The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oaks

A read from this summer, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, is a dark, gritty, and at many times heartbreaking story.  Minnow Bly has no hands, since they were cut off at the order of her cult leader, Kevin.  When their campgrounds end up burning and their leader winds up dead, she may be the only person that can tell the authorities why.  It is a powerful novel and often times hard to read, knowing that the situation of Minnow Bly is too real.  I really enjoyed it, but go if you read it, go in knowing that it will not always be an enjoyable ride.  

From Amazon:

The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve 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.

Gorgeously written, breathlessly page-turning and sprinkled with moments of unexpected humor, this harrowing debut is perfect for readers of Emily Murdoch's If You Find Me and Nova Ren Suma's The Walls Around Us, as well as for fans of Orange is the New Black.