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sarahpreno's review against another edition
4.0
I honestly could not stop reading this book. The story was so good with so many strong characters. I loved the different points of view that told the story. Each one had a unique voice and gave so many more layers to the plot. I highly recommend this book!
kbuckley22's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book had an intense grip on me right from the start. I borrowed it from the library on a whim and finished it in less than two days, recommending it to half a dozen people before I even finished it. I wish I could forget all about it and read it again for the first time.
hexatrance's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I think a lot of reviews for this are missing the mark in the sense that they went into a apocalypse book set from the perspective of someone in a fundamentalist religious cult expecting it to be bashing Christianity, when really the book was about the evils of the misuse of religion and that faith itself can be explored in many different and kind ways, with the characters ending the book differing in their beliefs and surviving through what that means for them whilst understanding that each others experiences are different. As much as I wanted it to go much darker with more details and descriptions of the virus, and a deeper dive into the horrors of the Prophet, I also get that he was based on real life evil men who the author has managed to avoid giving authority to by minimising his appearances in the book. I do love a good gorey virus pandemic story and would have loved loads more of the story to focus on that, but I also get that the book stayed firmly within the boundaries of YA, explaining just enough details to be thought provoking rather than scary. This really could have been a deeply traumatising horror if it went in that direction, but I also like the hope filled quietness of the ending. Some of the characters flip flopped a lot, and the the element of adding diabetes into an apocalypse story was interesting but not that well developed. I liked the subtle changes of the authorship of the chaoter epigraphs from the Prohpet to real Psalms to Agnes.
krista_billings's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable read about the struggle to overcome the messages that have been programmed into us and listen to what we know inherently is right about the world.
amandalyn's review against another edition
4.0
I definitely enjoyed this book. I read it in one sitting! The one big flaw is the common one in ya dystopian novels, which is a case of insta love. But I can let that go and enjoy it anyways.
Now I’m not saying I grew up in a cult. Cause I certainly didn’t. But as someone who grew up in a complicated religious environment that’s lead to life long struggles with faith, I really appreciated this book portrayal of religion in this novel and what it means for different people. From the very good to the murderously bad. I also think it was a classic apocalypse tale done in a refreshingly new way and I really enjoyed it.
Though parts did ring too close to home with talks of pandemics and quarantines though. Wasn’t ready for that when I started it!
Now I’m not saying I grew up in a cult. Cause I certainly didn’t. But as someone who grew up in a complicated religious environment that’s lead to life long struggles with faith, I really appreciated this book portrayal of religion in this novel and what it means for different people. From the very good to the murderously bad. I also think it was a classic apocalypse tale done in a refreshingly new way and I really enjoyed it.
Though parts did ring too close to home with talks of pandemics and quarantines though. Wasn’t ready for that when I started it!
annithebookaholic's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pretty interesting dystopian book with heavy discussion on religion.
I'm not a religious person at all but it was quite interesting to learn about a religious cult and how religion overall affected both Agnes and Beth throughout the story.
The writing style worked for me and I liked how we got the points of views of each sister and what they went through in the pandemic. The pandemic in the book was really fascinating as well!
Overall, I did enjoy this and found the discussions interesting even if they don't reflect my own thoughts. I really loved the diabetes representation in Ezekiel's character!
I'm not a religious person at all but it was quite interesting to learn about a religious cult and how religion overall affected both Agnes and Beth throughout the story.
The writing style worked for me and I liked how we got the points of views of each sister and what they went through in the pandemic. The pandemic in the book was really fascinating as well!
Overall, I did enjoy this and found the discussions interesting even if they don't reflect my own thoughts. I really loved the diabetes representation in Ezekiel's character!
elizabethbooks226's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Blood, Body horror, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Moderate: Physical abuse and Animal death
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, and Suicide
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
1.0
1/5
Too much apocalypse not enough cult/adjusting to the real world drama
Too much apocalypse not enough cult/adjusting to the real world drama