Within the gates of New Jerusalem, Miriam, 16, lives under the eye of the community’s founder, Daniel. Miriam knows that she is cared for, even though she is forced to quiet her tongue, and is never given the ability to think for herself. When God calls for a marriage ceremony called a Matrimony, Miriam is certain that the boy she loves, Caleb, will select her to be his wife. When the ceremony goes wrong and Miriam ends up with someone else, Miriam begins to question the authenticity of New Jerusalem and Daniel’s motives.
For Handmaid’s Tale fans, you are guaranteed to enjoy THE VIRTUE OF SIN. I surprisingly enjoyed the religious aspects of the novel, despite not being a member of the Christian community. Schuren incorporates religious text into her novel to establish a cult-like atmosphere that is clearly present in New Jerusalem. If anything, through her characters, Schuren hints at the fact that religion is totally bogus and that humans should always feel the need to question everything around them. I was instantly hooked within the first few pages of THE VIRTUE OF SIN, but ultimately, at 419 pages, this one took me a while to get through. The story arc gets a little repetitive about halfway through the book but ends with a twisted resolution. Schuren’s novel comes out next Tuesday, and it’s one I definitely recommend adding to your TBR list!
Story concept: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Execution: 🌟🌟🌟/5
For Handmaid’s Tale fans, you are guaranteed to enjoy THE VIRTUE OF SIN. I surprisingly enjoyed the religious aspects of the novel, despite not being a member of the Christian community. Schuren incorporates religious text into her novel to establish a cult-like atmosphere that is clearly present in New Jerusalem. If anything, through her characters, Schuren hints at the fact that religion is totally bogus and that humans should always feel the need to question everything around them. I was instantly hooked within the first few pages of THE VIRTUE OF SIN, but ultimately, at 419 pages, this one took me a while to get through. The story arc gets a little repetitive about halfway through the book but ends with a twisted resolution. Schuren’s novel comes out next Tuesday, and it’s one I definitely recommend adding to your TBR list!
Story concept: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Execution: 🌟🌟🌟/5