The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes ISBN: 9781101633700
Published by Penguin on June 9, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Retelling, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
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The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, her ability to trust. And when she rebelled, they took away her hands, too.
Now their Prophet has been murdered and their camp set aflame, and it's clear that Minnow knows something—but she's not talking. As she languishes in juvenile detention, she struggles to un-learn everything she has been taught to believe, adjusting to a life behind bars and recounting 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’s willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past.
Gorgeously written, breathlessly page-turning and sprinkled with moments of unexpected humor, this harrowing debut is perfect for readers of Emily Murdoch's If You Find Me and Nova Ren Suma's The Walls Around Us, as well as for fans of Orange is the New Black.
Characters: 10, every single character in here was comprised of complexity and shades of grey. The ones I hated, the ones I loved, they were fully realized humans and their stories were compelling (even the ones whose true, full stories we never get).
Atmosphere: 10, it was brutal (both the mankind version and the nature version) but I could picture all the settings really well. I’ve never been to Missoula, where it takes place, but the descriptions of the forest and rolling farmlands and smog-choked city all rang true and real. And I believed the actions- I’ve got something of a fascination with cults, and how easily our community-wired human minds are manipulated (despite the worship of individuality here in America, or the false comfort of “I’m too smart to be taken in like that”), and I absolutely believe the actions within the Kevinians could happen in an isolated community that worships one man as a prophet. Unfortunately, we see them happening today (especially child brides, child abuse, violent misogyny, and polygamy).
Writing: 9, it was really well-paced, with chapters alternating between past and present (though not on a consistent basis). Oftentimes, I’d be really caught up in one chapter and a little frustrated about the perspective change when it happened, but Oakes weaves the story together in a way that supports the MC’s own journey toward acceptance, belief, and strength. Also, she doesn’t say so in her Acknowledgements, but I got the feeling she consulted girls in juvie to get perspectives about things that happen there (nothing felt entirely fabricated to serve the plot). And her use of language is very direct and unflinching, which serves to show the reader that just because a person lacks formal education and/or has been brainwashed and in poverty their whole life, doesn’t mean they’re incapable of blossoming into an intelligent, self-aware person.
Plot: 9, see above.
Intrigue: 10, I read this book in a day and a half. During that time, I was very ill, and the fact that this novel could distract me from my pain speaks volumes about it.
Logic: 9, everyone seemed to act in accordance with their own beliefs, assumed motivations, and (perhaps most of all) fears. Importantly, no character is dismissed as insane or “just bad” or gullible. Every person is carrying their own ghosts, keeping them locked in small boxes. And the contemporary setting, although (I think) meant to take place in the mid-1980s, felt applicable to present day.
Enjoyment: 10, I really appreciated how nuanced and carefully balanced this whole story was. It could’ve so easily devolved into something saccharine or basic, but instead it felt respectful….as well as compelling. And if you know the Grimm fairytale The Handless Maiden, you’ll get even more enjoyment out of this with nods to aspects of it, like the pear tree and silver- but this retelling gives the MC much more autonomy over her fate than the original (well, all Grimm’s tales) did.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
[…] know I was absolutely devastated/enamored by The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, so when I saw another book by Oakes, I had to get […]