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Review of The Cult Next Door

Posted: 02 Dec 2022, 01:21
by Avishi
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Cult Next Door is a memoir of Elizabeth written by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone. Elizabeth's parents divorced, and her father died when she was 12 years old. Her relationship with her mother was also strained, and she suffered from depression. She and Joe were in love and intended to marry after pursuing their careers. When she met George, her love life with Joe took a turn for the worse. Both her mother and she became enthralled by his tricks. They trusted him and followed his principles, which led them to join George's cult. Only after that does Elizabeth realize something is wrong, and she attempts to overcome and break free from the cult with the support of her friend Judy, the co-author of this book. Will she be set free? What sort of person was George? How did he persuade people to join his cult?

I had no idea how unreasonable a cult could be in reality. I thought a cult was a group of people who adhered to a particular belief and encouraged others to do the same. This book explores the truth about what happens inside the cult. It was dangerous and difficult to be in or leave the cult. I was astounded by George's ability to captivate them with words and manipulate them into doing and believing what he wanted. What surprised me, even more, was how the women in the cult didn't question him and, often, blindly followed his words. I admire Elizabeth for her brutal honesty. It would be difficult for anyone to describe some events with such candidness. This book showed me how easily we can be manipulated by others. It was an eye-opening read for me. The book was carefully edited. There are no editing mistakes or typos. The vocabulary was firm and easy to understand. The memoir was not tedious or dragging. Each chapter concluded quickly with the main subject.

What I disliked was that it was difficult for me to understand the author's faith in George at first. Not only the author but also the other members of the cult. They were extremely careless and trusted George. Throughout the book, I despised his personality. There are absolute truths that I can't even understand, such as how toxic George is and how naive women are to trust him. However, as I continue to read this book, I gain a better understanding of human thought processes. Without even realizing it, we can be manipulated, tricked, and cheated by anyone. It was extremely upsetting to realize that everything I had read was true. Sensitive readers should avoid reading it because some chapters will genuinely make you angry and sad.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I had no complaints about the writing style or editing of this book. They were carefully executed. The factors I disliked weren't related to the rating. Therefore, I didn't take away any stars. This book mainly serves as a reminder for us not to blindly trust people and to alter our perspectives. This memoir reminds us to exercise caution when believing in someone else. As a result, I give this book 5 stars.

Given that it contains some explicit scenes, I advise only mature readers to read it. Avoid reading this book if you're underage or sensitive. This book should be read by anyone who wants to understand the reality of cults. It informs us of the ridiculous realities of a cult. This memoir has given us a newfound awareness.

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The Cult Next Door
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Re: Review of The Cult Next Door

Posted: 02 Jan 2023, 03:23
by Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu
I have always thought leaders of cults were hypocritical and narcissistic, while taking advantage of people who are desperately looking for something solid to believe in in this crazy world of ours. This book seems like it reinforces that opinion. I think I will check it out. Thanks for the review.

Re: Review of The Cult Next Door

Posted: 07 Jan 2023, 06:35
by Ohna Martin
Cults are fairly difficult to break away from once you get caught up in the lies and deceit of it all. I think I want to read this book. Great review, thank you.

Re: Review of The Cult Next Door

Posted: 10 Jan 2023, 12:19
by Rosa Joy
It is scary to find yourself in a cult. This memoir will give details on how to know that you are part of a cult and disentangle yourself. I hope this book will help someone who is trapped in a cult and they are not aware.

Re: Review of The Cult Next Door

Posted: 13 Jan 2023, 01:12
by Phooko Tebogo PC
This sounds like one great book which can be eye opening. in all honesty it is easy for human beings to be manipulated, hence I feel like the book touches on the important aspect for readers to consider. I enjoyed going through your review.