Dave Eggers’ THE CIRCLE with a P. J. Vernon twist, a daring page-turner about roads paved with good intentions.

As a child, Dima was often told that there was something wrong with him, that he was abnormal, crooked. But now, at 18, he has committed a genuinely terrible crime, and there is only one place he can flee to for safety.

It is near future, and everyone in this alternative version of Russia is talking about Dawn. Some describe it as a rural community, some call it a safe haven for pariahs and fugitives, but more often than not it is called a cult. Dawn is headed by the young charismatic Leader, called Jacob by his inner circle. They say he helps anyone who has been dealt a tough hand; they say he possesses healing powers. But they also say he would do anything for the greater good.

At Dawn, Dima falls in love with David, who shows him what suffering Jacob is protecting his disciples from. Dima also meets Lisa, a talented journalist who has seen hardship too but comes to the cult to expose its true purpose. But what is truth, and can there be justice in a world riddled with violence, dominated by fear? And who will survive Leader’s battle for peace?

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Excluded rights: Russia, China, Bulgaria, Italy