Uncharted

February 13, 2006
Hunt, the author of more than 70 books, departs from her usual fare with this competent, if spooky, faith-based novel. The plot line is a blend of the movies Castaway
and The Big Chill
, with a touch of the television series Lost
, creatively thrown together with the biblical story of the beggar Lazarus and C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce
. Six college pals gather for the funeral of their friend and end up being "guilted" by the widow into taking a trip halfway across the world to help build a Christian school. When a shipwreck leaves them washed up on a deserted island, they discover everything is not as it seems: all of their inner sins and crimes are literally on display. As the story unfolds, some readers may be turned off by a truly gruesome serial killer, although it helps Hunt make her ultimate point. Hunt excels at reminding Christian readers that God judges petty sins the same as heinous ones, and that being a "good person" outwardly often hides an interior life that is far from pure. Her theology of hell will be a good discussion point for book groups (a guide is included). General market readers, however, may find the serious faith themes more than they want to contemplate.

Starred review from April 15, 2006
Back in college there were six idealistic friends, but only one of them, a doctor named David Payne, has remained true to his ideals. Every year he invites his friends to accompany him on a far-flung humanitarian mission, but making money and general selfishness has impeded the others. After Payne's death, however the friends' gather for the funeral, and out of guilt--and to celebrate Payne's life--they agree to accept his now-posthumous invitation to build some houses for a Habitat for Humanity-like organization. Then, in the manner of the TV show " Lost, "they are shipwrecked on an uncharted island. The place loses any romantic allure almost immediately, and it becomes clear where they've landed: hell. The question quickly becomes not how they'll escape but if. A deceptively routine adventure with an accelerating sense of menace. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)