Agnes at the End of the World

De: Kelly McWilliams

Narrado por: Brittany Pressley

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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.

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.

Good YA book

Interesting that the author started a book about an out of control virus in 2016 and sent it to her publisher just before covid hit.

Agnes and Beth of Red Creek are experiencing their own turmoil at a time outsiders are in the middle of a pandemic that turns people and animals alike into red beings intent on infecting anything and everyone in their path. The story is told from two POVs which I think serves to make it more interesting.

Agnes is the heroine trying to save her brother with insulin for his type 1 diabetes while following all rules except no medical treatment set by her religious community. Beth is the sister who finds herself questioning much of the lifestyle of her people. They really couldn’t be much more different than each other.

Not being religious myself, I was afraid this book would get too preachy. It got over the top one time for me, but it wasn’t enough for me to dislike it. The author succeeded in making quite an interesting read and the narrator was excellent.

Interesting but...

Okay, this is an interesting pandemic tale in the midst of our Covid 19 pandemic. But...
This is most definitely a YA romance.
Ms McWilliams needs to crank up Google and do a little more research when she’s writing about subjects she clearly has little experience with.

great book!

i was reluctant to listen to this one at the start. since i live just 30 miles from the polygamous communities, it's a tough subject. Covid complicates the plot, but this an excellent book and an amazing presentation.