I’m in two minds about this book. On the one hand, the story is completely fascinating, but on the other, I found the writing pretty lacking. However, most students who read this book absolutely love it, so perhaps I’m being too picky! Based on the real NZ community Gloriavale (can we call it a cult? I suppose we probably should), this book is about a young girl whose mum was raised in a really religious sect but broke away as a teenager and became pregnant. The mum can’t cope anymore and calls the family to take Kirby back to the community. They promptly change Kirby’s name to Esther and begin to indoctrinate her into their ways (yeah, it’s not great when she gets totally brainwashed). Given it’s based on a real place, the story is pretty intriguing. It’s a really easy read and if you enjoy it, there are a couple of other books in the series you can sink yourself into.
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