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OLDER FICTION
McWilliams, Kelly

Agnes at the End of the World

432 pp. | Little | June, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-0-316-48733-7 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-316-48730-6 $9.99
(2) YA Agnes breaks the rules of her isolated fundamentalist community to treat her younger brother Ezekiel's diabetes. She remains otherwise faithful, even keeping herself from hearing the voice of God because Red Creek doesn't allow women to be prophets. Her sister Beth is more rebellious, but at a moment of crisis, the sisters' roles reverse. Beth obediently follows the community into the bunker where they plan to hide from the pandemic ravaging the world, while Agnes flees with Ezekiel to the outsiders who have been supplying insulin. Both sisters learn about Red Creek's corruption and how to fight its limitations, particularly as Agnes reestablishes her prophetic abilities and realizes she is able to bring the pandemic to an end. The writing is vivid ("The otherworldly humming...was like spectral armor, a cloak that billowed and let nothing evil near") and compelling, with a complex cast of characters moving the story forward as McWilliams presents a nuanced interrogation of faith, knowledge, and duty. The book combines elements of cult and pandemic stories in a fresh take on themes that now have an unanticipated relevance. The result is a solid novel that is both page-turning and thought-provoking.
Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

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