4 out of 4 stars
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Somebody’s Watching You is a fictional novel written by Robin D’Amato. This book is full of suspense and will appeal to adults who enjoy the thriller genre. The book tells the story of a couple from Long Island who becomes dangerously involved in a cult and fight to gain back their freedom.
Melody met Jeff in a live music bar in Long Island. Melody is a freelance interior designer, and Jeff is a DJ at a local radio station. They immediately hit it off and enjoy talking about their mutual love of music. They both have a dream of living in New York City but are excited to buy a perfect home in Long Island, with enough space for their very own music room.
Ten years later, Jeff has taken a turn for the worst with his mental health. He is suffering from depression. He hardly laughs or communicates and often stays in bed for days on end. Melody has taken a lot of time away from work to stay at home and care for Jeff. One day, out of the blue, Jeff gets out of bed, showers, and takes the car for a drive. Melody begins to worry as time passes on, but he returns with a book. This book was given to him by Floyd from the Church of Philomathics, and the book is by their deceased founder E.W. Peabody. Jeff spends more time with Floyd and at the Church, and his health improves, although Melody feels perturbed by his disquieting smile. Melody supports her husband and pretends she is interested in his new religious teachings, but she soon realises the unnatural hold this organisation has over their lives. Melody finds out first-hand the dangers of this oppressive belief system.
This novel cleverly describes how religious organisations with cult mentalities prey on vulnerable people. I liked how the author gave Jeff an illness that made him open to persuasion and control. The book shows mechanisms of brain-washing individuals and reminds the reader that this could happen to any one of us. The author builds tension in the book as the pressure of the cult becomes more intense. The book is a real page-turner, and I found it very hard to put down. As a reader, I felt empathy, concern, fear, and anger for the characters as the story progressed and an increasing hatred for the Church of Philomathics and its zombie-like followers.
I enjoyed the characters in the book. Their meeting was romantic, and it was nice to read about the progression of their relationship. The depression Jeff suffered with is hard to read, and the constant imposition of the church members is intolerable. Throughout the book, I desperately wanted things to work out for the couple and for those with bad intentions to be punished. The author has provided lead characters that deserve a happy ending.
The author includes workplace tension for Melody. This part of the story is relatable to anyone who has had issues with work colleagues and makes the reader admire Melody’s strength. She handles these problems with dignity and intelligence, and I thought she was an admirable and strong female lead character.
I didn’t find anything to dislike about this book, and I didn’t find any spelling or grammar errors, so I believe it is exceptionally edited. I loved the storyline and thought it was scary that this fictional story reminded me of other religious belief systems and how they may behave in ways similar to those described in this book. I loved the characters, and I enjoyed the build-up of suspense and tension. I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. Any adult reader will enjoy this book who likes a thrilling tale about unscrupulous religious organisations who prey on the vulnerable and use threatening and unlawful tactics to intimidate their members.
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Somebody’s Watching You
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