Factually, a very interesting book. If you're not up to date on religious history and the various sides/versions of the truth (like myself), it makes you aware of some viewpoints that you may never have thought about. For this reason alone, it is worth the read.
Other than the great factual information shown in the book, the plot and characters are thin at best. The plot itself is very predictable to the point of being a story line for a soap opera. The characters are stereotypical and short on content. Dialog between characters borderlines on just plain cheesy.
I know I sound like I'm just bashing, but as much hype as this book received, I expected more. It's a very easy read, and I suspect that is why it has receieved so much attention. It reads a lot like some of Grisham's later novels, just a suspense story line with cookie cutter characters and a plot that rarely surprises. Had it not offered so much on a factual basis, I wouldn't look twice at this book.
If you're looking for some casual reading that you don't have to concentrate on, this book has you covered. Just don't make the same mistake I did and expect a high quality piece of literature.
