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kellygillespiewv 's review for:
Agnes at the End of the World
by Kelly McWilliams
Full review at Wild and Wonderful Reads
Agnes at the End of the World paints a vivid picture of a grim landscape featuring a fundamentalist cult and a pandemic that is devastating the Outside world while still delivering a message of hope.
Kelly McWilliams is staking her place in young adult literature with this debut novel! I cannot even begin to fathom what it’s like for authors, especially debut authors, to release a book during the current world situation, let alone a book about a pandemic during an actual pandemic — Kelly has the unique experience of doing both with Agnes!
The writing is simply beautiful and the story is so thought-provoking. The world-building and character development are both phenomenal! This YA genre mash-up (dystopian with cult and pandemic themes) was hard to put down and even harder to stop thinking about!
Agnes at the End of the World is told in the dual POVs of Agnes and Beth — sisters raised in Red Creek who couldn’t be more different from one another — which allows for a lot of depth, especially once more settings and secondary characters are introduced. AND OH WHAT A MARVELOUS CAST OF CHARACTERS WE GET! The leads are inspiring, the prophet (and cult, as a whole) is perfectly villainous, and I was rooting for so many of the side characters as they battle through each conflict they face.
There is a lot of faith-based dialogue given one of the main settings is Red Creek — a cult town — and one of the main characters is prophetic. Although religion is often a hot topic in real life, it is handled with a lot of care in Agnes. Regardless of your beliefs (or non-beliefs), I don’t feel that that should be a deterrent.
Overall, I highly recommend Agnes at the End of the World! You need to add this one to your list if you enjoy YA Dystopians or stories where characters find themselves in impossible situations with nothing but hope and determination to help them through.
*Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book as a member of the street team. Please note that it, in no way, had an effect on my opinion or review.
Agnes at the End of the World paints a vivid picture of a grim landscape featuring a fundamentalist cult and a pandemic that is devastating the Outside world while still delivering a message of hope.
Kelly McWilliams is staking her place in young adult literature with this debut novel! I cannot even begin to fathom what it’s like for authors, especially debut authors, to release a book during the current world situation, let alone a book about a pandemic during an actual pandemic — Kelly has the unique experience of doing both with Agnes!
The writing is simply beautiful and the story is so thought-provoking. The world-building and character development are both phenomenal! This YA genre mash-up (dystopian with cult and pandemic themes) was hard to put down and even harder to stop thinking about!
Agnes at the End of the World is told in the dual POVs of Agnes and Beth — sisters raised in Red Creek who couldn’t be more different from one another — which allows for a lot of depth, especially once more settings and secondary characters are introduced. AND OH WHAT A MARVELOUS CAST OF CHARACTERS WE GET! The leads are inspiring, the prophet (and cult, as a whole) is perfectly villainous, and I was rooting for so many of the side characters as they battle through each conflict they face.
There is a lot of faith-based dialogue given one of the main settings is Red Creek — a cult town — and one of the main characters is prophetic. Although religion is often a hot topic in real life, it is handled with a lot of care in Agnes. Regardless of your beliefs (or non-beliefs), I don’t feel that that should be a deterrent.
Overall, I highly recommend Agnes at the End of the World! You need to add this one to your list if you enjoy YA Dystopians or stories where characters find themselves in impossible situations with nothing but hope and determination to help them through.
*Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book as a member of the street team. Please note that it, in no way, had an effect on my opinion or review.