Review of The Cult Next Door
Posted: 18 Nov 2022, 08:00
[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, LSW, and Judith L. Carlone is a Manhattan memoir about Elizabeth's account of her involvement with, and subsequent escape from, a cult. What if you joined a community where they let your desires, antisocial thoughts, and tendencies be validated and encouraged? People with mental health issues hear this and believe it because it sounds like the answer to all their prayers. This is a terrible cult to get involved with for several reasons, including the fact that it will harm your mental health and lead to financial ruin. Elizabeth, the author, and her narcissistic mother are drawn into a cult led by a man named George, who uses their participation to further his own ends.
The author provided insight into the characteristics and behaviors of narcissists in this book. Such people take pleasure in putting others down and humiliating them. Those raised by narcissists typically require therapy because of the emotional instability brought on by years of constant emotional abuse. The author, unfortunately, grew up with such a parent and now shares her experiences in a memoir. As a biofeedback technician with radical ideas, George Sharkman manipulated Rachael and Elizabeth into doing things that made them uncomfortable because they craved his approval.
The negative aspects of this book were that neither the mother nor the way she treated her daughter won my approval. The fact that Elizabeth's love of her life drifted away from her because of George, whom she looked up to and who was after her father's inheritance money, saddened me. Because she was so infatuated with this man, she burned all of her childhood photos and memories in an effort to start over and impress him. Each chapter made me feel more and more uncomfortable for the author's sake and for what she was brainwashed to do. I had a hard time telling whether I was reading from Elizabeth's or Judith's perspective, and I frequently found myself having to flip back and forth between chapters.
The positive aspects were that, although her father passed away when she was young, I am happy for her that she still had at least one parent who treated her like a daughter and that she had a safe haven to turn to when she needed one for a while. I appreciated Judith's contribution to Elizabeth's life and the way she helped her.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because it was so well written that I often found myself unable to put the book down. Although there were parts of the book that unnerved me, I believe that everyone should read it because it tells a story that needs to be told. The book was flawlessly edited; I encountered no typos or other errors throughout my reading. Elizabeth was able to move on with her life, so the book ended perfectly for me.
I recommend this book to readers suffering from mental illness who are vulnerable to being manipulated by people they look up to because they crave their approval and are desperate for a parent figure's love and acceptance.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard, LSW, and Judith L. Carlone is a Manhattan memoir about Elizabeth's account of her involvement with, and subsequent escape from, a cult. What if you joined a community where they let your desires, antisocial thoughts, and tendencies be validated and encouraged? People with mental health issues hear this and believe it because it sounds like the answer to all their prayers. This is a terrible cult to get involved with for several reasons, including the fact that it will harm your mental health and lead to financial ruin. Elizabeth, the author, and her narcissistic mother are drawn into a cult led by a man named George, who uses their participation to further his own ends.
The author provided insight into the characteristics and behaviors of narcissists in this book. Such people take pleasure in putting others down and humiliating them. Those raised by narcissists typically require therapy because of the emotional instability brought on by years of constant emotional abuse. The author, unfortunately, grew up with such a parent and now shares her experiences in a memoir. As a biofeedback technician with radical ideas, George Sharkman manipulated Rachael and Elizabeth into doing things that made them uncomfortable because they craved his approval.
The negative aspects of this book were that neither the mother nor the way she treated her daughter won my approval. The fact that Elizabeth's love of her life drifted away from her because of George, whom she looked up to and who was after her father's inheritance money, saddened me. Because she was so infatuated with this man, she burned all of her childhood photos and memories in an effort to start over and impress him. Each chapter made me feel more and more uncomfortable for the author's sake and for what she was brainwashed to do. I had a hard time telling whether I was reading from Elizabeth's or Judith's perspective, and I frequently found myself having to flip back and forth between chapters.
The positive aspects were that, although her father passed away when she was young, I am happy for her that she still had at least one parent who treated her like a daughter and that she had a safe haven to turn to when she needed one for a while. I appreciated Judith's contribution to Elizabeth's life and the way she helped her.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because it was so well written that I often found myself unable to put the book down. Although there were parts of the book that unnerved me, I believe that everyone should read it because it tells a story that needs to be told. The book was flawlessly edited; I encountered no typos or other errors throughout my reading. Elizabeth was able to move on with her life, so the book ended perfectly for me.
I recommend this book to readers suffering from mental illness who are vulnerable to being manipulated by people they look up to because they crave their approval and are desperate for a parent figure's love and acceptance.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon