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    The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly
    The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly
    The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

    Written by Stephanie Oakes

    Narrated by Morgan Hallett

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    An emotionally raw debut about the dangers of blind faith-and the power of having faith in oneself The cult known as the Community 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. With a harrowing poetic voice, this page-turner is perfect for readers who like their novels dark and smart.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 12, 2017
    ISBN9781501960703
    The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly
    Author

    Stephanie Oakes

    STEPHANIE OAKES lives in Spokane, Washington, and spends her days working as a library media teacher in a combined middle and elementary school. She received her MFA in poetry from Eastern Washington University. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is her debut novel. www.stephanieoakesbooks.com

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    Reviews for The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

    4/5

    137 ratings12 reviews

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    • 5/5
      After watching Sacred Lies on Facebook Watch and finding out it was based on a book, I knew I had to find a copy of the novel! I was beyond happy (and surprised) that my local library had a copy of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes lying around.Minnow Bly has been part of the Kevinian cult since she was 5 years old. When police find her next to the badly beaten body of a teenage boy, they are shocked to learn that she has no hands. After being placed in juvenile detention, Minnow starts to learn new things about the world. After an FBI agent takes an interest in her case, Minnow must decide if she wants to tell him the truth of what really went on in the cult or if some things are better left unsaid.The plot for The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly was incredibly interesting. Oakes did a fantastic job of making Minnow's world come to life. I was instantly transported to the settings of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly quite easily each time I started reading this book. There are some really emotional scenes in this book such as some of the scenes with Minnow and Jude, Minnow's hands being chopped off, and the scene towards the end with Minnow's sister Constance. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly was definitely an emotional roller coaster for sure. There were plenty of plot twists throughout the book which would leave me with my mouth hanging open quite a bit. The pacing is perfect throughout this novel. All of my questions were answered by the ending of the book. However, the ending of the book is quite speculative about Minnow's future.The characters in The Scared Lies of Minnow Bly were all very fleshed out and realistic sounding. Many times it felt as if I was reading about something that actually happened instead of a fictitious story. My heart went out to Minnow with all she had to go through, but I admired her strength and determination to not be a victim. I loved her curious nature and how she wanted to learn as much as possible. Minnow's resolve was so strong. I loved Jude so much. He was such a sweet and caring boy who had also been through more than he should. I loved how he wanted to take care of Minnow and how much he truly cared about her. I loved reading about Minnow's and Jude's relationship blossoming. Dr. Wilson was another great character. I wish there would have been a bit more back story for Dr. Wilson, but I did like how he cared about Minnow and her story and how he challenged her to think for herself. One of my favorite characters was Angel, Minnow's cellmate. She's another who challenged Minnow's beliefs and wanted to help educate Minnow. It was a nice touch to see this hardened girl really go out of her way to take care of Minnow and to make sure Minnow thrived.Trigger warnings The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly include profanity, violence, death, sex (though not graphic at all), and brainwashing.Overall, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly was such a fascinating read. It had such a fantastic plot and a great cast of characters. It was too easy to get lost in their world. I would definitely recommend The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes to everyone aged 15+ who want to get lost in a fantastically written novel! The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly won't leave you disappointed at all.
    • 5/5
      4.5 stars.

      The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes is a unflinchingly honest portrayal of life inside a religious cult. Although a work of fiction, every heartbreaking detail rings true and the novel raises very thought-provoking questions and answers about blindly following the teachings of a self-proclaimed spiritual leader.

      When Minnow Bly was five years old, her parents followed Prophet Kevin into the Montana wilderness where they helped build and then lived in a secluded Community with other followers. They never questioned the Prophet's increasingly bizarre teachings and they followed his every command without any protest. The Kevinian cult believed in taking more than one wife and the Prophet decided which young girl the much older men would marry. The women and children carried out the most strenuous tasks while the men were made Deacons of the "church". The cult members had no contact with the outside world but Minnow faintly recalled small details of life before her family joined the Prophet which caused her to doubt some of his proclamations.

      When the novel opens, Minnow has been arrested for a vicious assault on a young man following her escape from the wilderness compound. She is convicted of the crime and sent to a juvenile detention center where an FBI forensic psychologist offers her a deal that could lead to her parole on her eighteenth birthday. In exchange for his testimony at her upcoming parole hearing, Minnow must tell Dr. White the harrowing details about the night the Prophet died and the Kevinian compound was set ablaze. Through flashbacks and her vivid account to Dr. White, the story of Minnow's life with the Prophet is revealed and surprisingly, with the help of the doctor and her cellmate, Angel, Minnow begins to heal from her horrific ordeal.

      While not technically a mystery, there is a suspense element to the storyline. Minnow is reluctant to divulge the events of the night of the Prophet's death but why? What reason could she possibly have for keeping a secret of this magnitude? Is she responsible for his death? If not, who is trying to protect? The answers to these questions might just lie in her surprising and unexpected friendship with Jude, an outsider who lives close to the religious compound. This friendship leads Minnow to sneak away at every opportunity to escape her cloistered life with the Kevinians. These experiences with Jude also foster some of her skepticism of Prophet Kevin's somewhat ludicrous teachings.

      At the juvenile detention center, Minnow strikes up an unlikely friendship with Angel who helps her navigate the confusing life among the other inmates. After years in seclusion, Minnow is incredibly naive and at first, she finds it difficult to leave behind the teachings of Prophet Kevin. She is also uncertain of her own opinions and looks to others to tell her what to think about the questions she has about life, faith and the world in general. Minnow is extremely intelligent and through the programs available to her, she begins the arduous tasks of learning to read and gain the skills needed to live a regular life. Surprisingly, Minnow does not turn her back on faith and she finds comfort in certain passages from the Bible.

      The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is an extraordinarily fascinating novel and the storyline is incredibly compelling. Minnow is an extremely complex and sympathetic character and she is also very easy to like despite the circumstances that led to her incarceration. Cults are infinitely intriguing and Stephanie Oakes provides a credible scenario for how disenfranchised and dissatisfied people can easily be led astray as they search for a better life for themselves and their loved ones. An absolutely outstanding novel that is quite hopeful despite the rather serious subject matter and one that I highly recommend.
    • 5/5
      4.75

      Once in a while a writing comes along so powerful it transcends the word fiction or book and can truly be called literature. This was one of those books.
    • 4/5
      The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes is a young adult horror novel that really just had my full attention from the first sentence. Written A-chronologically, we follow seventeen year old Minnow’s story as she remembers it. For twelve years, Minnow’s been in a polygamist abiding, pro marital power, delusional cult. She rebelled, though, and that cost her more than most people would want to lose – both her hands. Due to some unforeseen circumstances (and a terrible defense attorney), Minnow lands in juvie, where she meets Angel and other unfortunate girls who’ve pretty much been the victims of victim shaming.

      Okay, yes, I might have read too much into the characters and their stories, but the sad truth is that the world hasn’t changed as much as people believe it has. This book is a statement, and a very loud one at that, about the injustice that happens every day to women and girls. Where the bad guy gets off and the good guy who’s been terrorised and simply stands up for themselves gets the blame. In other words, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly will stay with you and make you think about how unfair the world is.

      There are some rather grizzly scenes here and there, but these scenes are important, and frankly I think they’re well written.

      All in all, I loved this book. It’s a great read that’ll keep you wanting more, and it deserves to be on your shelf. Also, I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. Hopefully, it’ll be another YA horror, because there’s truly not enough of those in circulation at the moment.
    • 4/5
      A dark and strange story--this was partly like a YA Orange is the New Black, but there's some mystery in there, and a weird cult situation that makes it all intriguing, in spite of some trite aspects. Overall, I enjoyed it, I'm not sure what I felt was missing.
    • 5/5
      "Everyone always assumes it's with hands that people disobey. The Prophet thought so, too. If only he knew, if only everyone knew, my hands were never the source of my disobedience."The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is intoxicatingly, violently, unputdownable. Minnow is 17, handless, in juvenile detention for the brutal beating of a boy. The last twelve years of her life have been spent as a Kevinian, imprisoned in an isolated community in the woods, awaiting God to speak through their Prophet, and surviving disturbing abuses at the hands of those who lead them. But now many members have been imprisoned following a devastating fire and the FBI seeks answers regarding the suspicious death of their leader.Oakes' story is stunning and harrowing as she tackles the hard hitting issues of morality, justice, and the dangers of blind faith with an impeccable voice. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly follows Minnow's emotional journey as she unpacks the traumas of her past, comes to terms with the reality of life without hands, and considers her future and the potential consequences of telling her story in its entirety. Atmospheric, gripping, and powerfully delivered.
    • 4/5
      A gripping story about a girl raised in a cult who ends up in juvenile detention after committing assault. Well-paced and thoughtful - Minnow encounters many new views of the world after leaving the isolated religious cult - this book manages to give the reader hope while still telling a harrowing, sad tale. A good, solid read for YA literature.
    • 5/5
      My heart is ready to burst... It takes a lot for me to be awestruck by a book, but with this one, it was simple. The words wrapped around me and pulled me deep within the soul of the story. Minow Bly captured my every thought and even after the final page, I still didn't want to let go. Her story was tragic, yet inspirational. She grew up knowing only what she was told and when she ends up in juvie everything she knows quickly surfaces as lies. Her mind is opened up to possibilities she never thought possible. Her new prison symbolizes freedom and a new start. She finds friendships in a place that should be depressing and dark. She finds answers she craves and learns to talk through her brutal past in order to set herself free.

      It's a dark and twisted tale about cult life. I mean the girl's hands are cut off! She is held captive with whacko theories in her brain. Her only escape is Jude and escaping into his arms is a similar prison. He wants to protect her, but doesn't realize that by doing so he is also holding her back from freedom. He has a dark past with secrets that will wreck your heart. He believes is a solace life in the woods and fears the town. He wants them to live a life together secluded from all other humanity. Minnow craves something more though... When she meets Angel, she finally starts to see a future through all of the smoke.

      I'm not even sure how to summarize this book without saying that everyone just needs to read it. There are so many unpredictable twists and turns that my brain was swarmed with multiple possibilities. I wasn't sure how everything was going to turn out, but I felt a weight lift off my chest near the end. The story just kind of danced off the pages into beautiful bliss. Minnow finds peace in her own way and even though I still had questions, my heart was content. I definitely urge all to read this one and if you have similar recommendation please let me know!

    • 4/5
      The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly gives a haunting look at cult life, but also depicts a young girl who has been traumatized and victimized, yet in the end refuses to let those things define her. Longer review to come.
    • 4/5
      Minnow is courageous, resilient, daring and rebellious. These characteristics get you into a whole lot of trouble when you belong to a cult. She questions out of curiosity when she was young. As a teenager the questioning is viewed as a challenge to the Prophet's authority and integrity. The opening line " I am a blood-soaked girl" sets the story rolling and the ride is enthralling. Minnow is a wonderful character and the story unfolds with delicious morsels of what lead up to the opening line. One of my favourite reads and a page turner.
    • 4/5
      Minnow was a normal kid until her family joined a religious cult and moved to the woods with the other acolytes. The story that is revealed about her family and her abuse is harrowing but her love for the secret boy in the woods is also beautiful in its own way.
    • 4/5
      3.75-4 StarsA YA murder mystery set partly in a juvenile delinquent center and partly in the woods at a cult compound (think The Village). The mystery is delivered via flashbacks. The plot and characters are intriguing, but the MC's ability to adapt and endure is what kept me reading. There are just a few predictable instances, but overall a good story. This fiction work is the first novel that I have come across on this subject, so it's scary and enticing at the same time. For readers looking for a different kind of story. Penguin First to Read Galley