Review by Melchi Asuma -- The Cult Next Door
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Melchi Asuma
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Review by Melchi Asuma -- 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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I must start by stating that while picking this book, I had no idea of how profoundly it would impact me. From Elizabeth's (Liz) childhood story all through her teenage and finally her adult life, the novel paints a gruesome picture of the abuse that she underwent to drive her into a cult. Her parents had a rocky marriage which ultimately led to a divorce and turned her mom (Rachael) bitter towards her and everyone else. During many occassions, she would beat her up and humiliate her without a care in the world of how such abuse affected her.
Liz looks for help from all sorts of therapists and ‘self-help’ doctors to no avail. At one time, she even contemplates suicide even despite having met the love of her life - Joe. It was around this time when she also meets George Sharkman who indoctrinates Joe to the point where they almost breakup. However, it is Joe’s death that almost drives her to the edge and brings her closer to George who brainwashes her into joining a cult.
For 19 years, Liz was dragged through hell. George and his two children, Serena and Chris, basically brainwashed her, along with her mom and a handful of other followers. The toll the cult took on her was beyond enormous. For instance, George did not believe in going to the doctor, so she never had even basic health care problems addressed. She did not eat well or exercise and was living with the kind of stress that kills or destroys a person.
I found this story completely appalling, mortifying and horrifying, especially considering the ways in which George managed to deceive Liz. He was a terrible man and his victims were mainly people who were vulnerable and more specifically women with low self-esteem, who were highly educated and who were desperately seeking validation. He was clearly a megalomaniac, and I found myself hating him with everything I had in me.
On the other hand, it was an enlightening story and one that, I realize now, was a good choice for me. It is really important to learn about cults and dispel the myths that I had about them. For instance, in the introduction, Elizabeth assures us that anyone can find themselves in a cult and it is not necessarily reserved for uneducated people. It also awakened me to the number of ways someone may be exploited and deceived into thinking that a cult offers a certain hope for them, especially in times that they are not feeling all that good about themselves.
The story was well-written despite a few grammatical mistakes that I picked up here and there. However, these grammatical errors did not do much to distract from the main story and for that reason, the novel deserves the highest rating which is 4 out of 4 stars. It is a very interesting and informative story; one that everyone should definitely read and especially fans of non-fiction novels.
******
The Cult Next Door
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4 out of 4 stars
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I must start by stating that while picking this book, I had no idea of how profoundly it would impact me. From Elizabeth's (Liz) childhood story all through her teenage and finally her adult life, the novel paints a gruesome picture of the abuse that she underwent to drive her into a cult. Her parents had a rocky marriage which ultimately led to a divorce and turned her mom (Rachael) bitter towards her and everyone else. During many occassions, she would beat her up and humiliate her without a care in the world of how such abuse affected her.
Liz looks for help from all sorts of therapists and ‘self-help’ doctors to no avail. At one time, she even contemplates suicide even despite having met the love of her life - Joe. It was around this time when she also meets George Sharkman who indoctrinates Joe to the point where they almost breakup. However, it is Joe’s death that almost drives her to the edge and brings her closer to George who brainwashes her into joining a cult.
For 19 years, Liz was dragged through hell. George and his two children, Serena and Chris, basically brainwashed her, along with her mom and a handful of other followers. The toll the cult took on her was beyond enormous. For instance, George did not believe in going to the doctor, so she never had even basic health care problems addressed. She did not eat well or exercise and was living with the kind of stress that kills or destroys a person.
I found this story completely appalling, mortifying and horrifying, especially considering the ways in which George managed to deceive Liz. He was a terrible man and his victims were mainly people who were vulnerable and more specifically women with low self-esteem, who were highly educated and who were desperately seeking validation. He was clearly a megalomaniac, and I found myself hating him with everything I had in me.
On the other hand, it was an enlightening story and one that, I realize now, was a good choice for me. It is really important to learn about cults and dispel the myths that I had about them. For instance, in the introduction, Elizabeth assures us that anyone can find themselves in a cult and it is not necessarily reserved for uneducated people. It also awakened me to the number of ways someone may be exploited and deceived into thinking that a cult offers a certain hope for them, especially in times that they are not feeling all that good about themselves.
The story was well-written despite a few grammatical mistakes that I picked up here and there. However, these grammatical errors did not do much to distract from the main story and for that reason, the novel deserves the highest rating which is 4 out of 4 stars. It is a very interesting and informative story; one that everyone should definitely read and especially fans of non-fiction novels.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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