The story of a 16-year-old's journey to freedom at the end of the world.Raised in the ranch commune of Red Creek, Agnes has always followed the Prophet's adage, "perfect obedience produces perfect faith." With a mother in the depths of depression, Agnes dutifully takes care of her father and younger siblings and the household chores; she is the perfect follower. Her one sin is the lifesaving insulin she receives from Matilda, an Outsider nurse, for her brother Ezekiel, who has Type 1 diabetes. Agnes' 15-year-old sister Beth is her complete opposite-questioning the cult's strict laws for women and sneaking around with a boy. Events ramp up as Agnes becomes aware of the Prophet's lies and a viral pandemic ravages the outside world. As the Prophet forces his followers into an underground bunker, Agnes realizes she must leave with Ezekiel. With the help of Matilda's son, Danny, who exposes them to life outside, and prayers in which Agnes communes with God, they escape into a dying world. The novel unfolds in chapters alternating between Agnes' and Beth's perspectives, blending science fiction with the harsh realities of life in a cult. The ornate, complex text takes readers through Agnes' and Beth's journeys of reconciling their faith and desires, imbuing the well-rounded characters with purpose. Residents of Red Creek are white; Danny and Matilda are black.An excellent read. (map, author's note) (Dystopian. 13-18)

As a plague ravages the planet, the community of Red Creek believes they are chosen survivors. But Agnes is having serious doubts about the Prophet's visions, especially because his distrust of the Outside means that Agnes has to break the rules in order to get insulin to keep her younger brother alive. But when the Prophet says it's finally time to move into the bunker for the impending apocalypse, Agnes knows she has to get out. McWilliams (Doormat, 2004) explores societal collapse and religious doubt through an initially fragile protagonist who overcomes her fears of the Outsiders when it becomes painfully evident that her life up to that point was never fully her own. Agnes is eventually able to emerge as a young woman with agency, even as the world around her continues to spiral into chaos. In this character-driven novel, full of the mundane and the extraordinary, McWilliams delves deeply into the varied and complex relationships between spirituality and idolatry, feminism and patriarchy, love, family, and hope l set against a nightmarish dystopian backdrop.

Agnes breaks the rules of her isolated fundamentalist community to treat her younger brother Ezekiel's diabetes. She remains otherwise faithful, even keeping herself from hearing the voice of God because Red Creek doesn't allow women to be prophets. Her sister Beth is more rebellious, but at a moment of crisis, the sisters' roles reverse. Beth obediently follows the community into the bunker where they plan to hide from the pandemic ravaging the world, while Agnes flees with Ezekiel to the outsiders who have been supplying insulin. Both sisters learn about Red Creek's corruption and how to fight its limitations, particularly as Agnes reestablishes her prophetic abilities and realizes she is able to bring the pandemic to an end. The writing is vivid ("The otherworldly humming...was like spectral armor, a cloak that billowed and let nothing evil near") and compelling, with a complex cast of characters moving the story forward as McWilliams presents a nuanced interrogation of faith, knowledge, and duty. The book combines elements of cult and pandemic stories in a fresh take on themes that now have an unanticipated relevance. The result is a solid novel that is both page-turning and thought-provoking. Sarah Rettger

The story of a 16-year-old's journey to freedom at the end of the world.Raised in the ranch commune of Red Creek, Agnes has always followed the Prophet's adage, "perfect obedience produces perfect faith." With a mother in the depths of depression, Agnes dutifully takes care of her father and younger siblings and the household chores; she is the perfect follower. Her one sin is the lifesaving insulin she receives from Matilda, an Outsider nurse, for her brother Ezekiel, who has Type 1 diabetes. Agnes' 15-year-old sister Beth is her complete opposite-questioning the cult's strict laws for women and sneaking around with a boy. Events ramp up as Agnes becomes aware of the Prophet's lies and a viral pandemic ravages the outside world. As the Prophet forces his followers into an underground bunker, Agnes realizes she must leave with Ezekiel. With the help of Matilda's son, Danny, who exposes them to life outside, and prayers in which Agnes communes with God, they escape into a dying world. The novel unfolds in chapters alternating between Agnes' and Beth's perspectives, blending science fiction with the harsh realities of life in a cult. The ornate, complex text takes readers through Agnes' and Beth's journeys of reconciling their faith and desires, imbuing the well-rounded characters with purpose. Residents of Red Creek are white; Danny and Matilda are black.An excellent read. (map, author's note) (Dystopian. 13-18)

The Red Creek compound is the only life Agnes, 16, has known. Adhering to the belief that -perfect obedience produces perfect faith,- she and her siblings have been taught by Red Creek-s prophet that women are inferior to men and that outsiders are not