Release Date: Expected 3rd August 2023
Publisher: Penguin | Michael Joseph
17 year old Abigail and her family have been devout members of the New America Baptist Church for as long as she can remember. Every day is the same, she plays the role of the good daughter; obedient, modest, quiet.
Until her life goes up in the smoke — a fire burns down her family home, taking her parents with it and she is left alone. But was she the victim, or the villain in this? An innocent bystander or a masterful liar? Or is nothing so simple.
Until her life goes up in the smoke — a fire burns down her family home, taking her parents with it and she is left alone. But was she the victim, or the villain in this? An innocent bystander or a masterful liar? Or is nothing so simple.
"Turns out that this is where you go after you die - a body bag."
Dark, compelling and powerful — this searing thriller delves into the twisted world of religious coercion and cult mentalities, and the ripples of death and decay that they can send out into the world.
This story was slow, drawn-out and quiet. It did take me a while to get into but soon the mystery and horrific circumstances become very intriguing — Abigail telling us her story through her own words before and after the fire— her voice was interspersed with podcasts, audio files, emails, news stories and media clippings to create a non-linear, interactive and deeply detailed style of storytelling that at times was a little repetitive and disjointed but made you notice all the little details that really pushed us forwards.
Although there was a strong cast of distinct characters who ranged from interesting to downright evil, the enigmatic and elusive podcast creator Summer was clearly a catalyst in Abigail’s life and this story. their dynamic was electrifying, their relationship a mystery — and only ever hearing Abigail’s version of their relationship made it that much more difficult to figure out exactly.
Abigail as a narrator was definitely interesting; she’d been through a twisted religious cult, been a victim of outdated and abusive gendered laws — but as we only hear from her we are following her on this journey and trying to figure out if she’s just a victim, or a masterful liar. She jumps and changes, from a brainwashed self-righteous girl, to a survivor, to a suspect — and all of them so clearly still her in some way. Of course there’s some times it’s clear who is good and who is bad — but what about the times those lines get blurred, in between victims and villains?
The discomfort was palpable and intense, entirely anxiety-inducing as were not sure who to trust. Full of twists, secrets, lies and plots — this is A disturbing journey behind the closed doors of a dangerous cult, into the monster that walk around in plain sight.
This story was slow, drawn-out and quiet. It did take me a while to get into but soon the mystery and horrific circumstances become very intriguing — Abigail telling us her story through her own words before and after the fire— her voice was interspersed with podcasts, audio files, emails, news stories and media clippings to create a non-linear, interactive and deeply detailed style of storytelling that at times was a little repetitive and disjointed but made you notice all the little details that really pushed us forwards.
Although there was a strong cast of distinct characters who ranged from interesting to downright evil, the enigmatic and elusive podcast creator Summer was clearly a catalyst in Abigail’s life and this story. their dynamic was electrifying, their relationship a mystery — and only ever hearing Abigail’s version of their relationship made it that much more difficult to figure out exactly.
Abigail as a narrator was definitely interesting; she’d been through a twisted religious cult, been a victim of outdated and abusive gendered laws — but as we only hear from her we are following her on this journey and trying to figure out if she’s just a victim, or a masterful liar. She jumps and changes, from a brainwashed self-righteous girl, to a survivor, to a suspect — and all of them so clearly still her in some way. Of course there’s some times it’s clear who is good and who is bad — but what about the times those lines get blurred, in between victims and villains?
The discomfort was palpable and intense, entirely anxiety-inducing as were not sure who to trust. Full of twists, secrets, lies and plots — this is A disturbing journey behind the closed doors of a dangerous cult, into the monster that walk around in plain sight.
⭐⭐⭐
I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Cw; fire, death, religious trauma, cults, violence, sexism, homophobia, abuse, assault, recreational drugs.
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