Agnes at the End of the World

By: Kelly McWilliams

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The Handmaid's Tale meets Wilder Girls in this genre-defying novel about a girl who escapes a terrifying cult only to discover that the world Outside has succumbed to a viral apocalypse.

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?

©2020 Kelly McWilliams (P)2020 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"A powerful story, exquisitely told. Agnes is the antidote we need in our own dystopian times. She filled me with hope!" (Bill Konigsberg, award-winning author of Openly Straight and The Bridge)

"A truly unique gem of a book. Set during the apocalypse and featuring a disturbing virus and terrifying cult, McWilliams's tale is ultimately one of hope. Agnes is a fascinating heroine-determined, selfless, and brave. I was rooting for her from the very first page." (Erin Bowman, Edgar Award-nominated author of Contagion)

"In Agnes At The End of The World, McWilliams has created a female protagonist whose strength relies, remarkably, not on brute force but in her deep sense of spirituality. From the lyrical prologue to the satisfying climax, young adults will enjoy the journey that transforms Agnes from an oppressed child into a leader fighting for the survival of her world. In these difficult and divisive times, I find it particularly important to read stories explore a protagonist's inner strength and so I was intrigued by McWilliams's plot." (Padma Venkatraman, author, The Bridge Home, winner of the Walter Award and the Golden Kite Award)

Utterly Amazing

Agnes at the end of the world kept me on the end of my seat. I laughed and cried along with the characters. I thought I wouldn't like it at first, not being a religious person, but it was extremely well written. Very well done and Brittany Presley read it flawlessly.

Captivating and gripping

An interesting and realistic look into high demand religions and cults. I appreciated the diverse cast of characters and beautiful writing.

Not bad

Overall the book was entertaining. Not at the top of my list for this genre. Authors note cracked me up. Hiding in self imposed lockdown in her house.

Amazingly timed! Perfect for the world today!

This book was so well written. And the "story" so real. Thank you for bringing light to this subculture.

Perfect timing!

It is amazing that this book came out during the pandemic in 2020. So many similarities but still so many differences. The overall storyline was thought-provoking and heartwarming. I found it very difficult to put down and finished it quickly.

Great listen - reconsider bad reviews

Lots of reviews make this sound like an evangelical conversion scheme… if you replace the religious ideology of the characters with a belief in magic, it’s not any more preachy than Harry Potter is trying to convert folks to Wicca. The important thing: good narrator, switching between two characters as protagonists helps it stay interesting through 60 chapters, and the message from the author at the end is perfect! This won’t be for everyone right now, it may be comforting if you can handle a pandemic story that will make Covid sound like a light cold/flu season.

I enjoyed it; great narration.

I enjoyed this Audiobook; and listened even when I wasn't in my car. Don't be put off by other reviews that says it has 'too much God'. I didn't feel it 'preachy'; it was simply part of the characters lives & this story.

Pressley ruins yet another book

It is difficult to take any novel seriously with Brittany Pressley narrating. She has one voice- a petulant teenage girl. Period. Whether it’s a stern father figure reading scripture or an actual young person contemplating faith, the delivery is the same. Her characters sound bored, breathy, and overly dramatic. Had I realized Pressley was narrating, I would have skipped it.

This is what I believe

I have never before seen such a full and, for me, accurate representation of the Christian God.
The story itself was gripping, thought provoking and original. I appreciated how even the unlikable characters were still given some depth. Beth was an excellent example of how people are never truly good -or- bad, and instead they're (we're) mostly struggling between selfishness and wanting to be Good.

I do have one issue: I hope it wasn't the author's intention to have completely left out LGBT people from the story. I am concerned about how Agnes' God is Everyone, Love and Connection, but it seems like LGBT people aren't part of that. At the very least, there could have been some as part of the Outsiders.

Unexpected

This was exceptional! Worth a credit. Great post-apocalyptic story for our times and the twists in plot kept the pace moving. Unique in genre.