Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams

As Agnes ventures forth, a mysterious connection grows between her and the Virus. But it isn't safe Outside, either: A viral pandemic is burning through the population at a terrifying rate.

Is she a sinner for saving him? Is her sister, Beth, a sinner for dreaming of the world beyond Red Creek?Īs the Prophet grows more dangerous, Agnes realizes she must escape with Ezekiel and leave everyone else, including Beth, behind. Her younger brother, Ezekiel, will die without the insulin she barters for once a month, even though medicine is considered outlawed. Then Agnes meets Danny, an Outsider boy, and begins to question what is and isn't a sin. What she doesn't know is that Red Creek is a cult, controlled by a madman who calls himself a prophet. There, she cares tirelessly for her younger siblings and follows the town's strict laws. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich and Bourret.The Handmaid's Tale meets Wilder Girls in this unique, voice-driven novel from Kelly McWilliams.Īgnes loves her home of Red Creek-its quiet, sunny mornings, its dusty roads, and its God.

Strong apocalyptic worldbuilding alternates with dialogue-laden scenes, while minor characters, such as the Burn Squad captain charged with eradicating nests, move the plot forward in absorbing and dynamic ways.

As Agnes learns more about the virus-a disease infecting animals and humans that causes hardened red skin, hostility, and grouping together in grotesque nests-she must come to grips with the tension between science and faith. In three parts, McWilliams ( Doormat) follows faithful Agnes and her doubting 15-year-old sister, Beth. When a viral pandemic encroaches, Agnes uncovers an aural realm long forgotten. Devout though she is, Agnes secretly seeks outside help to save her brother, who has type 1 diabetes, and she experiences doubt when faced with an arranged marriage and her outsider mother’s pleas that she run away. Adhering to the belief that “perfect obedience produces perfect faith,” she and her siblings have been taught by Red Creek’s prophet that women are inferior to men and that outsiders are not The Red Creek compound is the only life Agnes, 16, has known.

Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams