Review of The Cult Next Door

[Ash Lynwood]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Content Warning: Abuse (Financial and Physical) and Rape

The novel, The Cult Next Door, by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone, details the true story of Elizabeth’s time in a small cult and how Judith helped free her from the strings controlling every aspect of her life. Showing how even those society deems intelligent can fall prey to cultic teachings, it provides a deep dive into the cult, its workings, and its long-term effects on its members.

In my reviews, I always try to show both the good and bad of a book, but The Cult Next Door gave me such an engaging and intense story that I have nothing but good to say about it. It explores the true story of how at only the age of 17, Elizabeth, in her young and gullible state, was lured into a cult based on metaphysics and New Age beliefs.

You then get a full look into her thoughts and feelings concerning her time in the cult and the problems she faced, from a mother who struggled with raising her daughter to Judith finally helping her break free of her programming. There was never a dull moment in the book; it pulls you in and kept you there until the very end.

Several aspects of the novel stuck out to me the most as I read it. Firstly, the concept of intelligence does not equal an inability to be brainwashed. Society tends to believe that only mentally ill or less intelligent people get caught up in cults, but this is simply not true, and The Cult Next Door shows this extremely well through Elizabeth’s story.

The second aspect that I really enjoyed about the novel was actually how unique the cult leader was. While nearly all cult leaders form their cults for similar reasons, the way the leader in this book went about collecting recruits was unlike anything I have ever seen before. It shows that you can never fully know exactly how a cult will recruit, but you can still look out for the basic warning signs.

If you are a fan of documentary-style books or looking for a true story of a cult survivor, I highly recommend this book. It is well suited for everyone 16+ though it should be noted that it does deal with some heavier topics. A content warning is shared at the top of the review. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars for its beautiful writing and engaging story.

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The Cult Next Door
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