In the Clearing

Amy Smith-Atkins, a 15-year-old cult member, and Freya Heywood, a 41-year-old single mother, co-narrate this bombshell-laden thriller from Pomare (Call Me Evie). Amy is excited to help kidnap seven-year-old Sara McFetridge and bring her to the Clearing—the cult’s compound near Australia’s North Tullawarra National Park, where worshippers of Amy’s mother, Adrienne (the alleged reincarnation of Jesus Christ), are preparing for the new age. Amy tells Sara—now “Asha”—that the Clearing is Eden, but Asha’s recollections of life outside give Amy cause for doubt. Freya and her seven-year-old son, Billy, also live near Tullawarra. Though their remote house is well protected, Freya’s secret history inspires constant concern for their safety. When another young girl goes missing and mementos of the past start appearing on Freya’s doorstep, Freya fears the worst. Pomare dispenses details like they’re a controlled substance, maximizing suspense by delaying the convergence of his two story lines. A superfluity of twists threatens to undermine the tale’s structural integrity, but airtight plotting keeps the novel chugging until its harrowing close. Pomare is a writer to watch. [em]Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (Sept.) [/em]