Review by ardalgarcia -- The Cult Next Door
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ardalgarcia
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Review by ardalgarcia -- 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 follows the life of Elizabeth Burchard as she becomes involved in a New York cult. Whilst grieving her father's death, Elizabeth's cruel and distant mother takes them to George Sharkman's biofeedback clinic. Soon, they are paying George for frequent therapy sessions to find Energy, the solution to all their health problems. George claims that he can help them break free of society's constraints; in reality, they are continually belittled and abused. For twenty years, Elizabeth's life revolves around George: no decisions are made without his approval. However, meeting Judith Carlone opens Elizabeth's eyes to George's deceit and ultimately enables her to escape the cult's clutches.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Elizabeth writes very honestly about her emotions and rationale during her time in George's "Group." I was impressed that Elizabeth doesn't just complain about how much she suffered (which she did), she also discusses why she felt unable to leave. In particular, I was struck by how relatable some aspects of her experience is. The Group members are all educated and intelligent but still end up being manipulated by George. I think this book was excellent at exploring the emotional vulnerabilities that cause people to unwittingly join a cult.
One of my favourite aspects of this book was when Judith's perspective was added to the story. She provides a crucial insight into the Group's behaviour from an outside view. Although Elizabeth talks about her worsening health problems throughout the book, Judith's description of Elizabeth's physical appearance is very powerful. I really loved the contrast between Judith's logic and Elizabeth's devotion to George. For example, even as Elizabeth begins to understand the lies and manipulation, she struggles to break away from the apparent safety of the Group. Before reading this book, I didn't understand how anyone could remain in a cult. However, Elizabeth is excellent at describing the reasons why she didn't feel able to leave, even after discovering George's lies.
I didn't dislike anything about this book. I didn't find any major grammatical errors or typos, so I believe this was professionally edited.
Overall, I awarded The Cult Next Door four out of four stars as I found it very engaging and emotional. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to understand how people end up involved in cults. However, there are multiple descriptions of sexual abuse which could be distressing, and I would not recommend it to children.
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The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Cult Next Door follows the life of Elizabeth Burchard as she becomes involved in a New York cult. Whilst grieving her father's death, Elizabeth's cruel and distant mother takes them to George Sharkman's biofeedback clinic. Soon, they are paying George for frequent therapy sessions to find Energy, the solution to all their health problems. George claims that he can help them break free of society's constraints; in reality, they are continually belittled and abused. For twenty years, Elizabeth's life revolves around George: no decisions are made without his approval. However, meeting Judith Carlone opens Elizabeth's eyes to George's deceit and ultimately enables her to escape the cult's clutches.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Elizabeth writes very honestly about her emotions and rationale during her time in George's "Group." I was impressed that Elizabeth doesn't just complain about how much she suffered (which she did), she also discusses why she felt unable to leave. In particular, I was struck by how relatable some aspects of her experience is. The Group members are all educated and intelligent but still end up being manipulated by George. I think this book was excellent at exploring the emotional vulnerabilities that cause people to unwittingly join a cult.
One of my favourite aspects of this book was when Judith's perspective was added to the story. She provides a crucial insight into the Group's behaviour from an outside view. Although Elizabeth talks about her worsening health problems throughout the book, Judith's description of Elizabeth's physical appearance is very powerful. I really loved the contrast between Judith's logic and Elizabeth's devotion to George. For example, even as Elizabeth begins to understand the lies and manipulation, she struggles to break away from the apparent safety of the Group. Before reading this book, I didn't understand how anyone could remain in a cult. However, Elizabeth is excellent at describing the reasons why she didn't feel able to leave, even after discovering George's lies.
I didn't dislike anything about this book. I didn't find any major grammatical errors or typos, so I believe this was professionally edited.
Overall, I awarded The Cult Next Door four out of four stars as I found it very engaging and emotional. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to understand how people end up involved in cults. However, there are multiple descriptions of sexual abuse which could be distressing, and I would not recommend it to children.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Beneath the Muscle by Lauren Powers
