Minnow Bly has traded one prison for another. Raised in a cult where she lost her hands for rebellious and sinful acts, Minnow escapes the community amidst an inferno that kills their cult leader - the Prophet - only to commit an act of violence that lands her in juvie. Now with the help of an FBI detective, Minnow is unraveling her unconventional, terrible upbringing and examining how she ended up where she is today.
Stephanie Oakes' The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly reads like a dark and murky mystery story, slowly peeling back the layers of Minnow's life in the Kevinian cult and exposing its secrets. The question at the center of this harrowing novel is "who killed the Prophet," but Minnow also learns a lot about herself as she slowly remembers and reveals the information that the FBI needs to close this case.
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly shows readers the inside of two worlds that most probably will never experience firsthand - life in a cult and life in prison. As expected, both are ugly places and Oakes does nothing to make them any more appealing to her readers. Which is worse - the cult members or the inmates? It's hard to say as both groups are despicable.
With unflinching prose, Oakes does not hold back as she describes how the Kevinian cult chopped off Minnow's hands, leaving her to navigate the world with stumps, nor does she make juvie look like a cake walk. This book deals with hard and serious topics, although one can't help but wish that Oakes had injected a little more life and spirit in Minnow to help this book avoid some of the stolid traps it falls into as Minnow remembers her past and faces her future.
I picked up this novel because I have a strange fascination with cults. Stories such as the terrible events surrounding Jonestown pique my interest and never fail to surprise me. The unwavering faith that cult members exhibit in following their chosen leader naturally makes for intriguing writing material, so it's no wonder that cult life is a popular topic in literature. Written for YA readers, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is a solid introduction to the cult community.
Availability: Book Rating: *** Stars (I liked it)
Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly
GENRE: Fairy tale & Folklore-Inspired Fiction; Realistic Fiction
WRITING STYLE: Compelling
TONE: Haunting
LOCATION: Montana
SUBJECT: Cults; Fanaticism; Juvenile Detention; Polygamy; Teenage Boy/Girl Relations; Teenage Girls
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