Review of The Cult Next Door
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Anusha Thatavarthi
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Review of 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 is a memoir written by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone. It contains Elizabeth’s experience as a member of the Black Dog Cult in New York. Elizabeth is the child of a broken home, who adored her father. She lived with her mother, who cared for herself more than anyone in the world. Elizabeth’s mother, Rachel, spends most of her time searching for one guru after another to show her the path to happiness. She becomes the victim of multiple con artists on the way and wastes her money on them. Elizabeth, who has inherited a scientific mind from her father, observes these self-proclaimed geniuses in her mother’s life with wariness.
When Elizabeth’s father dies, she goes into a vulnerable state of mind. A few years later, George Shakerman enters Elizabeth and her mother’s life as a biofeedback therapist and soon becomes more. Using his learnings of mind control and hypnosis, he starts controlling Elizabeth and her mother. With their help, George amasses a group of followers. He becomes their god and starts exploiting them. As years pass by, Elizabeth realises that she is in a dangerous cult. By then, she is in too deep. Can Elizabeth get out and survive this traumatic experience?
The Cult Next Door offers a rare first-person glimpse into the workings of a cult and the way it destroys the lives of its members. Whenever we read or hear about cults, we wonder why its members don’t escape until it’s too late. In this memoir, Elizabeth tries to answer that question. She is a well-adjusted woman with a science degree who holds a respectable position as a teacher. But she still falls for the brainwashing techniques of the cult leader and depends on him to take even the tiniest decision of her life. The scariest part of the book is that Elizabeth is a very normal girl, and it is any of us who could have been in her position.
Elizabeth is a very good narrator and I like how she clearly illustrated Shakerman’s character for the readers. Elizabeth’s words and experiences show how Shakerman can be charming and cruel at the same time. He twists everyone’s experience and suffering to fit his narrative and brainwashes his followers, and it is frightening. His words and actions help readers understand how cult leaders control the minds of their followers. I liked the friendship between Elizabeth and Judy. It shows that with the help of a good friend, one can overcome any kind of difficulty.
There is nothing I disliked about the book. It is professionally edited. I didn’t find any errors. There are depictions of verbal, physical and sexual abuse which can be triggering to some readers. There is also some profanity.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars because it portrays life in a cult very realistically and is very educational for understanding the workings of a cult and the minds of people who are part of it. I recommend it to only mature readers because some of the contents of the book can be a bit disturbing. I also recommend it to readers who enjoy true crime books, memoirs and books about cults.
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The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Cult Next Door is a memoir written by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone. It contains Elizabeth’s experience as a member of the Black Dog Cult in New York. Elizabeth is the child of a broken home, who adored her father. She lived with her mother, who cared for herself more than anyone in the world. Elizabeth’s mother, Rachel, spends most of her time searching for one guru after another to show her the path to happiness. She becomes the victim of multiple con artists on the way and wastes her money on them. Elizabeth, who has inherited a scientific mind from her father, observes these self-proclaimed geniuses in her mother’s life with wariness.
When Elizabeth’s father dies, she goes into a vulnerable state of mind. A few years later, George Shakerman enters Elizabeth and her mother’s life as a biofeedback therapist and soon becomes more. Using his learnings of mind control and hypnosis, he starts controlling Elizabeth and her mother. With their help, George amasses a group of followers. He becomes their god and starts exploiting them. As years pass by, Elizabeth realises that she is in a dangerous cult. By then, she is in too deep. Can Elizabeth get out and survive this traumatic experience?
The Cult Next Door offers a rare first-person glimpse into the workings of a cult and the way it destroys the lives of its members. Whenever we read or hear about cults, we wonder why its members don’t escape until it’s too late. In this memoir, Elizabeth tries to answer that question. She is a well-adjusted woman with a science degree who holds a respectable position as a teacher. But she still falls for the brainwashing techniques of the cult leader and depends on him to take even the tiniest decision of her life. The scariest part of the book is that Elizabeth is a very normal girl, and it is any of us who could have been in her position.
Elizabeth is a very good narrator and I like how she clearly illustrated Shakerman’s character for the readers. Elizabeth’s words and experiences show how Shakerman can be charming and cruel at the same time. He twists everyone’s experience and suffering to fit his narrative and brainwashes his followers, and it is frightening. His words and actions help readers understand how cult leaders control the minds of their followers. I liked the friendship between Elizabeth and Judy. It shows that with the help of a good friend, one can overcome any kind of difficulty.
There is nothing I disliked about the book. It is professionally edited. I didn’t find any errors. There are depictions of verbal, physical and sexual abuse which can be triggering to some readers. There is also some profanity.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars because it portrays life in a cult very realistically and is very educational for understanding the workings of a cult and the minds of people who are part of it. I recommend it to only mature readers because some of the contents of the book can be a bit disturbing. I also recommend it to readers who enjoy true crime books, memoirs and books about cults.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Like My Mother Before Me by Naley Gonzalez
