Beautifully wrought with an A+ ending.

Thanks to NetGalley & publisher for the opportunity to read early.

I received a digital copy of this book for review from NetGalley.

As soon as I heard the premise of God Spare the Girls —focusing on the daughters of a well-known pastor at a megachurch in Texas, I was immediately intrigued. While I have read a lot of books that focus on specific religious groups, I have never read anything focusing on evangelical megachurch communities. In reading the acknowledgements, it sounds like this is an environment the author is familiar with from her childhood, and while I didn't grow up in this culture, the descriptions of the people and culture just felt incredibly true and authentic. Nothing felt over the top or unrealistic, and I think she examined this corner of the world with a critical but nuanced position, thought it definitely still felt personal to her.

For some reason I assumed this book would be more of a thriller or mystery, but it's actually a coming of age story and a love story about two sisters who grow closer one summer when their father, the charismatic and famous pastor of Hope Church, is caught having an affair. The story is told from Caroline (Caro's) point of view and her internal monologue had me at times laughing out loud, at other times groaning, and other times tearing up. Caroline is going through SO much and I though McKinney so accurately captured what it's like to be an 18-year-old girl feeling all the feelings and trying to figure out who you are and your place in the world.

I loved Caroline and Abigail and their relationship so much. As someone who is very close with her sister I loved getting so much content about the developing relationship between Caro and Abby. McKinney made me feel Caroline's desperation to be close to her sister, and even though Abby sometimes felt closed off as a character, McKinney did an excellent job slowly peeling back the layers so by the end you understand her motivations as well.

While I love a character-driven book with my whole heart, I would have enjoyed just a bit more plot at times which is the only reason this is a four and not a five. I also wanted WAY more about the grandmother whose ranch was left to the girls and I just felt like there was more mystery and detail we were missing (could McKinney write that story as a prequel? That would be incredible)

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy character-focused books that explore religious groups and books with strong sister relationships.

I enjoyed this peek into evangelical Christianity and the hypocrisy and sexism surrounding it. It sounds like a cult from hundreds of years ago but unfortunately is still very popular in 2021 despite how backward it is. I did like that the two sisters made very different choices in the book but it was sad to see how much the older sister still wanted to belong and worse yet, become a preacher herself. I don't know if she is enough to change that church on her own.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I learned that I would receive an ARC of this book, I was so excited. Kelsey McKinney's debut novel did not disappoint. Reading about Texas, by a Texan, when you are so far from home is a salve. McKinney captures the characters' mannerisms and landscapes so specifically it feels like you know these characters (because, after all, you likely do).

I flew through this book, and honestly enjoyed every moment of it. I think at times it drags a bit, but not for long. I loved the relationship between sisters Caroline and Abigail. It felt real, complicated, and tender. God Spare the Girls explores the relationships of family, faith, marriage, and community. What happens when you (metaphorically) pull back the curtain of a family's successful mega-church and look at what goes on backstage? For Caroline and Abigail Nolan, they find affairs, deceit, and lies. They must reckon their faith with the betrayal of their father, whom they trusted and admired for so long.

I'm so impressed that this is a debut novel, but I've also been a fan of McKinney's journalistic work for awhile, so I'm certainly not surprised! I can't wait to see what she writes next.

I couldn't put this book down. Read it in a day! I wish it had explored more about the sisters' potential decision to leave their cult, but I still enjoyed it wholeheartedly.

I was instantly intrigued by the premise of God Spare the Girls - a coming of age story about two young sisters in Texas living through the aftermath of their father's scandalous affair. Their father is a pastor at one of the state's largest churches, and having read a few other reviews, it seems like this novel resonated with those who are closer to Evangelical culture. This community is pretty foreign to me, so take that into account while reading my review.

While the book started out strong, unfortunately from about 20% on I kept wondering if something more was going to happen. The writing was strong and I appreciated the character development between the sisters, but I was waiting for an additional twist or turn that never came.

Overall - I don't regret reading it, but the plot left me wanting more. It read like a YA novel to me, and I think I may have appreciated it more had I been a teen reading it.

2.5 stars.

Thanks William Morrow + Netgalley for the chance to read/review early in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 22, 2021.

When two sisters uncover a secret about their mega-church pastor of a father, it turns their entire world upside down. Escaping from the drama and the limelight shed on their family and congregation, the two sisters take the opportunity to flee and spend time together, just the two of them. And during that time, they have to decide what they're going to do next. A tale of faith, family, forgiveness, and the intensity of sisterhood, this is a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for advance access to this title!

This book is about two sisters, Abigail and Caroline, who grow up the daughters of a prominent evangelical preacher. While Abby and Caro have very different relationships with their family and their faith, both of their worlds are wrecked when it comes to light that their father has been lying to the family for years. I really enjoyed the exploration of evangelical culture, particularly how harmful certain elements of patriarchal church structures can be for women. I also thought McKinney did a wonderful job of exploring sisterhood and the desire for but absence of closeness we often feel from our own families. At times though the characters fell a bit flat, which was tough because this is very much a character-driven novel—there’s not much plot here. But I would still recommend it if you love reading about the interplay between faith, religious structures, and identity.

Read if you: Want a memorable and powerful story centered on the aftermath of a pastor father's affair.

Although I didn't grow up in a fundamentalist culture, I know enough about it that many parts of this story ring true and honest. Although some may quibble with the ending, I felt it was a truthful and brave way to conclude the story.

Many thanks to William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy a book that looks at morality, and juxtaposes religion, faith, intimacy and relationships. Though I sometimes felt a bit disconnected from the characters, this is a heavy story, I appreciated the complexity of them nonetheless. I’d be interested to read other books from this author.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two sisters whose father is an evangalist struggle while becoming their own women. One creates a falsified version of a perfect life and the other seeks to escape the confines of her past. Together, they find the way to go forward and seek honest happiness.