Godless (novel)
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Godless (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, ISBN 0-689-86278-4) is a 2004 young adult novel by Pete Hautman. It won the 2004 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
It is about a 15-year-old boy, Jason Bock, who develops a religion of his own called "Chutengodianism." His god is the Ten-Legged God, also known as the water tower, and he is shocked by the consequences of this seemingly obvious jest.
This book has sparked religious controversy with many parents questioning the motivation behind it. The author has written a response, which can be read here.
[edit] Plot outline
Fed up with his parents' old religion, agnostic going on atheist Jason Bock invents a new god – the town's water tower. He recruits an unlikely group of worshippers: his snail farming best friend, Shin; cute as a button Magda Price; and the violent and unpredictable Henry Stagg. As their religion grows, it takes on a life of its own. While Jason struggles to keep the faith pure, Shin obsesses over writing their bible, and the explosive Henry schemes to make the faith even more exciting - and dangerous. But when the Chutengodians hold their first ceremony high atop the dome of the water tower, things quickly go from merely dangerous to terrifying and deadly.
