Description
For fans of The Wrong Way Home and My Life with the Liars, this gripping coming-of-age story follows a girl who must wrestle with what to do when she realizes she's lived almost her entire life inside a cult.
Thirteen-year-old Ara lives in an isolated community called Jupiter Station with her family. They abide by the teachings of Father Jupiter, their self-appointed leader, and follow the strict rules laid out in his Book of Jupiter. Ara has always believed what she's been taught, including Father Jupiter's prophecy that the family will soon become stardust and “Ascend to the planet Jupiter,” where they'll live together forever. But when her older brother Leo reveals his doubts about Father Jupiter, particularly his story about how they became part of the family, Ara must decide what to do, as she starts to realize he may be right.
Award-winning author Robin Stevenson has written a chilling tale of awakening that readers won't be able to put down. The gripping story with unexpected plot twists will keep readers guessing to the very end. The fictional world is based on the author's research of real-world cults, providing fascinating insight into how cults function and how a person's perceptions of reality can be skewed. Ara's struggle will raise questions for readers about trusting one's instincts and what truths are worth uncovering.
Author Bio
Robin Stevenson is the author of more than thirty books for kids and teens, including Pride Puppy!, Pride Colors and Kid Activists: True Tales of Childhood from Champions of Change. The first edition of her nonfiction book Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community (2016) won a Stonewall Honor and was shortlisted for numerous other awards. In 2023, she was awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence in British Columbia. Robin lives on Vancouver Island.
Review Quotes
... a gripping portrayal ... Stevenson walks a fine line between the familiar and the unsettling, depicting an orderly world with a disquieting undercurrent of thickening tension.
— Booklist, starred review
Propulsive pacing and humane characterization make this unsettling story believable and hard to forget. The cosmic imagery lends the setting an eerie beauty, and the menace escalates without losing sight of the grief and guilt that accompanies questioning everything you've been taught to believe ... A compassionate, harrowing page-turner.
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Biographical note
Robin Stevenson is the award-winning author of more than thirty books of fiction and nonfiction for young readers of all ages. Her books have won the Silver Birch Award, the Sheila A. Egoff Award and a Stonewall Award Honor, and have been finalists for the Governor General's Literary Award and many reader's choice awards. Robin was the Book and Periodical Council of Canada's Champion of Free Expression for 2022. In 2023, she was awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence. She lives on the west coast of Canada with her family.
