Megan Cooley Peterson is an author, editor, and coffee drinker. As a teenager, Megan was part of a repressive, cult-like doomsday church that didn't like to be questioned. She questioned anyway. The author of more than 80 nonfiction books for children, she has written on a wide variety of topics, including dinosaurs, sharks, urban legends, and haunted objects. This is her first YA novel. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and daughter. Learn more at megancooleypeterson.com or connect on Twitter @meganncpeterson.
An American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers A Bookstr Top YA Release As Featured on Bustle, Twin Cities, and Minnesota Public Radio Peterson uses her own experience as a teenager in a cult to bring Piper's story to life... A rich, layered, and unflinching narrative of love, loss, and the struggle to become whole once again. -Booklist An eerily accurate look at the who, what, why, and how of cults.... A deeply nuanced psychological study... Profound and deeply engaging. -Teen Librarian Toolbox Something special... Haunting with each line, this story grabs you and runs you through each and every page. -Bookstr I snatched this one right up. -Barnes and Noble Teen Blog [Peterson] weaves a lush novel full of cryptic scenes... which readers fit together for a thrilling ending. The novel presents an accessible look at what makes cults (especially religious ones) attractive to some, and it will appeal to those interested in subjects such as Charles Manson and the Branch Davidians.... An intriguing look at a young woman adjusting to life outside a cult. -Kirkus Reviews Remarkable and memorable... Truly a can't-be-missed story. -Musings of a Book Girl Readers follow Piper through the difficult maze of her own mind in trying to sort out what's real from what she is imagining. Her struggle with her mental health rings true.... A sound addition to any collection where reality and suspense are in demand. -School Library Journal A teenage girl lives in a seemingly evil world. She is trying to work out what is true and what is fiction... and to figure out her place. -MPR Peterson does a wonderful job in this book of exploring and explaining what life is like inside of a cult (read the author's note for more on how she was able to do this so well)... Quality writing [brings] us fully into Piper's experience. -Cannonball Read Entirely gripping and absorbing, with an absolutely convincing voice. I had to keep reading until the very last page. -Lucy Christopher, Printz Honor-winning author of Stolen and Storm-Wake Full of twists, turns, and emotional gut punches that will leave readers racing to the end to find out how all the puzzle pieces fit together. If you like psychological thrillers, Peterson's book needs to be on your list. -Eileen Cook, author of You Owe Me a Murder and With Malice