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After We Were Stolen
An emotionally wrought debut novel perfect for book clubs about a girl who escapes from a cult after a deadly fire destroys her family’s compound, only to be haunted by That Night as she tries to build a new life for herself.
A fire. Her escape. And the realization her entire life has been a lie.
When nineteen-year-old Avery awakens to flames consuming her family’s remote compound, she knows it’s her only chance to escape her father’s grueling survival training, bizarre rules, and gruesome punishments. She and her brother Cole flee the grounds for the first time in their lives, suddenly homeless in a world they know nothing about. After months of hiding out, they are arrested for shoplifting and a shocking discovery is made—Avery and Cole were kidnapped fifteen years earlier, stolen by cult leaders they knew as Mom and Dad.
Cole is immediately returned to his birth family, leaving Avery alone and desperate. She is uncertain if her “parents” survived the fire and is terrified to find out. The loss of Cole and the trauma of her former life threaten to undo her, but when the police investigation reveals there may be more survivors, Avery must uncover the truth about the fire to truly be free.
Suspenseful, emotionally charged, and deeply thought-provoking, After We Were Stolen delves into the idea of family—those we’re born into and those we make—resilience, and the lengths a cult survivor will go to finally be free of her painful past. Brooke Beyfuss’s powerful debut novel sparkles with heart, grit, and extraordinary characters who will stay with you long after the last page.
A fire. Her escape. And the realization her entire life has been a lie.
When nineteen-year-old Avery awakens to flames consuming her family’s remote compound, she knows it’s her only chance to escape her father’s grueling survival training, bizarre rules, and gruesome punishments. She and her brother Cole flee the grounds for the first time in their lives, suddenly homeless in a world they know nothing about. After months of hiding out, they are arrested for shoplifting and a shocking discovery is made—Avery and Cole were kidnapped fifteen years earlier, stolen by cult leaders they knew as Mom and Dad.
Cole is immediately returned to his birth family, leaving Avery alone and desperate. She is uncertain if her “parents” survived the fire and is terrified to find out. The loss of Cole and the trauma of her former life threaten to undo her, but when the police investigation reveals there may be more survivors, Avery must uncover the truth about the fire to truly be free.
Suspenseful, emotionally charged, and deeply thought-provoking, After We Were Stolen delves into the idea of family—those we’re born into and those we make—resilience, and the lengths a cult survivor will go to finally be free of her painful past. Brooke Beyfuss’s powerful debut novel sparkles with heart, grit, and extraordinary characters who will stay with you long after the last page.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2022
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December 1, 2022
UPDATE: After reflecting on all the books I've read in 2022, this one definitely deserves a 5 star rating. Yes, the beginning was a bit of a drag, but the story is still fresh in my mind and the prose is undeniably off da charts.
Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication.
TRIGGER WARNING SA
THE PLOT
Avery and Colt finally escape hell aka the compound they were raised in. When they're caught shoplifting, it turns out they're actually missing kids who were stolen by the cult leaders. Cole returns to his parents, but Avery is forced to navigate her new life from a woman's shelter while trying to figure out what really happened that night.
MY OPINION
I can't tell you how relieved I am to read a book that's legitimately well-written. After my streak of absolute duds, reading a coherent, poignant sentence was like drinking a cold glass of water on a hot ass day.
Brooke Beyfuss is a CREATIVE writer. Instead of using the same old descriptive prose ("she was a short, blonde woman with a porcelain face and pinched lips"), Beyfuss' descriptive writing was original. I found myself highlighting several sentences—and not for my usual reasons which is to add a note saying WTF IS THIS??—but because it struck me as unique. I'm usually not a fan of overly descriptive writing, but I don't mind it when the quality and originality is there. I don't want to read a play-by-play of someone making a lasagna.
Be warned though—if you're looking for a thriller with sharp turns and twists and nonstop action, this is not for you. Because Beyfuss can actually write, she doesn't need to rely on shock value of cheap unrealistic twists. Her writing quality takes you on a journey of love, loss, grief, recovery, resilience, rebirth, and everything in between. The ending could be classified as "shocking", but this isn't your mainstream The Wife Between Us type of book. This is a thoughtful exploration of the human psyche; what causes us to break, what motivates us to pick up the pieces and soldier on, and how to decipher between reality REALITY or the reality you've constructed as a coping mechanism.
I don't really have any complaints about the book overall. The writing quality was on point, which is my #1 gripe with most books I read. The first 30% of so describing life on the compound was a little too much in terms of describing mundane activities like harvesting and trying to start a fire. If the "before" section was shortened in half, it would've made no difference to the plot, but would've made a world of difference to the reader in terms of pacing.
I wanted a happier ending, for Avery and Cole. They deserved it.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Wonderful writing
Cons: Abrupt ending, the first chunk of the book too weighed down by long descriptions of mundane activities
Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication.
TRIGGER WARNING SA
THE PLOT
Avery and Colt finally escape hell aka the compound they were raised in. When they're caught shoplifting, it turns out they're actually missing kids who were stolen by the cult leaders. Cole returns to his parents, but Avery is forced to navigate her new life from a woman's shelter while trying to figure out what really happened that night.
MY OPINION
I can't tell you how relieved I am to read a book that's legitimately well-written. After my streak of absolute duds, reading a coherent, poignant sentence was like drinking a cold glass of water on a hot ass day.
Brooke Beyfuss is a CREATIVE writer. Instead of using the same old descriptive prose ("she was a short, blonde woman with a porcelain face and pinched lips"), Beyfuss' descriptive writing was original. I found myself highlighting several sentences—and not for my usual reasons which is to add a note saying WTF IS THIS??—but because it struck me as unique. I'm usually not a fan of overly descriptive writing, but I don't mind it when the quality and originality is there. I don't want to read a play-by-play of someone making a lasagna.
Be warned though—if you're looking for a thriller with sharp turns and twists and nonstop action, this is not for you. Because Beyfuss can actually write, she doesn't need to rely on shock value of cheap unrealistic twists. Her writing quality takes you on a journey of love, loss, grief, recovery, resilience, rebirth, and everything in between. The ending could be classified as "shocking", but this isn't your mainstream The Wife Between Us type of book. This is a thoughtful exploration of the human psyche; what causes us to break, what motivates us to pick up the pieces and soldier on, and how to decipher between reality REALITY or the reality you've constructed as a coping mechanism.
I don't really have any complaints about the book overall. The writing quality was on point, which is my #1 gripe with most books I read. The first 30% of so describing life on the compound was a little too much in terms of describing mundane activities like harvesting and trying to start a fire. If the "before" section was shortened in half, it would've made no difference to the plot, but would've made a world of difference to the reader in terms of pacing.
I wanted a happier ending, for Avery and Cole. They deserved it.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Wonderful writing
Cons: Abrupt ending, the first chunk of the book too weighed down by long descriptions of mundane activities
June 14, 2022
Oh so deeply dark….
Fond of books about cults and doomsday preppers? Then you mustn’t miss out on this latest offering. Heads up though…it’s seriously disturbing.
Avery and Cole are living in a secluded compound with their large family. Their father keeps them separated from the outside world while also developing a method that will ensure that no one leaves either!
But an all-consuming fire is about to change everything, giving the Avery and Cole an opportunity to make their escape. But is Avery even prepared for the outside world?
This book has such potential to be unnerving for some readers that the author added a note at the beginning to warn the reader of what was ahead. I have to say this may be one of the most gut-wrenching, cult themed books I’ve read.
The author did an amazing job of showing what life was like for Avery (and her brother Cole) both inside the cult and life in the real world. Hard to believe this is a debut for this author. Looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark
Fond of books about cults and doomsday preppers? Then you mustn’t miss out on this latest offering. Heads up though…it’s seriously disturbing.
Avery and Cole are living in a secluded compound with their large family. Their father keeps them separated from the outside world while also developing a method that will ensure that no one leaves either!
But an all-consuming fire is about to change everything, giving the Avery and Cole an opportunity to make their escape. But is Avery even prepared for the outside world?
This book has such potential to be unnerving for some readers that the author added a note at the beginning to warn the reader of what was ahead. I have to say this may be one of the most gut-wrenching, cult themed books I’ve read.
The author did an amazing job of showing what life was like for Avery (and her brother Cole) both inside the cult and life in the real world. Hard to believe this is a debut for this author. Looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark
July 6, 2022
“Prepare, endure, and thrive,”
Our protagonist, nineteen-year-old Avery is one of twelve members living in a secluded survivalist commune, “Clovelite”. Their “Father” is the dominant male in the group. The children are trained in survival skills, harshly disciplined, and “prepped” for doomsday because “Nothing on the outside was going to last. We would last.” However, as the narrative progresses Avery is subject to much abuse and cruelty on the instruction of her Father, apparently in the greater interest of their commune.
When a fire wipes out the whole commune, Avery and her sixteen-year-old brother Cole are known to be the only survivors. They escape the compound and relying on their survival skills manage to fend for themselves “out there” for almost three months before they are arrested for shoplifting. In a shocking turn of events, they are identified as missing children, who were abducted years ago from their respective families presumably by the cult members. Cole’s parents claim him and Avery is left to pick up the pieces and get her life together in a shelter. Her life as she knew it had been a lie – her “parents” were kidnappers, Cole was not her real brother and "Avery" wasn't even her real name. Excessive media attention and the mysterious circumstances that led to the horrific fire also cause concern. The local police harbor suspicions regarding the cause of the fire that caused the death of the cult members as Avery struggles to piece together the events of that fateful night.
“I wasn’t who I became, and I wasn’t who I was when I disappeared. I was a hybrid person, caught in limbo between what I thought I knew and what was true.”
Needless to say, this is not an easy read and has some extremely dark and disturbing moments. However, as we follow Avery as she tries to accept and overcome the upheaval in her life and attempt to move forward, we also see moments of hope, friendship, support and above all courage and resilience. Much attention is given to the emotional and psychological aspects of Avery’s efforts to cope with her traumatic past and accept her new reality. The build-up towards the final revelation is very well-executed. With its superb characterizations, well-developed plot structure and progression and powerful writing, After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss is an impressive debut. The ending did feel a bit abrupt but does not detract from the overall reading experience. I found this to be an absorbing read and finished it in one day.
The Author’s Note at the very beginning of the book includes trigger warnings for the content in the novel - a kind and considerate gesture on the part of the author that I truly appreciate.
I received a digital review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Our protagonist, nineteen-year-old Avery is one of twelve members living in a secluded survivalist commune, “Clovelite”. Their “Father” is the dominant male in the group. The children are trained in survival skills, harshly disciplined, and “prepped” for doomsday because “Nothing on the outside was going to last. We would last.” However, as the narrative progresses Avery is subject to much abuse and cruelty on the instruction of her Father, apparently in the greater interest of their commune.
When a fire wipes out the whole commune, Avery and her sixteen-year-old brother Cole are known to be the only survivors. They escape the compound and relying on their survival skills manage to fend for themselves “out there” for almost three months before they are arrested for shoplifting. In a shocking turn of events, they are identified as missing children, who were abducted years ago from their respective families presumably by the cult members. Cole’s parents claim him and Avery is left to pick up the pieces and get her life together in a shelter. Her life as she knew it had been a lie – her “parents” were kidnappers, Cole was not her real brother and "Avery" wasn't even her real name. Excessive media attention and the mysterious circumstances that led to the horrific fire also cause concern. The local police harbor suspicions regarding the cause of the fire that caused the death of the cult members as Avery struggles to piece together the events of that fateful night.
“I wasn’t who I became, and I wasn’t who I was when I disappeared. I was a hybrid person, caught in limbo between what I thought I knew and what was true.”
Needless to say, this is not an easy read and has some extremely dark and disturbing moments. However, as we follow Avery as she tries to accept and overcome the upheaval in her life and attempt to move forward, we also see moments of hope, friendship, support and above all courage and resilience. Much attention is given to the emotional and psychological aspects of Avery’s efforts to cope with her traumatic past and accept her new reality. The build-up towards the final revelation is very well-executed. With its superb characterizations, well-developed plot structure and progression and powerful writing, After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss is an impressive debut. The ending did feel a bit abrupt but does not detract from the overall reading experience. I found this to be an absorbing read and finished it in one day.
The Author’s Note at the very beginning of the book includes trigger warnings for the content in the novel - a kind and considerate gesture on the part of the author that I truly appreciate.
I received a digital review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
July 24, 2022
I am going to do a bunch of people a favor. If you are looking for a feel good read with a happy ending, then walk over to your window, open it, and toss this book out. Bonus points if you live in a house or building with more than two stories.
If you are still here, I hope you have some tissues because Beyfuss is about to traumatize your life. Avery lives in a cult. In fact, Avery's family is the whole cult because Avery's daddy has apparent trust issues. I mean of course he is out of his mind because hello he is a cult leader. Some terrible things happen to Avery, and by the fourth chapter you will search Google for online therapists.
A fire erupts, giving way to an escape for Avery and her brother Cole. They try the homeless life for a hot minute until they get arrested. Then all kinds of hell breaks loose. Avery and Cole discover a horrible secret that will destroy their lives forever.
You really want to cheer Avery on and hope she lives her best life. Sadly, Beyfuss cares not a fig what you want. I might have to double up on my depression meds for a week now. This book is gritty, raw and puts real trauma in the light. I recommend reading it if you can handle serious trauma.
If you are still here, I hope you have some tissues because Beyfuss is about to traumatize your life. Avery lives in a cult. In fact, Avery's family is the whole cult because Avery's daddy has apparent trust issues. I mean of course he is out of his mind because hello he is a cult leader. Some terrible things happen to Avery, and by the fourth chapter you will search Google for online therapists.
A fire erupts, giving way to an escape for Avery and her brother Cole. They try the homeless life for a hot minute until they get arrested. Then all kinds of hell breaks loose. Avery and Cole discover a horrible secret that will destroy their lives forever.
You really want to cheer Avery on and hope she lives her best life. Sadly, Beyfuss cares not a fig what you want. I might have to double up on my depression meds for a week now. This book is gritty, raw and puts real trauma in the light. I recommend reading it if you can handle serious trauma.
September 5, 2022
After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss is a 2022 Sourcebooks Landmark publication.
I confess I was ill prepared for the heavy nature of this book. Categorized as a mystery with a ‘cult’ setting, I still didn’t anticipate the shredding my emotions would go through.
After spending the past few months wandering through blackberry summers, beach houses, and surf and sand, my return to more serious topics was jarring. Man, this book is intense!
The plot is centered around two teens who escape a fire at the ‘compound’ they’ve been raised on. They travel alone for months living off- grid until a fateful misstep propels them into the public eye.
As it turns out, both of them had been stolen from their parents, taken and raised by cult leaders they thought were their parents. One of them, Cole/Noah, was a famous 'missing person' and was immediately returned to his birth parents, while Avery is placed in a shelter while they search for any living relatives. Both are hounded endlessly by reporters, and both find the adjustment unbearable, while law enforcement work to uncover the origins of the fire that killed the cult leaders and all the other kids on the compound.
The culture shock of being ripped from the only life one has ever known, and from the person one is closest to in the entire world, and thrust into a society full of words, places, technologies, one doesn’t understand would be terrifying, even if one is relieved to be free of their previous life.
Still, becoming the media’s latest obsession, placed under scrutiny by investigators, becoming a part of a system that means well, but can’t fully understand the conditioning or horrors one endured was like trading one kind of terror for another, and the heartbreak of seeing Avery suffer the confusion, loneliness, and uncertainty of her life is difficult to watch without feeling conflicted.
While the story is suspenseful, and there is a mystery to unravel, this is not our run of the mill detective story built around a cult. This is more of a drama than crime fiction, and it is executed to perfection, though there are a few warbles here and there.
The conclusion is a little too pat in some ways, but it works because even the fictional counterparts are willing to accept some implausibility.
In other ways, if it is a fairytale you are hoping for, this one might not give you that satisfaction. But I liked it this way better, even if it was bittersweet. Truly the sense of relief and freedom vibrating off the pages, along with the hard-earned independence left me with a feeling of triumph, despite the rushed wrap-up.
Overall, I can’t stress strongly enough that this is not a ‘thriller’ or traditional mystery/whodunit, and I’m not especially happy with the categorization of the book, despite the taut atmosphere and subject matter.
This is also a book that deals with many ‘trigger’ topics and is quite dark. While I wasn't expecting this type of story, I was very impressed this debut story. It’s a compelling, heartbreaking, engrossing story that will linger in my thoughts for a long while.
4 stars
I confess I was ill prepared for the heavy nature of this book. Categorized as a mystery with a ‘cult’ setting, I still didn’t anticipate the shredding my emotions would go through.
After spending the past few months wandering through blackberry summers, beach houses, and surf and sand, my return to more serious topics was jarring. Man, this book is intense!
The plot is centered around two teens who escape a fire at the ‘compound’ they’ve been raised on. They travel alone for months living off- grid until a fateful misstep propels them into the public eye.
As it turns out, both of them had been stolen from their parents, taken and raised by cult leaders they thought were their parents. One of them, Cole/Noah, was a famous 'missing person' and was immediately returned to his birth parents, while Avery is placed in a shelter while they search for any living relatives. Both are hounded endlessly by reporters, and both find the adjustment unbearable, while law enforcement work to uncover the origins of the fire that killed the cult leaders and all the other kids on the compound.
The culture shock of being ripped from the only life one has ever known, and from the person one is closest to in the entire world, and thrust into a society full of words, places, technologies, one doesn’t understand would be terrifying, even if one is relieved to be free of their previous life.
Still, becoming the media’s latest obsession, placed under scrutiny by investigators, becoming a part of a system that means well, but can’t fully understand the conditioning or horrors one endured was like trading one kind of terror for another, and the heartbreak of seeing Avery suffer the confusion, loneliness, and uncertainty of her life is difficult to watch without feeling conflicted.
While the story is suspenseful, and there is a mystery to unravel, this is not our run of the mill detective story built around a cult. This is more of a drama than crime fiction, and it is executed to perfection, though there are a few warbles here and there.
The conclusion is a little too pat in some ways, but it works because even the fictional counterparts are willing to accept some implausibility.
In other ways, if it is a fairytale you are hoping for, this one might not give you that satisfaction. But I liked it this way better, even if it was bittersweet. Truly the sense of relief and freedom vibrating off the pages, along with the hard-earned independence left me with a feeling of triumph, despite the rushed wrap-up.
Overall, I can’t stress strongly enough that this is not a ‘thriller’ or traditional mystery/whodunit, and I’m not especially happy with the categorization of the book, despite the taut atmosphere and subject matter.
This is also a book that deals with many ‘trigger’ topics and is quite dark. While I wasn't expecting this type of story, I was very impressed this debut story. It’s a compelling, heartbreaking, engrossing story that will linger in my thoughts for a long while.
4 stars
dnf
January 5, 2023DNF @ 31%
The writing is decent, but there are too many boring details about mundane activities I’m just not interested in. I can also see the writing on the wall reference the “origin” story of how both Avery and Cole came to be in the cult. My money says they were kidnapped as kids. Haven’t checked any spoilers yet, but I’m betting I’m right. I’ve read multiple versions of that story before and have no desire to do so again. I thought this would be more about living in a cult and the aftermath of that…not a Grapes of Wrath journey through the woods. Maybe it improves later, I’m just tired of forcing myself to pick this up. Just not for me right now.
***ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
The writing is decent, but there are too many boring details about mundane activities I’m just not interested in. I can also see the writing on the wall reference the “origin” story of how both Avery and Cole came to be in the cult. My money says they were kidnapped as kids. Haven’t checked any spoilers yet, but I’m betting I’m right. I’ve read multiple versions of that story before and have no desire to do so again. I thought this would be more about living in a cult and the aftermath of that…not a Grapes of Wrath journey through the woods. Maybe it improves later, I’m just tired of forcing myself to pick this up. Just not for me right now.
***ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
August 5, 2022
Fantastical, tragic... horrifying.
These were the thoughts that weighed down my heart and my mind as I sat down to write this review. I mourned right along with Avery and Cole as they each recalled that fateful night - no spoilers here. I went into this story blind, and the impact was that much greater. Fans of The Walking Dead will recognize similar themes and tropes. (I had to stop watching that series because the violence escalated beyond endurance for me - another ratings gimmick, in my opinion.)
Oh, the horrors that humanity inflicts on itself. I can honestly say that I am down in the dumps after having read this well written novel. This story just about broke my heart: I'm sure atrocities like this happen on the regular. Why are we humans so vicious and inhumane? Makes you lose all hope for us.
. . . . . . .
During the first months of COVID, I switched off from television, the news and exposure to too much media. Previous to COVID, I had already become disenchanted with hyped up newscasts and television programming in general. Therefore, I identified a fair bit with how Avery and Cole must have felt once they became inundated with the repetitive and strident news flashes from the many forms of media during the "after" phase of their lives. Usually, when I am forced to watch news feeds while sitting in a waiting room, I can't wait to get back home to relative peace and quiet and switch off again.
I listened to this audiobook while I walked on the Humber Trail. I have to say that I am glad I did this because this is a very dark, often violent story. My face was a veritable thundercloud at times, so dire was Avery's predicament.
I tend to bounce back from these types of negative moods - eventually, so not to worry, but I am going to pace myself with these types of soul-destroying story lines. My heart can only take so much of man's inhumanity to man. I prefer to stay hopeful, to believe that there are plenty of good people left in this world. Avery was able to find a few of those good people to help her on her journey to healing, but will she ever find true peace? The reader is left hopeful for her, and for that I was grateful.
I'm rating this one a 4.3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. TRIGGER WARNING: Rape Abduction Indoctrination
These were the thoughts that weighed down my heart and my mind as I sat down to write this review. I mourned right along with Avery and Cole as they each recalled that fateful night - no spoilers here. I went into this story blind, and the impact was that much greater. Fans of The Walking Dead will recognize similar themes and tropes. (I had to stop watching that series because the violence escalated beyond endurance for me - another ratings gimmick, in my opinion.)
Oh, the horrors that humanity inflicts on itself. I can honestly say that I am down in the dumps after having read this well written novel. This story just about broke my heart: I'm sure atrocities like this happen on the regular. Why are we humans so vicious and inhumane? Makes you lose all hope for us.
. . . . . . .
During the first months of COVID, I switched off from television, the news and exposure to too much media. Previous to COVID, I had already become disenchanted with hyped up newscasts and television programming in general. Therefore, I identified a fair bit with how Avery and Cole must have felt once they became inundated with the repetitive and strident news flashes from the many forms of media during the "after" phase of their lives. Usually, when I am forced to watch news feeds while sitting in a waiting room, I can't wait to get back home to relative peace and quiet and switch off again.
I listened to this audiobook while I walked on the Humber Trail. I have to say that I am glad I did this because this is a very dark, often violent story. My face was a veritable thundercloud at times, so dire was Avery's predicament.
I tend to bounce back from these types of negative moods - eventually, so not to worry, but I am going to pace myself with these types of soul-destroying story lines. My heart can only take so much of man's inhumanity to man. I prefer to stay hopeful, to believe that there are plenty of good people left in this world. Avery was able to find a few of those good people to help her on her journey to healing, but will she ever find true peace? The reader is left hopeful for her, and for that I was grateful.
I'm rating this one a 4.3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. TRIGGER WARNING: Rape Abduction Indoctrination
July 13, 2022
Nineteen-year-old, Avery and her sixteen-year-old brother, Cole are the survivors when their family's remote compound burned to the ground. They had been living there while preparing for the end. Their father was preparing them for survival using harsh treatment, control, threats, abuse, and fear.
Although Avery and Cole have been groomed for "survival" by their father, they are not prepared to survive once they flee from the flames. When they are arrested for shoplifting, the revelations come in - they had both been kidnapped fifteen years earlier! Avery is left alone after Cole's family comes to take him 'home'.
What does it really mean to survive? What makes a family?
This book explores trauma and cults and how they control. Cults are fascinating to me as was this story. I appreciated how the Author explored what happens when one leaves/escapes a cult. What happens when confronted with the truth. Cole and Avery were both very young and raised by "father" and this was all that they knew. Their reactions to learning the truth, felt authentic and realistic. I felt for both and their plight both while on the compound and after.
This book was not an easy read. There are things in the book which are upsetting. But there is also hope for the two characters.
This was a very well thought out and executed book. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a very good job.
Well written and thought provoking.
#AfterWeWereStolen #NetGalley.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Although Avery and Cole have been groomed for "survival" by their father, they are not prepared to survive once they flee from the flames. When they are arrested for shoplifting, the revelations come in - they had both been kidnapped fifteen years earlier! Avery is left alone after Cole's family comes to take him 'home'.
What does it really mean to survive? What makes a family?
This book explores trauma and cults and how they control. Cults are fascinating to me as was this story. I appreciated how the Author explored what happens when one leaves/escapes a cult. What happens when confronted with the truth. Cole and Avery were both very young and raised by "father" and this was all that they knew. Their reactions to learning the truth, felt authentic and realistic. I felt for both and their plight both while on the compound and after.
This book was not an easy read. There are things in the book which are upsetting. But there is also hope for the two characters.
This was a very well thought out and executed book. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a very good job.
Well written and thought provoking.
#AfterWeWereStolen #NetGalley.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
August 23, 2022
Oh my gosh. Whew. This was intense and dark and so good! I wasn't expecting it to grab me the way it did. You know when you finish a book and it takes some time to calm your nervous system down? This is one of those. It takes you in and gets under your skin. If you like books about cults, with twists, and darkness....pick this up. So much creepy fun!
July 5, 2022
Avery and Cole live in a survivalist compound in Kansas with their large family. They are constantly reminded by their parents that they are the chosen ones. They are kept separated from the real world and are subjected to harsh survival training, rules and extreme punishments. One night a fire destroys their entire compound, but Avery and Cole manage to make it out alive. Fearful of the outside world, they are forced to use their survivalist skills and instincts to survive on their own.
This book was really hard to read in parts, but was really well-written. The psychological trauma and PTSD were realistically portrayed. I felt so much for Avery and Cole and I just wanted them to be ok. Emotionally heavy, there are lots of trigger warnings, but the author discusses these topics with care at the start of the book in the Author's Note as a heads up for the reader which was thoughtful of her to do.
As is often the case for me, I think that the book synopsis should have left out some of the details. For me, this would have made the book have even more of an impact as I was reading it. My only other issue was that the ending felt abrupt, especially after the build up of the story. Overall, it is a really good debut full of emotion that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit despite facing such hardships. It would also be a good choice for a bookclub discussion. 4 stars.
Many to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my eARC.
This book was really hard to read in parts, but was really well-written. The psychological trauma and PTSD were realistically portrayed. I felt so much for Avery and Cole and I just wanted them to be ok. Emotionally heavy, there are lots of trigger warnings, but the author discusses these topics with care at the start of the book in the Author's Note as a heads up for the reader which was thoughtful of her to do.
As is often the case for me, I think that the book synopsis should have left out some of the details. For me, this would have made the book have even more of an impact as I was reading it. My only other issue was that the ending felt abrupt, especially after the build up of the story. Overall, it is a really good debut full of emotion that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit despite facing such hardships. It would also be a good choice for a bookclub discussion. 4 stars.
Many to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my eARC.
June 7, 2022
For a debut work, I found this one was quite impressive. I'm generally all in on the cult trope, and for the most part, this one did not disappoint.
When a fire at the survivalist compound kills everyone in the family except Avery, and her younger brother, Cole, they believe that they have finally escaped their oppressive, abusive lives. They are resourceful, so living alone in the woods is easy for them - except for their hunger. But when they are caught shoplifting, they discover that they are both actually missing children who were stolen by their "parents" as young children. As Cole is a minor, he is returned to his parents, but Avery, who is an adult with no family to be found, has no choice but to live in a women's shelter. For Avery, adjusting to life outside of the cult without Cole, and accepting the life she knew in the cult was a deception, is more difficult than she every imagined.
While a cult read, it is atypical (in a good way). The cult is really just one family - although a large, severely dysfunctional family and while the beginning of the book is about the cult, the crux of the story is about the aftermath of escaping. It is told through Avery's voice, which is brilliant, as you feel like you are along on Avery's journey with her. And even though I didn't find Avery's character overly likable most of the time, she felt authentic. Warning: there is heartbreaking abuse, and parts of the story are deeply disturbing; but Beyfuss relays them in a delicate manner that makes it readable, if that makes sense. I think my only gripe was with the ending. I didn't love it for some reason - perhaps it was because I didn't find any real shock value in the twist, or maybe I just didn't really care, as the story was much deeper than any "twist".
Overall, this was a book that I couldn't put it down, but it was not an easy read. Ultimately though, the themes of resilience and the strength of the human spirit moved me and made me a fan of the book. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for this author's future works! 4 stars.
When a fire at the survivalist compound kills everyone in the family except Avery, and her younger brother, Cole, they believe that they have finally escaped their oppressive, abusive lives. They are resourceful, so living alone in the woods is easy for them - except for their hunger. But when they are caught shoplifting, they discover that they are both actually missing children who were stolen by their "parents" as young children. As Cole is a minor, he is returned to his parents, but Avery, who is an adult with no family to be found, has no choice but to live in a women's shelter. For Avery, adjusting to life outside of the cult without Cole, and accepting the life she knew in the cult was a deception, is more difficult than she every imagined.
While a cult read, it is atypical (in a good way). The cult is really just one family - although a large, severely dysfunctional family and while the beginning of the book is about the cult, the crux of the story is about the aftermath of escaping. It is told through Avery's voice, which is brilliant, as you feel like you are along on Avery's journey with her. And even though I didn't find Avery's character overly likable most of the time, she felt authentic. Warning: there is heartbreaking abuse, and parts of the story are deeply disturbing; but Beyfuss relays them in a delicate manner that makes it readable, if that makes sense. I think my only gripe was with the ending. I didn't love it for some reason - perhaps it was because I didn't find any real shock value in the twist, or maybe I just didn't really care, as the story was much deeper than any "twist".
Overall, this was a book that I couldn't put it down, but it was not an easy read. Ultimately though, the themes of resilience and the strength of the human spirit moved me and made me a fan of the book. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for this author's future works! 4 stars.
June 5, 2022
After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss captured my heart and flew away with it! The story is so compelling that I read it in one night. I felt immediately connected to the main characters in Beyfuss' writing and cared deeply about their difficult journey.
Avery and Cole grew up in a large family compound. After their home is destroyed by fire, the two siblings escape the abusive situation. Due to their homelessness, they take shelter wherever they can find it and are arrested for theft. Under the care of authorities Avery and Cole soon learn a life-changing secret. They were abducted as children by the cult leaders they knew as their parents. Their entire existence was a lie.
After We Were Stolen is available on July 19th. I highly recommend reading it. You will be touched on the deepest emotional level by this book. After We Were Stolen is one of the most beautifully written and riveting novels of 2022! Kudos Brooke Beyfuss! (5 huge ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark, for allowing me to review this outstanding book. Your kindness is appreciated!
Avery and Cole grew up in a large family compound. After their home is destroyed by fire, the two siblings escape the abusive situation. Due to their homelessness, they take shelter wherever they can find it and are arrested for theft. Under the care of authorities Avery and Cole soon learn a life-changing secret. They were abducted as children by the cult leaders they knew as their parents. Their entire existence was a lie.
After We Were Stolen is available on July 19th. I highly recommend reading it. You will be touched on the deepest emotional level by this book. After We Were Stolen is one of the most beautifully written and riveting novels of 2022! Kudos Brooke Beyfuss! (5 huge ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark, for allowing me to review this outstanding book. Your kindness is appreciated!
August 4, 2022
After We Were Stolen was a very impressive debut novel by Brooke Beyfuss. I listened to the audiobook that was performed flawlessly by Jesse Vilinsky. After We Were Stolen was both riveting and compelling. I was immediately drawn into the well constructed plot. It was easy to connect with the well developed characters. All of my emotions were put into high gear as I listened to this audiobook. Although After We Were Stolen was a story about a cult, it was not your typical cult story at all.
Avery and her brother Cole lived with their parents and eight brothers and sisters on the Clovelite Compound. The Compound had been owned by Avery’s grandfather and upon his death was transferred to her father. It was located in a very remote area and functioned without the help or influence of the outside world. Avery’s father believed that the end of the world was coming and that they, all his little soldiers, had to learn how to survive. One night, Avery had awoken to the smell of smoke and distant flames of fire. Avery could not open the door of the room she had been sleeping in. Someone had locked it from the outside. Panicked, Avery escaped through the window of her room. Somehow, she found Cole. He had been hurt but the two of them knew they needed to flee. When they saw big red trucks and lots of cars arrive on their property they knew they had to run. Avery believed that Cole and herself were the only survivors. They gathered Avery’s tent and took whatever canned food she had in it and fled. Avery and Cole ran through the forest. They walked for days and days until they finally reached a town. With no money and nowhere to stay Avery and Cole became homeless. They found shelter wherever they could and began stealing food whenever they could. One day, Avery and Cole were caught stealing and were arrested. Their knowledge of the “outside world” was so limited they had difficulty answering the questions the officer who had arrested them was asking them. While in custody, both Avery’s and Cole’s fingerprints were taken. When the officer ran their fingerprints through the national data base some very disturbing and shocking facts were discovered. Both Avery and Cole had been abducted many years ago from their birth parents. The only life and family they had known on the compound was a complete lie. What would happen to them now? What would their life be like outside the compound? Would they be able to navigate what awaited them?
I was hooked right from the start and found it hard to pull myself away from this compelling audiobook. All my emotions were triggered as I listened to this audiobook. I felt anger, sadness, desperation, shock and tense, suspenseful moments. Brooke Beyfuss proved to be a wonderful storyteller. I look forward to seeing what she writes next. She is definitely on my radar now. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. After We Were Stolen was published on July 19, 2022.
Avery and her brother Cole lived with their parents and eight brothers and sisters on the Clovelite Compound. The Compound had been owned by Avery’s grandfather and upon his death was transferred to her father. It was located in a very remote area and functioned without the help or influence of the outside world. Avery’s father believed that the end of the world was coming and that they, all his little soldiers, had to learn how to survive. One night, Avery had awoken to the smell of smoke and distant flames of fire. Avery could not open the door of the room she had been sleeping in. Someone had locked it from the outside. Panicked, Avery escaped through the window of her room. Somehow, she found Cole. He had been hurt but the two of them knew they needed to flee. When they saw big red trucks and lots of cars arrive on their property they knew they had to run. Avery believed that Cole and herself were the only survivors. They gathered Avery’s tent and took whatever canned food she had in it and fled. Avery and Cole ran through the forest. They walked for days and days until they finally reached a town. With no money and nowhere to stay Avery and Cole became homeless. They found shelter wherever they could and began stealing food whenever they could. One day, Avery and Cole were caught stealing and were arrested. Their knowledge of the “outside world” was so limited they had difficulty answering the questions the officer who had arrested them was asking them. While in custody, both Avery’s and Cole’s fingerprints were taken. When the officer ran their fingerprints through the national data base some very disturbing and shocking facts were discovered. Both Avery and Cole had been abducted many years ago from their birth parents. The only life and family they had known on the compound was a complete lie. What would happen to them now? What would their life be like outside the compound? Would they be able to navigate what awaited them?
I was hooked right from the start and found it hard to pull myself away from this compelling audiobook. All my emotions were triggered as I listened to this audiobook. I felt anger, sadness, desperation, shock and tense, suspenseful moments. Brooke Beyfuss proved to be a wonderful storyteller. I look forward to seeing what she writes next. She is definitely on my radar now. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. After We Were Stolen was published on July 19, 2022.
June 13, 2022
Avery lives in her family’s compound called Clovelite, she has nine siblings and their parents are members of a doomsday cult. Avery’s father has been forcing her sleep away from the rest of the family in a tent, they do hours of survival training, and have been brainwashed to think the outside world isn’t safe.
One night a fire breakouts in the house, Avery has been allowed inside to sleep, she manages to get out and she knows this is her chance to escape her parents. Avery is nineteen and her younger brother Cole is sixteen, initially they hide in the woods, they wander around homeless, in a society that’s completely foreign, and the pair get arrested for shoplifting.
The police take their fingerprints, much to everyone’s surprise it turns out they were both kidnapped separately fifteen years ago and by the cult leaders. Cole returns to live with his birth family, who are complete strangers and Avery goes to stay at a half-way house. Without Cole Avery is lost, the police keep asking her questions about where the fire started and how many people were inside the house when it broke out?
I received a copy of After We Were Stolen from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Brooke Beyfuss’s debut novel is a story about two teenagers finding out their whole life has been a lie, and how they have endured years of physical and mental abuse. Avery’s vulnerable and disorientated by her situation, she’s trying to recover from her past and come to terms with Cole isn’t her brother and never was. Three and a half stars from me, I wouldn't class the book as a thriller and I thought it ended rather suddenly.
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One night a fire breakouts in the house, Avery has been allowed inside to sleep, she manages to get out and she knows this is her chance to escape her parents. Avery is nineteen and her younger brother Cole is sixteen, initially they hide in the woods, they wander around homeless, in a society that’s completely foreign, and the pair get arrested for shoplifting.
The police take their fingerprints, much to everyone’s surprise it turns out they were both kidnapped separately fifteen years ago and by the cult leaders. Cole returns to live with his birth family, who are complete strangers and Avery goes to stay at a half-way house. Without Cole Avery is lost, the police keep asking her questions about where the fire started and how many people were inside the house when it broke out?
I received a copy of After We Were Stolen from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Brooke Beyfuss’s debut novel is a story about two teenagers finding out their whole life has been a lie, and how they have endured years of physical and mental abuse. Avery’s vulnerable and disorientated by her situation, she’s trying to recover from her past and come to terms with Cole isn’t her brother and never was. Three and a half stars from me, I wouldn't class the book as a thriller and I thought it ended rather suddenly.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KarrenReadsH...
October 13, 2022
I'm gonna take some time to write all my thoughts out on this one, cause so much of it just did not make sense.
First of all, uh, the title is a spoiler. At the 50% mark I was apparently supposed to be surprised to learn that the protagonists were stolen. OK.
Avery is one of ten children raised completely alone in a doomsday cult on an isolated compound in Kansas. The parents are distant and abusive and start selling Avery to random men so she can help populate the cult. The book goes out of its way to explain that the only reason they are getting random men for this purpose instead of just making their kids have kids with each other is because inbreeding makes sick babies. Okay, I'll buy that.
One night, the compound erupts in flames, and only Avery and one of her brothers escape.
Avery doesn't think like someone who was raised in a wilderness cult. She seems weirdly familiar with things that exist in the "outside world" that she would have no reason to know about, but this is all hand-waved away with a quick mention that she'd "read some books" that were left behind or something. Which books exactly? How'd she even learn to read?? This just felt like a lazy excuse thrown in later during editing.
Avery and her brother Cole are eventually arrested and their fingerprints/DNA reveals that they were long-missing children abducted as babies. This makes Cult Daddy's repeated explanations for why he was selling his daughter to random men completely pointless, since he knew they weren't actually siblings anyway.
The protagonists are each handed off by the police straight to their birth family and a women's shelter, respectively, just a single day after their arrest, without so much as an evaluation by a doctor or a child psychologist. This is what completely took me out of the story. I've read about the kind of rehab that abducted children go through in real life and I know these situations can get botched, but I don't believe even a podunk Kansas town would be this absurdly negligent.
Avery has several memories that turn out be false and the reason for that is never explained. Would brainwashing do this, and if so, how? A character literally asks her "" and she's like "yeah idk man, that's whack."
My biggest issue is with the ending twist.
Finally, the narration is painful to listen to. Avery and her brother are within the range of "on the verge of tears" to "screaming hysterically" for a good 90% of their page time. There is NO chill.
I think this could have been good with a lot more editing and, uh, a better "twist." As it is, give it a pass.
First of all, uh, the title is a spoiler. At the 50% mark I was apparently supposed to be surprised to learn that the protagonists were stolen. OK.
Avery is one of ten children raised completely alone in a doomsday cult on an isolated compound in Kansas. The parents are distant and abusive and start selling Avery to random men so she can help populate the cult. The book goes out of its way to explain that the only reason they are getting random men for this purpose instead of just making their kids have kids with each other is because inbreeding makes sick babies. Okay, I'll buy that.
One night, the compound erupts in flames, and only Avery and one of her brothers escape.
Avery doesn't think like someone who was raised in a wilderness cult. She seems weirdly familiar with things that exist in the "outside world" that she would have no reason to know about, but this is all hand-waved away with a quick mention that she'd "read some books" that were left behind or something. Which books exactly? How'd she even learn to read?? This just felt like a lazy excuse thrown in later during editing.
Avery and her brother Cole are eventually arrested and their fingerprints/DNA reveals that they were long-missing children abducted as babies. This makes Cult Daddy's repeated explanations for why he was selling his daughter to random men completely pointless, since he knew they weren't actually siblings anyway.
The protagonists are each handed off by the police straight to their birth family and a women's shelter, respectively, just a single day after their arrest, without so much as an evaluation by a doctor or a child psychologist. This is what completely took me out of the story. I've read about the kind of rehab that abducted children go through in real life and I know these situations can get botched, but I don't believe even a podunk Kansas town would be this absurdly negligent.
Avery has several memories that turn out be false and the reason for that is never explained. Would brainwashing do this, and if so, how? A character literally asks her "" and she's like "yeah idk man, that's whack."
My biggest issue is with the ending twist.
Finally, the narration is painful to listen to. Avery and her brother are within the range of "on the verge of tears" to "screaming hysterically" for a good 90% of their page time. There is NO chill.
I think this could have been good with a lot more editing and, uh, a better "twist." As it is, give it a pass.
July 13, 2022
Avery lives in a compound with her parents and many brothers and sisters. Their father is the leader of their group, the Chosen. They know they will be the only survivors after the world around them dies. Avery works hard every day, growing crops, honing survival skills, and sometimes burying babies. Then she is forced to sacrifice even more, and the house is set afire. After escaping with her brother Cole, they eventually make a startling discovery. They were both kidnapped as children. Cole goes to live with his family while Avery struggles to survive on her own and flees from the shadows of her past.
This is the story of a murderous cult and the ones who escaped, but it's also about trying to make sense of a traumatic past and learning to live again. The description of life in the cult is horrifying but very well done. Avery's struggles to recover are imperfect and very real to life. We explore the ideas of post-traumatic stress and blocking out painful memories. The characters, love them or hate them, are all so vivid. As in real life, everything is not tied up and perfectly resolved. There are tattered strings left behind, because life is not perfect.
The audiobook was narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, who did a wonderful job of conveying the terror, confusion, desperation, determination, and pain so prevalent in this story.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
This is the story of a murderous cult and the ones who escaped, but it's also about trying to make sense of a traumatic past and learning to live again. The description of life in the cult is horrifying but very well done. Avery's struggles to recover are imperfect and very real to life. We explore the ideas of post-traumatic stress and blocking out painful memories. The characters, love them or hate them, are all so vivid. As in real life, everything is not tied up and perfectly resolved. There are tattered strings left behind, because life is not perfect.
The audiobook was narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, who did a wonderful job of conveying the terror, confusion, desperation, determination, and pain so prevalent in this story.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
August 25, 2022
AFTER WE WERE STOLEN
Brooke Beyfuss
OMG... I listened to this book and found it another melancholy, overly dark, and emotional read. Lots of screeching, overly emotional narration that generally set my teeth on edge. I had about enough at halfway so fast forwarded and skipped ahead to get to a better spot. Sadly, I didn't feel that I ever really found one.
I got very pissed when the author misplays the system with regard to care offered to children who have been abducted. In this book, the police manhandle Avery after lying to Avery and Cole that his parents were there and going to take him (this less than one day after identifying them). This is not the way the system would work. These individuals would be under Child Protective services and immediately begin talking to child advocates and doctors to determine their level, the system would offer supervised time with the parents until they were sure the kids were ready to leave and the interview process would have lasted longer than the author provided. I mean, after all, the police are investigating major criminal activities, and cults that kidnap kids usually commit other offenses. I guess in this book, nobody wants to debrief these two witnesses!
In the end, I finished the book, but I had to lay it down for a couple of days. I think that the story was overdone in several places, I prefer the story to flow from a more natural place.
2.5 rounded to 3 stars
Happy Reading!
Brooke Beyfuss
OMG... I listened to this book and found it another melancholy, overly dark, and emotional read. Lots of screeching, overly emotional narration that generally set my teeth on edge. I had about enough at halfway so fast forwarded and skipped ahead to get to a better spot. Sadly, I didn't feel that I ever really found one.
I got very pissed when the author misplays the system with regard to care offered to children who have been abducted. In this book, the police manhandle Avery after lying to Avery and Cole that his parents were there and going to take him (this less than one day after identifying them). This is not the way the system would work. These individuals would be under Child Protective services and immediately begin talking to child advocates and doctors to determine their level, the system would offer supervised time with the parents until they were sure the kids were ready to leave and the interview process would have lasted longer than the author provided. I mean, after all, the police are investigating major criminal activities, and cults that kidnap kids usually commit other offenses. I guess in this book, nobody wants to debrief these two witnesses!
In the end, I finished the book, but I had to lay it down for a couple of days. I think that the story was overdone in several places, I prefer the story to flow from a more natural place.
2.5 rounded to 3 stars
Happy Reading!
August 29, 2022
Holy moly was I in for a ride with this book. The narrator hooked me within the first 5 mins of listening and then I just couldn't stop. I love a good cult story and this one didn't disappoint. I was so curious to hear about Avery's experiences in the cult and after she left. Never once was I bored. I will definitely be looking forward to more works by this author.
August 3, 2022
To prepare, endure, and thrive – that’s why Avery and her family have been chosen. Living in Clovelite, their isolated family homestead, her parents and their ten children spend their days preparing to survive when the world destroys itself – an inevitability her father is bound and determined to lead their family through.
It doesn’t take long for his ruthlessness to spark a horrific chain of events, and when Avery and her brother Cole learn the truth, their worlds will never be the same again.
The author gives a warning before this book begins that her goal was to celebrate the strength of the human spirit and the fortitude needed to break the cycle of abuse and emerge triumphant – but that to do so, her characters had to undergo hardships that were difficult to write. She succeeded on both fronts; the beginning of this book is a disturbing portrayal of several traumatic events. But I truly felt the journey that Avery went through more than matched them in inspiring hope and admiration for a character I was rooting for from the start.
After We Were Stolen was a very emotional read, one that tugged at my heartstrings, made me laugh, and made me cry. It never felt over the top, or like the author was taking cheap shots to inspire easy emotional reactions in her readers. Brooke Beyfuss instead writes very authentic situations and characters, ones that feel possible and real. This is a relatively short book, but it delivers an impact that belies its size – I think it’s an incredible read, one I’ll remember it for a long time to come.
It doesn’t take long for his ruthlessness to spark a horrific chain of events, and when Avery and her brother Cole learn the truth, their worlds will never be the same again.
The author gives a warning before this book begins that her goal was to celebrate the strength of the human spirit and the fortitude needed to break the cycle of abuse and emerge triumphant – but that to do so, her characters had to undergo hardships that were difficult to write. She succeeded on both fronts; the beginning of this book is a disturbing portrayal of several traumatic events. But I truly felt the journey that Avery went through more than matched them in inspiring hope and admiration for a character I was rooting for from the start.
After We Were Stolen was a very emotional read, one that tugged at my heartstrings, made me laugh, and made me cry. It never felt over the top, or like the author was taking cheap shots to inspire easy emotional reactions in her readers. Brooke Beyfuss instead writes very authentic situations and characters, ones that feel possible and real. This is a relatively short book, but it delivers an impact that belies its size – I think it’s an incredible read, one I’ll remember it for a long time to come.
February 3, 2024
My Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ HALLELUJAH!!! This was a story!!!
A story about a girl who escapes from a cult after a deadly fire destroys the family’s compound, only to be haunted by That Night a she tries to build a new life for herself.
A fire. Her escape. And the realisation her entire life has been a lie.
Well Wow!!! That was great!! I absolutely loved it. I read this one straight off the back of The Liar’s Daughter and it was heaps better… it was longer sure… but we needed the length in this one… we got a story. A big thank you to Lit with Leigh who recommend this one to me 🩷
This book has a tonne of Trigger Warnings - please read the authors note at the beginning she lists them all.
Firstly the writing was on point… it was fantastic it made you feel all the feelings, you could really feel the pain and the anguish of the characters, the confusion and fear, and the physical pain of the their bloodshed… it was overflowing with raw emotion. The author really captured the essence of how the characters were coping or not… I think she did a fantastic job of researching (or she has first hand experience in cults).
Avery is our main character and she is forever being punished… you don’t always know why but it really doesn’t matter because its a cult and there are no proper reasons to torture and sell the body of your ‘daughter’ I mean the place is out of line… and so are Mother and Father. Avery and Cole escape the fire - believing everyone else to be dead or near dead and they embark on a terrifying journey beyond the forbidden perimeter of the compound.
Everything I thought I knew in this book was turned on its head… it got me good… and I was truly shocked. I will not ruin the ending because it really made it what it was… the book is mainly told from Avery’s point of view and its a really hard look at something really sad.
I felt genuinely confused and sad for Avery and Cole when they were eventually found on the outside and inevitably separated… I wanted them to be able to stay together (as brother and sister - not lovers in this instance) forever… this book doesn’t end with you feeling all good and gooey and happiness dripping - I actually don’t think it was a particularly happy ending at all… HOWEVR I am a sucker for a depression story…so if you need a happy ending… or you wont cope with sad… stay away from this book.. it is not for you.
I loved it… I really just loved everything about it… I couldn’t get enough of it and I was kind of disappointed when it was over so for me that is a good sign of a good book.
I really liked some of the outsider characters namely Toby and Zoe they were really good for Avery and I am glad they were written in. She needed some people in her corner… and even after I found out what was really going on … I still feel that way… Avery was never going to be perfect or actually ok… I really don’t want to spoil so I wont go into it further…but a discussion could be had on the ending. That’s all I am saying!!!
Overall do I recommend - HELL YES!!! With some caveats, if you aren’t able to do sad books no don’t read this, check your TWs there are many, and if you hate cults then definitely not… but if you love great writing, great characters and and interesting heartbreaking story… what are you waiting for.
A story about a girl who escapes from a cult after a deadly fire destroys the family’s compound, only to be haunted by That Night a she tries to build a new life for herself.
A fire. Her escape. And the realisation her entire life has been a lie.
Well Wow!!! That was great!! I absolutely loved it. I read this one straight off the back of The Liar’s Daughter and it was heaps better… it was longer sure… but we needed the length in this one… we got a story. A big thank you to Lit with Leigh who recommend this one to me 🩷
This book has a tonne of Trigger Warnings - please read the authors note at the beginning she lists them all.
Firstly the writing was on point… it was fantastic it made you feel all the feelings, you could really feel the pain and the anguish of the characters, the confusion and fear, and the physical pain of the their bloodshed… it was overflowing with raw emotion. The author really captured the essence of how the characters were coping or not… I think she did a fantastic job of researching (or she has first hand experience in cults).
Avery is our main character and she is forever being punished… you don’t always know why but it really doesn’t matter because its a cult and there are no proper reasons to torture and sell the body of your ‘daughter’ I mean the place is out of line… and so are Mother and Father. Avery and Cole escape the fire - believing everyone else to be dead or near dead and they embark on a terrifying journey beyond the forbidden perimeter of the compound.
Everything I thought I knew in this book was turned on its head… it got me good… and I was truly shocked. I will not ruin the ending because it really made it what it was… the book is mainly told from Avery’s point of view and its a really hard look at something really sad.
I felt genuinely confused and sad for Avery and Cole when they were eventually found on the outside and inevitably separated… I wanted them to be able to stay together (as brother and sister - not lovers in this instance) forever… this book doesn’t end with you feeling all good and gooey and happiness dripping - I actually don’t think it was a particularly happy ending at all… HOWEVR I am a sucker for a depression story…so if you need a happy ending… or you wont cope with sad… stay away from this book.. it is not for you.
I loved it… I really just loved everything about it… I couldn’t get enough of it and I was kind of disappointed when it was over so for me that is a good sign of a good book.
I really liked some of the outsider characters namely Toby and Zoe they were really good for Avery and I am glad they were written in. She needed some people in her corner… and even after I found out what was really going on … I still feel that way… Avery was never going to be perfect or actually ok… I really don’t want to spoil so I wont go into it further…but a discussion could be had on the ending. That’s all I am saying!!!
Overall do I recommend - HELL YES!!! With some caveats, if you aren’t able to do sad books no don’t read this, check your TWs there are many, and if you hate cults then definitely not… but if you love great writing, great characters and and interesting heartbreaking story… what are you waiting for.
July 29, 2022
Meh. This had promise but ultimately fell flat. The book never addresses the still missing cult members. Frustrating as a reader. Avery was pretty annoying as a main character. Zoe’s safe house didn’t seem so safe or secret. Many things just didn’t work for me here.
August 31, 2022
Crazy story about a brother and sister, the horrors they escaped and the relationship they thought they had.
August 1, 2023
A highly impressive KNOCK OUT debut psychological thriller by Brooke Beyfuss— AFTER WE WERE STOLEN. Abducted as a child, a woman must confront her past—and untangle the truth of what happened to her.
A powerful, emotional, coming-of-age tale with a strong protagonist you will root for to the end. The author expertly delivers a harrowing story of a world where little is what it first appears to be
Avery, a young girl, is abused in a cult and led to believe something by its evil leaders, which she thinks are her parents. When forced to have sex to contribute to the cult and bear children, she knows she must find a way to escape the only life she has ever known. They lock her outside to survive, and now this. How can her flesh and blood do this to her?
The story follows Avery and her family, living in a remote compound in rural Kansas. They think they are the "chosen ones." Started by her grandfather, Avery and her ten siblings live under a controlling father. They are led to believe the outside world is evil. The mother cranks out the babies since they do not want to bring in outsiders. They must recruit from within their family.
However, as the novel opens, the mother has another dead baby, and Avery has to bury it. They are survivalists. Shortly thereafter, there is a deadly fire, and Avery is locked in. Who set the fire? Will anyone get out alive?
She manages to escape after multiple burns and wants her brother, Cole (they are close), to go with her. This is their only way to escape. However, if the leaders survive, they will kill them for leaving. In the past, there was never a thought of escape since their every move was monitored. However, in light of the recent events, she knows she cannot remain.
Cole is a little reluctant about leaving since he has been brainwashed to believe in their cause. He knows no different. However, he agrees since he cares for Avery and she is his best friend. They are on the run. They both have been taught to live off the grid. They have no money, clothes, transportation, or food.
In addition, Avery is sick. She has been drugged and raped by some man her parents forced upon her to bear children for them. She needs a pregnancy test. With no money, she steals one, and they both are arrested.
Being arrested may be the best thing ever for both of them. They are in jail. With social services called in, an investigation gets underway. Which ultimately reveals that they are not brother and sister and the leaders are not their parents. They were stolen.
They find Cole's parents, who have been missing since he was a little boy. They still are searching for Avery's parents.
From here is a heartbreaking scene between Avery and Cole. They care deeply for one another in ways that now make sense since they are not indeed brother and sister. But they have now separated, living hundreds of miles apart, and both still trying to deal with past trauma and feelings. Cole's family is wealthy and wants him to cut all ties with this life. Avery is left alone to try and make sense of her life.
They must question everything they have ever known about the people and family that is not their family and the brainwashing and beliefs, the falsehoods, abuse, and torment they suffered.
Beautifully written, gritty, haunting, dark, and chilling. Best of all, a leading protagonist you will fall in love with and root for until the explosive final page is turned. From grief, loss, forgiveness, and hope.
For fans of Laura McHugh's What's Done in Darkness and Kimi Cunningham Grant's These Silent Woods. (both 5 STARS).
Distributing and traumatic. The minute the book begins, you sense the sinister atmosphere leading to deadly menace and dangerous secrets. It is a difficult read; however, there is hope. I highly recommend the audiobook!
A sensitive exploration of trauma and its harmful lasting effects. The author dives deep into the minds of her characters. Emotionally charged and thought-provoking— an ideal pick for book clubs and further discussions.
Firstly I was drawn in by the creepy cover and description. Secondly, I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jesse Vilinsky (a perfect voice for all characters), and it was RIVETING! I was utterly glued to the audio at home and in the car. Thirdly, was excited to discover a newfound author with a winner out of the gate!
I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. Brooke Beyfuss is an author to follow!
A special thank you to #DreamscapeMedia and #NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy to listen to, enjoy and review in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 19, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars ✨✨✨✨
July 2022 Must-Read Books
A powerful, emotional, coming-of-age tale with a strong protagonist you will root for to the end. The author expertly delivers a harrowing story of a world where little is what it first appears to be
Avery, a young girl, is abused in a cult and led to believe something by its evil leaders, which she thinks are her parents. When forced to have sex to contribute to the cult and bear children, she knows she must find a way to escape the only life she has ever known. They lock her outside to survive, and now this. How can her flesh and blood do this to her?
The story follows Avery and her family, living in a remote compound in rural Kansas. They think they are the "chosen ones." Started by her grandfather, Avery and her ten siblings live under a controlling father. They are led to believe the outside world is evil. The mother cranks out the babies since they do not want to bring in outsiders. They must recruit from within their family.
However, as the novel opens, the mother has another dead baby, and Avery has to bury it. They are survivalists. Shortly thereafter, there is a deadly fire, and Avery is locked in. Who set the fire? Will anyone get out alive?
She manages to escape after multiple burns and wants her brother, Cole (they are close), to go with her. This is their only way to escape. However, if the leaders survive, they will kill them for leaving. In the past, there was never a thought of escape since their every move was monitored. However, in light of the recent events, she knows she cannot remain.
Cole is a little reluctant about leaving since he has been brainwashed to believe in their cause. He knows no different. However, he agrees since he cares for Avery and she is his best friend. They are on the run. They both have been taught to live off the grid. They have no money, clothes, transportation, or food.
In addition, Avery is sick. She has been drugged and raped by some man her parents forced upon her to bear children for them. She needs a pregnancy test. With no money, she steals one, and they both are arrested.
Being arrested may be the best thing ever for both of them. They are in jail. With social services called in, an investigation gets underway. Which ultimately reveals that they are not brother and sister and the leaders are not their parents. They were stolen.
They find Cole's parents, who have been missing since he was a little boy. They still are searching for Avery's parents.
From here is a heartbreaking scene between Avery and Cole. They care deeply for one another in ways that now make sense since they are not indeed brother and sister. But they have now separated, living hundreds of miles apart, and both still trying to deal with past trauma and feelings. Cole's family is wealthy and wants him to cut all ties with this life. Avery is left alone to try and make sense of her life.
They must question everything they have ever known about the people and family that is not their family and the brainwashing and beliefs, the falsehoods, abuse, and torment they suffered.
Beautifully written, gritty, haunting, dark, and chilling. Best of all, a leading protagonist you will fall in love with and root for until the explosive final page is turned. From grief, loss, forgiveness, and hope.
For fans of Laura McHugh's What's Done in Darkness and Kimi Cunningham Grant's These Silent Woods. (both 5 STARS).
Distributing and traumatic. The minute the book begins, you sense the sinister atmosphere leading to deadly menace and dangerous secrets. It is a difficult read; however, there is hope. I highly recommend the audiobook!
A sensitive exploration of trauma and its harmful lasting effects. The author dives deep into the minds of her characters. Emotionally charged and thought-provoking— an ideal pick for book clubs and further discussions.
Firstly I was drawn in by the creepy cover and description. Secondly, I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jesse Vilinsky (a perfect voice for all characters), and it was RIVETING! I was utterly glued to the audio at home and in the car. Thirdly, was excited to discover a newfound author with a winner out of the gate!
I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. Brooke Beyfuss is an author to follow!
A special thank you to #DreamscapeMedia and #NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy to listen to, enjoy and review in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 19, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars ✨✨✨✨
July 2022 Must-Read Books
April 7, 2022
Name of Book: After We Were Stolen
Author: Brooke Beyfuss ~ Debut Author
Genre: Cult, Family Drama
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pub Date: July 19, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars!
Avery is nineteen years old and the oldest child living in the compound with her Mother, Father, and nine siblings ~ Seth, Amaris, Hannah, Jane, Peter, Sarah, Candace, Benjamin and Cole. She and her siblings have been taught and believe they are the chosen people and those living outside were dying. The father is abusive with strict rules. There is danger to the other children if one should try to escape.
However, Avery and her sixteen year-old bother Cole do escape when a fire destroys the compound. They are sure the others have not survived and run as far as they can. They know they are homeless but are trying to make the best of it….but are caught shoplifting. When authorities investigate who they are, they turn them over to Child Protective Agency and discover both Avery and Cole are really Celeste Bishop and Noah Reid Pierce who went missing fifteen years ago, and were stolen by a cult. Cole is not Avery’s brother and is returned to his biological parents but Avery was placed in a women’s shelter.
That sentence sounds so simple but Cole/Noah being return to his biological parent is a very emotional experience.
Story moved on to Avery/Celeste’s experiences in the Women’s Shelter.
This story kept me glued to my seat ~ but ~ it was not enjoyable.
It is a story of resilience and the strength of the human spirit.
There is no doubt it will make for interesting book club discussion!
There is a great ‘Reading Group Guide’ included, which certainly added to my reading experience!!
Additionally the …’A Conversation with the Author’ is awesome!
Personal Thoughts on the questions:
Question …Why are folks fascinated with ‘Cults’? Her answer is ~ the ‘Otherness”. That in itself is worthy of a discussion!
Another question ~ Do you develop an outline for your story ~ her answer is no and I nearly jumped up and down with excitement as I hated to have to submit an outline when required in any of my college writing classes.
To top off my enjoyment of reading this Q & A is when she was asked what books influenced her writing and she answered Wally Lamb’s “I Know This Much is True and She’s Come Undone.
Awww these two books were major hits with my book club discussions.
I always enjoy the ‘Acknowledgements’ and/or Author Notes etc. (I understand this is a time consuming and a bit stressful for many authors ~ but something I love to read.)
Brooke Beyfuss stated writing this book wasn’t the most fun she ever had ~ research involved going through a lot of disturbing material. I appreciate this answer. Story is great!
Want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 19, 2022.
Author: Brooke Beyfuss ~ Debut Author
Genre: Cult, Family Drama
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pub Date: July 19, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars!
Avery is nineteen years old and the oldest child living in the compound with her Mother, Father, and nine siblings ~ Seth, Amaris, Hannah, Jane, Peter, Sarah, Candace, Benjamin and Cole. She and her siblings have been taught and believe they are the chosen people and those living outside were dying. The father is abusive with strict rules. There is danger to the other children if one should try to escape.
However, Avery and her sixteen year-old bother Cole do escape when a fire destroys the compound. They are sure the others have not survived and run as far as they can. They know they are homeless but are trying to make the best of it….but are caught shoplifting. When authorities investigate who they are, they turn them over to Child Protective Agency and discover both Avery and Cole are really Celeste Bishop and Noah Reid Pierce who went missing fifteen years ago, and were stolen by a cult. Cole is not Avery’s brother and is returned to his biological parents but Avery was placed in a women’s shelter.
That sentence sounds so simple but Cole/Noah being return to his biological parent is a very emotional experience.
Story moved on to Avery/Celeste’s experiences in the Women’s Shelter.
This story kept me glued to my seat ~ but ~ it was not enjoyable.
It is a story of resilience and the strength of the human spirit.
There is no doubt it will make for interesting book club discussion!
There is a great ‘Reading Group Guide’ included, which certainly added to my reading experience!!
Additionally the …’A Conversation with the Author’ is awesome!
Personal Thoughts on the questions:
Question …Why are folks fascinated with ‘Cults’? Her answer is ~ the ‘Otherness”. That in itself is worthy of a discussion!
Another question ~ Do you develop an outline for your story ~ her answer is no and I nearly jumped up and down with excitement as I hated to have to submit an outline when required in any of my college writing classes.
To top off my enjoyment of reading this Q & A is when she was asked what books influenced her writing and she answered Wally Lamb’s “I Know This Much is True and She’s Come Undone.
Awww these two books were major hits with my book club discussions.
I always enjoy the ‘Acknowledgements’ and/or Author Notes etc. (I understand this is a time consuming and a bit stressful for many authors ~ but something I love to read.)
Brooke Beyfuss stated writing this book wasn’t the most fun she ever had ~ research involved going through a lot of disturbing material. I appreciate this answer. Story is great!
Want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 19, 2022.
July 16, 2022
“Humanity wasn’t dying. It was already dead.”
This was an amazing story. It was heartbreaking, moving, emotional, and infuriating. This is a unique take on a cult story and its aftermath.
We meet Avery as she’s living on a survivalist commune with her family. They think the world is ending and they’re the chosen ones. Her grandfather started the cult but after he died, her father took over. Seems like dad runs a tighter and less happy ship.
Avery is mostly alone other than Cole, her brother and best friend. She was made to live outside to toughen up but after their mother loses a baby, Great Value David Koresch let Avery inside and gave her a nice room with lots of food and rest. What’s the catch?
A fire breaks out and Avery is lucky to escape with her life.. and Cole. They live on their own for a while scavenging but finally get picked up and revealed to be missing children. Their whole lives have been a lie. Will they get to end up together or will they be separated? Do either of them have a chance of making it in this big world after what they’ve gone through?
This was hard to hear at times but always meaningful, well-thought out, and it felt like the honest feelings of a young woman under these circumstances. This story will stick with me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen and review! The narration was wonderful.
This was an amazing story. It was heartbreaking, moving, emotional, and infuriating. This is a unique take on a cult story and its aftermath.
We meet Avery as she’s living on a survivalist commune with her family. They think the world is ending and they’re the chosen ones. Her grandfather started the cult but after he died, her father took over. Seems like dad runs a tighter and less happy ship.
Avery is mostly alone other than Cole, her brother and best friend. She was made to live outside to toughen up but after their mother loses a baby, Great Value David Koresch let Avery inside and gave her a nice room with lots of food and rest. What’s the catch?
A fire breaks out and Avery is lucky to escape with her life.. and Cole. They live on their own for a while scavenging but finally get picked up and revealed to be missing children. Their whole lives have been a lie. Will they get to end up together or will they be separated? Do either of them have a chance of making it in this big world after what they’ve gone through?
This was hard to hear at times but always meaningful, well-thought out, and it felt like the honest feelings of a young woman under these circumstances. This story will stick with me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen and review! The narration was wonderful.
July 10, 2022
After We Were Stolen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/19/22
Author: Brooke Beyfuss
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pages: 320
Goodreads Rating: 4.23
TW ⚠️: cult, sexual assault, child abuse, animal abuse, suicide, kidnapping, stillbirth, and traumatic death. The author includes an author’s note on page 1 explaining this, which I appreciate so much!
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: When a fire erupts on a remote compound, Avery and Cole escape from this cult atmosphere. They are homeless in a world they know nothing about. After months of hiding out, they are arrested and a discovery is made—Avery and Cole were kidnapped fifteen years earlier, stolen by cult leaders they knew as Mom and Dad. Cole is immediately returned to his birth family. The loss of Cole and the trauma of her former life threaten to undo her, but when the police investigation reveals there may be more survivors, Avery must uncover the truth about the fire to truly be free.
My Thoughts: For a debut novel, this was amazing. We can expect great things from Beyfuss in the future. This was an emotional, dark and disturbing read, that took me on a full roller coaster of emotions. The way the author describes cult living was gut wrenching, very emotional, and potentially unnerving for some readers. The characters are well developed, had layers of depth, intriguing, inventive, and were perfect for this storyline. The author’s writing style is complex, thought provoking, takes you on a journey of emotions, creative, and unique, unique as in a style I wish I saw more. This was not your typical twist here, twist there novel, it was so much more, it was a story of grief, love, survival, and empowerment. I loved that this novel tackles family, blood and made, and how a survivor of a cult will persevere through the pain to come out a true survivor. Beyfuss explores what can break the human psyche, how to build up from the trauma, and a person can break away from the space built to survive and becoming a normal functioning person again. My only con would be the ending felt to abrupt, but everything else was brilliantly written. I will be on the lookout for future novels from the brilliant Beyfuss! I highly recommend that you preorder this book that releases later this month.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/19/22
Author: Brooke Beyfuss
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pages: 320
Goodreads Rating: 4.23
TW ⚠️: cult, sexual assault, child abuse, animal abuse, suicide, kidnapping, stillbirth, and traumatic death. The author includes an author’s note on page 1 explaining this, which I appreciate so much!
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: When a fire erupts on a remote compound, Avery and Cole escape from this cult atmosphere. They are homeless in a world they know nothing about. After months of hiding out, they are arrested and a discovery is made—Avery and Cole were kidnapped fifteen years earlier, stolen by cult leaders they knew as Mom and Dad. Cole is immediately returned to his birth family. The loss of Cole and the trauma of her former life threaten to undo her, but when the police investigation reveals there may be more survivors, Avery must uncover the truth about the fire to truly be free.
My Thoughts: For a debut novel, this was amazing. We can expect great things from Beyfuss in the future. This was an emotional, dark and disturbing read, that took me on a full roller coaster of emotions. The way the author describes cult living was gut wrenching, very emotional, and potentially unnerving for some readers. The characters are well developed, had layers of depth, intriguing, inventive, and were perfect for this storyline. The author’s writing style is complex, thought provoking, takes you on a journey of emotions, creative, and unique, unique as in a style I wish I saw more. This was not your typical twist here, twist there novel, it was so much more, it was a story of grief, love, survival, and empowerment. I loved that this novel tackles family, blood and made, and how a survivor of a cult will persevere through the pain to come out a true survivor. Beyfuss explores what can break the human psyche, how to build up from the trauma, and a person can break away from the space built to survive and becoming a normal functioning person again. My only con would be the ending felt to abrupt, but everything else was brilliantly written. I will be on the lookout for future novels from the brilliant Beyfuss! I highly recommend that you preorder this book that releases later this month.
August 7, 2022
How would you feel if your entire life had been a lie? Add to this growing up in a cult, abuse, brainwashing and rape, and you have After We Were Stolen, by Brooke Beyfuss. In her debut novel, Beyfuss weaves together heavy subject matter, beautiful writing and an emotional journey that will leave no one unaffected.
Nineteen-year-old Avery and her younger brother, Cole, live in a remote compound with their family, who their father deems The Chosen. Their days are filled with survivalist training, psychological manipulation and hard labor. As circumstances are becoming unbearable for Avery, a fire wipes out the whole compound, and she escapes with Cole. They live on the road for a few months, afraid of what they’ve been told about the outside world. After they get caught shoplifting, their fingerprints reveal they are victims of kidnapping when they were very young. Cole is immediately picked up by his parents, and Avery goes to a women’s shelter. Here, she tries to make sense of the past and the night of the fire, knowing she can’t step into a new identity if she doesn’t understand who she was.
Filled with raw, emotional scenes, this bravely written story focuses on family, loyalty and trust. The fact that Avery grew up in a cult offers an up-close look at what can happen when your life is completely upended and offers not only an escape but a rebirth. The end of the story is poignant, but could have been explored a bit more; it felt like there were still a few loose ends. Overall, it is a difficult but immersive read that you won’t want to put down.
I listened to the audio version, narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, who gives an emotional, flawless performance. This is one of those books that lends itself to the creative interpretation of the narrator to deliver extra depth and Vilinsky is the perfect choice for the role.
Nineteen-year-old Avery and her younger brother, Cole, live in a remote compound with their family, who their father deems The Chosen. Their days are filled with survivalist training, psychological manipulation and hard labor. As circumstances are becoming unbearable for Avery, a fire wipes out the whole compound, and she escapes with Cole. They live on the road for a few months, afraid of what they’ve been told about the outside world. After they get caught shoplifting, their fingerprints reveal they are victims of kidnapping when they were very young. Cole is immediately picked up by his parents, and Avery goes to a women’s shelter. Here, she tries to make sense of the past and the night of the fire, knowing she can’t step into a new identity if she doesn’t understand who she was.
Filled with raw, emotional scenes, this bravely written story focuses on family, loyalty and trust. The fact that Avery grew up in a cult offers an up-close look at what can happen when your life is completely upended and offers not only an escape but a rebirth. The end of the story is poignant, but could have been explored a bit more; it felt like there were still a few loose ends. Overall, it is a difficult but immersive read that you won’t want to put down.
I listened to the audio version, narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, who gives an emotional, flawless performance. This is one of those books that lends itself to the creative interpretation of the narrator to deliver extra depth and Vilinsky is the perfect choice for the role.
December 29, 2021
A book that will cut to the quick but not leave its reader emotionally abandoned. After We Were Stolen is an intelligent and heartrending story of vulnerability, power, resistance, and redemption. It explores the many facets of love, for ourselves, for those we call family, and what it means to rebuild a sense of identity from the ashes of systematic abuse and betrayal. Brooke Beyfuss has crafted a beautiful book that ultimately fosters hope founded on the belief that paths can be found to guide us away from even the darkest of pasts. An excellent read that is sure to be a favorite book club pick.
September 4, 2023
It feels slow in the beginning but stick with it, it's absolutely worth it!! Wow, I had no clue what I was getting myself into with this book. I loved the slow build up and then BOOM! You're hit with such crazy turns of events. So many twists, that you think whew that was wild. Then boom! Even more twists happened. I was left in shock and wonder for the last 40% of the book! Absolutely loved that it kept me on my toes. Such a wild ride about the doomsday preppers cult, then what unfolds after it. Go grab this one and read it!
November 13, 2022
This book was phenomenal. I love a good cult story. Avery and her brothers and sisters and parents are the CloveLite Cult. Except the kids have no idea. They think they live with there parents on a compound, and it has been drilled in there heads as long as they can remember, that they are the "chosen ones". They are beaten, half starved, emotionally, mentally and physically abused. They know nothing else. They run drills day and night to get ready for "the end of the world ". One night a fire breaks out and Avery and Cole escape. When the police and ambulance comes to the compound they run off in the woods. They are homeless and trying to lay low, scared that their parents may have escaped the fire and are looking for them. They get caught stealing, end up at the police station, and find out they are not who they think they are. They have each been kidnapped when they were younger and have been living in the CloveLite Cult ever since. Cole gets reunited with his family after 12 years and Avery goes to a woman's shelter. This book has many trigger warnings ⚠️. Sexual abuse. Physical abuse. Mental abuse. Talk of suicide. Death. Trauma. Prostitution.
This book was so well-written and the story was heartbreaking. I didn't exactly love the main character, Avery for some reason. Which is incredibly unfair because she was kidnapped, abused, and basically suffered at the hands of her "parents". I couldn't pin point exactly what it was I didn't like about her, but something just rubbed me the wrong way. It may have been the way the author was writing about her character. The way she was moving and certain things she was saying or doing. Besides that, I loved this book and couldn't put it down.
This book was so well-written and the story was heartbreaking. I didn't exactly love the main character, Avery for some reason. Which is incredibly unfair because she was kidnapped, abused, and basically suffered at the hands of her "parents". I couldn't pin point exactly what it was I didn't like about her, but something just rubbed me the wrong way. It may have been the way the author was writing about her character. The way she was moving and certain things she was saying or doing. Besides that, I loved this book and couldn't put it down.
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