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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
First, give me any books about cults and I’m in, 100%. Add that the cult revolves around some bizarre religion-yes please! So I knew this book was going to be right up my alley. I immediately ordered it from my local indie and it didn’t disappoint. Second, books about disastrous mother/daughter relationships are also my jam…so another check on my list! Immediately upon porch delivery (thanks Old Firehouse Books for being so quick), I dug in and barely popped out until it was over. Here are some of my thoughts:
1. The atmosphere in this book was VIVID. Parched and dry land surrounds this town and I could almost taste the dust as I read. That is some magical writing right there.
2. If I could live in a world full of women somehow, I would. Also, cult-y Christian men are the worst (only my personal opinion folks). Screw the patriarchy!
3. Flawed characters is the name of the game and Bieker’s writing of them is amazing. I didn’t even know where to put my brain when it came to some of these characters (in the best sense that is). Do I feel bad for them, sad for them, mad at them, all of the above at all different times?! Most of the characters, yes, that is exactly how I felt about them. And then some I just despised. It was the definition of flawed characters and I’m always sold on that.
4. Humans are resilient and we really see this through the lens of Lacey.
5. There are some funny bits in this book and you’ll appreciate them so much and find yourself laughing and then almost feeling guilty for laughing. It’s all part of the experience of Godshot.
Ultimately, Godshot is about a young woman coming into her own and suddenly realizing the world she grew up in isn’t actually what she thought it was. ( I have a VERY similar story. No, I didn’t exactly grow up in a cult per say, but I did grow up in a fundamentalist Christian household and church and some of this book hit veryyyyyyy close to home. I walked the walk until I opened my eyes as a young teenager, looked around, asked questions, got curious and saw what was actually happening. I can remember it like it was yesterday and oh boy, thank goodness I opened those eyes!
If you enjoyed The Handmaid’s Tale, The Water Cure or The Girls-I think you’ll want to add Godshot to your must-read list! This is a debut novel and I’m real excited to see what else Bieker has to offer us!
As always, find me on Instagram, shop my paper goods at PAGEFIFTYFIVE and let’s be friends!
Bookishfolk…read instead.
1. The atmosphere in this book was VIVID. Parched and dry land surrounds this town and I could almost taste the dust as I read. That is some magical writing right there.
2. If I could live in a world full of women somehow, I would. Also, cult-y Christian men are the worst (only my personal opinion folks). Screw the patriarchy!
3. Flawed characters is the name of the game and Bieker’s writing of them is amazing. I didn’t even know where to put my brain when it came to some of these characters (in the best sense that is). Do I feel bad for them, sad for them, mad at them, all of the above at all different times?! Most of the characters, yes, that is exactly how I felt about them. And then some I just despised. It was the definition of flawed characters and I’m always sold on that.
4. Humans are resilient and we really see this through the lens of Lacey.
5. There are some funny bits in this book and you’ll appreciate them so much and find yourself laughing and then almost feeling guilty for laughing. It’s all part of the experience of Godshot.
Ultimately, Godshot is about a young woman coming into her own and suddenly realizing the world she grew up in isn’t actually what she thought it was. ( I have a VERY similar story. No, I didn’t exactly grow up in a cult per say, but I did grow up in a fundamentalist Christian household and church and some of this book hit veryyyyyyy close to home. I walked the walk until I opened my eyes as a young teenager, looked around, asked questions, got curious and saw what was actually happening. I can remember it like it was yesterday and oh boy, thank goodness I opened those eyes!
If you enjoyed The Handmaid’s Tale, The Water Cure or The Girls-I think you’ll want to add Godshot to your must-read list! This is a debut novel and I’m real excited to see what else Bieker has to offer us!
As always, find me on Instagram, shop my paper goods at PAGEFIFTYFIVE and let’s be friends!
Bookishfolk…read instead.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nothing like fitting in one last book for 2021!
This was so good, in very unexpected ways. Sharp writing, flawed characters, and an intense study of mothers and daughters. Oh and btw it's all told from within a cult?!
Content warnings for sexual abuse and child neglect.
This was so good, in very unexpected ways. Sharp writing, flawed characters, and an intense study of mothers and daughters. Oh and btw it's all told from within a cult?!
Content warnings for sexual abuse and child neglect.
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
an interesting premise and fast read, but i don't know if it really reached anything deeper than a surface level shock factor
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism
This may be the most disturbing book I have ever read. And yet, it is one of the best.
The theme of relationships and familial bonds are beautiful.
Well done, cannot wait to read what’s next from Chelsea Bieker.
The theme of relationships and familial bonds are beautiful.
Well done, cannot wait to read what’s next from Chelsea Bieker.
The plot description on the jacket does not give the full breadth of the novel, so I was surprised by how it unfolded. This could be good or bad, depending on how you feel.
I was drawn to this book in part because of its setting--not too far south of me, near Fresno, in California's Central Valley--and for the fundamentalist nature of the world in which the main character finds herself trapped.
The narrator's voice was engaging and the story moved at a fast pace--but ultimately, it left me pretty sad.
The narrator's voice was engaging and the story moved at a fast pace--but ultimately, it left me pretty sad.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Religious bigotry