What a debut, Home is an absolute must-read and one of the best I’ve read so far this year!!!!!! Zoe (Catherine) is a cult survivor who is forced to return to the compound she escaped from to save the sister who helped her to break free. The story deals with some very chilling and uncomfortable issues such as abuse, sexual assault, violence, and cult indoctrination as such, It’s a really harrowing read but it’s a compelling one.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Raven Books for the opportunity to read and review this gripping read.

So suspenseful and gripping. This book had me on the edge of my seat and I read it in just a 2 sittings because I NEEDED to know what happened.

I was attracted to this book by the subject matter with the story being about a young woman’s life in an isolated cult her escape and subsequent recapture .
I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped I found the novel to be rather cliched and possibly more appropriate to a young adult readership than general adult fiction .
I started the book hoping for a Hand Maidens tale reading experience but quickly felt that the story was too predictable and there wasn’t sufficient exploration of the emotional experience of the main character .The story moved forward quite fast concentrating on their physical and practical journey rather than how this was effecting their personality as they grew up .I felt the speed of the story progression was rather unrealistic and I didn’t feel that I empathised with the main character very much beyond the superficial level
The setting of the book and the description of the home itself and the surroundings was detailed and highly visual.I felt that I could imagine Home itself very well
The author has a clear easily read prose style
The story is exciting in places as she escapes and avoids capture ,the adventure elements of the story were stronger than the depth of character development.This is the main reason I felt it might be enjoyed more by a young adult audience than a more mature readership
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published in the Uk in January 2023

REVIEW: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars! Fictional books involving cults are a niche that I love, and this one did not disappoint. This book is about Catherine/Zoe (two POV’s). Catherine escape from a cult called The Children when she was younger and started living her life as Zoe. But, when the past comes back to haunt her she finds herself going back to where it all started to save her sister.

I loved Catherine/Zoe’s character and it was really interesting that she’d been born into the Children but still managed to escape and see that what they were doing was wrong. This book has two POV’s - the past where Catherine was in the cult and what it was like, and the present where Zoe was living her life until her past came back to haunt her. I found Zoe’s POV really interesting because she obviously didn’t know a lot of things about the outside world. I liked her sister Amy’s character in the end, but it would’ve been nicer to have seen more of her in both POV’s, especially as she went back to try and save her.

This was kind of a fast and slow book at the same time. Quite a lot of things happened in the past POV, but the present POV felt a lot slower. I also feel like Zoe was a lot less clever and determined than she was when she was younger, because her escape was basically a plan of luck! I felt like the ending was a bit rushed through, but I did like what happened. I would’ve liked to have seen a bit of what happened after the ending like an epilogue or even just one more chapter. It left quite a few questions still unanswered and I would’ve liked to know what happened to the cult afterwards.

Overall, I liked the writing and the chapters were quite short so I flew through it. It was a really interesting story but I would’ve liked to know what happened after the ending a bit more.

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done an amazing job at creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Zoe works in a coffee shop in Dublin. She is shy, awkward and learning how to live in the "real" world. Zoe (not her real name) escaped from a cult where she was abused, brain-washed, lonely and isolated. When the "Hand of God" turns up at her flat telling her that her sister is in trouble at the compound Zoe knows she has no choice but to return.
This book is brilliantly written, the characters are believable. The reader is drawn into the story from the first page. It is not only about the cult but about a survivor who lived through hell.

Book Review: Home

4.5 stars

📚 My Review 📚

Ok, apologies in advance because this book isn’t out till 2023, and I’m already saying it’s a must-read if you enjoy cult settings and a menacing plot. I’ll make sure to remind you again at publication date.

I loved this tense, stomach-churning novel about life in a cult. Zoe is born there, and luckily escapes, but disastrously ends up back there again.

It’s told in two timelines: Zoe as a child, and Zoe now and is set in Ireland and the UK. I loved that it explored the psychological aspects of cults and just how people become indoctrinated into them. Corruption, abuse, and the keeping women down theme makes this a gut wrenching and angry read, but I couldn’t look away.

I loved Zoe, born to be obedient and timid, she is a strange mix of shy fade-to-the-background girl and kickass warrior. A rebellion lurks behind her downcast eyes.

I read it furiously within a very unsettling 24 hour period, as I just had to see what happened. The short chapter format that ends on a point of tension made it impossible to put down too. It’s a rollercoaster.

What a debut! Highly recommended.

I was gripped by ‘Home’. Well researched and well-written, I couldn’t put it down. Enjoyed the dual timelines, the possibly unreliable narrator and the glimpse into life inside a cult.

Recommended.

I enjoyed this moving page turner about a cult and the lengths one woman goes to, once escaping, to go back in to save her sister. Told with flashbacks to her experience growing up in the cult and the terrible treatment of men and women, this is a tough read but uplifting at the end.

First off I was instantly drawn towards this novel because I have always been fascinated with the way in which cults work and the way people are drawn into them. Ever since ‘The girls’ the subject of cults has been very popular but I devoured ‘Home’, because it gives a fresh and thrilling spin on the subject.
Steed’s main character, Zoe is carving out her new life, away from the oppressive place she was born into. Then a figure from that old life turns up and insists that she must return to help her friend in danger. Zoe cannot walk away from the only person who helped her escape the compound so she must return but escaping a second time could be impossible. Whilst reading this story I loved the duality between the physical escape and the way Zoe has to relive her repressed memories from her time in the cult.
I loved how Steed creates a protagonist who is truly stronger than she realises and in doing so, the entire novel is original and darkly compelling. Towards the end of the story the pace and pressure definitely heightens and I found myself racing to the conclusion. The story deals with some extremely uncomfortable issues that are hard to read but Steed’s focus on the unbreakable bonds of friendship that helps people get through even the bleakest of moments. This is definitely a compelling story that will stay with me for a long time to come: A stunning debut.

This was so gripping and kept up the pace all the way through. The ending was very satisfying and a really chilling insight into cults and such a different way of life.

This was absolutely unbelievable. I couldn’t put it down, was ferrying my kobo around with me all day long to read while I brushed my teeth, washed up, chopped onions, you name it. I feel empty after finishing, like I just want to read on and on and on after the last page. What an absolute pageturner of a novel - cannot recommend enough if you love a thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley, Cailean Steed, and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content warnings: cults, abuse, and gaslighting.

I was so happy to find another reading revolving around a cult and this eery setting. The writing was enjoyable, being both fast-paced and well-written. My only criticism would be that at times I found the dual POVs slightly confusing and the general narrative quite repetitive.

Really enjoyed this debut. The gripping storyline, the mystery and intrigue and the dual POV. The ending was really satisfying and I could see how hard the author had worked hard to tie up every thread. I also think the queer representation was great - really rare in this genre.

He knows about her job in the cafe, her life in Dublin, her ex-girlfriend, even the knife she's hidden under the mattress.
She thought she'd left him far behind, along with the cult of the Children and their isolated compound Home but now he's found her, and she knows she must go back to rescue the sister who helped her escape all those years before.

But returning to Home means going back to the enforced worship and strict gender roles Zoe has long since moved beyond; back to the abuse and indoctrination she's fought desperately to overcome.

Going back will make her question everything she believed about her past but could also risk her hard won freedom. Can she break free a second time?
Really gripping story totally enjoyed and totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ)
I just reviewed Home by Cailean Steed. #Home #NetGalley

Man this was a wild ride.

You know the feeling when you’re taught to look out for something in school, but when it actually happens to you it’s so different to everything you’ve learnt, that you don’t realise it’s happened to you until someone tells you otherwise or explains it in detail? Well, that’s pretty much what this book is about. Except with a religious cult.

The experimentation with tense was really interesting in this book, with the past and present being so closely interlinked, it was fascinating to see how unresolved childhood trauma can manifest as the adult mind. Especially in the latter half of the book, even the last 20%, the alternating chapters were very affective in keeping the suspense up, I genuinely couldn’t stop reading, the action scenes were playing out in my mind as though I was watching a film.

I feel like I need to catch my breath.

Please be mindful of trigger warnings before and during reading, there were definitely some jarring scenes in this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cailean Steed and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After leaving a cult and creating a 'normal' life, Zoe, previously known as Catherine, is visited by a man known as the hands of God. He proposes she go back to the cult, and through dual POV's the reason she's willing to go back is revealed.
Whilst the premise was interesting, the different POV's were confusing sometimes, and the end left a lot of unfinished questions.

Home is destined to be THE debut novel of 2023!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Set around a religious cult in remote Scotland, it’s written from the point of view of one girl who escaped it but had to return in order to save her sister. It’s a harrowing read at times - as you know these kind of groups have and do exist.
Written from the point of view of the main girl character throughout, it switches between before and now with each chapter. The writing is pretty believable, and with relatively short chapters the author draws you in to reading “just one more” really well.
All in all, it’s an exciting, highly recommended read for the New Year, unlike the usual thriller you normally see around at the moment. A refreshing new voice!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read this in 2 days. Well plotted and paced, the narrative draws you in from the first pages and keeps you hooked. Zoe is drawn back into a life she had escaped and begins to realise that her memories may not be as accurate as she once thought. The story moves between then and now tracing her history and linking her current experiences. Enjoyed and recommend. (Copy received via Netgalley in return for an honest review).

I really enjoyed this debut that looks into the dark and abusive world of cults. I read it over two days, totally absorbed by the story. Definitely one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys dark thrillers full of heart. Look forward to reading more from the author.