Ooooooh, I love this book! If I could give it 6/5 stars, I would.

Seventeen year old Esther Hicks is the last child of Jethro and Celia Hicks, and one of the stars of the reality tv show, Six for Hicks, which follows Essie and her family through her fatherā€™s Evangelical ministry. But when a life altering situation threatens the familyā€™s multi-million dollar livelihood, as well as Essieā€™s way of life, she concocts a plan that will not only set her up for life, but free her from the stronghold she calls her family. In order to make the plan work, she must convince complete stranger, 18-year-old Roark Richards to marry her, within the next couple weeks. Roark and his family will benefit tremendously if he goes through with this arrangement, but his own secret may take them all down.

On the surface, this book sounds easy-peasy and without much depth, but as the pages turn (and they will fly by), there is so much to this book it is hard to put into words. Fraught with undertones of evil, religion, family drama, sexual identity, and lies, Meghan MacLean Weir writes an absolutely beautiful story about love and motherhood, friendship, and justice.

The Book of Essie is written from three perspectives: Essieā€™s, Roarkā€™s, and Liberty Bellā€™s, a journalist who unwittingly has more in common with Essie than many know.

The eloquent way Weir writes this book without vulgarity or harsh language and instead with grace, and honesty, one hardly knows they are actually reading about rape and incest.

So. Freaking. Good. Absolutely powerful.

*I listened to this book on Audible (which was fabulous) and before I finished it, I purchased the hardcover to keep in my personal library. ( )

I really thought I would like this book more than I did. It didn't unfold in as interesting a way as I thought it might - and was fairly predictable. I watched a lot about the familys in the news that this book takes inspiration from - and I feel like it could have been more daring - I also feel like the characters could have been better developed. I don't think it is characterized as YA but it felt a bit like some YA books that I have read. It would be a good book to read during travel. ( )

Just as she turns seventeen, Essie discovers she is pregnant. Because her family are stars of a hit reality show and her father is an evangelical preacher, how to handle this delicate turn of events becomes a complicated discussion between not only her family but the entire production team. While her mother scrambles to locate a suitable young boy to foist upon her in marriage, Essie quietly orchestrates her own plan ā€” first, to escape, and second, revenge.

Definitely a page turner as I completed it in less than two days. The reader cannot help but notice the stark similarities between this fictional family and another, well-known Ć¼ber-religious family who have their own reality show, and who are also surrounded by scandal and cover-ups. There were a few moments when the direction of the book had me convinced I would be soon chucking it against the wall, but thankfully that didn't happen. Some aspects, such as the ending, seem slightly unrealistic, but overall it was a worthwhile read. ( )

Me, falling asleep: "I'm excited to get on the train tomorrow so I can keep reading my book."
Me: "That book is so good."
Also me: "What's that book about again?"

I loved this book so much!!! ( )

Reason Read: f2f bookclub selection January 2023
This has been done, nothing new here. It was easy to read, the story line pulls you along. It's a novel full of political correctness. ( )