Review by sblake26 -- The Cult Next Door
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sblake26
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Review by sblake26 -- The Cult Next Door
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]
The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone is a memoir that details Burchard’s experience in a cult. Headed by the charismatic George Sharkman, the cult begins to take over the author’s life. The book spans a long period in the author’s life including her childhood, entrance into the cult, and eventual escape. Burchard writes with gripping emotion that makes readers feel like they are inside of the cult. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This book is gripping, and I could not put it down. I think this book deserves 4 stars because it is captivating, and the writing is well done.
The book begins with Burchard detailing her childhood briefly. This leads to her eventual meeting with the leader of the cult, George Sharkman. Over time, Burchard becomes more involved in his cult, as she believes he will be able to help her to achieve all of her goals. To make things even more complicated, Burchard’s mother is also involved in the cult. Sharkman slowly begins to control every aspect of his followers’ lives, from who they spend time with to what their money can be spent on. The turning point in the book occurs when Burchard meets the other author, Carlone. Carlone helps Burchard see that she is being controlled and eventually helps her to escape the cult. As a general warning, Sharkman makes his followers do many disturbing things.
I appreciated the way the book flowed. Burchard narrates most of the book, but Carlone has small chapters throughout the end of the book. I enjoyed the double narrative view, as it was interesting to see someone’s point of view on the situation from outside of the cult. I do not always enjoy the point of view switching in a book, but this one was done well and added to the book’s experience. The book was also well-edited.
My favorite part of this book was Buchard’s ability to make all of the people in the story come to life. While reading, I felt like I knew the people in real life. Her portrayal of Sharkman was excellent, and I could feel the fear that he inspired in his followers. Burchard also helped me to understand that anyone could fall into the trap of being involved in a group like this. Many of Sharkman’s followers were well-educated and had strong connections with others before they joined the group. Many people think they would never be vulnerable enough to join a cult, but this book proves that we all can be manipulated under the right conditions.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in cults or human behavior in general. I would not recommend this book to anyone who might be triggered by sexual manipulation. Although the book is not extremely graphic, Sharkman does take advantage of many of his followers sexually. I would also say that this book is only for mature audiences as there are several disturbing scenes. There are disturbing scenes involving dogs and cats. In addition, Sharkman has a questionable relationship with his children that could potentially be triggering. If you can handle these difficult topics, I would highly recommend this book.
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The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone is a memoir that details Burchard’s experience in a cult. Headed by the charismatic George Sharkman, the cult begins to take over the author’s life. The book spans a long period in the author’s life including her childhood, entrance into the cult, and eventual escape. Burchard writes with gripping emotion that makes readers feel like they are inside of the cult. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This book is gripping, and I could not put it down. I think this book deserves 4 stars because it is captivating, and the writing is well done.
The book begins with Burchard detailing her childhood briefly. This leads to her eventual meeting with the leader of the cult, George Sharkman. Over time, Burchard becomes more involved in his cult, as she believes he will be able to help her to achieve all of her goals. To make things even more complicated, Burchard’s mother is also involved in the cult. Sharkman slowly begins to control every aspect of his followers’ lives, from who they spend time with to what their money can be spent on. The turning point in the book occurs when Burchard meets the other author, Carlone. Carlone helps Burchard see that she is being controlled and eventually helps her to escape the cult. As a general warning, Sharkman makes his followers do many disturbing things.
I appreciated the way the book flowed. Burchard narrates most of the book, but Carlone has small chapters throughout the end of the book. I enjoyed the double narrative view, as it was interesting to see someone’s point of view on the situation from outside of the cult. I do not always enjoy the point of view switching in a book, but this one was done well and added to the book’s experience. The book was also well-edited.
My favorite part of this book was Buchard’s ability to make all of the people in the story come to life. While reading, I felt like I knew the people in real life. Her portrayal of Sharkman was excellent, and I could feel the fear that he inspired in his followers. Burchard also helped me to understand that anyone could fall into the trap of being involved in a group like this. Many of Sharkman’s followers were well-educated and had strong connections with others before they joined the group. Many people think they would never be vulnerable enough to join a cult, but this book proves that we all can be manipulated under the right conditions.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in cults or human behavior in general. I would not recommend this book to anyone who might be triggered by sexual manipulation. Although the book is not extremely graphic, Sharkman does take advantage of many of his followers sexually. I would also say that this book is only for mature audiences as there are several disturbing scenes. There are disturbing scenes involving dogs and cats. In addition, Sharkman has a questionable relationship with his children that could potentially be triggering. If you can handle these difficult topics, I would highly recommend this book.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress by Gustavo Kinrys, MD
