This is such a quick read, because you keep wanting to know what happens next. Even if you're familiar with the Charles Manson case, the fictionalized version here is really well-written and compelling. It's told from the point of view of an outsider girl who gets drawn into the cult. You start to understand how and why people get drawn into environments that seem downright disturbing and harmful. The author does a really good job of capturing on the page that vulnerable time period of adolescence when community and support systems are so essential to thriving, and how that can easily go wrong. Great read for summer, since it's a page-turner.

Note: I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher for review.