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ecraven212's review
4.0
Godshot was a thrill to read! I finished this one in a weekend. It has elements that reminded me of, "Educated" and also, "Handmaid's Tale". I enjoyed the whole ride, and found the ending especially satisfying. Heads up- MANY trigger warnings: Child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, rape, alcoholism, spiritual abuse.
eri_cat93's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
An emotional, disturbing, & tense read, Godshot is 14yo Lacey May’s story as she lives through a drought in Peaches, CA. When her mother gets banned from their special church & leaves her behind, Lacey’s life begins to unravel and the rose colored glasses come off.
From cult life to assault to mother/daughter relations to sex work, I can only call this book a depressing, yet fascinating read.
From cult life to assault to mother/daughter relations to sex work, I can only call this book a depressing, yet fascinating read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, and Abandonment
Minor: Rape
derbit's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jojobrown's review
3.0
***TRIGGER WARNING: SA***
This book was an enlightening, sad, terrifying, infuriating, unique piece of work. I wish I could give it a 3.5.
I didn’t know what to expect beyond what I believed to be a book focused on a young girl who struggles to realize she is in a small-town religious cult after her mother abandons her.
What I did not expect, was that the majority of the book would sexual assault being masked by those in the town as the truly horrific concept of being done “in the name of God.”
It’s really interesting the way they start with Lacey May — the way her voice is at the beginning of the book vs the end really changes and reflects her journey and enlightenment. She begins with a voice so naive and pained for the ways her mother has harmed her that she would do anything, believe in anything, anyone, if it meant a life better than the one she had before.
But very quickly in the book you realize why her mother was really cast out by their manic, narcissistic church leader, even though she was not good to Lacey either. It’s so sickening to see in this story how easily a town, desperate for rain and salvation and prosperity again, would allow such terrible things to happen “in the name of God.”
It was definitely hard for me to get through for that reason.
This story was very much a Handmaid’s Tale vibe meets small-town-cult story.
I felt like the side characters could have been a bit more fleshed out, but i liked the way the author ended it, in many ways.
This book was an enlightening, sad, terrifying, infuriating, unique piece of work. I wish I could give it a 3.5.
I didn’t know what to expect beyond what I believed to be a book focused on a young girl who struggles to realize she is in a small-town religious cult after her mother abandons her.
What I did not expect, was that the majority of the book would sexual assault being masked by those in the town as the truly horrific concept of being done “in the name of God.”
It’s really interesting the way they start with Lacey May — the way her voice is at the beginning of the book vs the end really changes and reflects her journey and enlightenment. She begins with a voice so naive and pained for the ways her mother has harmed her that she would do anything, believe in anything, anyone, if it meant a life better than the one she had before.
But very quickly in the book you realize why her mother was really cast out by their manic, narcissistic church leader, even though she was not good to Lacey either. It’s so sickening to see in this story how easily a town, desperate for rain and salvation and prosperity again, would allow such terrible things to happen “in the name of God.”
It was definitely hard for me to get through for that reason.
This story was very much a Handmaid’s Tale vibe meets small-town-cult story.
I felt like the side characters could have been a bit more fleshed out, but i liked the way the author ended it, in many ways.
obviouschild96's review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
hannahbellz's review
4.0
This book is set in the fictional town Peaches, which is near Fresno in California’s Central Valley, and in the midst of an extreme drought. The town is largely composed of members of a cult led by Pastor Vern, who supposedly brought the rain once before. Fourteen-year-old Lacey May is among them, forced to live with her grandmother Cherry after her mother is banished from the group, and unwillingly caught up in Vern’s scheme to strengthen the organization and bring rain to the land.
"And I knew people on the outside of the church wouldn't understand how I could stay instead of leave, withstand instead of run. I would say those people have never been under the hand of a thing so bad it can start to seem good."
Overall a really engrossing, emotional, and well-written book.
"And I knew people on the outside of the church wouldn't understand how I could stay instead of leave, withstand instead of run. I would say those people have never been under the hand of a thing so bad it can start to seem good."
Overall a really engrossing, emotional, and well-written book.
raygersh's review
3.0
Godshot, at first glance, is about a young girl raised up in a religious cult. But if insight into a cult is what you are looking for, this is not the book for you. We follow Lacey May in a coming of age story as she navigates life in a broken community surrounded by drought and despair. Most critical to Lacey’s development is her relationship with her mother. The novel closely examines mothers and daughters and the bonds of unconditional love in those relationships (whether it exists or not).
I am torn between loving Godshot and mildly abhorring it. So I’ve settled in the middle at 3 stars. Chelsea Bieker has some really amazing moments. You cannot deny she is a great writer. Here is where she excels: deep and cutting moments that sum up the characters’ pained existences. She whips out lines like, “The loneliness of a monster can only become sentimental after it is dead” and I can’t help but sit with it for a moment. There is so much insight into womanhood in these pages. Here is where she flounders: dialogue. Conversations among characters would often lead to large plot action, but nothing about the conversation made sense in getting the reader there. It gave a choppy feeling to the already hazy narrative. There was a feeling of plot events simply happening to Lacey instead of Lacey taking actions in her own. I know this was intentional and it lent credence to Lacey’s helpless position but it also served to alienate the reader.
Difficult circumstances and desperation led to a lot of wild and unique things happening to Lacey. By all rights, it should have been riveting but somehow even with all of the craziness going on, the book dragged a little bit. We got a lot of Lacey sitting around in the heat and wishing for rain. I wasn’t bored necessarily, just unattached.
Overall: this was a really interesting examination of human nature in times of hopelessness, but not perfectly executed.
I am torn between loving Godshot and mildly abhorring it. So I’ve settled in the middle at 3 stars. Chelsea Bieker has some really amazing moments. You cannot deny she is a great writer. Here is where she excels: deep and cutting moments that sum up the characters’ pained existences. She whips out lines like, “The loneliness of a monster can only become sentimental after it is dead” and I can’t help but sit with it for a moment. There is so much insight into womanhood in these pages. Here is where she flounders: dialogue. Conversations among characters would often lead to large plot action, but nothing about the conversation made sense in getting the reader there. It gave a choppy feeling to the already hazy narrative. There was a feeling of plot events simply happening to Lacey instead of Lacey taking actions in her own. I know this was intentional and it lent credence to Lacey’s helpless position but it also served to alienate the reader.
Difficult circumstances and desperation led to a lot of wild and unique things happening to Lacey. By all rights, it should have been riveting but somehow even with all of the craziness going on, the book dragged a little bit. We got a lot of Lacey sitting around in the heat and wishing for rain. I wasn’t bored necessarily, just unattached.
Overall: this was a really interesting examination of human nature in times of hopelessness, but not perfectly executed.
marc's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75