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A review by thebooknerdscorner
Prepped by Bethany Mangle
4.0
A romance featuring two teens raised in a doomsday community that will do anything to escape from the cult that they have grown up in.
Becca Aldaine and her family are a part of a community of doomsday preppers. Rather than getting to prioritize senior prom and her last science fair, Becca is forced to float in freezing cold duck ponds to test her survival skills. Her parents control every aspect of her life in the hopes that she'll be prepared for the end of the world. They've even arranged for her to marry Roy Kang, which in her parent's eyes is a steal, because he's Korean and his gene pool is allegedly quite different than hers. Desperate to escape her crazy life, Becca is willing to risk everything for a chance at freedom and a normal life.
The premise of this one is a tad bizarre, but that only had me more intrigued to read it. People tend to have an odd obsession towards the occult, and a romance featuring two kids raised in a survivalist doomsday cult definitely piqued my interest. And it ended up being such a cute read!
I have no idea if Mangle has any personal experience with cult-like behavior, but I feel that this book was a pretty solid depiction of life in one. Becca is forced to do a whole bunch of things that most humans would never consider, all for the betterment of the community. Her parents rule the community with an iron fist, and no one dare questions their judgement, no matter what gibberish they are spewing. The way that Becca's younger sister, Katie, is being brainwashed by the elders is crazy, and a peak example of cultish hive mindset. The survival activities that the community forces upon their youth are quite extreme, such as mock car accidents and hostage situations. I shudder to think how damaging such activities would be for anyone who has to live through so much trauma repetitively.
Becca is willing to do anything to escape from her less-than-ideal circumstances. That is, except for abandon her little sister, Katie, alone in the dangerous and traumatic situations that the community puts their youth through on a daily basis. Becca is so desperate for a chance to start over, but she is unwilling to bend unless she knows that her sister will be safe and cared for. This type of devotion is so rare, but I'm glad that Becca refused to abandon her little sister. I know this is something that many cult survivors had to grapple with, and many aren't lucky enough to have an opportunity to help the youngsters that still remain within the cult. The guilt of being a survivor of a cult can be just as devastating as being in the cult if one has to leave loved ones behind in the process.
Roy was such a positive part of this book's experience for me. Not only is he super loyal and protective of Becca, but he is also sly and resourceful. This not only makes him a great love interest, but also a perfect partner in crime. I don't want to go into any details of how Becca and Roy plan to escape the cult but take my word for it that it is quite the journey that these two go on. I respect anyone who has to make the hard choices that these two have to grapple with, along with those who are willing to leave so much up to chance in the fight for a better tomorrow.
I think that the best part of this book is that it showcases that even in the darkest of situations, there are always people who will rise to care for you. Becca has been neglected her entire life by her parents and community members, but she comes to find allies in the most unlikely places. In a boy that she has hated for years. In an eccentric science teacher who is willing to go the extra mile to support her. In the girl that she accidently gave a bruised eye socket to after a morning gone awry. Hope is a fickle thing, but when you have others to help nourish it, the future tends to look a little less bleak.
Overall, "Prepped" is a sweet romance that showcases the resilience it takes to survive a cult and the length that a few teens are willing to go to find hope and love in a world that they were taught is lacking in both. My heart really goes out to Becca and Roy and the devastating circumstances that they had to live through. I'm so glad that these two were there for one another through thick and thin. I hope that other readers can learn more about the lives of cult survivors through this thrill ride of a book that is also sure to tug at one's heartstrings.
Becca Aldaine and her family are a part of a community of doomsday preppers. Rather than getting to prioritize senior prom and her last science fair, Becca is forced to float in freezing cold duck ponds to test her survival skills. Her parents control every aspect of her life in the hopes that she'll be prepared for the end of the world. They've even arranged for her to marry Roy Kang, which in her parent's eyes is a steal, because he's Korean and his gene pool is allegedly quite different than hers. Desperate to escape her crazy life, Becca is willing to risk everything for a chance at freedom and a normal life.
The premise of this one is a tad bizarre, but that only had me more intrigued to read it. People tend to have an odd obsession towards the occult, and a romance featuring two kids raised in a survivalist doomsday cult definitely piqued my interest. And it ended up being such a cute read!
I have no idea if Mangle has any personal experience with cult-like behavior, but I feel that this book was a pretty solid depiction of life in one. Becca is forced to do a whole bunch of things that most humans would never consider, all for the betterment of the community. Her parents rule the community with an iron fist, and no one dare questions their judgement, no matter what gibberish they are spewing. The way that Becca's younger sister, Katie, is being brainwashed by the elders is crazy, and a peak example of cultish hive mindset. The survival activities that the community forces upon their youth are quite extreme, such as mock car accidents and hostage situations. I shudder to think how damaging such activities would be for anyone who has to live through so much trauma repetitively.
Becca is willing to do anything to escape from her less-than-ideal circumstances. That is, except for abandon her little sister, Katie, alone in the dangerous and traumatic situations that the community puts their youth through on a daily basis. Becca is so desperate for a chance to start over, but she is unwilling to bend unless she knows that her sister will be safe and cared for. This type of devotion is so rare, but I'm glad that Becca refused to abandon her little sister. I know this is something that many cult survivors had to grapple with, and many aren't lucky enough to have an opportunity to help the youngsters that still remain within the cult. The guilt of being a survivor of a cult can be just as devastating as being in the cult if one has to leave loved ones behind in the process.
Roy was such a positive part of this book's experience for me. Not only is he super loyal and protective of Becca, but he is also sly and resourceful. This not only makes him a great love interest, but also a perfect partner in crime. I don't want to go into any details of how Becca and Roy plan to escape the cult but take my word for it that it is quite the journey that these two go on. I respect anyone who has to make the hard choices that these two have to grapple with, along with those who are willing to leave so much up to chance in the fight for a better tomorrow.
I think that the best part of this book is that it showcases that even in the darkest of situations, there are always people who will rise to care for you. Becca has been neglected her entire life by her parents and community members, but she comes to find allies in the most unlikely places. In a boy that she has hated for years. In an eccentric science teacher who is willing to go the extra mile to support her. In the girl that she accidently gave a bruised eye socket to after a morning gone awry. Hope is a fickle thing, but when you have others to help nourish it, the future tends to look a little less bleak.
Overall, "Prepped" is a sweet romance that showcases the resilience it takes to survive a cult and the length that a few teens are willing to go to find hope and love in a world that they were taught is lacking in both. My heart really goes out to Becca and Roy and the devastating circumstances that they had to live through. I'm so glad that these two were there for one another through thick and thin. I hope that other readers can learn more about the lives of cult survivors through this thrill ride of a book that is also sure to tug at one's heartstrings.