The Book of Essie by Meghan Maclean Weir

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I recently finished The Book of Essie by Meghan Maclean Weir, and... oh my gosh. This book was FANTASTIC. I can't wait for more people to read it when it comes out in June. Before I get into my review, I do want to make sure you are all aware that there are some trigger warnings in this novel. However, they do somewhat spoil the novel, so I will put an asterisk by the trigger warning at the bottom of this review if you would like to know what they are.

The Book of Essie is a multi-perspective adult fiction novel that is centered around a family very similar to the Duggars, from Nineteen Kids and Counting. The family in this novel is quite literally a fictional version of the Duggar family. We follow three perspectives, the main of which is seventeen-year-old Essie, the youngest member of the family that stars on the reality television show Six for Hicks. The book begins when Essie, whose upbringing is centered around her faith, discovers she's pregnant. From there we follow Essie, a boy at her school, Roarke, and a once ultra-conservative reporter with a twisted past named Liberty Bell.

This book was truly phenomenal. It deals with a lot of complex issues that are so relevant to our society today. And while this book is not a mystery, there are a variety of important plot points and events that are hinted at in the beginning of the novel and only really revealed towards the end, so it kept me on the edge of my seat. Many of the reveals I did not see coming, and so many of them are hinted at by the author in the most clever of ways.

I do think, that, when this book comes out, it will be very controversial, and I think you need to read it to really understand why. I am looking forward to possibly reading some own voices reviews of this novel closer to the publication date, though. That being said, The Book of Essie is a really important one; it will make you uncomfortable, and it is quite unsettling in some ways. But that, in my opinion, is part of what makes this book so great. I cannot recommend this book enough, and I hope to see many people reading it in June!

Rating: 5/5 stars

**Trigger Warning (SPOILERS): Rape and Incest**

 XOXO,

Isabella



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