2 Stars

"...In all endings there is a beginning."- The Children of Red Peak.

REVIEW: Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook Books, and Craig DiLouie for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book follows a group of adults who as children survived a cult's last days at an isolated mountain called Red Peak. Throughout their lives, their experience at Red Peak has caused them significant trauma and has never left them. However, when one of the adults in their group commits suicide, they reunite and decide to share their stories and memories of their time in the cult. The group knows that the final answers to all their questions can only be found by going back to Red Peak, but they are afraid of what they might have to sacrifice.

I was super excited to read this book because I love books about cults or religious groups. Overall, I thought the story was okay. The story is told through two different timelines: one in present day, and one when the characters were children and in the cult. I much preferred the timeline that showed the characters in the cult. I wasn't able to really connect with any of the characters and was not invested in their present day-to-day life.

Part of this story was a little confusing to me. Sometimes the text would randomly switch between two different character's point-of-view and I would have to reread the section to try to figure out who it was. Also, the story occasionally shifted between the past and the present without a clear indicator of this, and also who's perspective we were reading from. I thought the overall plot was fantastic, and there was so much to work with. I, unfortunately, just think it wasn't executed as well as it could have been.

SYNOPSIS: David Young, Deacon Price, and Beth Harris live with a dark secret. As children, they survived a religious group's horrific last days at the isolated mountain Red Peak. Years later, the trauma of what they experienced never feels far behind.

When a fellow survivor commits suicide, they finally reunite and share their stories. Long-repressed memories surface, defying understanding, and belief. Why did their families go down such a dark road? What really happened on that final night?
The answers lie buried at Red Peak. But truth has a price, and escaping a second time may demand the ultimate sacrifice.

RELEASE DATE: November 17, 2020

Really interesting read about a group of adults who lived with a cult during childhood. After one of their number commits suicide, they join together one last time to try to figure out what really happened during the tragic and bizarre even that ended the cult. Great characters and a surprising plot.

I don’t know exactly how to describe this little gem, but I loved it. Any book about cults I am all in for, but this was just a little bit more. A bit of an insight to religious zealots, making you wonder if they are onto something lol. Not going to give anything away, but thoroughly enjoyed!