“Insightfulandriveting.“--KIRKUS“Atense,thrillingaccountofescapingacult.“--FOREWORD“Thisinspiringtaleofbraveryandrebellionisjustwhatreadersneedrightnow.“--SCHOOLLIBRARYJOURNALIt’s1997andyoungAmyRosehasalwaysknownthatsomethingisoffabouthercommunity.She’sforbiddenfromgoingtoschoolorevengoingoutside;afterall,theirleadersaysthere’snouseknowinganythingaboutaworldthat’sabouttoend.WhentheHale-Boppcometsoarsacrosstheskyforthefirsttimeinover4,000years,Amythinksit’sagoodomensignalingthestartofanamazingnewfuture.Instead,itbringsnewsofahorribletragedyatasimilarcompoundjustdowntheroadcalledHeaven’sGate.TelevisednewsreportsinvadethetemplewallsandAmyhearsanewwordthatsuddenlyexplainseverything:cult.Now,shemustriskeverythingtoindulgeinsecrettripstoanabandonedoff-limitslibrarytolearnwhatshewasnevermeanttoknow:thatGandhiwasnotaspacealien,thatStarTrekwasn’treal,thathercommunitywasbuiltonalie,andmostimportantly,thatbannedbookscangivehereverythingsheneedstoescape.Occultedisashockinggraphicmemoiraboutthepowerofliteraryfreedom.SurvivorAmyRose,BannedBookClubco-authorRyanEstrada,andartistJeongminLeetellahaunting,inspiringtaleofbraveryandrebellion,abouthowtorecognizethosewhotrytocontrolyou,andhowtofightback.
