First, this tale is a spinoff of a larger series, and the MC frequently refers to characters in that other series. It stands alone, but events in that series determine parts of the action. Second, Penny's Journal is the record of a devout Christian who views the world through an apocalyptic Christian lens. Pretty much everything she records is filtered through a fundamentalist Christian perspective. There is a tendency to whitewash some of the uglier aspects of Christian dogma while demonizing the secular world. In pursuit of this, the journal incorporates a rather impressive number of biblical prophecies and conspiracy theories, many of the later of which were pandemic headlines. My chief objection with the worldbuilding is the marginalization and persecution of Christians in the US. If anything, in the world described, fundamentalist Christianity would be a dominant force, engaged in active persecution of unbelievers. This, combined with the partial dependence on the rest of the series made me drop one star from my rating.