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kimveach's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a young woman who uses an unexpected pregnancy and marriage to leave her reality-show family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
morghanmae's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
sophiaemily's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? No
3.0
I am really bummed about this one. I picked it up because the concept sounded really interesting, and I do think that is the best part of this book. The premise is really interesting, and it's not far-fetched, we have seen families like this on reality TV for years (like the Duggars), and it even made me think of the more modern world of influencers who exploit their children online for money and fame. The execution was unfortunately not there for me. There are so many serious, dark, intense themes (and triggers - I recommend checking CW before reading) in this book, and they weren't handled with the level of detail and care that I would have liked to see. This is a rare case of a book that I think would have benefitted from actually being longer. I needed more behind these characters' motivations and more discussions around all of the abuse that Essie endures! The plot moved too quickly and so many things happened that seemed too convenient and too simplistic to match the gravity of the situation that the characters were dealing with. The ending felt rushed and wrapped everything up in a bow that was way too nice. I'm disappointed because the concept could have made this book great, it kept me interested enough to want to finish the book, but I wanted and needed so much more from this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion
ventellina's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Religious bigotry
caitlynleahy's review against another edition
emotional
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, and Pregnancy
paperknotbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
2.75
The story and characters are engaging, but they felt lifeless and cliche. Some characters, such as the Pastor and Essie’s mom, had personas which never fully developed. I never understood their motives, or those of Liberty Bell.
I like where the story ended up, but it was expected. There are too many gimmicky tropes plopped into the storyline, it is forced into with a predictable evolution. Too many “unseen” activities made my suspension of disbelief difficult.
I like where the story ended up, but it was expected. There are too many gimmicky tropes plopped into the storyline, it is forced into with a predictable evolution. Too many “unseen” activities made my suspension of disbelief difficult.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Incest
Minor: Body shaming, Gun violence, Suicide, Gaslighting, and Classism
Cult activity is heavy theme in this bookjackieyvette's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked this book for the most part, but the ending was so lackluster. I usually like when books have multiple narrators, but in this case I think it took away from the story. If the book had been from Essie’s perspective alone I think it would have been stronger. I did semi-enjoy Roarke and Liberty’s stories, but I just think it was too filler for the book to be great.
Also the ending is just super anticipated. I would have liked to see the aftermath of the decision Essie made, but the author just decided to wrap everything in a big bow instead of actually trying to make these characters and this situation come to life.
Crying score: I mean, who wouldn’t cry a little for Essie.
Also the ending is just super anticipated. I would have liked to see the aftermath of the decision Essie made, but the author just decided to wrap everything in a big bow instead of actually trying to make these characters and this situation come to life.
Crying score: I mean, who wouldn’t cry a little for Essie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
kwurtzel3's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
lozlox's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
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
3.75
I enjoyed reading this book, Essie is a great main character. Roarke was likeable, as was his dynamic with Essie, but early-Roarke seemed to disappear as the book progressed.
I gave it just short of 4 stars because it lacked the depth I’d expected. I feel this is, in part, a result of the pacing speeding up big time just past the halfway point. Some might prefer it like that, but I found it strange for there to be such a light touch on such heavy topics.
I gave it just short of 4 stars because it lacked the depth I’d expected. I feel this is, in part, a result of the pacing speeding up big time just past the halfway point. Some might prefer it like that, but I found it strange for there to be such a light touch on such heavy topics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Gun violence and Homophobia
seawarrior's review against another edition
3.0
This was a surprisingly engaging novel that I read in the course of a night. I couldn't bear to part with the characters until I knew if they'd snare justice for what was being done to Essie. Since I read it so quickly I initially didn't notice many of the novel's flaws, but after thinking about it more I am frustrated with some of the ways the characters were portrayed.
First of all, it was courageous and necessary for Weir to write a novel that multiply exposes the ways in which evangelical families inflict harm on their children. The parents in this story are not relentlessly evil, they have some level of affection for their children. Yet they place them into situations where their mental and physical health is compromised, and look the other way or deny that the harm is occurring, even when the evidence is staring them in the face. I found this to be a fairly realistic portrayal of some of the relentlessly evangelical families I have known personally or heard about from the children that escaped.
However, I thought it was negligent to not depict how Essie, Liberty or Roarke distanced themselves from their family's bigoted beliefs, especially since Essie in particular didn't seem to have much access to information that was not monitored by her parents. Disowning these poisonous beliefs taught as moral truths is a process that takes time and is necessary to living the rest of one's life without demeaning others. I just didn't believe that these characters could have emerged from this process so quickly, and from simply knowing a few people who questioned them. The bigoted evangelical young people I knew in school were relentless with their belief system, even when they asserted that they didn't really hate the individual people in groups they disrespected. If they ever unwound these thoughts from their minds, I doubt they would be able to do so successfully in a short amount of time, and while those ideas were still being preached to them. If I'm wrong, that would be wonderful. Yet I wish Weir dug deeper into the process of unlearning bigoted ideas, since the expression of them was an important piece to understanding why the Hicks family was so dangerous not only to their children or town, but to the entire nation.
It's not my place to speak on the depiction of incestuous sexual abuse, since I'm not a survivor of it. Yet I feel that Weir's story only narrowly avoided sensationalization. Scenes where we learned who abused Essie, where her and Roarke were placed in situations where they had to pretend they weren't aware what this abuser had done, and where we learned the amount of people who were culpable for its continuation seemed intentionally written to be as dramatic as possible. Whether this offends or validates survivors of similar abuse, I can't say. The book is extremely tense and quick-paced, with much of the drama leading up to the reveal of the differing traumas the characters' parents had allowed them to suffer. I do think some of these themes could have been written with more sensitivity and depth, yet I commend Weir for telling stories about difficult subjects that many people shy away from acknowledging.
First of all, it was courageous and necessary for Weir to write a novel that multiply exposes the ways in which evangelical families inflict harm on their children. The parents in this story are not relentlessly evil, they have some level of affection for their children. Yet they place them into situations where their mental and physical health is compromised, and look the other way or deny that the harm is occurring, even when the evidence is staring them in the face. I found this to be a fairly realistic portrayal of some of the relentlessly evangelical families I have known personally or heard about from the children that escaped.
However, I thought it was negligent to not depict how Essie, Liberty or Roarke distanced themselves from their family's bigoted beliefs, especially since Essie in particular didn't seem to have much access to information that was not monitored by her parents. Disowning these poisonous beliefs taught as moral truths is a process that takes time and is necessary to living the rest of one's life without demeaning others. I just didn't believe that these characters could have emerged from this process so quickly, and from simply knowing a few people who questioned them. The bigoted evangelical young people I knew in school were relentless with their belief system, even when they asserted that they didn't really hate the individual people in groups they disrespected. If they ever unwound these thoughts from their minds, I doubt they would be able to do so successfully in a short amount of time, and while those ideas were still being preached to them. If I'm wrong, that would be wonderful. Yet I wish Weir dug deeper into the process of unlearning bigoted ideas, since the expression of them was an important piece to understanding why the Hicks family was so dangerous not only to their children or town, but to the entire nation.
It's not my place to speak on the depiction of incestuous sexual abuse, since I'm not a survivor of it. Yet I feel that Weir's story only narrowly avoided sensationalization. Scenes where we learned who abused Essie, where her and Roarke were placed in situations where they had to pretend they weren't aware what this abuser had done, and where we learned the amount of people who were culpable for its continuation seemed intentionally written to be as dramatic as possible. Whether this offends or validates survivors of similar abuse, I can't say. The book is extremely tense and quick-paced, with much of the drama leading up to the reveal of the differing traumas the characters' parents had allowed them to suffer. I do think some of these themes could have been written with more sensitivity and depth, yet I commend Weir for telling stories about difficult subjects that many people shy away from acknowledging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, and Pregnancy