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carraujo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
areadingrose's review against another edition
2.0
This is NOT a book about a cult.
This is NOT a book about the end of the world.
This is a book about a prophet.
While this book starts off in a cult and simultaneously at the end of the world it actually has very little plot development for either of those major themes. Instead this is about a girl who hears God in nature.
After all why choose one plot when you can just include all of them. I initially picked this book up because I was intrigued by the type 1 representation but I was disappointed in the end. While it was mostly accurate (type 1 is not difficult to depict) the end felt cheap.
I think I would’ve liked this book a lot more if I had found it in the religious section and not the YA fiction section. I was just unprepared for what this book was actually going to be about.
If you’re expecting a story about a cult or about the end of the world or about both of those things you might be slightly disappointed when reading this book like I was. However if you’re expecting a story about a prophet coming to life under those circumstances then this is the book for you.
This is NOT a book about the end of the world.
This is a book about a prophet.
While this book starts off in a cult and simultaneously at the end of the world it actually has very little plot development for either of those major themes. Instead this is about a girl who hears God in nature.
After all why choose one plot when you can just include all of them. I initially picked this book up because I was intrigued by the type 1 representation but I was disappointed in the end. While it was mostly accurate (type 1 is not difficult to depict) the end felt cheap.
I think I would’ve liked this book a lot more if I had found it in the religious section and not the YA fiction section. I was just unprepared for what this book was actually going to be about.
If you’re expecting a story about a cult or about the end of the world or about both of those things you might be slightly disappointed when reading this book like I was. However if you’re expecting a story about a prophet coming to life under those circumstances then this is the book for you.
jessyhayward's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tamarasbff's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't realise how much I needed an anti-abusive cult book that is not anti-God. Along with loving the found family, the cult details, the sister relationship, and the horrifyingly interesting and tragic pandemic, I loved this book's exploration of what a modern-day prophet might look like.
ghostlyprince's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Brief mentions of stillborn birthslisfnord's review against another edition
2.0
Trying to be too many things all at once
It's like the author got high and thought, "I know! I'll write a book about a girl who realizes her community is a religious cult, and decides to escape. But wait wait wait! She's also....a prophet! Yeah yeah, god talks to her! Love it! Oh, and I know I know....there's a Virus. But not zombies. But something super weird where every living thing turns into red glass or something and they all fuse together. Amazing! I'm going to put all that in the same book, and it will be &*%$ awesome."
Only it isn't, really.
It's like the author got high and thought, "I know! I'll write a book about a girl who realizes her community is a religious cult, and decides to escape. But wait wait wait! She's also....a prophet! Yeah yeah, god talks to her! Love it! Oh, and I know I know....there's a Virus. But not zombies. But something super weird where every living thing turns into red glass or something and they all fuse together. Amazing! I'm going to put all that in the same book, and it will be &*%$ awesome."
Only it isn't, really.
lunaseline's review against another edition
3.0
Pandemi-dystopi är en trend. Sekt-relationsdrama en annan.
Här har McWilliams slagit samman dem båda, i en "stark kvinnlig huvudkaraktärs-YA" (eller: trend nummer 3). Mer av något bra är inte alltid... bra. Men här fungerar det, i alla fall i underhållningssyfte. Hade jag bara fått följa Agnes liv som ung kvinna i en patriarkal (är de inte alla det?) sekt hade jag nog tröttnat. Detsamma om det bara hade handlat om en variant av zombiepest som spreds över världen. Egentligen säger det kanske något om värdet i McWilliams skrivande; det håller kanske inte fullt ut i sig självt. Den känslan kan också bero på det faktum att jag läst ovanligt lite YA på sistone, till fördel för mer litterära vuxenromaner som utmanar i stil och språk; till en början när jag läser Agnes... känns allt väldigt... simpelt. Den upplevelsen håller dock inte i sig, när jag vänjer mig och när boken visar att den är händelse- snarare än språkdriven. Och det händer som sagt saker: trendiga och dystopiska grejer. Hela religionsbabblet, tillsammans med tonåringarnas väldigt kyska och "at first sight":iga kärlekshistorier, blir lite för amerikanskt för min smak - men resten går absolut att svälja. Det är inget nytt, men ihopbakat på ett nytt sätt. Och så är ju också målgruppen människor som är lite mer nya inför allt (inklusive böcker) än jag, så det kan säkert fungera.
Här har McWilliams slagit samman dem båda, i en "stark kvinnlig huvudkaraktärs-YA" (eller: trend nummer 3). Mer av något bra är inte alltid... bra. Men här fungerar det, i alla fall i underhållningssyfte. Hade jag bara fått följa Agnes liv som ung kvinna i en patriarkal (är de inte alla det?) sekt hade jag nog tröttnat. Detsamma om det bara hade handlat om en variant av zombiepest som spreds över världen. Egentligen säger det kanske något om värdet i McWilliams skrivande; det håller kanske inte fullt ut i sig självt. Den känslan kan också bero på det faktum att jag läst ovanligt lite YA på sistone, till fördel för mer litterära vuxenromaner som utmanar i stil och språk; till en början när jag läser Agnes... känns allt väldigt... simpelt. Den upplevelsen håller dock inte i sig, när jag vänjer mig och när boken visar att den är händelse- snarare än språkdriven. Och det händer som sagt saker: trendiga och dystopiska grejer. Hela religionsbabblet, tillsammans med tonåringarnas väldigt kyska och "at first sight":iga kärlekshistorier, blir lite för amerikanskt för min smak - men resten går absolut att svälja. Det är inget nytt, men ihopbakat på ett nytt sätt. Och så är ju också målgruppen människor som är lite mer nya inför allt (inklusive böcker) än jag, så det kan säkert fungera.
eberlin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jencunn2024's review against another edition
2.0
This novel may be mis-advertised. It is not nearly as gritty or jaw-dropping or mind-blowing as most books I’ve read (fiction or nonfiction) in the cult or dystopian genres. So if that’s what you are looking for, you should probably pass on this.
That being said, I still appreciated the overall plot and protagonists, but I felt the writing structure and execution were amateurish.
This novel is a tale of two sisters who have grown up in a secluded religious cult and their conflictive feelings and desires. Agnes is discovering that she is a prophet and is determined to protect her little brother Ezekiel whom suffers from Type I diabetes. She is of age for marriage Ana’s worries about what will become of her siblings once that happens. Her sister Beth is next in line and will have to take over Agnes’ household responsibilities. While she dearly loves her family, she also dreams of getting out into the bigger world beyond their cult-life. And then the entire world including their own is thrown off course by a viral pandemic known as Petra.
All the pieces of a good story are here and that may be enough for some readers, but there are many plot holes and issues with the storytelling. This may be intentional as it is primarily a story centered on Christian faith and values, but the overall lack of continuity for characters, the unreal and unlikely coincidences and responses and general luck, the miracles and mysticism, and the cavalry that emerges are all terrible writing errors that steal away what could be an endearing story about faith and community. Instead there is just too much, and it comes off as complete make-believe rather than a hopeful dystopian novel like I feel the writer intended.
But, I will say that if you just want to go in and get lost in blind faith and enjoy the miracles and mysticism for what the are, it’s still a very readable or listenable story. I did love the messages of trying to stick with o find your own personal faith as well as combining science and religion into a community.
That being said, I still appreciated the overall plot and protagonists, but I felt the writing structure and execution were amateurish.
This novel is a tale of two sisters who have grown up in a secluded religious cult and their conflictive feelings and desires. Agnes is discovering that she is a prophet and is determined to protect her little brother Ezekiel whom suffers from Type I diabetes. She is of age for marriage Ana’s worries about what will become of her siblings once that happens. Her sister Beth is next in line and will have to take over Agnes’ household responsibilities. While she dearly loves her family, she also dreams of getting out into the bigger world beyond their cult-life. And then the entire world including their own is thrown off course by a viral pandemic known as Petra.
All the pieces of a good story are here and that may be enough for some readers, but there are many plot holes and issues with the storytelling. This may be intentional as it is primarily a story centered on Christian faith and values, but the overall lack of continuity for characters, the unreal and unlikely coincidences and responses and general luck, the miracles and mysticism, and the cavalry that emerges are all terrible writing errors that steal away what could be an endearing story about faith and community. Instead there is just too much, and it comes off as complete make-believe rather than a hopeful dystopian novel like I feel the writer intended.
But, I will say that if you just want to go in and get lost in blind faith and enjoy the miracles and mysticism for what the are, it’s still a very readable or listenable story. I did love the messages of trying to stick with o find your own personal faith as well as combining science and religion into a community.