Review by AmandaReadsBooks1 -- The Cult Next Door
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amandathebibliophile
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Review by AmandaReadsBooks1 -- The Cult Next Door
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]
4 out of 4 stars
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The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard, LSW, and Judith L. Carlone gives a grueling and detailed account of Elizabeth’s personal experiences during the 19 years she was involved in a cult. Elizabeth or “Liz” was an only child. Her father, a kind and successful psychologist, passed away when Liz was in middle school. Liz was then left alone with her mother, Rachael, who she describes as antisocial, irrational, and devoid of caring. In detailing her childhood experiences, it seems clear that Rachael’s behavior set the stage to make victimization by a cult a more plausible scenario. Between the many “self-help” type doctors and the erratic and abusive behavior, it was no wonder that from a young age, Liz was an emotional wreck who suffered from low self-esteem.
Rachael found George Sharkman when Liz was just turning 18-years-old. Claiming to be a biofeedback therapist, his sessions quickly deteriorated into something far more insidious. He would talk about “Energy” and how only he had access to it. He sneered at the “Program,” which was the rules created by society, and how one could use the “Energy” to transcend these rules and become our own gods. His rhetoric was basically along those lines, but it would shift according to his whims. The key is that he was commanding, convincing, and an artful deceiver. He also thoroughly lacked compassion. Honestly, I hated reading through the really gross descriptions of lies through which George was brainwashing his followers. I held on simply because I felt so bad for Liz, and having read the prologue, I knew she would get out...and I had to find out how.
For 19 YEARS, Liz was dragged through hell. George and his two children, Serena and Chris, basically brainwashed Liz, along with Rachael, and a handful of other followers. George had a strange habit of “head-shaking” during their regular “sessions.” The shaking was supposed to release energy and enlighten everyone. Another big detail was that these sessions were very expensive. Liz had inherited a lot of money from her father, but George’s cult swiftly began to dry up her accounts. More importantly, it was clogging her mind and stealing away her dreams. As a child, she had always wanted to grow up to be like her father. She had graduated with a science degree from a great school. Had she not met George, who knows how differently she would have used that time in her life!
Among many things, I found the money aspect of the tale absolutely appalling. Not only were the sessions costly (and time-consuming), but at one point, George insists Serena (his daughter) get involved in Liz’s various entrepreneurial endeavors. This leads to a number of highly unjust situations in which Liz basically gets scammed. On top of everything else, I must mention the sexual aspect to George’s cult. Without giving anything away, let me just say that the details were very hard to read. I felt disgusted and mortified, but also very sad for Liz. The toll the cult took on her was beyond enormous. George didn’t believe in going to the doctor, so she never had even basic health care addressed. She didn’t eat well or exercise, and she was living with the kind of stress that kills.
It is clear that had she not met Judy (the co-author, Judith Carlone), things could have turned out very differently. When Judy came into Liz’s life, the two were instantly drawn to one another. I liked how, at this point, short chapters began appearing in which Judy would narrate her perspective on Liz and share her opinions on the various group (cult) activities that she observed. Up until that point, the reader only knew what was happening through Elizabeth's eyes. As soon as I heard Judy weighing in however, hope started surging through me.
I can’t say enough how grateful I was that I knew throughout the whole reading that Liz would be saved. This is something that is made clear right away. If I had to endure that reading and not know whether things would turn out okay for her, I may not have been able to handle it. George was a terrible man and he did terrible things to people who he knew were vulnerable. He specifically chose (mostly) women with low self-esteem, who were highly educated, and who were desperately seeking validation. George was clearly a megalomaniac, and it’s truly frightening that people like him exist in the world.
I found the story overall enlightening, though difficult to handle. It is probably a good thing to be informed about cults because like it or not, they do exist. I didn’t necessarily have strong opinions about cult members prior to reading this book, but what I did think may have been construed as judgmental. Learning about this cult through Elizabeth’s perspective was eye-opening, and I will definitely think twice about cults in the future. Additionally, I found a handful of errors (such as omitted words), but the book appeared mostly well-edited. I therefore highly recommend this book to readers who are interested in learning more about cults and have the stomach for disturbing material. I give this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Cult Next Door
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4 out of 4 stars
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The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard, LSW, and Judith L. Carlone gives a grueling and detailed account of Elizabeth’s personal experiences during the 19 years she was involved in a cult. Elizabeth or “Liz” was an only child. Her father, a kind and successful psychologist, passed away when Liz was in middle school. Liz was then left alone with her mother, Rachael, who she describes as antisocial, irrational, and devoid of caring. In detailing her childhood experiences, it seems clear that Rachael’s behavior set the stage to make victimization by a cult a more plausible scenario. Between the many “self-help” type doctors and the erratic and abusive behavior, it was no wonder that from a young age, Liz was an emotional wreck who suffered from low self-esteem.
Rachael found George Sharkman when Liz was just turning 18-years-old. Claiming to be a biofeedback therapist, his sessions quickly deteriorated into something far more insidious. He would talk about “Energy” and how only he had access to it. He sneered at the “Program,” which was the rules created by society, and how one could use the “Energy” to transcend these rules and become our own gods. His rhetoric was basically along those lines, but it would shift according to his whims. The key is that he was commanding, convincing, and an artful deceiver. He also thoroughly lacked compassion. Honestly, I hated reading through the really gross descriptions of lies through which George was brainwashing his followers. I held on simply because I felt so bad for Liz, and having read the prologue, I knew she would get out...and I had to find out how.
For 19 YEARS, Liz was dragged through hell. George and his two children, Serena and Chris, basically brainwashed Liz, along with Rachael, and a handful of other followers. George had a strange habit of “head-shaking” during their regular “sessions.” The shaking was supposed to release energy and enlighten everyone. Another big detail was that these sessions were very expensive. Liz had inherited a lot of money from her father, but George’s cult swiftly began to dry up her accounts. More importantly, it was clogging her mind and stealing away her dreams. As a child, she had always wanted to grow up to be like her father. She had graduated with a science degree from a great school. Had she not met George, who knows how differently she would have used that time in her life!
Among many things, I found the money aspect of the tale absolutely appalling. Not only were the sessions costly (and time-consuming), but at one point, George insists Serena (his daughter) get involved in Liz’s various entrepreneurial endeavors. This leads to a number of highly unjust situations in which Liz basically gets scammed. On top of everything else, I must mention the sexual aspect to George’s cult. Without giving anything away, let me just say that the details were very hard to read. I felt disgusted and mortified, but also very sad for Liz. The toll the cult took on her was beyond enormous. George didn’t believe in going to the doctor, so she never had even basic health care addressed. She didn’t eat well or exercise, and she was living with the kind of stress that kills.
It is clear that had she not met Judy (the co-author, Judith Carlone), things could have turned out very differently. When Judy came into Liz’s life, the two were instantly drawn to one another. I liked how, at this point, short chapters began appearing in which Judy would narrate her perspective on Liz and share her opinions on the various group (cult) activities that she observed. Up until that point, the reader only knew what was happening through Elizabeth's eyes. As soon as I heard Judy weighing in however, hope started surging through me.
I can’t say enough how grateful I was that I knew throughout the whole reading that Liz would be saved. This is something that is made clear right away. If I had to endure that reading and not know whether things would turn out okay for her, I may not have been able to handle it. George was a terrible man and he did terrible things to people who he knew were vulnerable. He specifically chose (mostly) women with low self-esteem, who were highly educated, and who were desperately seeking validation. George was clearly a megalomaniac, and it’s truly frightening that people like him exist in the world.
I found the story overall enlightening, though difficult to handle. It is probably a good thing to be informed about cults because like it or not, they do exist. I didn’t necessarily have strong opinions about cult members prior to reading this book, but what I did think may have been construed as judgmental. Learning about this cult through Elizabeth’s perspective was eye-opening, and I will definitely think twice about cults in the future. Additionally, I found a handful of errors (such as omitted words), but the book appeared mostly well-edited. I therefore highly recommend this book to readers who are interested in learning more about cults and have the stomach for disturbing material. I give this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like AmandaReadsBooks1's review? Post a comment saying so!
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Britty01
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I like this honest, thoughtful and detailed review. I feel empathy for Liz, how much she must have suffered. I have read some material about cults, but I am not sure if I could get through a story like that. I am glad to know that Judy was able to get through to Liz and help her escape from the cult. I certainly hope Liz was able to find a place of peace.
Latest Review: Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner
