The Liar's Daughter
Piper was raised in a cult.
She just doesn't know it. Seventeen-year-old Piper knows that Father is a Prophet. Infallible. The chosen one. She would do anything for Father. That's why she takes care of all her little sisters. That's why she runs end-of-the world drills. That's why she never asks questions. Because Father knows best. Until the day he doesn't. Until the day the government raids the compound and separates Piper from her siblings, from Mother, from the Aunts, from all of Father's followers--even from Caspian, the boy she loves. Now Piper is living Outside. Among Them. With a woman They claim is her real mother--a woman They say Father stole her from. But Piper knows better. And Piper is going to escape. An American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers
She just doesn't know it. Seventeen-year-old Piper knows that Father is a Prophet. Infallible. The chosen one. She would do anything for Father. That's why she takes care of all her little sisters. That's why she runs end-of-the world drills. That's why she never asks questions. Because Father knows best. Until the day he doesn't. Until the day the government raids the compound and separates Piper from her siblings, from Mother, from the Aunts, from all of Father's followers--even from Caspian, the boy she loves. Now Piper is living Outside. Among Them. With a woman They claim is her real mother--a woman They say Father stole her from. But Piper knows better. And Piper is going to escape. An American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers
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Community Reviews
Sigh. Did not live up to the hype.
So I went to my local bookstore because it's family birthdays and what better present than a book? I know, there is no better present. In the past, for my MIL, my husband has just told me to pick out a few YA books I like and we give them to her. Usually I pick out one I've read and think she'll like and then another that I haven't read that I think she'll like (because then, usually, she'll loan it to me when she's done and that's fun too). This time, my mind wasn't really working right and I was on a time crunch and COVID, so when the book seller suggested a book, I went with it. I should have known better. She said she doesn't really read YA (then why am I listening to you??). Then she said she read the whole thing in one sitting on a flight and that there were several big twists, especially at the end.
Girl. It was not gripping enough for me to get through in one sitting (kept getting distracted) because it was really predictable and THERE WERE NO TWISTS. Like, you knew from essentially the first page what was going on. The cover literally says, "she's in a cult and doesn't know it," so the leap to what essentially is the big "twist" is a very small, logical leap that isn't hard to figure out at all. So there are no twists, there are no surprises, and she comes around so much faster than I would have thought. It's like one therapy session and she's like, "hmmm, yeah, that does sound pretty culty!" Sigh. And the one thing I was interested in -- a super short mention of "he's digging graves" -- was never referenced again and was just left! What the hell!
The most interesting part of the book was the author's note at the end, where she explained that she ended up writing this book because of her childhood experiences with a religious organization that bordered on cult that was super easy to tell was the Jehovah's Witnesses. Like, any middlingly educated adult would be like, "oh, snappy suits, came to your door, don't get to celebrate birthdays? Yup, Jehovah's Witnesses". So the fact that she tried to keep the religion's name a secret seemed really, really pointless.
I don't know. I was just disappointed. At least it was a fast read.
So I went to my local bookstore because it's family birthdays and what better present than a book? I know, there is no better present. In the past, for my MIL, my husband has just told me to pick out a few YA books I like and we give them to her. Usually I pick out one I've read and think she'll like and then another that I haven't read that I think she'll like (because then, usually, she'll loan it to me when she's done and that's fun too). This time, my mind wasn't really working right and I was on a time crunch and COVID, so when the book seller suggested a book, I went with it. I should have known better. She said she doesn't really read YA (then why am I listening to you??). Then she said she read the whole thing in one sitting on a flight and that there were several big twists, especially at the end.
Girl. It was not gripping enough for me to get through in one sitting (kept getting distracted) because it was really predictable and THERE WERE NO TWISTS. Like, you knew from essentially the first page what was going on. The cover literally says, "she's in a cult and doesn't know it," so the leap to what essentially is the big "twist" is a very small, logical leap that isn't hard to figure out at all. So there are no twists, there are no surprises, and she comes around so much faster than I would have thought. It's like one therapy session and she's like, "hmmm, yeah, that does sound pretty culty!" Sigh. And the one thing I was interested in -- a super short mention of "he's digging graves" -- was never referenced again and was just left! What the hell!
The most interesting part of the book was the author's note at the end, where she explained that she ended up writing this book because of her childhood experiences with a religious organization that bordered on cult that was super easy to tell was the Jehovah's Witnesses. Like, any middlingly educated adult would be like, "oh, snappy suits, came to your door, don't get to celebrate birthdays? Yup, Jehovah's Witnesses". So the fact that she tried to keep the religion's name a secret seemed really, really pointless.
I don't know. I was just disappointed. At least it was a fast read.
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