. The story has lots of weight and angst on every page. At times, I felt like I was wading in molasses.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I was really excited about this small book because of the cover and that it was longlisted, however it fell flat for me. The writing style was alright, the topics included cults, domestic terrorism, love, loss, and so much more but I wasn’t a fan of the characters (underdeveloped). I was bored and it won’t be a book I shall be keeping.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      For a book to resonate with me, I need characters with whom I can make a connection. I don’t want them to be like me, but I have to car about them. I never could care about any of the characters in this story which takes place on a private college campus. Mainly told by the boyfriend of the central character, Phoebe, I just kept wanting to tell him to move on with his life or in other words to GROW UP.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This was my book club's selection for January; I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise, but it turned out not to be terrible. High praise, eh?The story revolves around Will, who was once a fervent evangelical Christian but has lost his faith, and Phoebe, a beautiful and troubled former piano prodigy. They meet in college, and around the same time, Phoebe falls under the influence of John Leal, a cultish figure who plays on people's weaknesses. The novel chronicles the push and pull of Will and Phoebe's relationship, and Will's increasing concern over John Leal's influence. It is narrated by Will, and he's a classic unreliable narrator. The story is well-paced and intriguing but has some major flaws, one of which is that John Leal is not developed enough for the reader to understand his charisma and ability to draw people in. There were also some odd plot holes and narrative choices that weakened an otherwise interesting story. But since it is a debut novel, I would be willing to give Kwon's next effort a whirl, because her writing is (mostly) strong, and she is obviously interested in playing with big ideas.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      The Incendiaries, R. O. Kwon, author; Keong Sim, narratorThis book appears to highlight the plight of the immigrant and the difficulty of adjusting to life when one feels unsuccessful or like a “stranger”, even when fully assimilated. Often, insecurity has its deleterious effect on some as they yearn to belong, but do not feel they do. A lapsed Christian, Bible School drop-out, Will Kendall, and a guilt-ridden, charismatic young girl, Phoebe Lin, have met and developed a relationship at Edwards. Both of them have had difficult, dysfunctional family histories. These young South Korean college students seem to be searching for acceptance, acknowledgment, love, and respect.As many young are prone to do, they fall under the spell of a young man, John Leal, who was once imprisoned in the Gulag. This young man is portrayed as a Christ-like figure who now believes he hears the voice of G-d directing his life. He feels it is his duty to direct others, as well. He is charismatic and attracts followers to his cult. When these young students fall prey to their insecurities, making them more vulnerable to outside influences and more gullible, they join this out of the mainstream group. Phoebe actually decides to follow this false god who encourages them to commit acts of terrorism. I found the book a bit confusing and a little disjointed. Told in alternating chapters titled with the name of each of the main characters, it is about students who were all traumatized in some way, carrying emotional burdens and secrets they could not unload. Also, it as an audio book and the narrator’s reading, in the voice of Will only, made it difficult to discern the voice of the separate characters he described. There was no change in the tone or modulation to accommodate male, female or emotional mood.Still, it was a creative, imaginative, original idea that deserves attention and discussion to clarify it.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      adult diverse fiction
      I wanted to like this, but 90 pages in (almost halfway through the book) I got tired of waiting for something, anything, to happen. As far as I can tell, the main characters are Will (poor college student becoming obsessed with Phoebe), Phoebe (Korean-American party-girl with loose family ties), and John Leal (half Korean eccentric mastermind that will eventually steal Phoebe into a secret plot that involves blowing up a building).
    • 3/5
      This was an interesting premise, but the narration style and split perspectives didn't quite work for me. The ending also petered out a bit, and I felt a bit underwhelmed.
    • 4/5
      The Incendiaries focuses on Will, a born-again Christian turned atheist and Phoebe, a lively party girl. They both harbor guilt about things in their past. Will helped convert his mother to a faith he no longer believes in and Phoebe blames herself for her mother’s death. When Phoebe is slowly drawn into a cult, Will tries his best to save her.The Incendiaries was this month’s pick for my Moms group book club. We all agreed that the way the book started off is confusing. I got about 30 pages in and realized that I needed to start over. Once I reread the first 30 pages, I had a much better handle on what was going on. There are no quotation marks in the book, a device that I’m never fond of. Much of the book is Will speculating what Phoebe says in her confessions at cult meetings, making him an unreliable narrator at times.Lack of quotation marks aside, I did enjoy this book. It explores loss in ways I hadn’t thought of previously. Not only is Phoebe mourning the loss of her mother, Will is mourning the loss of his religion. He’s sad that he doesn’t believe anymore. And I’m always intrigued by how a rational person can be drawn into and overtaken by a cult. Even though this is a slim novel at just over 200 pages, we found a lot to discuss in our book club meeting. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      Will, after losing his faith and leaving a bible college, transfers to an eastern U.S. university. There, he meets and becomes obsessed with Phoebe, a previous child piano prodigy who is still dealing with the demons of losing her mother. When Phoebe becomes involved in a religious cult as a way to make peace with herself and find answers, Will tries to intervene and save her from self-destruction and a fateful event.The plot summary of this book sounded really intriguing to me, and as a fairly short novel, it was a quick read. But I found that I could never really connect with this book -- not with the characters, the plot, or the writing style. The changing points of view were somewhat confusing and overall, it was just a depressing read. I think I understand the point that the author was trying to express, but it just missed the mark for me.
    • 3/5
      3.5 I think I need to read this again. Its shifting perspective keeps the reader at a little distance and there are some really clever, thoughtful, intense observations about faith and relationships. It takes place on a east coast college campus, the fictional, picturesque, private and wealthy Edwards, in the town of Noxhurst. Will Kendall is a sophomore transfer trying to fit it, but struggling mightily - out of his element from CA and growing up poor. He meets Phoebe Lin at a party - she reminds me of Daisy Buchanan from the Great Gatsby -- everyone loves her, but she is unhappy and careless. Will falls for her right away, and he is novel enough to attract her interest too. They become a couple. Here's where things triangulate: enter John Leal who has chapters devoted to him, but never speaks for himself. He is a charismatic leader of Jejah ("disciple" in Korean) and with loose ties to her preacher father, he begins to recruit Phoebe to what is essentially a cult. The story is richly layered which brings everyone's motives and the outcome into question. For example, Will has recently had a crisis of faith and no longer believes in God. His freshman year was spent at a small Bible college, but he could not get far enough away, transferring to Edwards sight unseen. Phoebe has a tragedy in her past, but she refuses to confront it until John Leal's influence begins to work on her. This is a small, spare book, but has a lot of depth and complication to it. Things escalate as Phoebe gets more into Jejah and farther from Will, despite his attempts to join with her. It's hard to determine if some of their bad choices are the result of their young age or if they are just flawed characters, but I found myself switching between sympathy and frustration. Definitely worth a read, if not two!
    • 2/5
      I was not impressed by this, I found the plot really slow and the characters unrelatable, and I just wasn't into it.