I Was a Teenage Jehovah's Witness [Paperback]

Nate Merritt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2006

Written from the perspective of a teenager, Nate Merritt's skill as a raconteur is amply displayed in this engrossing tale wherein we experience the psychedelic sixties as well as life in the Jehovah's Witness cult. You'll be fascinated by Nate's progression from a physically and verbally abused--but idealistic--boy of fifteen into a dangerous gun-wielding psycho of nineteen. All brought about by a rageaholic father and the demented teachings of the Watchtower. The Watchtower prophecy that 1975 would bring the End of the World pushed Nate over the edge into a life that mercifully few of us have ever experienced. Even fewer writers have ever let their readers as deeply into their minds and hearts as Nate does, and we are rewarded with a tale that is as hilarious as it is shocking, as uplifting as it is disturbing, culminating as it does in a deeply moving experience of the redeeming power of human friendship. I Was A Teenage Jehovah's Witness is gritty, tough, real and no-holds-barred. With a unique and fascinating style, Nate takes us on an intimate but wild trek into two opposing subcultures. Through the author we vicariously enjoy his adolescent fantasies as he is lured into the Jehovah's Witness cult by the sexy come-on's of a female Jehovah's Witness classmate. Nate, however, is not a typical fifteen year old, and his clash with the Jehovah's Witness authorities is almost immediate. His rude awakening to life in a totalitarian cult as well as his discovery of his own burgeoning manhood is a tale that will keep your attention riveted and leave you begging for a sequel! Car chases, gang warfare, runaway girls, drugs, sex, crime, prostitutes, giants, dwarves and midgets are juxtaposed with tightly wound life inside the Jehovah's Witness cult. Coupled with the angst, rage, and disillusionment Nate experienced through it all, and you have a unique and exciting coming-of-age tale that ranks alongside Catcher In The Rye or Rule Of The Bone!

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

I Was A Teenage Jehovah's Witness is the second book by author Nate Merritt. He very successfulyy recreates his own thought-world from his teen years, and regales his readers with a fascinating, unique account of his life as the son of a rageaholic--physically and psychologically abusive--father, and a mother who did time in prison. Understandably, Nate was propelled by the grim realities of his life into a search for meaning. This search delivered him into the clutches of a cult every bit as controlling and abusive as his father. Ultimately the insane teachings of the Watchtower Society caused Nate to spiral out of control into gang-life; A life of wild parties, drug use, serious crime, and finally, madness. Nate's salvation was the simple enduring friendship of one lone individual who stood by him through hell and high water. I Was A Teenage Jehovah's Witness is many things; a cautionary tale of drug abuse and crime, a very personal look into the hippie sub-culture of the sixties, a harrowing account of life as both a Jehovah's Witness and a gang member, and a deeply moving account of the power of human friendship and Divine love to transform a life. I Was A Teenage Jehovah's Witness is classic Americana, a book you'll read again and again.

From the Author

I thoroughly enjoyed writing I Was A Teenage Jehovah's Witness. The four years of my life, from age fifteen to nineteen, that I explore and unfold in its pages, are among the most colorful and eventful years of a very colorful and eventful life. Some of the events were painful to relive, but ultimately very satisfying, as I carved out a delicious slice of a very odd American pie. People I haven't seen in many years suddenly leapt to life and played their part in this very different sort of drama. I was a teenager again, at least for a while, and I brought my own teenage self to life in this book for all to see and relate to. My emotions, thoughts, and ways of experiencing the world and other people, have all radically changed as I've grown older. So it was highly rewarding to relive what it was like to be a teenager. Yes, I was indeed suckered into a cult of control-freaks as a teen, and I went door-to-door hawking the Watchtower magazine, and I had some truly freaky experiences doing so. After the JW's drove me out, I took dozens of trips on LSD and did things that were insane even by today's standards. My life came crashing down around me as a result. Yet, I also came through this experience with an appreciation of and love for people that I had never learned from my parents, and that has buoyed me frequently throughout my life. I think I Was A Teenage Jehovah's Witness is a highly engaging and entertaining read. I know you'll agree.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Moon Temple Press (May 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977999432
• ISBN-13: 978-0977999439
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,660,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes a book is every bit as good as it's hyped up to be, June 12, 2006

By 

Tovah Feldshuh "Who knew?" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Was a Teenage Jehovah's Witness (Paperback)

I read one of Nate's other books, Jehovah Unmasked, and liked it, so I bought "Teen Witness" directly from his web-site. I figured the book would be good, but not as good as the hype. However, it was everything the ads say! I read it all the way through in a single sitting and then started in again. Teen Witness has actual literary merit besides being a lot of fun. Nate Merritt is one of those writers who can take you directly to whatever or wherever it is he's writing about and it all comes completely alive in your mind.

Nate lived one of the most frightening, funny, intense, and crazy lives I've ever heard of. He enabled me to feel everything he felt as he opened his heart and mind in the pages of Teen Witness. The ads don't say enough. From having to deal with a racist homophobic "rageaholic" father to getting sucked into the Jehovah cult, to becoming a scary and violent gang member, and then a Jehovah again, then being kicked out and becoming a stone cold terrifying thug, to a wonderful ending that made me laugh and cry, this is the single most exciting and downright fun book I've read in many years.

There are some truly weird surprises here too, such as when Nate "dropped acid" for the first time after he ran away to go live with his Mom in San Jose. This is one of the funniest interludes in anybody's life I've ever read. Also, Nate protected a fourteen year od runaway rape victim and nearly got himself killed. There's just so much here. I hope he writes more about his teenage years!

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a suprise! A book with real literary merit., June 12, 2006

By 

Pat Merritt "iolausia" (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Was a Teenage Jehovah's Witness (Paperback)

This is not a ghost-written "How I became a Christian" spiel, but a wonderful look into a teenaged boy's point-of-view and a deeper and perhaps more frightening view of what life was like in the Jehovah Witnesses just before Jehovah was due back to kill all us no good non-JW's. I loved the pithy dialogue, the darkness, the incredible humor (worth reading just for his first acid trip alone), the whole flavor of the book is wonderful and not just of interest to those of a religious bent, but also a great view into the thought processes of a teen. It has a biting, wonderful taste of life and I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, April 1, 2011

By 

Penni Evans - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Was a Teenage Jehovah's Witness (Paperback)

This book is fantastic! I loved Nate Merritt's writing style, the way he swept you through the story. I found myself laughing out loud so many times, so so funny and such a great story. I am going to see what else he's written and order it, he's a fantastic writer. I don't know what his plans are for the rest of his life but I suggest he writes, writes, writes! I put down 9 out of 10 books that I start due to bad writing, bad story line etc. I couldn't even get through the Davinci Code, it was such horrible writing in my opinion, but this book did what all books should do; grab your interest and not let go. :)