The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

what i really enjoyed about this book was the hope behind it all. A rather deep and harrowing subject tone managed to really search out the hope in Minnow's story.

this was interesting and I really enjoyed the writing! I wish more of the story was focused on Minnow's life in the cult - I wasn't as interested in her time in juvenile detention and got a little bored with everything by the end. I thought the reveal of what really happened was p obvious so IMO, there wasn't much to the ending.

This was rather good, though I personally felt the ending faltered out a little bit. I can imagine, though, that it is hard to wrap up a story like this one, and I appreciate that it wasn't a tidy, “everyone-lived-happily-ever-after” ending with all loose ends tied up. Still, it's a story I'll want to visit again, knowing how it all plays out, and that is an accomplishment on its own. 4/5

Actual rating: 4.5

This book was quite fantastic. I adored the writing style- it flowed so smoothly throughout the entire novel.

The flashbacks were great. They were interspersed with the present perfectly, and had some relevance to the events occurring in the present. Moreover, Oakes did not give away too much at one time, which built suspense for the whole novel.

Character wise, the novel really only have one main character. The other characters were rather minor, even if they did contribute to Minnow's growth significantly. In a way, it's a story about self discovery, and a very good one at that.

It's an interesting read with an interesting concept, and I certainly enjoyed it. It was the kind of book that was difficult to set down!

If I could give it all the stars of the literary universe I would. Definitely my #1 YA favorite for 2016.

This is the second novel I have read this year in which the protagonist has had their hands removed. Weird. Minnow Bly is a fascinating mystery that had me from the first page. Storytelling trace, activated! It's not a long book- there is lots of white space on each page and the font is big, so don't be put off by the size. I've been reading rave reviews about this title for months and it lives up to the hype. It's a good read.