The Book of Joby

The Book of Joby retells the biblical story of Job in a contemporary California setting. God and Satan make another wager over the fate of humanity, with nine-year-old Joby Peterson as their chosen subject. Joby grows up unaware that he is at the center of a cosmic bet, living a life filled with magic, Arthurian legend, and the everyday challenges of childhood and adolescence. His experiences in a small coastal town involve friendship, first love, and an underlying supernatural conflict that spans decades. The story moves between heavenly realms and earthly reality as Joby faces increasing trials and obstacles. Supporting characters include angels, demons, and regular humans who influence the outcome of the divine wager. This novel explores themes of faith, free will, and the nature of good and evil through its blend of fantasy elements with realistic modern-day struggles. The parallels to both biblical narrative and Arthurian mythology add layers of meaning to what is fundamentally a story about human resilience.

Readers praise the book's creative reimagining of the Job story and its balance of humor with serious themes. Many note Ferrari's skill at writing believable teenage characters and crafting detailed fantasy sequences. The Celtic mythology elements and California coast setting receive frequent mentions as unique additions. Common criticisms focus on the book's length (640 pages), with several readers noting it could have been shorter. Some found the pacing slow in the middle sections and felt certain subplots could have been trimmed. A few readers struggled with the religious themes and metaphysical discussions. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (90+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.2/5 (150+ ratings) "The characters feel like real people rather than plot devices" - Goodreads reviewer "Takes too long to get to the main conflict" - Amazon reviewer "Fresh take on a biblical story without being preachy" - LibraryThing reviewer

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🌟 Author Mark J. Ferrari is better known as an artist, having created iconic digital artwork for LucasArts games like Loom and The Secret of Monkey Island 🌟 The book is a modern retelling of the biblical Book of Job, set in contemporary California with Arthurian legend elements woven throughout 🌟 At 800+ pages, the novel took Ferrari over seven years to complete and was his debut work of fiction 🌟 The protagonist, Joby Peterson, must face his trials without knowing he's the subject of a wager between God and Lucifer—much like the biblical Job 🌟 Despite its fantasy elements and biblical inspiration, the book delves deeply into the mundane struggles of childhood and growing up, making it relatable beyond its supernatural framework