Title: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly Author: Stephanie Oakes
Published: June 9, 2015
Genre(s): Realistic/Contemporary
Page Count: 400
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, her ability to trust.
And when she rebelled, they took away her hands, too.
Now their Prophet has been murdered and their camp set aflame, and it's clear that Minnow knows something—but she's not talking. As she languishes in juvenile detention, she struggles to un-learn everything she has been taught to believe, adjusting to a life behind bars and recounting the events that led up to her incarceration. But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of—if she’s willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past.
If the opening sentence “I am a blood-soaked girl.” does not intrigue you, then little more needs to be said about this book. These are probably not the droids you’re looking for. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is a book about a cult and a murder and girl whose hands were hacked off via hatchet. Content warnings for abuse and gore most definitely apply here. Probably not a book I’d give to my kid with a glowing recommendation.
But.
This book is really fucking good.
I mean, if you find cults even halfway fascinating (as I do), then The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is not a story to be missed. Stephanie Oakes doesn’t mess around, sugarcoat, or shy away from what’s going on in the Community that Minnow grew up in. It’s an absolutely brutal place, and the author doesn’t soften the sharp, honest edges. Other young adult novels have dealt with cults before, but I don’t think other books have been so starkly, unflinchingly realistic. I wouldn’t say that Oakes delves deeply into Minnow’s psychology or her inner world, but the external illustrations of what life was like were brutal (and succinct).
It’s important to note that Stephanie Oakes has an MFA in poetry, which comes across in her prose. The pitch and tone of the imagery throughout this book is just right, and entire moods are captured in just a few words or a sentence. This book feels lean and efficient, even if it’s not really short by typical YA standards. Every scene feels intentional and important, creating an easy, streamlined (if emotionally draining) reading experience.
Still on the topic of Oakes’ technical skill, another thing is the choppy, back-and-forth nature of the book’s timeline. Again and again and again I repeat that I don’t like this stylistic choice, especially when the disjointed timeline feels purposefully inserted to heighten suspense. I actually felt like that was the right choice in The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly. The book jumps over the fire that destroyed the Community, switching between the time leading up to the fire and the aftermath, where Minnow sits in juvie awaiting a parole hearing. The details of the fire, who caused it, and why, are hidden from the reader until the end. Normally I would have been frustrated, but in this case I felt that it was appropriate, as Minnow only revealed her trauma when she was ready to do so—revealed to the reader, but also to her therapist (rather, forensic psychologist) and to herself. It seemed fitting, and again, thoughtfully and intentionally executed on Oakes’ part.
Overall: very seriously good.
