Reviews with content warning for Sexism - 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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sophieefaithh's review

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

5.0

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charlottesomewhere's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Absolutely brilliant. A cult book set at the end of the world with my favourite elements of both and an awesome main character. Loved this one.

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eve_reads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Overall Thoughts:
⁕ This book is more an exploration of the characters’ faiths than a typical apocalyptic adventure. It was an unexpected and different perspective to the genre that was interesting to read, even if I didn’t necessarily relate to or understand it all.

⁕ I LOVE that McWilliams also included Beth’s (Agnes’ sister) narrative! I think she captured the sibling relationship perfectly, and their contrasting personalities added depth to the text.

⁕ Agnes’ abilities sometimes felt too powerful in that they prevented her from experiencing a lot of obstacles/conflict that would have made the story more interesting.

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caidyn's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

CW: religious bigotry, animal death, animal cruelty, chronic illness, grief, misogyny, sexism, violence, and a plague/pandemic

Wow, while this book is on the larger side, I easily could have read it in one day. It was just that good! The story follows Agnes and Beth, sisters who are raised in Red Creek -- which is basically modeled on the FLDS per the author's note. They live a very traditional life and their leader is a prophet. But both sisters have their doubts. Agnes has invited the Outsiders (people who live outside Red Creek) because of her brother, Zeke, who has diabetes and needs care. Beth doubts it because she's in love with a boy and wants to make her own way.

Then there's a plague that hits and the prophet decides this is the end times, and that they need to bunker all together -- the healthy and sick -- to stay safe. Except that Agnes might be a prophet herself, and that's not what she says. And she decides that she has to decide what's best for her and her family.

The story was so good. The plot, the characters, the everything. Just... gorgeous. It really blew me away because I wasn't sure what to expect from the story with so many components going on. Yet everything was handled amazingly. Like, I really just loved this book because it was so much fun. Both sisters were great in their own way and I loved that each of them had their own journeys to face, separate yet combined together.

Honestly, I just can't wait to see what the author writes next!

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