Title: Agnes at the End of the World

Author: Kelly McWilliams

Publisher: Little, Brown Books 2020

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 432

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme

Agnes loves her home of Red Creek -- its quiet, sunny mornings, its dusty roads, and its God. There, she cares tirelessly for her younger siblings and follows the town's strict laws. What she doesn't know is that Red Creek is a cult, controlled by a madman who calls himself a prophet.

Then Agnes meets Danny, an Outsider boy, and begins to question what is and isn't a sin. Her younger brother, Ezekiel, will die without the insulin she barters for once a month, even though medicine is considered outlawed. Is she a sinner for saving him? Is her sister, Beth, a sinner for dreaming of the world beyond Red Creek?

As the Prophet grows more dangerous, Agnes realizes she must escape with Ezekiel and leave everyone else, including Beth, behind. But it isn't safe Outside, either: A viral pandemic is burning through the population at a terrifying rate. As Agnes ventures forth, a mysterious connection grows between her and the Virus. But in a world where faith, miracles, and cruelty have long been indistinguishable, will Agnes be able to choose between saving her family and saving the world?

I started reading this book and had such high hopes. The first part of the book intrigued me. I find cults to be fascinating and I was very into learning more about the inner workings of the cult. I was on the edge of my seat through Agnes’s coming to terms with the lies she had been told. And I was desperate to see her escape the cult. But then, the book started taking a turn… and I got very concerned about the topics of the book. The second half of the book is all about Agnes accepting God (yes, uppercase G) and following his plan. SPOILER In fact, the book ends because Agnes realizes that she can cure the virus by becoming God’s new prophet. I was not prepared for this turn. The book became a whole story about accepting religion, a very specific religion. I just couldn’t. By the time I realized where this was going, I was 78% complete so I finished the book. Now I’m wishing that I didn’t.

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