Review of The Cult Next Door

[Kavita Shah]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone is a true story. This book is Elizabeth’s narrative of her time in a cult and her quest for self-redemption. It is 342 pages long in Kindle format.

Elizabeth had an awful childhood. Her mother’s endless criticism, emotional abuse, and the death of her loving father and boyfriend were factors that broke her down. When she was at her lowest and most vulnerable point­, George Sharkman emerged as the only hope for a promising future. As a result, she gave him control over herself.

This new-age cult slowly came into existence after George lost his job. He was reaping all the benefits, including money, a harem to command, and ego boosts, while everyone else was emptying their wallets on every session with him. Liz was struggling to regain control after she lost it. To discover how she regained control, read this book.

The book starts by debunking some myths related to Cults. It came as real breaking news when I read the foreword, which was nothing but astonishing. How can rational, upright people fall into this trap? If you think you will not be a part of this, believe it or not, you are just as vulnerable as everyone else.

I appreciate Elizabeth’s courage to share her tale. This journey, spanning over twenty years, was quite shocking to read. It felt as if you were in her position and experiencing firsthand what it’s like to be a member of a new-age cult.

She explained all the circumstances and consequent events that made her vulnerable and needy. George Sharkman and his twisted concepts and half-truths came as a path towards a higher purpose, but it was a straight branch of twisted lies. All the members isolated themselves from friends and family under his guidance and performed all activities with blind faith in him.

George was a vile human whose control over the vulnerable had rendered them helpless and broken. They would be like stringless puppets if he vanished or abandoned them. I was constantly worried about Elizabeth because being in that cult was simply abusive and torturous.

I loved Judy. She came across as a beautiful human being, and her actions were noteworthy. The question portion at the conclusion was also one of my favorites because it posed some excellent, thought-provoking queries.

I rate it four out of four stars. A professional skillfully edited it, as I did not notice any errors. I would suggest it to anyone interested in learning more about what it is like to be in a cult.

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The Cult Next Door
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[MsH2k]

It is unsettling when rational, upright people fall into a cult trap. The need to belong can be a dangerous void to fill.
Thank you for your thoughtful review!

[Faisal Kurfi]

I'm always stunned to read or learn about a cult following. This book is good material for anyone hoping to understand the psyche of cult members and their leaders. Well done.

[Edit_or]

The book title sounds scary but reading the review, I feel it’s actually a cool book. Thanks for the comprehensive review.

[Kavita Shah]

It is unsettling when rational, upright people fall into a cult trap. The need to belong can be a dangerous void to fill.
Thank you for your thoughtful review!

Yep, that's what boggles me. I felt so bad for Elizabeth and then grateful to Judith. Thanks for stopping by Donna!

[Kavita Shah]

I'm always stunned to read or learn about a cult following. This book is good material for anyone hoping to understand the psyche of cult members and their leaders. Well done.

Indeed, it is good material. Thank you for visiting Faiso!

[Kavita Shah]

The book title sounds scary but reading the review, I feel it’s actually a cool book. Thanks for the comprehensive review.

That's true, like the title's all red, but then I read the summary and that made me interested in reading it. Thanks for stopping by Edit_or!

[Clare Jose]

The book seems to have a very unique premise. It's definitely not something I've come across before and I would love to know how author managed to regain control of her life.
Thanks for a great review!

[Kavita Shah]

The book seems to have a very unique premise. It's definitely not something I've come across before and I would love to know how author managed to regain control of her life.
Thanks for a great review!

The answer to this will be found in the book. Thank you for reading and commenting Clare Jose!

[Hannah Mae Fabro]

This book sounds saddening knowing that it is based on the true story of the author. I want to read Thai soon and find out more about what happened next. Thank you for your wonderful review.

[Natalie Sheph]

I would love to know more about a cult, everything sounds intriguing and mysterious. Thank you for your great review.

[Kavita Shah]

This book sounds saddening knowing that it is based on the true story of the author. I want to read Thai soon and find out more about what happened next. Thank you for your wonderful review.

It will be a relief to know that there's light at he end of the tunnel. It's free on KU. Thanks for the comment Hannah!

[Kavita Shah]

I would love to know more about a cult, everything sounds intriguing and mysterious. Thank you for your great review.

I hope you like reading the book, it's really surprising. Thank you for commenting Natalie!