Description
The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, and her ability to trust. And when Minnow rebelled, they took away her hands, too.
Now the Kevinian Prophet has been murdered and the camp set aflame and it's clear Minnow knows something. But she's not talking. As she adjusts to a life behind bars in juvenile detention, Minnow struggles to make sense of all she has been taught to believe, particularly as she dwells on the events that led up to her incarceration.
But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of; if she is willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past.
Powerful and compelling, this remarkable and brave debut novel reveals the terrible dangers of blind faith. And the importance of having faith in yourself.
Review
Minnow’s story moves seamlessly between the present, in a juvenile detention centre, and the past of a life within a reclusive cult, and slowly unravels the details of Minnow’s existence leading up to the burning of the cult’s buildings and death/murder of their leader, The Prophet Kevin.
We experience the naivety of blind faith and the horror of extremist groups, including the fear and torture that can be used to control another human being.
Minnow is a marvellous character whose strength shines through the entire story and you can really feel her pain through the writing. She innately knows right versus wrong and bravely follows her path.
I found this totally absorbing, albeit quite horrifying, and I am sure that Minnow is a character that will be loved by many girls 15+.
Reviewed by Rob
