by Robin Stevenson

Exceedingly suspenseful!

I read this book in approximately four hours. It was very hard to put down. The story follows Ara, a girl who is growing up in a cult, and her older brother Leo, who has just enough memories of the outside to start to question everything that they have been made to believe in Jupiter Station— the neopagan, planet worshiping cult they have been brought to.

It’s really hard to talk about this book without revealing too many spoilers, but I found it very hard to put this book down because I was so invested in the characters uncovering the truth of their situation. As a reader, you very quickly understand that they are in a cult, and it is so jarring to be reading from their point of view as they navigate the world beyond what they have been made to believe it is.

And at a very slim 200 pages, I think that this would be a great book for any reader, but especially reluctant readers. Short chapters keep it engaging.

There are moments in the book where characters reflect upon real world cults, which introduces a little bit of history, which I appreciated.

Honestly, the only thing I did not like about this book was the cover. It makes the book seem like more of a tragedy or an emotional book rather than an extremely high stakes suspenseful book. 

Reviewed by Komachin Middle School Staff, D. Moulton