Agnes at the End of the World

　　一個女孩逃離了邪教，卻發現外面已是一個屬於病毒的世界末日……

　　16歲的艾格妮絲從小就在紅溪鎮（Red Creek）的農民公社裡長大，她是個虔誠的信徒，一直努力遵守著先知的教誨：「完美的服從會產生完美的信仰」。

　　不過她的家庭卻不是那麼事事順心，由於母親患有嚴重的憂鬱症，艾格妮絲每天都必須盡責地照顧父親、兄弟姊妹，還要一肩扛起所有家事。

　　艾格妮絲雖然是虔誠的信徒，但唯有一件事她是有罪的：為了拯救罹患糖尿病的弟弟以西結，她從鎮外的護士那裡偷渡來了胰島素。比艾格妮絲小一歲的妹妹貝絲也有罪，她抗拒鎮上先知的教誨，不願服從這些對女性的嚴格限制，和一個男孩偷偷離家出走。

　　然而妹妹或許是對的！因為艾格妮絲不知道的是，紅溪鎮是一個邪教，先知變得越來越危險。直到艾格妮絲遇到一個外來的男孩丹尼，她才開始發現真相，質疑什麼是有罪？她也驚覺到，她必須帶著弟弟逃脫這裡，才有可能活命。問題是外面的世界一點都不安全，一個神秘病毒正以前所未見的速度席捲全世界，而艾格妮絲與這個病毒之間的神秘關聯卻越來越緊密。

　　艾格妮絲該怎麼在拯救家人與拯救世界之間，做出抉擇？

　　「作者在這本書中，深入探討了偶像崇拜、女權與父權，愛、家庭與希望之間的複雜關係。」——《Booklist》

　　The Handmaid's Tale meets Wilder Girls in this genre-defying novel about a girl who escapes a terrifying cult only to discover that the world Outside has succumbed to a viral apocalypse.

　　Agnes loves her home of Red Creek -- its quiet, sunny mornings, its dusty roads, and its God. There, she cares tirelessly for her younger siblings and follows the town's strict laws. What she doesn't know is that Red Creek is a cult, controlled by a madman who calls himself a prophet.

　　Then Agnes meets Danny, an Outsider boy, and begins to question what is and isn't a sin. Her younger brother, Ezekiel, will die without the insulin she barters for once a month, even though medicine is considered outlawed. Is she a sinner for saving him? Is her sister, Beth, a sinner for dreaming of the world beyond Red Creek?

　　As the Prophet grows more dangerous, Agnes realizes she must escape with Ezekiel and leave everyone else, including Beth, behind. But it isn't safe Outside, either: A viral pandemic is burning through the population at a terrifying rate. As Agnes ventures forth, a mysterious connection grows between her and the Virus. But in a world where faith, miracles, and cruelty have long been indistinguishable, will Agnes be able to choose between saving her family and saving the world?

Kelly McWilliams is a mixed-race writer who has always gravitated towards stories about crossing boundaries and forging new identities. For this and so many other reasons, young adult literature will always be close to her heart. Her novel, Agnes at the End of the World, benefitted from a We Need Diverse Books Mentorship.
She has loved crafting stories all her life, and her very first novel, Doormat, was published when she was just fifteen-years old. Kelly has also worked as a staff writer for Romper, covering issues important to women and families. She lives in Colorado with her partner and young daughter. Visit her website at KellyMcWilliamsAuthor.com.