3 out of 4 stars
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George Sharkman is the manipulative and mentally unstable leader of a cult. Captivating a young and impressionable Elizabeth Burchard and leading her down a 20 year rabbit hole along with many other insecure and affection starved women. Elizabeth describes her dissent into this dark pit and her shining hope that lead to escape in the form of her friendship with outsider, Judy Carlone.
Elizabeth tells of George using not only her her but others for financial gain and sex, and his dissent into the madness he created. Elizabeth sugarcoats nothing and gives the full, gruesome, tragic, and horrifying story in The Cult Next Door.
I give this inspiring literary piece a 3 out of 4 stars. The slow pace ( not a huge problem, though noticeable) is the only thing holding The Cult Next Door back from 4 out of 4 stars. The tragic story brings hope to those seemingly trapped in hopeless situations. Elizabeth’s struggles and eventual escape ( though taken literally is not relatable to most) can be applied to any hopeless situation and give hope. The characters themselves are well written and relatable allowing the readers to place themselves in Elizabeth and other character’s shoes.
What I like most about this book is specifically the message of hope and courage it brings to those in a very dark place in their life. A truly well-written, insightful, and thought-provoking piece. It brings to light the danger of the normalization of manipulation that is present in our society, not just in cults as we like to think. This revelation though unsettling in significant and necessary because, contrary to popular belief, even the most intelligent are susceptible to manipulation under the right circumstances.
I would definitely recommend The Cult Next Door to anyone looking for a well written, insightful, and thought-provoking read. Well written and relatable characters, a message of hope, and captivating language are just a few of the things that make this such a good read. Definitely deserving of every star it gets The Cult Next Door is a book everyone should read once in their life. It is not appropriate for some younger readers due to depictions of interactions of a sexual nature. However, it does not detract from it’s inspiring message of hope in a time of darkness that all of us eventually experience (even if not to the full extent of being manipulated into a cult) and can relate to.
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The Cult Next Door
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