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The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly  By  cover art

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

By: Stephanie Oakes
Narrated by: Morgan Hallett
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Publisher's summary

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 17-year-old Minnow: 12 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 gripping story is perfect for listeners who like their novels dark and smart.

©2015 Stephanie Oakes (P)2017 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

Morris Award Finalist, 2016

What listeners say about The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Bit of a Disconnect

The concept is great. The execution is good. The characters are unusual and distinct. The nonlinear format is an interesting way to tell this story about a girl who is in juvenile detention after the prophet of her cult has been murdered and the camp of the cult set aflame.

This has all the classic factors that should add up to equal a perfect book, and yet I still wanted to hold it at arm’s length the whole way through. I just wouldn’t or couldn’t let this book get too close, and I’m not sure why. I think that maybe something about it feels a bit too prescribed, and not authentic enough. I guess I wanted more emotional resonance, and this is a bit flat and dry at times. Almost mechanical.

It’s not really a book that you enjoy. It’s more like it’s a book that you survive. That being said, it was compelling, and I kept moving forward, even when I sometimes felt a disconnect.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

great book

loved the narrator. the book is great. wondering if there will be a second book

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hands

I picked this book after seeing that a show based on this book was coming to tv. This was a very interesting read that keeps you hook from chapter one. From what I know this book isn't based on real story but it can easily be based on things we have all seen on the news.
Their is something very aspiring about the main character and her will to survive and to learn. You see that she just had a strong spirit from day one and she was never going to fit into this world of restrictions that the people around her were trying to tie her down to.
I really enjoyed the stories of the "Kevinian" religion or cult. They are very interesting and in a way the way the story is set and the idea of how this man made a religion can bring up questions about your own religion. Isn't it all made up? I wish we could've been in the view point of the people who did follow the cult leader and believed everything because that is a point of view I always wondered about. But in this book you are specifically looking at everything thru a person who was made to go along and who didn't want to go with everything around her.
Something else I enjoyed is the author's writing. I love the description and the names of characters kinda have this undertone that must be connected to the bible. I also read that this book is loosely based on a Grimm fairytale, which I can also see that. The scene towards the end of the book of the girl walking into the fire and the author giving the fire human trades will always stick with me. How the fire loved this girl, kiss her and the house embraced her was a horrible yet poetic scene.
This was a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes mystery and cult books.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story, very difficult

The narrator was great. I didnt have any problems listening to her and she portrayed the.characters well.

The story was upsetting, that is the nature of the story, but definitely a trigger warning for many people with several different types of trauma.

I liked the character arcs and the plot was interesting throughout. There wasn't a part when I thought it dragged.

all in all 4 stars.

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1 person found this helpful

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  • 08-22-18

Wonderful book of an awakening!!!

So very much worth the read/listen!! I recommend also watching the series about this on facebook!!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great read

It was a great book. I the narrator did amazing in reading it. I love all the suspense and mystery behind everything.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

I loved this book. I found it very interesting and different. Would definitely recommend this!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Intriguing, nevertheless....

A+ for the narrator, but the story was only better than mediocre, I liked the irony of the prophet meeting his end at hands of one of his own lies, however I feel like to many things were left unexplained, like Jude and her mother and even some more information about her father and what his thought process was when he cut minnows hands off. These could have been a start for a second book but the way that it ended implies that minnow will move on and live a somewhat happily ever after.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • 12-17-19

Thought provoking and deep

Good novel depicting the negative outcomes of blind faith. Thought provoking topics surrounding the morality of victims fighting back against their abusers versus the legal black-and-white system that, in some eyes, too often fails the abused who were trying to survive.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

jaw-dropping and breath taking.

This is an amazing book. I have to say, if i didn't have it on audible i would have finished it in a night. A gripping page turner that pulls at your hear more and more with each passing sentence.

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