stormnatreadseverything's review
4.0
I loved this - I love all things cult/investigative journalism/emotional journeys so from the get go this was always going to be a winner.
Beth Lewis’ writing is so incredibly easy to read, and the way her story telling works with multiple perspectives, timelines, and themes is almost faultless. This was the first book I’d picked up from Lewis, and have now rapidly added anything I could find to my TBR.
As far as the plot is concerned, I was left guessing for almost the entire book - every time I thought I had figured something out, another aspect to consider was added to the mix. This helped create a suspenseful read that compelled you to keep going.
I’d definitely recommend reading this to anyone who found the description even vaguely interesting - I, for one, cannot wait until this is released in May. The physical copy of this will be given a home on my bookshelf as soon as possible.
I initially read this as an arc through NetGalley, and my opinions and views are my own.
Beth Lewis’ writing is so incredibly easy to read, and the way her story telling works with multiple perspectives, timelines, and themes is almost faultless. This was the first book I’d picked up from Lewis, and have now rapidly added anything I could find to my TBR.
As far as the plot is concerned, I was left guessing for almost the entire book - every time I thought I had figured something out, another aspect to consider was added to the mix. This helped create a suspenseful read that compelled you to keep going.
I’d definitely recommend reading this to anyone who found the description even vaguely interesting - I, for one, cannot wait until this is released in May. The physical copy of this will be given a home on my bookshelf as soon as possible.
I initially read this as an arc through NetGalley, and my opinions and views are my own.
annettenis's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
soletka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is a kind of sci-fi novel covering the topic of loss and hope. Can there be more than one reality? Can there be an alternative world where your story can be different, where your losses and mistakes can be redone and where you could be freed from your guilt, pain and shame? At least charismatic Sol claims that this is possible. But is he only a cult leader planning a mass suicide of his followers, or is there more to his claims?
Love, its loss, guilt, shame. The novel deals with these emotions strongly. I confess that the emotional aspect was a bit too much for me, I was sold on the premise of a mysterious cult, so I was hoping for a thriller. But this novel both a human drama based on a chance of impossible hope and even the romance novel, as the star-crossed gay love story of journalist James and his lover Tony is a thread going throughout the whole book.
I´d say the emotional parts are interesting, but there is a bit too much of the heavy stuff and too little of the sci-fi and mysterious parts. The romance aspects prevail towards the end, the story goes straightly into the field of make-believe, but the logical explanations are missing and the sci-fi parts are but forgotten, which is a pity if you ask me.
Love, its loss, guilt, shame. The novel deals with these emotions strongly. I confess that the emotional aspect was a bit too much for me, I was sold on the premise of a mysterious cult, so I was hoping for a thriller. But this novel both a human drama based on a chance of impossible hope and even the romance novel, as the star-crossed gay love story of journalist James and his lover Tony is a thread going throughout the whole book.
I´d say the emotional parts are interesting, but there is a bit too much of the heavy stuff and too little of the sci-fi and mysterious parts. The romance aspects prevail towards the end, the story goes straightly into the field of make-believe, but the logical explanations are missing and the sci-fi parts are but forgotten, which is a pity if you ask me.
roshreviews's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
3.5
In a Nutshell: A test of your patience, this title based on a fictitious sun-worshipping cult with sci-fi elements! Fab plot, but YA-style writing. I was fascinated and still rolling my eyes almost throughout. The end nudged my rating higher.
Story Synopsis:
1982. Atlas is the home for a secret community hidden in the Adirondack mountains. Founded by an enigmatic leader named Sol, the three-hundred odd people are broken souls looking for redemption by preparing for the opening of the Golden Door, an event supposed to happen during the solar eclipse.
James, an ambitious reported in NYC, wants an exposé on Atlas and Sol. Under the pretext of writing an article promoting Atlas, James reaches the camp with his own hidden agenda. He soon finds that there are darker secrets and shady occurences in Atlas, with some part of the location staying off limits. As James learns more about the camp and the people, he begins to question if they might be right after all in their quest for salvation.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of three characters: James, Root – a child member of Atlas who, as one of the ‘sunbeams’ is treated differently from the rest of the children, and Eve – a woman desperate to reach Atlas and find Sol.
Bookish Yays:
✔ The plot begins as a typical insider-reveal into a cult, and then introduces novelties. I simply didn’t not expect sci-fi elements in a cult story, so when those ideas started popping up, my attention was piqued. Also, I assumed that the cult would be a pseudo-Christian one as whatever cult fiction I’ve read seem to highlight biblical fanatics. But this book had a hippie kind of cult, borrowing thoughts from various religions and regions. I am not sure if I liked this, but it certainly was unusual.
✔ The characters are complicated. James’ past involves grief, so it is interesting to see him struggle between his personal feelings for Sol’s promises and his professional approach towards his article. Eve seems determined to reach Atlas, though we don’t know why. Her track is the weakest of the book until the end, when it suddenly offers an unexpected surprise. Root’s character is mostly well-defined, offering us a glimpse into the extent of brainwashing at Atlas.
✔ The author sure has imagination! The plot as a whole should have felt farfetched and impossible, but she makes it sound absolutely plausible.
✔ There are some amazing lines through the book, mostly connected to the handling of grief and the importance of moving on.
✔ The ending, while requiring suspension of disbelief, is still almost perfect. I foresaw a part of the twist, but there was still enough to keep me hooked. The climax doesn’t tie up all elements or offer complete closure, but it gives you enough resolution to be happy with and enough possibilities to ponder upon.
Bookish Nays:
❌ Somehow, a cult book makes me expect many tense scenes, creepy insights, and nail-biting events. This one felt quite tame in comparison. Except for one bizarre scene connected to a physical punishment, the rest of the cultish details were just a little beyond ordinary.
❌ James’ and Eve’s tracks get quite repetitive in between. Eve’s arc also contain plenty of info-dumping to help us bridge the gaps in the facts about Atlas and Sol. These elements slow down the flow of her story.
❌ I didn’t get the need to write Root’s track in such a babyish kind of English when everyone around the character spoke English perfectly well. The language used in this arc was simultaneously brilliant and irritating.
❌ The one feature about the writing that irked me the most was the constant and recurring references to anatomical parts. These are usually found in YA novels, so I certainly did not expect them in a story with a clearly adult topic. My heart ached, my eyes rolled, my ears cried, my throat throbbed, my stomach grew queasy, my brain questioned my sanity, and “my insides” almost gave up the ghost on seeing at least one body part mentioned after every few sentences.
(PS: If anyone has access to the digital copy, could you do me a favour and let me know how many times the book mentioned “stomach” and “my insides”? I need to know if my guesses were right. Feel free to report on any other body parts you want to: throat, chest, eyes, ears,… You have an assortment of anatomy to choose from!)
The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at almost 15 hours, is narrated by David Wayman and Kate Handford. Kate Hansford, voicing Eve, is very good. David Wayman, voicing James and Root, is excellent. Narrating Root’s complicated language and emotionally exuberant dialogues wouldn’t have been an easy task, but Wayman handles it competently. If you are an audiobook lover, this would be a good title to try through audio.
All in all, despite my reservations about the YA-style writing, I still liked the plot and was curious to know more. Recommended if you want to try an atypical cult story and wont be bothered by the anatomical bombardment.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the audio version.
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ALC of “Children of the Sun”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
Story Synopsis:
1982. Atlas is the home for a secret community hidden in the Adirondack mountains. Founded by an enigmatic leader named Sol, the three-hundred odd people are broken souls looking for redemption by preparing for the opening of the Golden Door, an event supposed to happen during the solar eclipse.
James, an ambitious reported in NYC, wants an exposé on Atlas and Sol. Under the pretext of writing an article promoting Atlas, James reaches the camp with his own hidden agenda. He soon finds that there are darker secrets and shady occurences in Atlas, with some part of the location staying off limits. As James learns more about the camp and the people, he begins to question if they might be right after all in their quest for salvation.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of three characters: James, Root – a child member of Atlas who, as one of the ‘sunbeams’ is treated differently from the rest of the children, and Eve – a woman desperate to reach Atlas and find Sol.
Bookish Yays:
✔ The plot begins as a typical insider-reveal into a cult, and then introduces novelties. I simply didn’t not expect sci-fi elements in a cult story, so when those ideas started popping up, my attention was piqued. Also, I assumed that the cult would be a pseudo-Christian one as whatever cult fiction I’ve read seem to highlight biblical fanatics. But this book had a hippie kind of cult, borrowing thoughts from various religions and regions. I am not sure if I liked this, but it certainly was unusual.
✔ The characters are complicated. James’ past involves grief, so it is interesting to see him struggle between his personal feelings for Sol’s promises and his professional approach towards his article. Eve seems determined to reach Atlas, though we don’t know why. Her track is the weakest of the book until the end, when it suddenly offers an unexpected surprise. Root’s character is mostly well-defined, offering us a glimpse into the extent of brainwashing at Atlas.
✔ The author sure has imagination! The plot as a whole should have felt farfetched and impossible, but she makes it sound absolutely plausible.
✔ There are some amazing lines through the book, mostly connected to the handling of grief and the importance of moving on.
✔ The ending, while requiring suspension of disbelief, is still almost perfect. I foresaw a part of the twist, but there was still enough to keep me hooked. The climax doesn’t tie up all elements or offer complete closure, but it gives you enough resolution to be happy with and enough possibilities to ponder upon.
Bookish Nays:
❌ Somehow, a cult book makes me expect many tense scenes, creepy insights, and nail-biting events. This one felt quite tame in comparison. Except for one bizarre scene connected to a physical punishment, the rest of the cultish details were just a little beyond ordinary.
❌ James’ and Eve’s tracks get quite repetitive in between. Eve’s arc also contain plenty of info-dumping to help us bridge the gaps in the facts about Atlas and Sol. These elements slow down the flow of her story.
❌ I didn’t get the need to write Root’s track in such a babyish kind of English when everyone around the character spoke English perfectly well. The language used in this arc was simultaneously brilliant and irritating.
❌ The one feature about the writing that irked me the most was the constant and recurring references to anatomical parts. These are usually found in YA novels, so I certainly did not expect them in a story with a clearly adult topic. My heart ached, my eyes rolled, my ears cried, my throat throbbed, my stomach grew queasy, my brain questioned my sanity, and “my insides” almost gave up the ghost on seeing at least one body part mentioned after every few sentences.
(PS: If anyone has access to the digital copy, could you do me a favour and let me know how many times the book mentioned “stomach” and “my insides”? I need to know if my guesses were right. Feel free to report on any other body parts you want to: throat, chest, eyes, ears,… You have an assortment of anatomy to choose from!)
The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at almost 15 hours, is narrated by David Wayman and Kate Handford. Kate Hansford, voicing Eve, is very good. David Wayman, voicing James and Root, is excellent. Narrating Root’s complicated language and emotionally exuberant dialogues wouldn’t have been an easy task, but Wayman handles it competently. If you are an audiobook lover, this would be a good title to try through audio.
All in all, despite my reservations about the YA-style writing, I still liked the plot and was curious to know more. Recommended if you want to try an atypical cult story and wont be bothered by the anatomical bombardment.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the audio version.
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ALC of “Children of the Sun”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
thebookclub's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
loandbeholdx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Cults are something that intrigue me, so the premise of this book was enough for me to instantly get my hands on a copy. The story is told from multiple points of view, which will leave you feeling conflicted about the views of the community. It was an extremely immersive read, I did not want to put it down, as I was desperate to find out all the secrets Atlas holds. Not only was it thrilling to read, but also moving and harrowing in parts. It is a book I'd highly recommend for anyone who is interested in cults like me, or for those looking for a good thriller with science fiction elements.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Car accident
themoonkestrel's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The writing was, easy to read even if there is a lot going on, and the characters take you on an interesting tide through this cult. The ending, probably the last third of the book did a good job of making things that you barely paid attention to, suddenly mean a lot...
anapthine's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you NetGalley and for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. It was so addictive and had me on the edge of my seat. For cult-fiction lovers: this one's for you! Planning to write an article about the Atlas cult, James immerses himself into the ways of these people who are preparing for the ‘open of the gates’ - which causes him to question everything in his past. What does he want his future to be? What pain lies in his past? Does he want a second chance?
There was so much emotional depth to this, with the narrator playing the many points of view perfectly. The characters were so 3-dimensional, it was as if they were actually speaking to you the whole time. This was a great read and I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Homophobia
readeatretreat's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
More...