Nineteen-year-old Avery grew up in a family of survivalists who believed they were “the chosen ones” who would survive after the rest of the world was gone. They spent their days preparing for the end in their compound in the woods. But when the compound mysteriously catches fire one night, Avery and her brother Cole manage to escape the cult and find civilization outside. After they are caught shoplifting, the police discover they were actually kidnapped as children by the cult leaders who they believed to be their parents.

Because Cole is underage, he is reunited with his biological family across the country, and Avery is taken to a women’s shelter to begin figuring out life on her own. After realizing everything she’s ever known was a lie and unsure who to trust, she endures the memories of her physical and emotional abuse alone. The details of the fire haunt her waking and sleeping hours as she tries to untangled the truth about what really happened that night.

Deeply emotional and suspenseful, Brook Breyfuss has written a captivating novel that stands out amid other cult/survivalist fiction. It didn’t surprise me to learn that the author received her BA in psychology—the narrative is strongest when exploring the characters’ emotions in the aftermath of the fire and discovery of their true identities. The book is an exploration on how we define love and family, the forms loss can take, and how wildly our perceptions of truth can differ. I especially admire how Breyfuss handled delicate issues of physical and sexual abuse. It felt appropriately jarring but never unnecessary or for shock value.

I did feel that there were some plot holes in the story and some details that required me to suspend my disbelief. For example, the issue of inbreeding is referenced in the novel as something the cult “parents” want to avoid, but this issue doesn’t make logical sense once we learn that the children were actually kidnapped. Also Avery’s seeming knowledge of what might be outside the compound based on what she learned to read as a 5-year-old seems like a stretch, but because the plot is less of a focus than the characters and their emotions, I was happy not to scrutinize these discrepancies too hard.

Be prepared to read this book in one sitting and then think about it long after you finish.

Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC E-book in exchange for an honest review.

Avery and Cole live with their "prepper" family in an old warehouse compound in Kansas. Avery is tasked with a new role by her parents, however shortly after the compound is destroyed in a fire, with Avery and Cole narrowly escaping. They scrape by on the streets until eventually being caught by police, where it is discovered they were both kidnapped by their so called parents. Cole is swiftly taken back to his parents with Avery left behind to pick up the pieces of her life, figuring out who she really is while simultaneously dealing with severe PTSD.

This book did a really good job of presenting what it would be like to be part of a cult and surviving on the outside after its destruction. The psychological trauma Avery was dealing with was well presented and very realistic feeling. I appreciated how the book didn't elaborate on everything about the cult and didn't wrap up everything neatly by the end, while still leaving the reader hopeful that Avery will have continued success on her road to recovery.

Of course this book deals with some heavy topics but the author thoughtfully included a trigger warning preface.

After We Were Stolen leaves the reader with a lot to process and worth through, and is certainly a strong debut for author Brooke Beyfuss. There were a few details I'd have preferred a bit more elaboration on, which is why I rated it 4 stars, but this is a worthwhile read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the electronic ARC copy of this novel for review.

Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication.

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 sinister, 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 only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because 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 also felt the ending was too abrupt and unsatisfying. 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

This book was so heartbreaking. As I have said before, I’m all in when I see a book about cults. But it is much more than that. Recovering from childhood trauma is so difficult, and Avery’s systemic abuse was life altering. When she and her brother escape, can it really get any worse? That depends what perspective you have.
A wonderful debut novel, can’t wait to see more from Brooke Beyfuss.

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<p>Thanks so much NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark!</p>
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<p>There have been several books with cult themes lately. After We Were Stolen tells what happens to Avery who is on track to restart her life after her cult family dies in a fire. There are a lot of really hard moments in this book. It's a good, painful read. </p>
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This was an edge of your seat, heart pounding, gripping read. To say it a page turner doesn’t do it justice. This is probably one of my favourite reads in a long time. The characters were amazing. The story twisted and turned and made my heart stop at points and made me cry at others. This book runs the gauntlet of emotions. Just when you think the story’s over there’s another twist or two to send you reeling. This book is a must read. It was unputdownable. Amazing

This book was so unlike what I usually read. This story presents a fictional account of kidnapped children escaping from the cult they grew up in. This is an emotional story of loss and change, growth and rebirth. It was both heartbreaking and triumphant, and there were plot twists I didn’t see coming. While I did find the writing a bit dry and lagging at times, I also found it gripping and captivating at others. The story asks a lot of questions and leaves many unanswered until the end, which throws you for a loop but ties things up quite nicely.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks-Landmark for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an emotional, heart-wrenching journey through the eyes of a cult survivor. Like most people, I have a fascination with cults and what possesses people to get involved with them. Naturally, when I saw the description of After We Were Stolen, I jumped at the chance to read it.

19-yr old Avery has grown up on her family's commune, away from society. When Avery wakes up one night to her home surrounded in flames, she jumps at the chance to escape her father's harsh mentality of rules, barbaric punishments and grueling survivor training. Avery and her younger brother, Cole, leave the grounds of the commune for the first time in their lives, scared and unsure of the world around them. When they're arrested for shoplifting, it's discovered they were kidnapped as very young children, and Cole is immediately sent with his birth parents.

Brooke Beyfuss has crafted a tale of love and the tenacity of the human spirit. I have a sneaking suspicion this will be a best-seller and a book club favorite for a long time!

Excellent book. I was not expecting much when I started this book. I was in for a very pleasant surprise. This is a wonderful yet very compelling story. It is one of the story's that could of kept on going and going. It also makes one really think about how people think and how they can be convinced of things if they fee important. This story is for anybody wanting something new and compelling to read. I feel this would make an excellent read for a book club as well.

3.5/5 stars, I love the writing style of this thriller and will be reading more from this author in the future. I was not a huge fan of the ending but could not put this down the whole time I read it. Thank you for the early copy!

While this story kept my interest for the most part I couldn’t wait to finish it. I felt the characters could of been stronger and the story line could of been better.
Not my favorite but will read this author again.