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A review by suspensethrill
Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett
5.0
"Truth, like light, blinds. Falsehood, on the contrary, is a beautiful twilight that enhances every object." -Albert Camus
The second I stumbled across the synopsis of this book I knew that I had to read it. As a child of the 90's who grew up in the "Bible Belt" of the US (for my international friends, this would be the southeast), I have witnessed and experienced the kind of pressures that this books delves into, and while the story is fictional, the research and experience that went into exploring this book in a way that other people can relate to is done exceptionally well. I'd like to point out, before we get in too deep, that the author clarifies that this is not a jab at any particular religion, simply an example of how cults can take religious doctrine of any kind and manipulate it to their advantage. Here's a direct quote from Moffett's afterward:
"High-pressure groups are defined as "cults" by their manipulative and abusive behavior, regardless of which particular doctrine they claim to follow... As [b:Those Who Prey|42119263|Those Who Prey|Jennifer Moffett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578590111l/42119263._SX50_.jpg|65711842] shows, any doctrine can be twisted to fit any motive."
Now, on to the book! I think it's important to be upfront that this novel approaches the cult aspect in a different way than I've experienced before. Various steps are listed as chapter headers, showing what instructions these members follow to try and recruit new "disciples", which are clearly people that are isolated, lonely, and desperately looking for acceptance. Each part of this story shows how easily anyone could fall prey to these types of predators. The [b:Sadie|34810320|Sadie|Courtney Summers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556559178l/34810320._SY75_.jpg|56026767] meets [b:The Girls|26893819|The Girls|Emma Cline|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492065338l/26893819._SY75_.jpg|42856015] comparison is spot on, and while this book is heavily character driven, I simply couldn't put it down due to the compulsive nature of the gritty, growing sense of dread.
I'd really like to keep this review as brief as possible, and for you to go in blind if you can, but if you're worried about personal triggers I've included as many as I can remember in a spoiler tag at the end of this review for your convenience. Perhaps the reason that this wasn't "just another trendy book about cults" was the respectful approach and the relatable emotional investment for me as a reader. Whether you're looking for a fictional book that includes numerous nuggets of truth about this subject, or simply an entertaining, relevant YA book to ride out the rest of 2020 with, you can't go wrong by choosing to spend your time with this gem.
Content Warnings:*Grooming and recruiting for cult purposes, cult ritualistic practices, murder by overdose, murder by snake venom, eating disorder (bulimia), forced food restriction and sleep deprivation, alcohol and drug abuse, disturbing death of an animal, suicide, and a scene mentioning conversion therapy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
The second I stumbled across the synopsis of this book I knew that I had to read it. As a child of the 90's who grew up in the "Bible Belt" of the US (for my international friends, this would be the southeast), I have witnessed and experienced the kind of pressures that this books delves into, and while the story is fictional, the research and experience that went into exploring this book in a way that other people can relate to is done exceptionally well. I'd like to point out, before we get in too deep, that the author clarifies that this is not a jab at any particular religion, simply an example of how cults can take religious doctrine of any kind and manipulate it to their advantage. Here's a direct quote from Moffett's afterward:
"High-pressure groups are defined as "cults" by their manipulative and abusive behavior, regardless of which particular doctrine they claim to follow... As [b:Those Who Prey|42119263|Those Who Prey|Jennifer Moffett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578590111l/42119263._SX50_.jpg|65711842] shows, any doctrine can be twisted to fit any motive."
Now, on to the book! I think it's important to be upfront that this novel approaches the cult aspect in a different way than I've experienced before. Various steps are listed as chapter headers, showing what instructions these members follow to try and recruit new "disciples", which are clearly people that are isolated, lonely, and desperately looking for acceptance. Each part of this story shows how easily anyone could fall prey to these types of predators. The [b:Sadie|34810320|Sadie|Courtney Summers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556559178l/34810320._SY75_.jpg|56026767] meets [b:The Girls|26893819|The Girls|Emma Cline|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492065338l/26893819._SY75_.jpg|42856015] comparison is spot on, and while this book is heavily character driven, I simply couldn't put it down due to the compulsive nature of the gritty, growing sense of dread.
I'd really like to keep this review as brief as possible, and for you to go in blind if you can, but if you're worried about personal triggers I've included as many as I can remember in a spoiler tag at the end of this review for your convenience. Perhaps the reason that this wasn't "just another trendy book about cults" was the respectful approach and the relatable emotional investment for me as a reader. Whether you're looking for a fictional book that includes numerous nuggets of truth about this subject, or simply an entertaining, relevant YA book to ride out the rest of 2020 with, you can't go wrong by choosing to spend your time with this gem.
Content Warnings:
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.