The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes

“Anger is a kind of murder you commit in your heart.” If this is true, I’m a daily murderer. My heart is more full of blood than I ever imagined.” 
― Stephanie Oakes, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

As you can clearly see from the quote from this Sequoyah book, it's going to be a heavy one - and it is.  I'm a little surprised it was selected for the Intermediate List and not for high school.

This book starts off with a girl covered in blood from a crime she committed.  It slowly unravels to reveal her life has been a one filled with lies as her parents joined a religious cult when she was just a small child.  Realizing her life is a horror, as she scheduled to marry the "prophet," she finally stands up for herself.  Her punishment - her own father must chop off her hands at the wrist.  She struggles to escape and finds herself in prison.  Through the kindness of those around her, she learns to read, ask questions, and think for herself.

This is a hard read, with gruesome tales of a crazy life among people willing to believe in a "prophet."  There's language and "real" scenes of life in  a girls' juvenile detention center.  It's a well written book, but only for those mature readers.