Review of The Cult Next Door
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Kelli Diane Seymour
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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 encapsulates one women’s experience of cult life, from the grooming stages to her courageous exit. Elizabeth R. Burchard, Liz for short, bares her soul to us through the pages of The Cult Next Door. From a young age, Liz experiences emotional and physical abuse from her impulsive and manic mother Racheal, who tends to hyper-fixate on “quack after quack.” This abuse, coupled with the death of her beloved father, leaves Liz feeling empty, seeking acceptance, love, and guidance. After one pivotal therapy session, Racheal insists that Liz meet George Sharkman, a licensed biofeedback technician, whom she idolizes almost instantly. Liz, too, was captivated by George’s delusions of grandeur, believing she had found the role model that she had been desperately searching for. Liz had been hypnotized by George’s charm and confidence only to awaken decades later to discover George was no messiah. In reality, George was a mentally ill exploiter targeting his follower’s vulnerabilities to stuff his pockets with what little money they had. With the help of her good friend and co-author Judith L. Carlone, Judy, Liz was able to complete the long and courageous journey out of George’s control.
The most positive aspect of The Cult Next Door is how Liz and Judy accurately depict how a cult works while maintaining a story-like appeal. It is hard to believe that this book is full of nonfictional facts because of how captivating and entertaining it is. Liz and Judy do an excellent job of laying out a timeline of events that is easy to follow. Also, the duo had an amazing editing process. They use a variety of common and uncommon words, yet not one was misspelled.
It is hard to find any negative aspects of someone’s autobiography. Yet, even harder to find any within this one. Every detail was relevant and every character served their purpose perfectly. Thanks to Liz and Judy we can understand how cultists work just a little bit better. Those who become caught up in cults are not unintelligent, rather their weaknesses are manipulated in a way that makes them unable to escape the situation. Many cult members, such as Liz, question the validity of their leader, their purpose, and their involvement in the group. Yet, it is difficult to leave when one is emotionally manipulated to think that there is no other place for them in society outside of the current organization. Luckily for Liz, Judy came along and was able to help her escape. Most of the others involved were not so lucky and believed George’s lies even after he passed away – something that he insisted would never happen.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars! As previously mentioned this book was exceptionally well-edited. Aside from that, one of the things that makes this book so good is that we feel things throughout the story. Many autobiographies are full of facts, but no heart. This one has both. Some will understand Liz’s position more than others will, but it does not negate the effect her words have. We feel for Liz in many ways, including empathy, sorrow, anger, and relief.
I would recommend this book to those who are interested in true crime, cults, psychology, and autobiographies, or those that just enjoy a good story. In my opinion, this book would appeal to a wind variety of people, including those that normally would not enjoy nonfiction or autobiographical literature. I think that is one of the many appeals of this novel.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Cult Next Door encapsulates one women’s experience of cult life, from the grooming stages to her courageous exit. Elizabeth R. Burchard, Liz for short, bares her soul to us through the pages of The Cult Next Door. From a young age, Liz experiences emotional and physical abuse from her impulsive and manic mother Racheal, who tends to hyper-fixate on “quack after quack.” This abuse, coupled with the death of her beloved father, leaves Liz feeling empty, seeking acceptance, love, and guidance. After one pivotal therapy session, Racheal insists that Liz meet George Sharkman, a licensed biofeedback technician, whom she idolizes almost instantly. Liz, too, was captivated by George’s delusions of grandeur, believing she had found the role model that she had been desperately searching for. Liz had been hypnotized by George’s charm and confidence only to awaken decades later to discover George was no messiah. In reality, George was a mentally ill exploiter targeting his follower’s vulnerabilities to stuff his pockets with what little money they had. With the help of her good friend and co-author Judith L. Carlone, Judy, Liz was able to complete the long and courageous journey out of George’s control.
The most positive aspect of The Cult Next Door is how Liz and Judy accurately depict how a cult works while maintaining a story-like appeal. It is hard to believe that this book is full of nonfictional facts because of how captivating and entertaining it is. Liz and Judy do an excellent job of laying out a timeline of events that is easy to follow. Also, the duo had an amazing editing process. They use a variety of common and uncommon words, yet not one was misspelled.
It is hard to find any negative aspects of someone’s autobiography. Yet, even harder to find any within this one. Every detail was relevant and every character served their purpose perfectly. Thanks to Liz and Judy we can understand how cultists work just a little bit better. Those who become caught up in cults are not unintelligent, rather their weaknesses are manipulated in a way that makes them unable to escape the situation. Many cult members, such as Liz, question the validity of their leader, their purpose, and their involvement in the group. Yet, it is difficult to leave when one is emotionally manipulated to think that there is no other place for them in society outside of the current organization. Luckily for Liz, Judy came along and was able to help her escape. Most of the others involved were not so lucky and believed George’s lies even after he passed away – something that he insisted would never happen.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars! As previously mentioned this book was exceptionally well-edited. Aside from that, one of the things that makes this book so good is that we feel things throughout the story. Many autobiographies are full of facts, but no heart. This one has both. Some will understand Liz’s position more than others will, but it does not negate the effect her words have. We feel for Liz in many ways, including empathy, sorrow, anger, and relief.
I would recommend this book to those who are interested in true crime, cults, psychology, and autobiographies, or those that just enjoy a good story. In my opinion, this book would appeal to a wind variety of people, including those that normally would not enjoy nonfiction or autobiographical literature. I think that is one of the many appeals of this novel.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
