Thrillers are one of my top choices for genres - and I love a book that hooks you right from page one. Books about cults will ALWAYS interest, it's that unknown for sure! Avery grew up in a cult and knew no different. She believed her family was the "chosen" people, while people on the outside were dying. A fire helps aid her and her brother in their escape and they soon realized nothing was as it had seemed. You will be hooked, you'll be questioning how cults can exist. Truly a great read!

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

A compulsive read with some cultish vibes, some intrigue, and a deep dive into what comes after trauma. I really enjoyed this book. I thought the ending could’ve been a bit stronger but overall a solid, quick story.

Avery and Cole are siblings in a survivalist cult along with their ten siblings and parents. Physical and emotional abuse is rampant and when it’s Avery’s turn step up to a task she isn’t prepared for, things don’t go the way the parents predicted. When a devastating fire breaks out burning the compound, Cole and Avery escape with a few belongings and their lives. Not knowing the outside world they face many fears. Did anyone else survive the fire? Are they safe? When picked up for shoplifting they are in for another shock! Trying to navigate all of the changes, Avery is lost without Cole. What really happened on that disastrous night? Will Avery be able to overcome the past and finally have a future? They all died that day, but will they be able to pick up the pieces and come back to life? Filled with hardships that were difficult to read to at times. Beyfuss writes a story of indomitable human strength and spirit. A story of true survival and breaking the chains that bind. Beyfuss takes us on such a compelling journey that it’s difficult to believe that this is a debut novel.

I'll start by saying this book may have triggers for certain readers.  If cults and rape aren't your thing, this probably won't be the book for you.

The blurb for this book intrigued me.  I wanted to see what happened with these cult survivors after their world imploded.  But really, this was more about Avery understanding her role in what happened with the fire and the impacts it had on all involved.  I'm assuming I was supposed to feel sorry for Avery and Cole, and of course part of me was, but I didn't react to Avery the way I thought I should, given everything she had gone through and what she lost.  Not to mention, it felt rather odd that Cole would be so influenced by his parents that he turns his back on his previous life.  I should have been riveted by this storyline and emotionally invested in these characters.  I wasn't and I was left with this "meh" feeling when I got to the end.

I have a feeling I'll be in the small percentage that doesn't enjoy this book.  I'm OK with that

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This story broke from the typical cult-book mold, which was refreshing. This wasn’t about yet another twisted version of Christian dogma. That said, it did use sexual violence to move the plot, which can be difficult to read.

I didn’t predict the twist ending and it felt a little out of nowhere to me. But despite that, this book was readable and kept me interested.

Engaging, assured, and suspenseful. A recommended purchase for collections where thrillers and cult-related titles are popular.

This book is a wild wild ride. It follows Avery who lives in a comune with her family. They are extreme preppers. Prepping for the end of the world. This story is all about the human will to endure and survive. It was absolutely fascinating! There's something about books about cults I just can't get enough of.

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

After We We’re Stolen is a jarring read. Two siblings escape a massive fire that destroyed their cult’s compound. They’re thrust into the real world and then ripped apart because they’re nit biologically related.
I thought the author did a good job of describing the outside world through the eyes of two kids who were totally unfamiliar with it. I did have 2 issues with the book. First, Avery talks about people taking pictures with their phones during the media frenzy. How would she know about cell phones? Secondly, the ending doesn’t reconcile with a statement made in an earlier chapter as to other possible survivors from the fire. That wasn’t addressed at all, which left me in limbo.

Avery and Cole are the 2 lone survivors of a horrific fire that wiped out their family. Their father has kept the family isolated on a remote compound where they drill and prepare for the end of the world. After the fire, Avery and Cole discover they were kidnapped years earlier. While Cole is returned to his birth family, Avery is left alone and terrified in a world she is not in any way prepared for.

This was one of those books that kind of took me by surprise. I thought it was going to be one story and it turned out to be a different, much better story. It was hard to put down for sure. There were so many questions and I needed answers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me an advance copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Available July 19, 2022.

It’s really hard to believe that this is Brooke Beyfuss’ debut novel. It’s so assured and lived in that I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction, and not the actual memoirs of a young girl escaping a cult.

Not, of course, that our heroine Avery knows that that’s what she’s living in. As far as she’s concerned, her family sensibly keeps to themselves on their forty-acre compound, staying clear of the perimeter while preparing for the end of the world:

QUOTE
My parents had been running the compound ever since my grandfather died. My grandfather, my father’s father, was the first of the chosen, the one who saw the signs the world was dying. Not the earth but the people. And he knew that the only way to survive was to know how to live once everyone else was dead. The earth was full of gifts, he told us, but only if you knew where to look. Those were the lessons he taught his followers–how to find the right provisions, how to use them, how to survive.
END QUOTE

Avery, her parents and her ten siblings work hard to hone their survival skills, repeating the mantra of “Focus, shelter, water, and fire” to remind themselves of their priorities. As the book opens, Avery has been exiled to the outdoors, left to fend for herself and toughen up for some unspoken reason. Avery knows better than to question her father’s pronouncements though, no matter how unfair. If she does, her beloved younger brother Cole will also be punished for her disobedience. In fact, each of the siblings has a different “partner” whom they’re responsible for, and another who will be punished should they fail in their duties.

Things go from bad to worse quickly, as her parents decide that nineteen year-old Avery must take on a horrifying new responsibility for the sake of the family. When she wakes up one night to find the compound on fire, she seizes the opportunity to run away with sixteen year-old Cole, who is more reluctant than she is to leave behind everything they’ve ever known and loved. But the abuse Avery has undergone stiffens her resolve, even as they discover that the outside world is far worse than they expected:

QUOTE
There was nothing natural about this place. The trees weren’t even allowed to grow out of the ground. But that wasn’t the worst part.

The worst part was the people.

They looked just like me. They looked like Cole. When you stripped away everything, Cole and I didn’t look chosen. We looked like what we were: dirty and confused and terrified. I could feel it fall away, that last thin veil of protection, even though I knew in my thrashing heart that it had never really been there at all.
END QUOTE

Forced into urban homelessness, Avery and Cole struggle to survive, until getting arrested and fingerprinted uncovers a shocking truth: they’re not actually birth siblings, but were both kidnapped from separate families as very young children. Everything they thought they knew about themselves is a lie. While Cole is swiftly returned to his family, Avery has to struggle to make sense of her new reality, even as she lives in fear of their not being the only survivors of the fire.

This was a powerful and deeply nuanced portrayal of a young woman finding the strength to leave abuse behind and come to terms with the world outside of the web of lies that was once all she knew. Avery’s pain is palpable, and so realistic that I had to keep telling myself that this was just fiction even as I was mopping up my tears. My heart hurt for her and for Cole, as they’re separated and forced to cope with their new lives without each other’s unwavering love and support.

I also want to register my appreciation for the author’s note that prefaces the story. Her thoughtful introduction serves as a content warning for After We Were Stolen without spoiling the story or talking down to potential readers, and really ought to serve as a template for other authors who deal in sensitive content. Ms Beyfuss is a formidable new talent, whose skill with language and storytelling are well-matched by her compassion and empathy. I can’t wait to read more of her work.

The author did a fantastic job with her debut book! It does have a lot of triggers that may be difficult for some readers, such as physical & sexual abuse, rape, brainwashing. The author gives it in full detail at the beginning of the book what it is about. It is not for everyone.

Kidnapped by a cult when they were toddlers, now Avery is 19 years old and Cole is 16. They have lived a life of hardship, taught survival skills and worked hard labor in a compound known as "Clove-lite", which is actually a rundown factory with twelve members nine of them children. Their "parents" prepared them for the Apocalypse, so they have been separated from society and never experienced the conveniences most children have at their fingertips.

A fire destroys the compound killing everyone, but Avery and Cole....so they think. They hide from authorities due to their brainwashing not to trust others. After being arrested for shoplifting, they are fingerprinted and told they were abducted children. After Cole is sent back to his real family, Avery is made to stay in a women's shelter because none of her family can be located.

This is a powerful story of resilience, forgiveness, grief, and hope. I'm not a fan of cults or reading any kind of descriptor for it, but this is a rebirth of the human heart after your worst thoughts come true. The ending is a little abrupt when I felt not enough questions were answered, but it was a book that tugged at my heart strings for all kids left to defend themselves. Great job with the writing. It is a very compelling read.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book starts out extremely dark, and packs a powerful punch. Avery’s life is not her own, but even after escaping a doomsday cult, she feels lost. Dealing with the aftermath of heavy duty programming is almost too much for her to handle, and she must also deal with the mystery of who started the fire that killed her family. Graphic in parts, but Avery is a compelling character, and I would love a sequel.

I was given a free copy by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Fire! Who set the fire that destroyed the Clovelite compound where Avery lived with her parents and 9 brothers and sisters? And why did someone lock her into her room? Avery's father inherited the compound and his end of the world philosophy from his own father and he's raised the children to be able to survive under grim circumstances. And that's what Avery and her brother Cole, who also escaped the flame do. And then they're arrested for shoplifting and their worlds turn inside out when they learn they were both taken from their birth families. This then becomes Avery's search for, among other things, truth. Beyfuss prefaces the novel with trigger warnings- fair enough since there are disturbing scenes and it's a distressing scenario. But she's also created a terrific character in Avery, who will surprise you. No spoilers from me but be prepared to have your assumptions, well, challenged. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.

As always a huge thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced copy. This has not affected my opinion.

When the unexpected destroys everything you know what can you do but focus, prepare, endure and hopefully...thrive.

I found this book a super easy and quick read and it was a solid 3.5 stars for me. I loved the idea of this doomsday cult and having to survive after everything you have known for your entire life is abruptly gone. Throw in the fact that the kids were victims of abduction and no one knows how the fire was started and I was immediately intrigued. There are definitely some triggering topics that include still birth, sexual assault, death, abuse and a few more so be mindful when reading.

One of the things I really enjoyed were the characters of the book. Avery and Cole are both well done characters. You get to see how they grow and change throughout the course of the book and how not only the commune affected their lives, but also how reintroduction to normal society affects them. You also get hints of an unreliable narrator with Avery as there are gaps in her memory of what all happened the night of the fire and it takes a while for all of that to unravel throughout the story. Also Cole's changes throughout the book were incredibly interesting as well.

I will say I was definitely disappointed with some of the adults in this book because you have kids who have been locked up in a commune for their entire lives and the cops aren't very great to them or understanding of why they don't trust them and then add in Cole's parents and how they just want him to act like Avery wasn't his sibling and a person who he grew up with for 15 years was seriously messed up. I honestly hated Cole's family for that because it wasn't going to help his trauma in any way by forcing him to leave behind the person he loved and grew up with.

I did enjoy the book being told in both present tense and past tense/journal narrative towards the end of the book because it allows the reader to see the events as they happened in real time, but also as part of a memory and a look back on the past.

Overall, a really easy read and an enjoyable book and I'm glad I got to read it.

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the copy of After We Were Stolen. I’m not sure why this was not the book for me, I usually love books about cults! Maybe it was the spoiler in the synopsis or maybe it was that I didn't really understand the point of the story. The cultish aspect was horrifying and cruel and the time after the escape was meandering and unfocused. I found some of the things Avery did were not in keeping with someone who had been in a cult her whole life. I liked the writing style so I will keep my eyes open for another book by this author, but this one was a miss.

After We Were Stolen wrapped me in from the beginning. Avery, her brother Cole, and her other sisters and brothers live with their family in a doomsday cult. Avery and Cole manage to escape and find out that the stories they have been told about their childhood were untrue. The story is told from Avery's perspective, her experiences in the family and once she gets out are fascinating. She's a really strong character - frustrating at times but definitely dealing with trauma in unexpected ways. There are some really tough scenes to read in this book, but overall it was very good.

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.

The birds chirped cheerily in the woods on the edge of the property. She stood there with her eyes closed and listened to their song. When she opened them the woods morphed into an unearthly darkness and she felt a suffocating presence entering her lungs. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. She turned to see her home on fire, the smoke barreling out of the seams and choking the oxygen from the air. The fire consumed everything she thought she knew… proving that it was all a lie.

After We Were Stolen introduces the reader to Avery, the main character in a story about a cult she is being raised in. It showcases how dangerous these places are and how easily the human mind can be convinced of false truths. Even though Avery is trapped here, she does have a good friend in her brother, Cole.

This book is a very powerful read, but filled with scary, heavy topics. I find books about cults fascinating, but it is not without a fear of how easily someone can be drawn into the beliefs that these communities paint for them. Avery and Cole’s story was a gripping read and I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

If you’re a fan of books about cults, then you need to pick this book up immediately. I can’t recommend it enough!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Hmmm…I’m still at an awe after finishing reading last night!!! I was so moved by After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss that I read it in two sittings. A few times I was dazed and dumbfounded that I had to take deep breaths.
Avery and Cole are raised in an abusive environment they call home. Their parents are raising them to survive and prepare for ‘the end times’. Their parents put them in a unique situation. Each sibling is given a partner sibling. However, they are NOT each other’s partner. This prevents any thoughts of running away or misbehavior because their partner is the one punished for doing wrong.
One night the home (compound) catches fire. Two of the older siblings, Avery and Cole, manage to escape the fire and keep running.
While on the run they sleep wherever they can and soon find themselves stealing food….and they get caught.
Once arrested and finger printed, the authorities discover they match to missing children from years ago. Avery and Cole’s lives have been a lie. Heart rending and emotional roller coaster! Soon separated and Cole is United with his real family. Avery has learn to survive on the outside world and without Cole. She has nightmares (can’t imagine) and tries to figure out what really happened the night of the fire. Beyfuss writing is absorbing and polished. I felt each character’s sorrow and joy, aches and comforts, griefs and happiness. Great anytime read!
Than you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for ARC in exchange for review.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced copy of Brooke Beyfuss’s upcoming novel, After We We’re Stolen. When I read that this book was based on a cult, I was immediately sold, as this is turning out to be the year of the cult books! I didn’t have to read any more of the synopsis to know I wanted to read it! I was blown away by how well written this book is. Brooke does a great job describing the conditions of life on the compound as a family of 12 doomsday preppers. Many of the kids have never left the compound and have no knowledge of social norms, but even if they wanted to leave, their father puts a system in place to ensure it doesn’t happen. When a fire takes out the whole compound, Avery and Cole see it as their chance to escape. Still afraid of the outside world, they try to stay hidden and on the run as long as possible.

I don’t want to give any more details, because I think going in with very little knowledge strengthens the reading experience! I do want to include that there are many trigger warnings with this book including child abuse, sexual assault, child loss, suicide just to name a few.
Because of those, this book may not be for everyone, but I loved it. I will also say, it is more of a slow, suspense than a fast paced thriller. This book does not need to rely on twists to make it enjoyable, the writer takes us on an incredible exploration of human loss, love, resilience and finding yourself when you don’t know who you are.