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makikooni's review
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
Minor: Violence, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Rape
nicole_bookmarked's review
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
On Emilia Morris' 13th birthday, her mother, Rachel, moves into a tent in the backyard and goes silent - never to speak again. Eight years later, Rachel sets herself on fire (known as 'The Event') with her followers or members of 'The Community.' Many years later, Emilia writes a book based on her mother's diaries and this is that book.
The premise of this novel is intriguing, and this book made me ask myself a lot of questions: What kind of power and control will we allow from organizations/corporations? Do money and power really rule the world? What does it mean to truly listen to other people? If an organization does a lot of good, can we ignore the bad?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I was glued to it for the first half, but it got to be a bit too far-fetched for me in the second half. I tend to believe that people are inherently good and we're all trying to do our best, so it was hard to believe that an organization like The Community could rise to a position of such global power and influence. Also, for such serious topics (reproductive coercion, encouraging suicide, etc.) I thought the novel lacked depth and character development.
More than anything, I really wanted to hear first-hand from Emilia. I mean, don't we all want to know what's going on inside the brain of the cult leader? What was she thinking? Did she have a grand plan for The Community? Why did she go silent? Did she see The Community as a success story? Unfortunately, her diary entries didn't answer these questions, so we were left to speculate.
Despite my critique, I think this is a "win" for a debut novel, and I'm glad I read it. It's based on a clever concept and is a cautionary tale for our future. If you're a fan of cult books or the obscure, this one's for you!
The premise of this novel is intriguing, and this book made me ask myself a lot of questions: What kind of power and control will we allow from organizations/corporations? Do money and power really rule the world? What does it mean to truly listen to other people? If an organization does a lot of good, can we ignore the bad?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I was glued to it for the first half, but it got to be a bit too far-fetched for me in the second half. I tend to believe that people are inherently good and we're all trying to do our best, so it was hard to believe that an organization like The Community could rise to a position of such global power and influence. Also, for such serious topics (reproductive coercion, encouraging suicide, etc.) I thought the novel lacked depth and character development.
More than anything, I really wanted to hear first-hand from Emilia. I mean, don't we all want to know what's going on inside the brain of the cult leader? What was she thinking? Did she have a grand plan for The Community? Why did she go silent? Did she see The Community as a success story? Unfortunately, her diary entries didn't answer these questions, so we were left to speculate.
Despite my critique, I think this is a "win" for a debut novel, and I'm glad I read it. It's based on a clever concept and is a cautionary tale for our future. If you're a fan of cult books or the obscure, this one's for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Suicide
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