Book: Behind the Invisible Wall (Lionesses of the Light) by April G. G.
Reviewed by Judy Sullivan
Rating: 4/5
Behind the Invisible Wall brings us back to the Lionesses of the Light. This book follows Luz, after Porter has left. We see her struggles to continue to fit in, to make sense of the world around her, to become a mother.
Luz continues to struggle with being the daughter of the leader, the only girl in her age group, and with expectations the community has of her. In facing these, she begins to peel away the layers of blind obedience and expose her own crisis of faith.
Spoilers ahead:
We quickly fast forward to four years from Porter's departure from the Lionesses. Luz is a mother, facing all the questions mothers face: how to keep her child safe, what IS safe, do the people around her really have her family's best interests in mind? She decides the answer is "no". But now what? How far can she push before her mother and the community won't take any more?
In her defiance, she finally finds her footing and the ability to choose for herself. It's the beginning of the end for her way of life. Porter's return heralds more change, and then an explosive event changes the Lionesses forever, pitting Luz and some of the community against her mother and the "true believers".
This is an excellent book for New Adults. It raises all the questions they should be asking, giving a safe way to address concerns without major disruption of their own lives (unless they see that changes need to be made). It read a bit like a coming-of-age mixed with day-in-the-life. Observing the slow awakening of a community, seeing it try to address it faults and self-correct can be monumental in this age group. Highly recommend.