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What if you discovered everything you’ve been taught is a lie? For most of her life, seventeen-year-old Espie Hernandez’s world revolved around the Branch of Thomas, a cult-like haven in what’s left of a war-ravaged America. Their ruler, Reverent Father, keeps them safe from the Others, those outside the compound who wish to harm them. Espie questions what she’s been taught and finds herself banished from the compound. She's thrust into the harsh world beyond their walls with the mission to prove the Others actually have a plot against them. When tensions escalate, Espie must figure out who to trust before everything she loves is torn apart.
In this intense distopian novel, readers are left contemplating several compelling questions: Will Espie find the answers she seeks beyond the confines of her community? Will she be reunited with those she loves? And what trials and revelations await her outside the rigid world she has always known? These unanswered questions sustain a steady sense of suspense, encouraging readers to press on to the final pages to witness Espie’s pursuit of truth.
I was thoroughly immersed in the vividly imagined world of Candle in the Wind. The novel’s world-building is particularly strong, lending depth and credibility to the story.
Espie’s journey feels both authentic and thoughtfully rendered. Her fear of the outside world does not disappear the moment she leaves the compound; instead, it lingers, shaping her choices and adding emotional weight to each decision she makes. The narrative offers a nuanced exploration of indoctrination—how it forms identity, and how unsettling freedom can be when one has been conditioned to fear it.
Raised within a cult, Espie’s gradual discovery of the truth creates significant internal conflict. Her character development is especially effective: she begins as a devoted follower of her community’s leadership and ultimately emerges as an individual capable of independent thought and self-determination. The pacing of the novel is equally well executed. With frequent action—bombings, gunfire, and physical confrontations—the story maintains momentum and is difficult to put down.
The central theme of truth is woven throughout the narrative. Within the cult, truth is defined solely by the teachings of the Reverent Father. As Espie is exposed to the world beyond the cult, she comes to understand the extent of the deception that shaped her upbringing. The community’s darker history is gradually revealed, and Espie’s pursuit of truth ultimately guides her decisions and her growth.
I sincerely hope this novel is followed by a continuation, as Espie’s story—and the world she inhabits—feels far from finished.
Award-winning author Kim Baccellia is the author of five fantasy/paranormal young adult novels, Crossed Out, Crossed Fire, No More Goddesses, Goddesses Can Wait, and Earrings of Ixtumea.
Kim has had many jobs. She was a bilingual teacher; homeschooled her son; served on her local RWA charter board; a Cybil’s panelist; and even read the slush pile for an agency.
In her free time, Kim loves long walks, yoga, watching psychological horror movies, and reading lots of books that she loves to review for YA Books Central.
A member of Women’s Fiction Writer’s organization, Kim is currently putting the finishing touches on a historical set in 1943 Italy. She also is working on a historical with a Utah suffragette loosely based on her own ancestor Lucy Clark. Kim lives in Southern California with her husband, son, and cockatiel Damon.
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