Reviews with content warning for Adult/minor relationship - Agnes at the End of the World

Agnes at The End of The World by Kelly McWilliams was far better than I expected. I really am fascinated by cults, so the fact that this story surrounds one was a huge draw for me. Though some moments got a little preachy, I do think that it was an interesting depiction of a religious heroine, which isn’t something you see too often. Though I’m not religious myself, I think that this book handled its ideas well, without being overly about the existence of God, and the implications of that. I liked how characters were given the freedom to choose what they believed or didn’t, and while there weren’t any explicitly atheistic characters, I do think that there was an overall acceptance from the characters that if there had been, that character wouldn’t have felt out of place or I welcomed. I think this is a great depiction of how people can live in harmony with different opinions and not force choices on one another, which I think was one of the main themes of this novel. While again, I lean strictly on the side of science, this book was able to transcend my own belief (or rather lack there of) and provide an entertains and well thought out story. The characters were pretty true to how I would expect them to act if they had been real, and while there were certainly fantastical elements involving miracles, I think that with a little bit of reality suspension, this book really pulled through. I think that it was well written, had strong character development, and allowed the reader to take what they would from it. While I certainly didn’t change how I feel about religion, nor did it suddenly spark a belief in God, this was a fun and exciting novel about the implications of growing up in a cult and why the right to choose your path is incredibly important.

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kassidyreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful fast-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

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dreamweaver's review

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dark hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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writingcaia's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Agnes was raised inside a cult, as was her rebellious sister Beth, and all her siblings, including Ezekiel, the baby of the family that will force Agnes to break her religion’s rules (which she’s very devoted to) and meet outside people to provide him care for his diabetes.
Beth wants to runaway, she wants her sister to go with her, but secrets have come between us, hers is her forbidden relationship with Cory.
The prophet warned them of the end of the world, and it will come, sooner than they ever could have expected, and it will be Agnes who will find the truth of the fallacious religion she has always followed when she realises she’s the one that can ear God, that lies have shut her ears. But, no more, with the son of the nurse that has since helped her with Ezekiel she will learn to drive so she can leave and meet but she’s not counting that the end of the world has actually come and she’s the one that can stop it.
Beth will be shamed into her belief and will not go with Agnes but in the end she too will find who she is and always was.
I found Agnes pretty annoying in the beginning and Beth more agreeable. But, there was enough evolution in both for an interesting arc, but… I just couldn’t overcome the religious talk. It’s pointed out that God and religion, the prophet, they’re concepts loose and not cultish, but still, the mentions to the bible, the ideia of God, and all of the book really going about it didn’t make me connect with it as much.
I’m not religious but I respect religious people, but the plot was too intertwined with the bible’s God for me, although it was an interesting story and plot, and characters, it would have been cooler for me and I would have collected more with it, if the idea of God was more loose, a bit more like in I am Legend (the signs, the cure, and all of it connected to one person), also I found the end a bit too rushed, but maybe it was just how the author chose to do it.
If you’re not too bothered with religion i definitely recommend you to give it a go, as the book is good and interesting.

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bukibug's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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