Blood Atonement, by S. M. Freedman

Short Take: Does anyone have some OMG’s I can borrow? I seem to have used all of mine.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

Hello my beloved nerdlings, and welcome to Sunday evening! It’s been a pretty low-key weekend in the Nerd House, and you all know what that means: More book reading! The last couple have been a mixed bag, so let’s start with the good stuff, shall we?

Grace DeRoche’s childhood was, shall we say… challenging. As a member of the FLDS cult, she was married off at age thirteen to a horrifically abusive man. Because he was a high-ranking member of the “church” she was forced to endure more than any one person should. That is, until the night when the police raid the compound, and she, along with several other children, run to the police instead of hiding.

The repercussions of that night multiply for decades. The trauma of Grace’s childhood abuse is compounded by survivor’s guilt and fear that she could still be hunted down as a traitor. So it isn’t surprising that she develops Dissociative Identity Disorder, or as it’s more commonly known, multiple personalities. Whenever Grace is frightened or anxious, one of her alters will take over and deal with the situation at hand. The good news for Grace is that she doesn’t have to experience any further fear or trauma, the bad news is that she also has no memory of whatever goes on while her alter is in charge.

So when a few of the other survivors of the cult are murdered, and the evidence points to Grace, well, she can’t exactly deny it, because she has no idea what she has been doing.

Duckies, I loved this book. Our narrators are Grace and Detective Beau Brunelli, who was one of the policemen on the scene of the original cult raid, and is now investigating the murders of the former cult members. Both of these characters are so richly developed, so sympathetic and with so much troubled history. I would read multiple books focused on Beau’s story alone.

I want to say a lot about the pacing (breathless) and the amount of research Ms. Freedman has poured into both the FLDS cult and the psychology of Grace’s trauma (so much fascinating info), but you see, those things aren’t that special or unique. There are plenty of fast-paced, well-researched books out there, and if I’m being super honest, I had about 70% of the big twist figured out well before we got there.

But there’s one aspect of Blood Atonement that, in my opinion, sets it apart from a lot of similar works, and that’s the author’s care in writing about child sexual abuse. I’ve read far too many books that go into entirely too much detail when covering that subject, to the point that it almost feels glorified, if not fetishized. And although more acceptable, there’s also the other end of the spectrum, where the allusions are so vague that it’s difficult to empathize with a character’s struggles in overcoming something that’s never really articulated.

Ms. Freedman, however, manages to thread that very tiny needle. Grace’s experiences in the cult are mostly hidden behind the curtain of her dissociation, but her resulting injuries let us know enough to understand. It’s horrifying without being explicit, which is something that not many authors can pull off.

Seriously, I can’t recommend this book enough. Just make sure you clear your schedule, because you won’t want to put it down.

The Nerd’s Rating: FIVE HAPPY NEURONS (and spice cake with maple frosting. If anyone has a good recipe, hook me up!)

Wow, what a book. I had luckily seen the netflix series on the FLDA religious group so I had an idea of what this cult was all about. Even without seeing the series this book was still very powerful. A good read and sadly this was based on peoples lives. A good twist at the end too.

This is called a 5-star read. this book will hook you from the beginning and there is no coming back. unputdownable, shocking, and dark twisted thriller. 10 children escape the cult but are living in a community where any type of abuse is normal. the story revolves around two characters grace a child who escaped the cult and the detective Beau Brunelli looking into the deaths of other survivors.

The book was so excellent but there are some triggers warning, child abuse, domestic violence, and suicide. but still, it's a nice book. if you can survive these trigger warnings you will definitely love it. I received the advanced readers copy from net galley thanx to the publisher for approving my request.

This was such an OMG… Great book!! When children escape a religious cult they thought the worst was behind them but little did they know not only would they have to deal with their mental and emotional problems but a murderer who was coming for all of them. Grace was dealing with her problems the best she lived on a farm and despite her suffering from personality disorder she had her service dog Bella who was always there to try and keep her safe. She also had a great counselor named Shelby who was really helping her deal with her issues. But when she finds a note referencing the religious doctrine they were taught is children she knows something is wrong but the more people from the cult that are found dead by what looks like suicide the more the clues are pointing towards Grace and when her sister Desiree survives the attack and says she had a visit from the murderer and it’s her sister they think they definitely know it’s Grace but the answer is way more involved than just knowing who did it. This book was so good and so surprising I was shot by who the murderer was I thought they had such a great characters in the book even though some are not who they seen. I totally love this book it was a thrilling ride in a book I highly recommend a definite five story! I received this book from Net Galley and the publisher but I am leaving this review totally voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Blood Atonement by S.M. Freedman is about Grace, the main character, who escaped a Mormon compound. The other point of view character is Detective Beau Brunelli, who is looking into the deaths of the other compound individuals. I liked these characters, and the story was told in a thoughtful manner, though there were definitely some heartwrenching scenes.

There are many plot points to pay attention to, and the story held my interest. A very dark and intriguing story.

I would recommend this book. I would rate this a 4 out of 5 stars.

#BloodAtonement #NetGalley @dundurnpress

Synopsis:

Grace is one of 10 children who escaped a Mormon compound during a police raid. A decade later, the other survivors are starting to die under suspicious circumstances. Detective Beau Brunelli is on the case, but with Grace suffering from multiple personalities this investigation isn't going to be straight forward.

Review:

This is an amazing thriller, but it comes with some pretty hefty trigger warnings so it might not be for everyone.

The narration alternates between two points of view. The main character is Grace, who escaped from a Mormon compound with 10 other children almost a decade ago. The secondary character is Detective Beau Brunelli, who is looking into the suspicious deaths of the other survivors who had fled with Grace.

Utilizing flash-back chapters we are taken into Grace's childhood. Being raised in the juxtaposition of a loving home in a cruel community where leaders are predators and arranged child marriages are the norm, Grace developed DID to survive. Now that she's safe, the other personalities are reluctant to step aside and let her take back control of her life.

When she finds out her peers have been found dead, Grace tries her best to keep it together while Burnelli tracks down the killer.

TW: childhood sexual abuse, domestic abuse, miscarriage/infant loss, incest, spousal rape, indoctrination suicide, mentions of drug use

Grace, along with her sister Desiree and eight other youngsters, escape from the FLDS compound when it is raided by the police. After suffering years of physical, mental and sexual abuse, all the escapees are damaged to some degree, though Grace’s mental illness is frightening, and she never quite knows “who” is in control of her.

Wow! This book is amazing, totally gripping, and although at times slow paced, the reader needs the action to slow down so all the story can be absorbed. There are clues throughout the plot that give some idea of what’s about to happen, but the storytelling is so good that the ending still comes as a shock and needs to be reread at least twice.

This is not a book for the faint hearted, and it certainly doesn’t pull any punches, but the abuse is not done in a sensational manner, quite the contrary, it’s all done very sensitively.

This is a fictional book, written alongside factual events, and the result is excellent. One to definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley.

woah, trigger warning for abuse first of all and for religious trauma oh my gosh the religious trauma!!!!

this book primarily follows Grace after she escapes a fundamentalist Morman compound. Grace has to deal with not only the guilt of leaving her family behind but also suffers from dissociative identity disorder, making Graces life fragmented and full of blind spots.

the book also had POVs from Detective Beau Brunelli, while he is working the case and some of Grace’s alters, while not much is known about DID i think this book does a pretty good job at representing it!

this was definitely a slow paced book, which typically i’m not a fan of BUT! the book was so good that i didn’t mind the slowness too much, and the ENDING!?!? i didn’t see it coming and i was absolutely blindsided.

i really liked the characters, Grace and Clayne, especially. i felt so sorry for them, reading Grace’s flashbacks was truly heartbreaking, i have read about the FLDS before and so i knew how messed up it could be but it’s still so tragic to read about.

if you know anything about the FLDS or just like a good slow paced thriller i definitely recommend this!

I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blood Atonement is shocking and thrilling, terrifying you from the moment you realize what events this book describes the aftermath of. And of course, it pays to pay attention. There are numerous details on every page that are intrinsic to the plot of the novel, and some can easily slide past your eyes and hide in the ink on the page in the rush towards the end.

Full review at https://www.litandleta.ca/home/letas-book-review-blood-atonement-by-sm-freedman

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Dark disturbing thriller - my first book by S.M. Freedman! Can't wait to read more books .from her.!

This went beyond my expectations. I loved the conceptz it's a very unique plot line and something completely different. The characters are so well depicted that it feels like you're watching them on a netflix series. They're these complete, 3d, individuals that are written so clearly and concisely that its just really easy to imagine. I found it a really fascinating take and enjoy it immensely

In this crazy age when America seems to be returning women’s rights to the Middle Ages this book serves as a reminder of how power in the wrong hands totally corrupts. A wonderfully written whodunnit or indeed was it a done at all. The investigating detective has to battle not only a suspect with multiple personalities but budget constraints from his boss and the overwhelming guilt of a suicide in the family. Intricately written the story draws you in. A wonderful read.

Blood atonement was a great book !! This book was definitely a mind game thriller! It had suspense, intrigue, and a sort of who done it! The storyline was very interesting and flowed nicely! I will definitely recommend reading this one! It was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Just wow!! My first by Freedman; I was drawn to it by the cover and the description. Definitely was a page Turner. Delving into cults and religious ones to boot plus DID is some big shoes to fill! There were some points I was a little confused as to time period; Grace then or Grace now but caught on pretty fast. Adding to all her alters, lot of context! I did figure out who was murdering all the escapees from the cult pretty early on. I definitely will be reading more by her! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I’m amazed.
The book had me hooked from the very beginning
The story follows two characters, Grace and Beau. Beau is a detective who was an important part of the investigation of cult years ago. Grace is one of the ten children that manages to scape the horror of that same cult. A place where they lived in isolation, whit a leader that insisted that every man needed at least three wives to go heaven. A close community where abuse of any kind was normalized by the community. That was years ago, now the ten survivors and others who where excommunicated are being targeted. Beau jumps town the seven once more. Grace faces hers dissociative personality disorder to try and figure out if she’s guilty or the next victim.
The book tácheles an amazing characterization, every character goes trough the very deeps of their minds. Every single thing adds to the story. The narration id fragmented you get to see the point of view of Beau and both young and adult Grace. The plot hooks from the very beginning. An amazing triller that will defiantly have anyone by the edge of their seats.
Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me ARC of this truly amazing story.

Dark, disturbing, atmospheric and absolutely banging. I loved everything about this book, although it does include mental health brought on by childhood abuse but this was handled really well in the book. I whizzed through this and need something else by this author immediately. Totally compelling.

Grace DeRoche escaped the fundamentalist Mormon compound of Brigham and worked to prosecute its leaders but when loyalists including her own family commit mass suicide to avoid jail Grace retreat’s into solitude racked with guilt and suffering from dissociative identity disorder from childhood abuse Grace’s life is fragmented and full of blind spots dissociative triggers are everywhere and Grace never knows when an alter personality will take the reins
Abut slow starting but soon livened up and turned into quite an enjoyable read
Thank You NetGalley And Dundurn Press
I just reviewed Blood Atonement by S.M. Freedman. #BloodAtonement #NetGalley

A dark story that will keep you reading if continual tension at a high level is your preference. Grace’s life has been so broken that the pieces don’t seem to know where they belong or how to pull together to make her whole. Meanwhile forces keep pulling at those pieces.