Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release Date: July 19, 2022
Purchase Link: Amazon
Special thanks to the publisher for an arc.
An emotionally wrought debut novel perfect for book clubs about a girl who escapes from a cult after a deadly fire destroys her family’s compound, only to be haunted by That Night as she tries to build a new life for herself.
Review:
Nineteen year old Avery and younger brother Cole,16, finally get the opportunity to escape the cult where they live with their "family" when fire destroys everything during the night. While life had been hard at the camp, survivalist skills that were drilled into them daily come in handy as they're forced to live off the land. When they're captured during a shoplifting spree, shocking revelations rock their world. It turns out both Avery and Cole were stolen when they were very young. Cole's real family is located and he's reunited with them. Avery, however, is left alone in a big, strange world she doesn't know how to manipulate, and is forced to seek shelter in a shelter for women. An investigation into the cause of the cult fire raises some serious questions. Were there other survivors? Were there more survivors from Avery's fake "family"? Avery decides only the truth will set her free, and so she begins investigating.
After We Were Stolen is a heartbreaking, gritty story - highly emotional as it delves into what happens to survivors of cults once they're living in a free world and charged with learning new survival skills. It speaks of family and what it really means to belong whether by blood or by choice. Needless to say, this is not an easy read and may present triggers to some readers. As the story unfolds, it follows Avery as she attempts to move forward in a strange, new world while struggling to lay the past to rest. Having her point of view means readers feel her confusion, turmoil and determination. The author does an expert job of showcasing the emotional and psychological aspects people face after escaping a cult. The pace is steady as the story progresses to the final revelation. I found the characterizations to be well-developed and believable and the plot line intriguing. Together, they work. After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss is an impressive debut that I highly recommend to fans of heartfelt suspense thrillers. It's not an easy read, but it's an important one. I look forward to more from this obviously talented author.
Synopsis:
A fire. Her escape. And the realization her entire life has been a lie.
When nineteen-year-old Avery awakens to flames consuming her family’s remote compound, she knows it’s her only chance to escape her father’s grueling survival training, bizarre rules, and gruesome punishments. She and her brother Cole flee the grounds for the first time in their lives, suddenly homeless in a world they know nothing about. After months of hiding out, they are arrested for shoplifting and a shocking discovery is made—Avery and Cole were kidnapped fifteen years earlier, stolen by cult leaders they knew as Mom and Dad.
Cole is immediately returned to his birth family, leaving Avery alone and desperate. She is uncertain if her “parents” survived the fire and is terrified to find out. The loss of Cole and the trauma of her former life threaten to undo her, but when the police investigation reveals there may be more survivors, Avery must uncover the truth about the fire to truly be free.
Suspenseful, emotionally charged, and deeply thought-provoking, After We Were Stolen delves into the idea of family—those we’re born into and those we make—resilience, and the lengths a cult survivor will go to finally be free of her painful past. Brooke Beyfuss’s powerful debut novel sparkles with heart, grit, and extraordinary characters who will stay with you long after the last page.
When nineteen-year-old Avery awakens to flames consuming her family’s remote compound, she knows it’s her only chance to escape her father’s grueling survival training, bizarre rules, and gruesome punishments. She and her brother Cole flee the grounds for the first time in their lives, suddenly homeless in a world they know nothing about. After months of hiding out, they are arrested for shoplifting and a shocking discovery is made—Avery and Cole were kidnapped fifteen years earlier, stolen by cult leaders they knew as Mom and Dad.
Cole is immediately returned to his birth family, leaving Avery alone and desperate. She is uncertain if her “parents” survived the fire and is terrified to find out. The loss of Cole and the trauma of her former life threaten to undo her, but when the police investigation reveals there may be more survivors, Avery must uncover the truth about the fire to truly be free.
Suspenseful, emotionally charged, and deeply thought-provoking, After We Were Stolen delves into the idea of family—those we’re born into and those we make—resilience, and the lengths a cult survivor will go to finally be free of her painful past. Brooke Beyfuss’s powerful debut novel sparkles with heart, grit, and extraordinary characters who will stay with you long after the last page.
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