The Virtue of Sin

I think that as a culture we have an obsession with the things that are strange, abnormal...the things that are almost unbelievable. And I think that cults fall easily into this category. So when I was randomly selected to receive a free copy of Shannon Schuren's The Virtue of Sin, I was super excited to get my hands on it! This novel really explores the ideas of indoctrination, truth, belief, faith, and the importance of having a voice.

Miriam was born in New Jerusalem, founded by their prophet Daniel in the Californian desert. Miriam has never known anything besides the safe walls of their city. She knows that if she follows what God's will as given to Daniel, she will be happy and received salvation--even if that means keeping her thoughts and ideas to herself.

When the second generation of The Children of Daniel have reached the age of 16, it is time for a Matrimony. Miriam loves Caleb despite the fact that boys and girls are separated and not allowed to speak to one another and she knows that he will choose her to be his wife. However, the night of the ceremony, everything goes wrong and Miriam ends up married to someone else.

Miriam begins to question Daniel, what the will of God really is, and the beliefs that keep them all in New Jerusalem. When Miriam really starts to use her voice and trust in her own ideas, she realizes just how dangerous words can be.

Even though the book is told from the perspective of both Miriam and Caleb, this really is Miriam's story. She is such a strong, smart girl and because of her tendency to speak her mind, she is able to affect great change. I think she is very well written as the protagonist of this book.

I thought this book would focus more on the romance between Caleb and Miriam but it really isn't the focus of the book though it is the cause of the main conflict in the novel. I liked that Miriam explored the feelings that she had for him and how they did or didn't fit into the Path of Righteousness that she is supposed to follow. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I think that it was fascinating read and I think that many others will enjoy this realistic fiction look into a cult mindset. But generally any lover of strong female protagonists and YA fiction will enjoy this book. As a disclaimer, there is some language if that is something that you don't like in a book. You can purchase a copy here!