Review by Andie Sliwa -- The Cult Next Door
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Andie Sliwa
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- Latest Review: The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone
Review by Andie Sliwa -- The Cult Next Door
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The manipulation of people by those who they respect can go a long way, and this book describes how far is too far. Elizabeth, a young girl in college, was recommended to see a biofeedback therapist who opened her mind to a whole bunch of new possibilities. She had her life well organized but it was torn when tragedy hit and she was unable to continue down the path she had planned for herself. She looks to her biofeedback therapist, George, for help. However, there’s an evil lurking, but she realizes it too late.
The Cult Next Door: A Manhattan Memoir written by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone tells a story dealing with joining and surviving a cult. I’m giving it 3 out of 4. Although it was an amazing read, some parts of it could use some improvement. This book would appeal to adults, but I would not recommend it to anyone under the age 16 as there are some graphic and sensitive topics.
It was hard to put down the book because of its amazing imagery, perfect narrative, and character. I liked many things about this book. The descriptive imagery from the first chapter hooked me in and kept me reading until I finished. Details that she gave about her environment immersed me. When reading this book, I found a part of myself within Elizabeth, so when she described her scenery and her thoughts I felt like I was there. Her perspective is written beautifully and I loved hearing Elizabeth’s thoughts because she sounded real, unlike some robotic or boring character. I could understand her thoughts and why she felt them, and it made me feel as though I was a part of the story as I read her discoveries and how she went through her life.
The book as a whole is enjoyable, but there are some exceptions. Throughout my reading of the story, when I got to the first meeting of George and Elizabeth, I anticipated something. When I finished the book, my suspicions were confirmed: the story line is a little predictable. The character development is enjoyable, the cult nuances are interesting, but the story line itself was foreseeable. It’s a non-fiction and those can commonly be predictable if the subject matter is familiar. However, in this case, even though the story was unfamiliar to me, I felt as though that the plot was predictable. Regardless of that, some elements surprised me. Although it has some predictability, I enjoyed reading it and it was ultimately a worthwhile read.
An additional note I have: this story pulled at my heart strings. There were a couple of places in the book that brought tears to my eyes and I felt deeply affected. I’ll give no spoilers, but be on the watch because they’ll take you by surprise. Another thing I would like to say is that this book shares an interesting message. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but it spoke a lot about how people who have authority tend to manipulate or take advantage of those who look up to them. It was interesting to read multiple instances in which I saw that to be true. It was eye opening. To conclude, the predictability was concerning for me but the ending was wonderful and I know that it’ll stay with me. I highly suggest others to read this book.
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The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
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The manipulation of people by those who they respect can go a long way, and this book describes how far is too far. Elizabeth, a young girl in college, was recommended to see a biofeedback therapist who opened her mind to a whole bunch of new possibilities. She had her life well organized but it was torn when tragedy hit and she was unable to continue down the path she had planned for herself. She looks to her biofeedback therapist, George, for help. However, there’s an evil lurking, but she realizes it too late.
The Cult Next Door: A Manhattan Memoir written by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone tells a story dealing with joining and surviving a cult. I’m giving it 3 out of 4. Although it was an amazing read, some parts of it could use some improvement. This book would appeal to adults, but I would not recommend it to anyone under the age 16 as there are some graphic and sensitive topics.
It was hard to put down the book because of its amazing imagery, perfect narrative, and character. I liked many things about this book. The descriptive imagery from the first chapter hooked me in and kept me reading until I finished. Details that she gave about her environment immersed me. When reading this book, I found a part of myself within Elizabeth, so when she described her scenery and her thoughts I felt like I was there. Her perspective is written beautifully and I loved hearing Elizabeth’s thoughts because she sounded real, unlike some robotic or boring character. I could understand her thoughts and why she felt them, and it made me feel as though I was a part of the story as I read her discoveries and how she went through her life.
The book as a whole is enjoyable, but there are some exceptions. Throughout my reading of the story, when I got to the first meeting of George and Elizabeth, I anticipated something. When I finished the book, my suspicions were confirmed: the story line is a little predictable. The character development is enjoyable, the cult nuances are interesting, but the story line itself was foreseeable. It’s a non-fiction and those can commonly be predictable if the subject matter is familiar. However, in this case, even though the story was unfamiliar to me, I felt as though that the plot was predictable. Regardless of that, some elements surprised me. Although it has some predictability, I enjoyed reading it and it was ultimately a worthwhile read.
An additional note I have: this story pulled at my heart strings. There were a couple of places in the book that brought tears to my eyes and I felt deeply affected. I’ll give no spoilers, but be on the watch because they’ll take you by surprise. Another thing I would like to say is that this book shares an interesting message. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but it spoke a lot about how people who have authority tend to manipulate or take advantage of those who look up to them. It was interesting to read multiple instances in which I saw that to be true. It was eye opening. To conclude, the predictability was concerning for me but the ending was wonderful and I know that it’ll stay with me. I highly suggest others to read this book.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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