Review of Somebody’s Watching You
Posted: 15 Aug 2023, 21:29
[Following is a volunteer review of "Somebody's Watching You" by Robin D'Amato.]
Somebody’s Watching You by Robin D’Amato takes my annual record for the fewest sittings to finish. In two giant bites, I devoured this book with a fictional and thrilling story of Melody and her husband Jeff working through the path of a religious cult and his efforts to overcome depression.
Based in Long Island, Melody works as an interior designer and part-time caretaker for her husband, a fellow music geek currently battling depression. Some days are “up” days and some days are “down” days, but they deal with every day together, as they have for the last decade. On one of Jeff’s rare days out of bed and out on the town, he meets Floyd, a spiritual guide and entry point into the Church of Philomathics. Founded by E.W. Peabody, Philomathics preaches the spiritual being inside each human has had countless past lives spent on other planets. With the guidance of a member of the Church, it is possible to unlock these past lives and discover true enlightenment. With this new religious friend, Jeff begins to seem happier, but not quite like himself. Over the course of two years, Melody explores her relationship with the Church as a nonbeliever but a devoted spouse.
The Church of Philomathics invokes the idea of the Church of Scientology and other cults, with eccentric structures, beliefs, recruiting models, and isolation tactics. The Church targets Jeff as a vulnerable person, manipulates him and his family, and charges them exorbitant fees along the way. The road through this depressive episode and new religion is bumpy, and throughout the entire book, Melody displays her love for Jeff by supporting him despite her disbelief. She is frequently trialed by the Church to prove her loyalty, divulging intimate details of her life both willingly and unknowingly.
Melody is an admirable woman, working in a high-stakes design job with a bold new hire and some long-time friends while helping her husband through a difficult time and pretending to be interested in his new religious undertaking.
With some explicit sex imagery, a splash of blood, and themes involving cults, religion, depression, family, and work drama, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great story - just don’t count on a happy ending. If you aren’t typically an Epilogue reader, I would also advise that you read the extra few pages.
Somebody’s Watching You is an excellent story with flawless editing, and I wish I could go back in time to when I first picked it up. I loved meeting Melody, Jeff, and their extended social circles, and D’Amato builds up tension and suspense with every chapter. I rate the book 5 out of 5.
******
Somebody's Watching You
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Somebody’s Watching You by Robin D’Amato takes my annual record for the fewest sittings to finish. In two giant bites, I devoured this book with a fictional and thrilling story of Melody and her husband Jeff working through the path of a religious cult and his efforts to overcome depression.
Based in Long Island, Melody works as an interior designer and part-time caretaker for her husband, a fellow music geek currently battling depression. Some days are “up” days and some days are “down” days, but they deal with every day together, as they have for the last decade. On one of Jeff’s rare days out of bed and out on the town, he meets Floyd, a spiritual guide and entry point into the Church of Philomathics. Founded by E.W. Peabody, Philomathics preaches the spiritual being inside each human has had countless past lives spent on other planets. With the guidance of a member of the Church, it is possible to unlock these past lives and discover true enlightenment. With this new religious friend, Jeff begins to seem happier, but not quite like himself. Over the course of two years, Melody explores her relationship with the Church as a nonbeliever but a devoted spouse.
The Church of Philomathics invokes the idea of the Church of Scientology and other cults, with eccentric structures, beliefs, recruiting models, and isolation tactics. The Church targets Jeff as a vulnerable person, manipulates him and his family, and charges them exorbitant fees along the way. The road through this depressive episode and new religion is bumpy, and throughout the entire book, Melody displays her love for Jeff by supporting him despite her disbelief. She is frequently trialed by the Church to prove her loyalty, divulging intimate details of her life both willingly and unknowingly.
Melody is an admirable woman, working in a high-stakes design job with a bold new hire and some long-time friends while helping her husband through a difficult time and pretending to be interested in his new religious undertaking.
With some explicit sex imagery, a splash of blood, and themes involving cults, religion, depression, family, and work drama, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great story - just don’t count on a happy ending. If you aren’t typically an Epilogue reader, I would also advise that you read the extra few pages.
Somebody’s Watching You is an excellent story with flawless editing, and I wish I could go back in time to when I first picked it up. I loved meeting Melody, Jeff, and their extended social circles, and D’Amato builds up tension and suspense with every chapter. I rate the book 5 out of 5.
******
Somebody's Watching You
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon